Today, Aspen Public Radio reported on these three ballot questions that experts say will cripple government. My story focused on how the measures will impact RFTA. It is hard for the finance staff at RFTA to get a good estimate of how much the measures would cost the transit authority if passed because there is no precedent to use as a comparison when calculating the numbers. Still, financial officers there estimate that RFTA will lose 9.7% of its operating budget in 2011 and will have to cut service by nearly 70 hours a week. That will likely affect workers from around the valley and perhaps their employees too. If there is no bus service to Aspen for workers that have no other way to get up valley, it will be a struggle for some to maintain their jobs.
Certainly, there is also a major mistrust of government. Many people would rather save and spend their money than giving it to the state in the form of taxes and fees. Both political parties are against these measures and the big mystery right now is who put them on the ballot.
It is interesting to see local governments and both political parties in agreement over these issues, it doesn't happen that often.
