To the Editor:

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, many of you will head to the polls if you have not already voted via absentee ballot. You will be deciding on important issues and electing candidates on a national, state and local level.

While I care about the leadership elected on the national and state levels, I am equally concerned about who will be chosen to lead Park County. For months, I have campaigned on the importance of electing commissioners that have the core business acumen and experience essential in operating a $25 million budget of YOUR money.

We have observed candidates campaign on the fact that they know how to write articles for newspapers and have touted "open government." One candidate goes further and states that she should be elected because she was "the first one to start her campaign (last November)." The other candidate is a "reserve" deputy sheriff and feels that this is a qualifier for holding the office of commissioner. This qualification allows him to be directly in line for what is clearly a conflict of interest as he will be a 1/3 vote deciding on the budget of his boss' department.

My friends, what really qualifies a person to be a commissioner? Does the knowledge and experience of leading departments of Fortune 500 companies give credibility? Should a candidate with a degree in Accountancy from a top university be in the consideration? If that candidate further went on to own several successful small businesses that employed folks like you and I, would that carry any weight? The county commissioners are the EXECUTIVES of the local government, the gatekeepers of YOUR hard earned and subsequently surrendered tax dollars.

Park County is a business. It is a business of providing services to the citizens. However, successful businesses are ones that operate lean without degradation of services. It is a shame that our government leaders were not graduates of the same business schools!

Last week, the county's Finance Director presented a proposed budget to the public. The commissioner/deputy, Mr. Tighe, raved about how this budget that was $1.5 million dollars in the RED was good for Park County. The deficit was not a result of planning an important improvement on our Roads or other essential project.

Our other District One candidate, the reporter, was not even in attendance to report this serious failure of Executive leadership to the citizens. Did Ms. Abcarian feel that a formal budget presentation was not important enough to be present? Regardless, had either candidate had any formal business curriculum and experience with the responsibility of balancing a multi-million dollar budget, they would have not allowed this budget proposal to be presented to the stockholders/taxpayers.

Corporate Chiefs and Presidents have been fired! It is time to fire the incumbent and tell the reporter to seek a different career track. Park County deserves more than a reporter and definitely more than a reserve deputy in a conflict of interest position. Please choose with intelligence.

Have you ever written in a candidate? Have you ever wished you had?

Christopher Hopkins, Candidate "WRITE-IN"
District 1, County Commissioner

To the Editor:

On Nov. 4, I will have been in the race for Park County Dist. 1 Commissioner 11 days short of one full year. I was the first candidate to post a full website (January, 2008), detailing my views and positions. Those positions have not waivered during this past year. In fact, events which have unfolded since Nov. 15, 2007 confirm my positions have been marked by economic foresight and proactivity.

The same cannot be said of my opponent. As recently as the July 15 "Meet the Candidates" in Shawnee and the subsequent meeting in Bailey - both preceding the primary election - Mr. Tighe indicated our budget was in good shape and the Board of County Commissioners has been "frugal" in the administration of county funds.

Following the primary, his rhetoric changed. In September and October, he began to acknowledge our economic woes. We are hopefully getting some financial assistance to the Road and Bridge Department, which has been all but abandoned. Some excess general fund balance dollars may be released. Hiring in county government has been frozen. There is talk of budget cuts, but the 2009 budget will be adopted AFTER the Nov. 4 election.

These are all issues I championed since the beginning of my candidacy. Make no mistake: it is obvious the BOCC's actions are designed to appease a voting public which is angry and frustrated during a highly contested election year.

Mr. Tighe's record as a commissioner has been more than a day late and a dollar short. We all recognize this is not an easy job. The board, however, has placed the interests of a few above the interests of the taxpaying public.

Get the government you deserve. Vote for a proactive, not reactive, candidate. On Nov. 4, vote for Lora Abcarian.

Lora Abcarian, Candidate
Dist. 1 Commissioner
Bailey

To the Editor:

This is a reminder that any registered voter in any of Park County's three districts can vote for one commissioner candidate in EACH district regardless of party affiliation. You don't have to reside in a particular district to vote for the candidate of your choice.

There is a line from a song that is very appropriate during this election season: "We get the government we deserve." All registered voters should ask themselves whether or not they feel they currently are getting the government they deserve.

The size of Park County Government continues to grow while the level of service continues to decline. Government has made it a practice to close its doors to county residents, and their involvement in the processes of government has become severely limited. Ironically, the only real effort to engage the public occurs every four years prior to elections.

The county has refused to tighten its fiscal belt willingly. We are in a financial crisis that has gone unacknowledged by the current administration. Should a new Board of County Commissioners be elected this November, it will be faced with a crisis it did not create. It will be the responsibility of this new board to make sure there is enough economic juice left to switch on the light at the end of the tunnel. The task will be daunting.

Are you getting the government you deserve? Not by a long shot. Do you have the right to expect more effective government? You bet.

Do not pass up this opportunity to make a difference. Exercise your right to vote. Please visit www.vote4lora.com for extensive information. On Nov. 4, vote for Lora Abcarian for Park County Dist. 1 Commissioner. You won't be sorry you did!

Lora Abcarian, Candidate
Dist. 1 Commissioner
Bailey

To the Editor:

Should Park County taxpayers be expected to subsidize a small amount of RTD riders?

On Wednesday, September 10 at a Republican Committee meeting, Commissioner John Tighe made a statement that, in answer to RTD's assessing a parking fee to the riders of the RTD bus at Pine Junction, the county should look at leasing the lot so that the riders are not burdened with the extra $4.

As a citizen of Park County, I am perturbed that one of our commissioners would have the audacity to suggest that 17,000 citizens should pay for what amounts to an average of no more than 72 RTD reported users of the Pine Junction Park and Ride. We do not even have an accurate measurement of how many of those folks reside in Park County or even Jefferson County! RTD made a blanket statement that:

     "The Pine Junction park-n-Ride is in a unique situation in that the majority of users do not reside in the RTD tax district.
     "The result is displacement of potential transit patrons who are District residents subject to the full tax burden of the District from high-demand facilities," the report said.
Fairplay Flume August 29, 2008

Regardless of whether or not the RTD spokesman was correct, I DO NOT feel the taxpayers of Park County should bear the additional cost of a parking lot that will accommodate such a small amount of riders.

Personally, we have used the lot for travel back and forth to Denver for a few months. Our fuel consumption made it economically viable to take the bus. The current fare is $8 roundtrip. Add $4 and I pay $12 per day to save $30 per day. (I drive a Dodge Ram). Better yet, why not travel a few more miles to Mountain View and save the $4!

It is my opinion, Commissioner Tighe seems to think that the taxpayers of Park County do not have better things to do with their money. He stated that he:

"believe[s] that increasing sales taxes, as the commissioners attempted to do last year, was the answer and the county's problems stem from the voters' unwillingness to pass such measures."
Park County Bulletin, July 17, 2008

This amounts to at least 2 TAX issues that Commissioner Tighe supports.

Let's send a message to Commissioner Tighe. The VOTERS of Park County are NOT stupid.

Christopher Hopkins, Candidate
Park County Commissioner - District 1
www.Hopkins4Park.com