Views From the Editor
Rick Langenberg
As we cruise through the Summer of 2024, special events and politics are still the magic buzz words for local Tellerians and Ute Pass residents.
No big surprises here, as we experience what appears like a bonanza tourist season, and then prepare for the presidential elections this November. This is a strange combination as we crown local festivals and political drama as the preliminary winners of our magical summer.
First the good news: The infamous Summer of Fun is turning into a big success, with record crowds at area events and good times by most attendees. It’s good to see special events making a great comeback on The Mountain, after the COVID woes of several years. Luckily, the doomsday talk of not having special events has ended.
During last week’s Cripple Creek City Council meeting, the Independence-day celebration was cited as a big winner regarding crowds, vendors, the festivities, the show, and yes, a needed boost for patriotism. The city deserves a pat on the back for a great Fourth. The July 4th celebration came in the wake of Donkey Derby Days, which also was quite successful, attracting tens of thousands of folks.
Down the hill, the two-week Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls got the thumbs-up by residents and visitors, recording big crowds on July 4th, and recording many sold-out performances. As a GMF resident, the Fourth was the first time I ever experienced a challenge in securing a place to park in town. If you haven’t seen the signature exhibit at the Gazebo Bridge, Arc ZERO: Nimbus by Australian artist James Tapscott, make sure to check it out. This lighted ring structure, which uses water from the lake to generate mist, has become quite a sight in the evenings. Green Box too offered a great combination of cultural and community events and educational outings.
The festival craze continues, as this week we celebrate Bronc Day and Pearl DeVere Day, as event organizers appear on track to unveil great celebrations. Then, we soon have the Teller County Fair, Vino & Notes, the Mountain Arts Festival and the Salute to American Veterans Rally.
Mixed Bag of Politics
On the political front, the local, state and national verdict is a little mixed.
On the upside, last week Cripple Creek city lobbyist Sol Malick announced preliminary efforts to try to generate more revenue for the gaming communities. He is working on a possible legislative plan with a state Senator to alter the current formula, which could give the gaming towns a needed revenue boost from the state. This is something that has been needed for some time.
For years, casino gaming revenue has almost become a moving target for the state big wigs. Through Sol’s help, they have somewhat left us alone in the last five or so years, under the adage, “Don’t mess with Cripple Creek.” But the controversy over sports betting is one bad deal for the gambling areas.
It’s no secret that Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk got the shaft with sports betting, with the towns racking up a big zero in money it provided the gambling towns, even though this initiative became a reality due to the support and cooperation of the gaming communities. And under a new state ballot proposition, aimed at de-Brucing the excess Sports Betting revenue (now a $4 billion or so industry) this scenario will only get worse. The excess money, which well exceeds the tens of millions earlier predicted, will go to the state’s water plan. That must be one Hell of a Water Plan.
Make sure to vote “no” on this atrocity of a measure, one of possibly 30 that could appear on the November ballot.
Another good development is that the primary election served as an axing time from some of the extreme candidates on the left and right. That is a definite good development, shifting the focus to policies, instead of theatrics.
But area leaders still must deal with the growing possibility that the Dems could achieve a Super Majority in the state House and Senate. This fact, combined with a Democratic governor, who may be a future candidate for president, will pose some challenges in the legislation we favor and certain urban-related bills that could hurt our communities.
However, although most of us up here are not big fans of Governor Jared Polis, Cripple Creek could reap the benefits of his campaign for early childcare assistance. The Community of Caring is taking the lead role in trying to develop a $3 million-plus childcare center, with the help of the city of Cripple Creek. Last week, the city agreed to become the fiscal agent to help secure a $1 million grant to move the project forward.
Although this grant is not a done deal, the fact that a key representative of the DOLA, Todd Leopold, attended the session, is a good sign. This facility could handle close to 50 kids.
Stay tuned for continual reports on this project.
Lastly, I would like to end this rambling discourse on politics in complimenting the city of Cripple Creek for crafting a unique proclamation, in the wake of the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. This proclamation, although mostly symbolic, helped set the tone for a plea for unity and a stand against political violence. It could become the starting point for other communities.
Many residents are still jolted over the incident, with various and conflicting insider reports regarding whether this will boost Trump’s chances of regaining the White House.
A similar assassination attempt against former President Ronald Reagan helped him in rallying Congress to pass what at the time was perceived as a slew of radical budget cuts. He succeeded in swaying a heavily-dominated Democratic Congress. This apparent victory lap led to one of the biggest landslide victories in 1984. Prior to the shooting, Reagan was mostly viewed as a Hollywood actor who got lucky in beating former President Jimmy Carter.
Whether this shooting incident will help Trump is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately, the political era of Ronald Reagan was much different. According to legendary stories, Reagan and former House Speaker Tim O’Neill, who were polar opposites when it came to national policies, used to battle and argue during the day and then socialize, drink together and tell stories in the evenings. What a change in the political climate from today. Let’s bring back the 1980s