Some of these resolutions are big-picture, and others are small and even fun. But they're all part of the fabric that is our flannel-clad state, smoking some sativa (or maybe just enjoying a craft beer) with our feet up on a deck looking out to the mountains and the endless sky above. Enjoy the New Year's celebration, Colorado — and be ready to get to work in 2024.
"Ooh," we imagine Boebert saying in this photo. "I wonder what patriot busted through these particular Capitol windows on Jan. 6? That day was so 1776!"
Let's just put this as kindly as we can: Lauren Boebert should be relieved from civic duty and never again allowed to serve the public in any district, at any level. Her running from CD3 after a disastrously useless two terms shouldn't help her chances — or excuse her many shortcomings. Remember, CD4: Colorado is currently in the fourth stage of grief as it pertains to Lauren Boebert. First came denial, with reactions ranging from "I can't believe she's as bad as I think she is" to "She'll be a breath of fresh air to Colorado and U.S. politics!" Then came anger, from "She's utterly embarrassing" to "No one's giving her a chance! Give the gal some time to work!" Then bargaining, from "Her first term was a fluke; let's hope Adam Frisch takes her out, even though we aren't supporting his campaign nearly enough" to "Her first term was a fluke; now she'll take the good fight to the powers that be!" Currently, we're in depression ("Oh, my God, she just won't stop being embarrassing" to "Oh, my God, she actually is embarrassing"). Come November, we're looking forward to beginning the last stage: acceptance. "Well, that was something we tried, and now it's over. Best of luck with your NRA-themed OnlyFans, Lauren!"
New State Holidays: Election Day, Opening Day for the Rockies, and "Slopening Day"
Here's a fun one. We have the chance to establish three state holidays, Colorado. Election Day as holiday has been discussed for years, and it's important for our country and its future that voting is treated like the civic duty that it is. Opening Day for Rockies baseball — well, not that the team has earned it, but making it a citywide festival would be pretty cool (instead of the barely managed chaos LoDo becomes on opening day in unofficial fashion now). And finally, let's have an official "Slopening Day" for the ski season. Sure, not every resort will open on the same day, but an official kickoff to Colorado's unofficial amateur sport sounds like a marketing boom, and a lot of community fun, too.
Keep Trump Off the Ballot
It's out of state hands now, of course, and heading for the U.S. Supreme Court. But initially, six Colorado voters (four Republican and two unaffiliated) fought for and finally achieved the goal of removing Trump from the primary ballot because of his participation in the insurrection on January 6, 2021. The Supreme Court can reverse that, and most believe it will — though it's possible that given the threat to American democracy that Trump and his vindictive and tyrannical political promises present, upholding it might just be a good way for the GOP to do away with Trump in a manner by which there really can't be repercussions. As much as America as a whole is sick of the Supreme Court being a lifetime appointment, if it's the Supremes who finally put down the rabid dog that is the Trump movement, there won't be anyone to blame other than a few justices who can, as is their wont, just shrug it off as the inconsequential ravings of the rabble they're supposed to be serving.
Keep Moving Blue
Are there really any purple states left in America? It seems like the MAGA wing of the Republican Party — now, pretty much known as just the Republican Party — did away with the possibility of any nuance. As it stands right now, America needs all the anti-Trump forces it can muster in every branch of government, from the top on down. When a country flirts as shamelessly with despotism as America is right now, it's going to take work to rebuild the trust, the policy and the governmental infrastructure on which we all depend — whether we want to admit it or not. All the old pre-Trump Tea Party drown-government-in-a-bathtub bullshitters? Your time is done, or should be. It's not about Democrat or Republican anymore. The MAGA right has redefined it as simply this: Trump or the United States of America?
Crack Down on Cults
With the recent popularity of HBO's docuseries on Mother God's Love Has Won, which had its base of operations right outside Crestone, we looked at some other Colorado cults — and not all of them were defunct and just a part of state history. They may not all be on the same level in terms of physical danger, but all of them deserve to be kept on the radar. During uncertain times like we're living through, what with global warming, strongman politics worldwide, and the pandemic still rippling out through economies and personal lives — there are lots of people seeking something more than what they already know. That can be prime opportunity for a cult to take hold — and take everything.
One of the award-winning vape-art pieces from Mountain Range High teacher Kyle Wimmer's former students.
Kyle Wimmer/Matthew Trujillo
The story we did earlier this year on Mountain Range High School Teacher Kyle Wimmer is a good example of the power that art of any type can have over addiction and keeping our vulnerable youth safer than they might otherwise be. Wimmer, for his part, is using art to combat the dangers of vaping — and students are responding. What other problems might be effectively addressed through a recommitment to the arts in public education? Colorado governance should work to find out.
Fix RTD by Expanding Light Rail
This is more a Denver thing, but it doesn't have to be. Admit it: RTD is a mess. We already have light rail to some pretty far-flung suburbs of Denver's metro — why not the Springs to the south, or Fort Collins to the north (or at least Boulder, which was promised decades ago)? With bedroom communities stretching out, expanding access to downtown Denver by connecting it to various locations around the state will only do good things for all involved. Colorado is already a leader in cutting-edge drug policy. We should work to be a leader in mass transit in the 21st century, too. (You know, like Europe has been for around 100 years.) RTD can't do it all; it's going to take bond money and plenty of political influence to make something this big — and this important — happen in 2024. Or start, anyway.
