EDITOR’S DESK: This time Bruce has gone too far

You will see in this issue a fairly long article about city ballot issues 200 and 201, with lengthy commentary by Westside elected officials. This kind of breaks our rule about all stories needing to be about the Westside or Westsiders, but the fact is that if either or both of these measures pass, there will most definitely be an impact on the Westside. No need to repeat what's in the article, but the mere fact that our elected officials wouldn't even be able to ask us if they can keep excess revenues or if they can increase our taxes for projects that seem worthwhile (such as the Public Safety Sales Tax five years ago) speaks volumes. Most of you have probably never met Doug Bruce - the author of TABOR and these amendments - but I'll tell you honestly from several encounters he is one of the most unpleasant people I have ever known. It's too bad he didn't stop with TABOR, because (personality defects aside) that was in many ways a gift to the people of Colorado. It ended elected officials' time-honored practice of raising taxes as they saw fit, without seeking a vote of the people. But Bruce's distrust of government has done him in this time. TABOR came across as a crusade for the public. Ballot issues 200 and 201 come across as a crusade just for him.        One other subject I wanted to touch on here... I'm curious about your reactions to the possibility (discussed in the article on Page 1) of reducing Colorado Avenue traffic to two lanes through Old Colorado City. Not that we're pushing for it or anything; that kind of advocacy would need to come from the people on the avenue. But it did seem worthwhile to bring up the idea, considering that Manitou Springs' downtown commercial area - two-laned since June 2004 - seems to be doing pretty well with the slower traffic, easier parking and overall pedestrian-friendliness. - K.J.