• Front page
• Receive letters on your RSS reader

In his recent online letter to the editor, “Mountain property owners” (RockyMountainNews.com), James Scott complains about the traffic congestion he ran into on a Sunday afternoon as he and his fellow metro-area residents tried to make their way back home after a weekend in the mountains.
Apparently not realizing that he was contributing to the very problem he was complaining about, Scott seems to think the solution is to punish people such as myself who live and work in the mountains by raising our property taxes and forcing us to post a large bond.
I have a different solution to Scott’s problem.
From Friday to Monday morning, turn all roads and highways leading from the metro area into the mountains into toll roads for personal vehicles with a fee of $100 per person and issue free passes for mountain residents. Not only would that ease the congestion, but the funds could be used to pay for all of the highway expansions, upgrades, repairs and maintenance as well as police and emergency services, such as ambulance and mountain rescue, required to support his weekend forays into the mountains.

Dean Rowe, Bailey

READER COMMENTS

Dean,

You might be on to something..... The bike riders love this as well

Do n ot forget to put a price on these bike riders as well. I do not know how many times I have had to come to a complete stop because these so called bikers were in the middle of the road causeing congeston as well. There should be a steep price they pay in order for them to ride thier bikes in the middle of the road like a bunch of spoiled brats.

nice letter Dean and I do agree with that.
Brian I would go one on the bikes as well as they are a real problem also and most groups forget the idea of riding in a single line.

screw the free passes. Charge the residents too. We need the money

And since there is congestion around Dean Rowe's home, we shall now charge $100 per head to drive in that neighborhood.

I have a much better idea!!!

Give native Coloradans free passes ONLY, plus, exclusive rights over "outsiders" to own mountain property.

If you were born elsewhere, irregardless of what mountain property you own, then levie the 100.00 a head if you come to Denver and try to return to your mountain property!

I mean we natives were here FIRST! You transplants should have no input concerning toll roads etc!!!! LOL

"Irregardless" is not a word.

Yes, irrespective would have been better.

Hey, let's be fair. Raise the taxes of all mountain property owners, because the federal highways were built with all citizen's tax dollars to give them access to their property, and they use them disproportionately to all federal taxpayers.

Charge a toll to all non-residents for use of state highways, and double it for trans-state truckers because their trucks cause more wear and tear because of their weight.

Bill the survivors of all mountain rescues, or those using ambulances directly for the cost of finding, transporting or treating them.

Ticket all cyclists that can't ride the maximum speed limit $200 each for obstructing traffic. Include Ride the Rockies and all other charity events.

Then watch tourist dollars plummet, our state economy go into recession, and all of our taxes get raised. Or maybe we can increase tourism in the Eastern Plains. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches and sugar beet hunts are fun!

James Scott and Dean Rowe are morons.

I have a solution, require the residents to only drive at night. That way there is less traffic and charge them $100.00 if they drive at any other time.

FairisFair -

I have no real desire to charge Metro residents a toll to drive in the mountains.

It's called sarcasm.

I say charge the residents $50.00 for each round trip into Denver. The visitors to the mountains are the ones paying money into the system already (stores, ski areas, etc.) while the residents are the ones who are filling up the pristine mountain areas with their mountain estates.

Dean, you are on the right track, but $100 is not nearly enuff.

Bike riders pay taxes, and own the roads as much as you do.

Yes! I agree. The Colorado mountains should only be enjoyed by the wealthy.

If you can't afford $100 per person -- then stay out of the mountains. Or better yet -- move to another state.

I see a lot of bike riders NOT sharing the road, riding two or three abreast, and taking their sweet time moving out of the way of traffic.
Get out of the way, you won't win the battle with 3500 lbs of steel. Then, will it matter who had the right-of-way? No.

So I made up a word....I love it!! Irregardless of two criticisms!! O-Yeah!!!

Lets just let Diane DeGettes make the whole state a subsidery of the Salazar ranch organization. Then the only people who will be here will be illegals and no one can dispute thier pressance because with Salazar and Degettes they will be legal and every one else will be illegal and have to pay for them as they are forced to move to utah or texas.

A, irregardless(adverb) is definately a word, it just isnt widely accepted or used very much.

As Jo stated, irregardless is indeed a word. It means the same as regardless.

Thanks Jo and Dan 2! I grew up hearing my parents use the word. My parents had solid educations and smarts!

Oh no, another government bureau to collect the $100.00 fine.

Since it's tourist season, just change the bag limit to three per day, and quit with the catch-and-release rules. I have a perfect spot picked out along Green Mountain Reservoir.

POST A COMMENT

• The freedom of others better serves our own
• The wrong battle front
• No to Army expansion
• Impeach Bush & Cheney
• Stop the war in Iraq
• CSU’s editorial
• Jena 6 & OJ Simpson
• Emma Jean Amrhein