Vail Daily Opinion Links Sky Chaos to Mismanagement and Spending

Aspen —The Vail Daily’s latest opinion piece argues that the chaos in our skies and forests is not random. It is a feature, not a bug. The author, Newmann, suggests that recent disruptions are part of a larger pattern of mismanagement and unaccountable spending.

We see it in the smoke. We feel it in our wallets.

Newmann writes that "murky air" goes hand-in-hand with "murky stuff." The connection is direct. Public forest lands are burning. This creates havoc for neighbors living nearby. It affects those in distant realms, too. The repercussions stretch far. They are often unintended.

New monuments are rising in our towns. Ballrooms dance into light. Arches curve. Pools are refurbished, then drained, then refurbished again. Why? Because the previous renovation was "infiltrated by a seditious algae." The pool membrane was allegedly sliced by criminals in invisible wet suits. We pay for the fix. Then we pay for the next one.

The foreign-gifted presidential jet offers another example. It spends time on the runway. It lacks security features for overseas trips. We send it back to staid old Air Force One for international ventures. It is a comedown in prestige. The glamorous jet remains for golfing outings to Florida. It also receives taxpayer-funded revamps.

The article notes a shift in norms. Former standards seem logical. New standards defy them. Wars start and end, yet they are not declared as such by the body that must declare them. They flare up quickly and extinguish just as fast. When asked why, the answer is simply "Why not?"

There is patronage flowing to those with vast means. These folks have billions more than most of us. The common man has the fewest billion. Name-calling is continual. Grandstanding is abundant. Tweeting happens late into the night. Meetings nap during this torrid pace. Someone takes notes. Or perhaps there is a superhuman ability to assimilate information during drowsy spells. Every conversation is recalled, word for word.

When unflattering truths crop up, divergence becomes a countermeasure. Newmann likens this to a "sneaky little tyke" swiping cookies from the jar. He realizes he is about to get caught. So, he tips the jar off the counter. It breaks. A new crisis emerges. His misdeeds go unnoticed.

This is the short version of Newmann’s argument. The smoke outside mirrors the policy inside. We are paying for broken pools, unused jets, and unexplained fires. The system works for those with billions. It works less well for the rest of us.

Worth watching is how long this "divergence" will last before the bill comes due. The jar is tipping. We just haven't heard the crash yet.