You've got to be kidding. Colorado Springs, ruled by "conservatives" for decades, has enormous infrastructure backlogs and dust bowls as parks. But somehow we're in a financial mess because liberals have been in charge?

Bach's real estate connections will clearly lead him promote growth interests that will continue to shift the costs of growth onto the public. That's why infrastructure backlogs grow. Of course, that's the idea: have a "strong mayor" promote developer interests even more strongly.

Do people move here because they thought, "Boy, that place has low taxes"? Or have they thought, "That's a nice place"? The latter, of course. Even so, now that "conservatives" have just about killed the quality-of-life goose, they still think more of the same dysfunction is the answer?

Horrible, liberal Boulder has lost 38 percent of it's manufacturing and information technology jobs since 2001, but Colorado Springs has lost lots more: 52 percent. Quick! Which is better?

But never mind, voters are evidently still swayed by ads painting Bach as a conservative and Skorman as a liberal to put Bach ahead in the polls.

Colorado Springs, are you nuts? Yes.

Continuing learn-nothing "conservative" rule dooms us as a region and as a nation.

Bob Powell
Colorado Springs

Link to regional BLS data.

Published in the Colorado Springs Independent on 5/19/11 as Right is wrong (last letter).