CHS Horse trading - a capital offense

One of the reasons many of us are so critical of the CHS is the ongoing campaign of misinformation they employ. Further, they are now attempting to trade the society’s historical assets to another entity in their quest to save face in their mismanagement of the Georgetown Loop RR Park.
Just a month ago on 1/21/05 they issued a press release detailing their plans for the parks operating equipment. This was followed by the “Open House” on 1/24/05 where presentations were also made. Even though the CHS facilities director, Joseph Bell, was in negotiations with Breckenridge to trade the C&S #9 to them for their #111 no mention was made of this fact. CHS has also apparently granted Breckenridge $300,000 without going through the normal SHF process that other entities must pass to obtain funding. The listing of current SHF funded projects that is posted on the CHS website omits the Breckenridge #111 project. Why? Breckenridge’s town council is now scheduled to act on the contract with the CHS at their Tue. 2/22/05 meeting. Isn’t the CHS chartered with preserving state historic artifacts like the C&S #9? Perhaps the CHS has become too enamored with all their gambling funded largess that they feel wheeling and dealing is the new game in town. What will be next for them to dispose of in their mad quest to meet the May 28th deadline for the park opening?
I quote Mr. Bell from the CHS 1/21/05 press release. “One of our promises to the Clear Creek community was to secure publicly owned rolling stock so it would always be a part of the park. Not only will we meet that pledge, but the historically appropriate equipment we’re bringing in helps us convey the park’s story and rich past.” So I ask you Mr. Bell, how are converted D&RGW drop bottom gondolas and the #111 from Central America “historically appropriate” to the Georgetown Loop? You sat on the C&S #9 and let it rot away in your own park and now will trade it away for another engine (#111) with absolutely no historical connection to Colorado. Perhaps the story and rich past you are referring to is the prior operator who built your RR from the ground up, no thanks to you and the CHS management. I am sure you would like to recreate the GLRR success but unfortunately you don’t stand a snowballs chance in hell.
Now the real historical question we need to answer; does Colorado still have on its books laws to deal with horse traders like are currently running the CHS? In years past stealing a man’s horse would be a capital offense punishable by hanging. What price is an iron horse?