Greetings boys and girls,
I very seldom have had occasion to post to this discussion group, so please--in advance--forgive any necessary long-windedness.
I doubt anyone in this group is happy with the state of affairs at the Georgetown Loop; I know I have been gnashing my teeth for four years. But I just figured that we could either blovate here with post after post that nobody reads but us, or I could take some concrete steps to try to make a difference.
My personal skill is in writing, so this afternoon I sat down at the computer and wrote. And wrote. And wrote. In fact, I carefully crafted three letters, one to Ed Nichols, President of the CHS, one to Joh Suthers, the Attorney General of Colorado, and one to cary Kennedy, Colorado State Treasurer (with a copy to Sally Symanski, Colorado State Auditor).
We can argue here for days as to whether this is the correct strategy to follow. Beats me, actually. But I had to do something. Whether or not these letters will produce any kind of action is probably also open to question. As an old saying goes, "It is better to try and fail than to not try at all."
I hope that my letters might inspire some of you to pick up a pen (or sit down at a computer) and do the same. Some writer's advice: Check and recheck your spelling and grammer--it will make a good impression on the receiving end. Use paper and snail mail; most goverment offices are flooded with emails and your effort may be wasted. And be polite--but firm. You may or may not get an answer. But at least you tried to make a difference.
Some of my material was copied from letter to letter; some of it was unique to each of the individuals I was writing two. So I will put up the three letters as successive posts in the hopes they may give your inspiration.
Thanks for hearing me out.
Mike
30 September 2007
Hon. JOHN W. SUTHERS, Attorney General
State of Colorado
1525 Sherman St., 7th floor
Denver, CO 80203
RE: Colorado Historical Society; Georgetown Loop Railroad
Dear Mr. Suthers,
Once again, one of Colorado's premier tourist attractions, the Georgetown Loop Railroad, under the direction of the Colorado Historical Society, has staggered to the end of the season, having managed to conduct actual tourist train operations for about half of the season. This is the third dismal year of Loop operations, following the Colorado Historical Society's ill-advised 2004 discharge of the previous operator of 31 years, an operator who built the Loop into a world-class attraction. Not only did the non-availability of train service disappoint thousands of Colorado visitors, it has turned the State into the object of scorn, ridicule and derision in the blogsphere nationwide. The existing situation negatively impacts not only the finances of the Society, but those of the businesses of Clear Creek County as well. Indeed, I think the last three years of Loop operation have been ruinous to the State of Colorado in general.
Since the the Colorado Historical Society has thrown hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars (they won't disclose any precise financial figures) at the Loop over the past three years─trying to make a horribly wrong decision right─and since operations nevertheless continue to progressively deteriorate, it seems to me that there is a desperate need for a legal inquiry into the Society's operation of the Loop and its related expenditures for the last three years,
I am therefore requesting that you convene a grand jury for the purpose of an exhaustive examination for the affairs of the Colorado Historical Society as they relate to the operation of the Georgetown Loop for the years 2004-2007, particularly to determine if there has been any legal impropriety in expenditure of taxpayer resources.
Not being an attorney, I do not know what guidelines govern the State investigating itself. If a grand jury cannot be convened by your office for this matter, I would appreciate it if you would pass this request on to the appropriate Federal jurisdiction.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Rowe
