Our Tax Dollars at Work: A Word of Warning!

By Bob Adams

The Lakewood special election is now over with an overwhelming mandate to reject the new zoning and return to the previous ordinance. This warning is that all the politicians, activists and money defending the new zoning, are still in place. Are they just going to give up? In their own words, No. One way or another, they’ll keep trying to push higher density through…. Whether Lakewood likes it or not! The battle has just begun.

Given all the hostility demonstrated during the election, it became clear there is far more at stake here than a simple zoning change. What was driving the new zoning? Money? In part. There was a lot of money on the table to cram more people into Lakewood. Under the guise of ‘affordability’, we now know how a faction was (and still is) hell-bent to increase density and ruin Lakewood in the process.

The evidence now clearly shows there was a conspiracy at work to force the new zoning down our throats. These folks worked together to oppose the grassroots movement and prevent the new zoning from being repealed: 1. Big outside money and Special Interests. 2. Local and outside agitators and activists (paid or unpaid), and 3. Politicians

1. Big outside money and Special Interests. Make Lakewood Livable (MLL) alone collected at least $269,351.61 in visible contributions nearly all from outside Lakewood. (We wonder who is keeping the leftover money?) How much money was distributed under the table will never be known. It was an amazing amount for a simple local zoning election. This money wasn’t contributed out of the goodness of their hearts! They expected something in return. MLL used that money to mislead voters with dirty tricks and outright lies to try to manipulate the election.
2. Local and outside agitators and activists. These folks followed discussions on Nextdoor, butted in to start dissention and discord, disrupt posts and sidetrack discussions. It happened far too often with too many agitators for it to be accidental. In fact, they’re still at it even though the election is over. Despite the election results, some have posted they intend to push even more of their density agenda through for the next zoning revision.
3.  Politicians: Mayor Wendi Strom and others endorsed the MLL organization to keep the new density zoning. She and most of the city council voted in the new zoning, and then actively campaigned to keep it. Why would they fight a grassroots movement and a mandate from the people? Do they have a vested interest? Many other unconnected politicians also endorsed MLL in favor of the new zoning. Why?

Why would Jefferson County Commissioners endorse MLL? Why would County Commissioner Andy Kerr use his assessor candidate logo to endorse MLL, rather than his County Commissioner logo? It all seems very peculiar.

The endorsing politicians appear to have one thing in common – they all belong to one party. No endorsements were posted from the other party. Why is that? For a non-political issue like zoning, they seem to have made it very political, as if it was part of their agenda. Is it? This is NOT intended as a political rant, but let the chips fall where they may. Many good people of both parties voted against the new zoning.