A recently elected RTD Director has announced that:
The most comically NIMBY thing I have ever seen from Save Belmar Park right here in Colorado. “Don’t build more housing because really people are preferring to live as ‘vehicle-dwelling cultural creatives’ instead of working hard to be able to pay Colorado rents.” savebelmarpark.com/living-in-a-…
Please notice he includes a direct quotation from SaveBelmarPark.com as indicated by the double-quotes he included.
Yet the quotation he cites is fictitious and does not exist other than in the mind of this sarcastic RTD director. Yet he would have the public believe it came from SaveBelmarPark.com. There is a word for that.
Back in the day, I actually remember another RTD Director who even served as the RTD Chair. This Director was known for leading group bicycle rides under the auspices of the Denver Bicycle Touring Club through various parts of the RTD territory including Cherry Creek State Park. If you frequented the bicycle trails in the Denver area, you might have encountered this RTD Director and his wife riding their tandem bike.
These group rides he led were a fun thing to do and encouraged human-powered transportation. Those were the days.
It is sad and unfortunate that RTD leadership has devolved to such an extent.
RTD Director Larsen wrongly suggests that the SaveBelmarPark website advocates for not building more housing. However, SaveBelmarPark.com even advocates for a building design improvement that would make housing more affordable HERE.
Yet, it is clear from the homepage that the site primarily advocates for a wildlife buffer area at one address in Lakewood and also for a buffer zone amendment to Lakewood’s zoning code.
Mr. Larsen also suggests that people who happen to live in vehicles do so ‘instead of working hard’. He is implying if you live in a vehicle, you are lazy. And he seems to think that is comical. He then links to this posting at SaveBelmarPark.com that profiles three individuals who live in vehicles.
The three people profiled include a man who attended and completed an entire nursing school program while living in his vehicle! He is now a licensed Registered Nurse who still lives in his vehicle and has over 300,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel!
Mr. Larsen apparently thinks this Registered Nurse is lazy and not working hard enough. Licensed RNs are lazy? Seriously? Does anyone have a problem with that?
A woman who lives in a Subaru Forester full time is also profiled. This woman is a practicing attorney in the State of California! Here is her legal services website!
But she is also apparently not working hard enough for our demanding RTD Director. So he is also mocking and laughing at her.
The third person profiled was forced to move out of her apartment and into a vehicle due to the high cost of rent in New Jersey.
She describes herself as a: “Vanlife traveler who survived the horrors of the foster care system, is on a long term mission to open a Non-Profit benefiting other survivors, people and companions.”
Yet this person also does not work hard enough in the view of RTD Director Larsen.
And the reason this RTD Director brought this up is because it is so, so funny. ‘The most comically NIMBY thing he has ever seen…’
While this RTD Director is busy laughing at and disparaging vehicle-dwellers, there may be those who live in his RTD territory who avoid RTD rides due to concerns about crime, drugs, personal safety, facilities cleanliness, fare costs, ride frequency, timeliness and route accessibility.
And nobody is laughing about THAT! Maybe it is RTD Director Larsen who is not working hard enough?
We have to wonder if Mr. Larsen is part of the consortium of special interests who are threatened by the fact that so many people prioritize parks, open space and wildlife over unaffordable luxury housing. And maybe even over bus rides.
Yes, even over bus rides. Some people who live in vehicles avail themselves of the gig economy such as Uber Eats delivery or other gig delivery jobs. Guess what? They don’t do that via public transportation. Would you want take-out delivered that came via an RTD bus ride? NOW we’re laughing.
BTW – I have nothing against riding the bus. I have personally ridden coast-to-coast from California to New York city six times on the bus – three round trips.
Folks, if you prioritize parks, open space and wildlife over unaffordable luxury housing, please be alert to how widespread the dark forces are that want to smack you down.
We’ve already seen it from city council and the state legislature. Now even the RTD board is involved in the attempted smack down.
They may have the money but they do not have the public’s support. That’s why they have to rely on misinformation, innuendo, disparagement, special interest legislation, etc.
