BMA - Only the acceptable need apply

The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (slogan "They're not hikers, they're speed-bumps) has their endorsements out.

• Adam Massey
• Ken Wilson
• Crystal Gray
• Susan Osborne
• Lisa Morzel
• Macon Cowles
• Angelique Espinoza

Their press release is below. Clearly they pre-selected who they would even consider. This is the same crap that was used first to keep the Irish and Italians out of government, and then to keep women and African-Americans out. "Those others, they're just not the right kind of people for office." This quiet discrimination has no place in our community and I hope most in Boulder will ignore endorsements from these bigoted groups. (Note: I do not think any of the candidates on the BMA's list had anything to do with this prejudice - do not blame them for BMA's intolerance.)

BMA's selection criteria are as follows:

• Effective City Council persons.... We need people who can accomplish good things for the community and for bicycling.  Having served on Boards or in other capacities in city government was a plus.
• Will give recreation access to public lands a fair shake at a minimum, and be our ally at a maximum.
• Be 'good' for Boulder.  It would be irresponsible to be a single-issue group at the cost of making other important issues suffer.

We contacted each candidate on our short list [emphasis added] explaining what we wanted from a City Councilperson.  Those issues included:

1. Appoint reasonable, intelligent, and unbiased people to the Open Space Board of Trustees.
2. Support the hiring of staff in both the Parks and Recreation Department and OSMP who understand recreation and bicycling in particular;
3. Support implementation of the Visitor Master Plan by making every effort possible to fully fund the financial needs of the Open Space and Mountain Parks Department;
4. Support an integrated recreational cycling infrastructure that interfaces with the city's existing commuting infrastructure:
   1. Support the creation or opening of singletrack trails on OSMP lands that allow mountain bikers to enjoy a recreational experience from town without the use of a car;
   2. Support purpose-built cycling facilities at Valmont Park.