In the surprising but good news category Governor Bill Ritter has broken rank with well-heeled extremists and recommended energy exploration on the Roan Plateau. Ritter's seeming endorsement of responsible exploration in the energy rich area is seen as a setback for those wishing to turn Western Colorado into a service sector themepark for wealthy retirees and ex-government employees. There is some guarded optimism however in the anti-wage camps as many hope that an influx of new residents who have destroyed their prior economies may arrive and turn the electoral tide. (For link to Colorado Senate news article click on headline)
Some have asked what we mean by the "Sherpazation" of an economy. This reference is to the practice of keeping a low-wage population in a scenic area available for hire by wealthy newcomers to perform various tasks for them. Sort of a Greenpeace meets skycaps sort of thing.
