NOTEWORTHY
Jenny Stuber
University of California Press, 2021
Paradox and contradiction are at the heart of social life and, consequently, of keen interest to sociologists like me. The tensions and contradictions that run through Aspen can be illustrated with a simple question: How is it possible for a town to exist where the median household income is about $73,000, but the median home price is about $4 million?
Conventional wisdom among financial advisors is that a household earning $73,000 per year can reasonably afford a home in the $225,000–$325,000 price range not the $4 million price tag found in Aspen. The paradoxical relationship between local incomes and the price of real estate is what I call “The Impossible Math of Aspen, Colorado.” Aspen is a place where many residents own homes with values in excess of $10 million, but the majority of the town’s nearly 7,400 residents cannot afford a home even far below the median price.
was approved in July, “requiring all businesses within the City of Aspen to be closed at a certain, specific time each night, requiring face coverings in public places in the City of Aspen, including mandatory face coverings in certain areas of town, and imposing penalties on businesses who permit individuals to enter without face coverings.”
Council members and city leaders said they hope rescinding the two ordinances clears up any confusion about competing mask laws, as local governments can establish their own rules regarding face-coverings to stave off COVID-19.
“The purpose of this is to make sure the city and county are on the same page,” City Manager Sara Ott said.