The Red Ant Whether it be in Aspen or frankly anywhere else in our land of the free, elected officials and those in power find themselves on a fierce “fairness” rampage. By fairness, I mean equality of outcome; the adjustment of the footrace so that each competitor crosses the finish line together, at exactly the same time, with the same result. This summer brings further regulation of “street activations” in an effort to be fair to all businesses. There will be tighter restrictions, with “pop-up” retail limited and food trucks forbidden; these have been deemed inappropriate because they’d compete with existing businesses. There were 48 parking spaces usurped by retail and restaurants last summer; less than 5% of our total, including the parking garage. This trial run amid the pandemic was a great success and exactly what the city should be doing to boost business. But while it makes sense to make adjustments to ensure the safety of patrons, dictating usage and prescribing vendors is beyond what’s appropriate for local government control.