A message from Luther Propst:
JACKSON, Wyo. — Every August, it happens.
The traffic gets worse. The grocery store feels crowded. Trailheads overflow. Tempers get shorter. Around town, you hear the same question: How much more can this place take?
It’s easy to blame tourism. But I think we’re barking up the wrong tree.
Destination communities rarely fail because people stop visiting. They more often fail when the people who make the community work can no longer afford — or no longer want — to call it home.
Sometimes we lose them because they move away. Teachers. Firefighters. Nurses. Young families. Small business owners. Retirees.
Other times, we lose them while they still live here. They stop believing that local government is working for them. They stop volunteering. They stop investing in the community. They tune out because they don’t see a future for themselves or their children.
That is a much greater threat to Teton County than another busy summer weekend.
Visitors come because this is an extraordinary place. But it stays extraordinary because of the people who call it home. They tutor or coach youth sports. Serve on nonprofit boards. Volunteer for the Fire/EMS Department or Search & Rescue. Care for our trails, our wildlife, and our neighborhoods. They are the community.
Jackson Hole will always be a world-class destination. How do we ensure it remains a world-class community?
Local government can’t control how many people want to visit Jackson Hole, although we do and should influence our marketing to promote stewardship, encourage responsible tourism and experiences, and make sure tourism stays a business that benefits the community. We also can and should better manage the impacts of too many visitors. Just as importantly, we can and should strive to help our working people continue building their lives here.
We can and should be willing to make hard choices, to vote against endless growth, especially to vote against growth that costs our community rather than benefits our community. And when we vote yes, to guide them as much as possible to maximize public benefit. Fewer big projects that create more and more new jobs, and instead, better projects that fit into our community and advance our values.
To me, that responsibility comes down to three priorities, solidly reflected by my voting record.
First, protect our heritage of public lands, wildlife, and water quality and make this place worth living in — not just visiting.
Second, support the firefighters, first responders, and other public servants who keep our community safe and resilient.That means both taking decisive action to ensure excellent leadership in those agencies and working to give them an opportunity to live in the community that they protect.
Third, make careful, long term-oriented decisions providing affordable housing for our workers and creating a modern, safe, multi-faceted transportation system that works for commuters, people who use transit, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as people driving cars. This includes both investing in infrastructure and saying no to endless job growth.
Those aren’t separate issues. They’re all part of the same responsibility: protecting our special home while keeping those who make our community part of our community. Elected officials have an obligation to sift through the grit and find what works best for those who call this home.
Because in the end, destination communities don’t lose themselves all at once.
They lose one teacher. One firefighter. One family. One local business. One generation at a time.
Our job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. Count on me to continue to put community first. And please vote for me on or before Aug. 18 in the Democratic primary.
