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By Timothy Supplitt. Also published as a "Letter to the Editor" in the Daily Camera on August 11, 2020.
"City Attorney Tom Carr made an error when providing guidance to the Bedrooms Are For People petition regarding their signature gathering deadline. This error has unjustly caused a setback for the petition and made a situation where democracy and the City Council politics are at odds. The City Council’s refusal to act in the best interest of the city and democracy perturbs me greatly.
As someone privileged enough to live in Boulder comfortably, I am aware of the barriers that lock people out of housing opportunities.
I feel that Bedrooms Are For People takes steps to dismantle these barriers and it helps correct Boulder’s past discriminatory housing mistakes.I feel that the Boulder City Council, as representatives of the city, should take the steps to correct the city’s mistakes too. They should follow the lead of the 7,500-plus individuals who signed the petition and voiced their support to open Boulder up to everyone. I am one of these people. I have signed the petition and want my voice to be heard.
Making a call from the people into an inaccessible legal and political battle is not acceptable. I find this concerning and a poor reflection on Boulder and the City Council. It is harmful to our democratic process and the public’s trust of our governing institutions.
The inactions of the City Council have spurred me to donate money to Bedrooms Are For People’s Democracy Defense Fund, volunteer for the petition, and use my voice to call for the dismantling of exclusionary housing policy.
I encourage others to do the same and for the City Council to correct the city’s mistakes and put Bedrooms Are for People onto the ballot this November."
— Timothy Supplitt
Boulder