Wake-Up Call: Aspen's 'Big Money' mess

Wake-Up Call: Aspen's "Big Money" mess

By Patricia Calhoun Fri., Jan. 15 2010 at 6:47 AM

Forget Charlie Sheen. The biggest scandal in Aspen these days involves Dan Sheridan, a 44-year-old singer musician who's lived in that mountain town more than twenty years, doesn't like some of the changes he's seen, and describes them very eloquently in his song "Big Money."

But while Sheridan croons that he "won't give up on this town/Won't give up on my friends," Aspen Skiing Co., which owns Sneaky's, the club where Sheridan was singing on New Year's Day when an Aspen veep heard the song, was ready to give up on him: Sheridan lost his gig.

Aspen Skiing Co. would probably like to ban Secrets of Aspen from the VH1 schedule, too.

When the public -- what remains of it in Aspen -- protested, Aspen Skiing reconsidered, and said it would welcome Sheridan back at Sneaky's. Although he may not be allowed to sing "Big Money."

So, for the record, here are the lyrics too shocking for corporate Aspen:

Well I was walking my dog down the old walking trail When I ran into a post-it sign of pending future sale Some mogul who feels he should Build a mansion in the mountains his cabin in the woods They come here from Miami They come here from LA They bring a part of the city, that'll never go away Like a fear of strangers, accelerated time Sound of car alarms in a town without crime Like plain wooden fences, controlled security Setting up borders where they never used to be Down in the graves you can hear the miners say Big money ruins everything
Well it happened in Aspen
And down in Santa Fe
It happens everywhere when the locals move away
They can't afford to live here, they can't afford the rent
Unless they win the lottery or live in a tent
I think big money sucks
Please write that down
Please take a look what it did to this town
Trophy houses, trophy wives, trophy people leading trophy lives
Down in the graves you can hear the miners say
Big money ruins everything

Say goodbye to all the artists and people who can ski
Say hello to private golf clubs and elective surgery
Well I think I'll build a billboard
At the entrance of this town
If you're here to prove how rich you are
Please just turn around
Please turn around, high tail and run
You've probably already ruined where you're coming from

So I went into the hardware store
But it has been replaced
By a boutique for trophy wives
With a reconstructed face
And it only sells handbags
Stuff you'll never need
Like fine Italian shoes
And tasteful jewelry
So we blame it on the landlords
Blame it all on greed
Blame it on the excess
Of the nouveau riche
Down in the graves you can hear the miners say
Big money ruins everything

How did this happen
How did it occur
Women driving Hummers
Men wearing fur
Now I sing at corporate parties
Make 'em feel like a kid
Because I play acoustic guitar
Just like John Denver did
But they don't listen to my words
Words that I'm singing
I'm here to fill the void
Between cell phones ringing

I recently found a letter
That I wrote to myself
Said Man if you get old and bitter
Better move somewhere else
I ain't going nowhere
Won't give up on this town
Won't give up on my friends
Who somehow stick around
Down in the graves you can hear the miners say
Big money ruins everything
Big money ruins everything

Women at the Caribou
With liposuction hips
And in the name of balance
They re-inflate their lips
Down in the graves you can hear the miners say
Big money ruins everything
Big money ruins everything
Big money ruins everything
Big money ruins everything

Tags:

Aspen, Charlie Sheehan, Dan Sheridan, Patricia Calhoun

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"When the public -- what remains of it in Aspen -- protested, Aspen Skiing reconsidered, and said it would welcome Sheridan back at Sneaky's"-Patricia Calhoun, Article

Wow, that's funny 'cuz Skico's Denver based attorney firm Holland & Hart didn't say that in a letter dated November 17, 2010 by hand delivery to the National Labor Relations Board concerning "Skico and Free Speech," Mulcahy's letter to the editor. They said Sheridan "was merely an independent contractor, rather than an ASC employee. ASC declined to renew Dan Sheridan's contract, which it had the right to do." See below:

"Within the letter, Mulcahy suggests that the core values promoted by ASC were being "compromised." Further, he suggests that ASC intentionally removed the Aspen Daily News from its hotels in order to censor the newspaper's coverage of ASC's "firing" of Dan Sheridan, a local singer/songwriter, from one of ASC's venues.

Mulcahy's version of the facts regarding the fring of singer Dan Sheridan is also intentionally skewed to present ASC in the worse light possible.

In truth, singer Dan Sheridan was merely an independent contractor, rather than an ASC employee. ASC declined to renew Dan Sheridan's contract, which it had the right to do.

In your October 22, 2010 letter you asked for ASC [Aspen Skiing] to provide a position on whether it considers Mulcahy's letter to be protected or unprotected activity. [protected speech] ASC contends Mulcahy's letter was... not protected speech because it took no stance on the issue of unionization or any other rights afforded to ASC's employees under the Act. It does not contain any discussion of the wages, hours, or working conditions of any of ASC's employees. Further, Mulcahy is not a public employee who voiced a matter of public concern regarding any governmental body's conduct. See Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563, 568 (1968).

Further, ASC's Employee Resource Guide, attached as Exhibit E, expressly clarifies that Mulcahy's employment relationship with ASC is "at will." Exhibit E at *1. The Guide also states that Mulcahy could be disciplined for "any conduct considered detrimental to...Aspen Skiing Company." Exhibit E at *25. Finally, the Guide clearly invites employees to raise issues or concerns with any management... [LOL: LET ME COUNT THE UNANSWERED EMAILS--I HAD TO GET THE COLORADO DEPT OF LABOR INVOLVED TO FORCED THEM TO PAY ME FOR A REQUIRED MEETING. I NEVER GOT THE MEETING POLICY IN WRITING BEFORE THEY FIRED ME. LOL: THROUGH THE ASPEN TIMES.] In short, Mulcahy's letter from May 7, 2010 is not protected activity because it is an impermissible and very public attack on ASC's professional reputation and business practices. Neither the Act nor any other statute requires ASC to sit idly by while one of its at-will employees publicly condemns the company's reputation, and ASC will not do so here. [ROFL]

Moreover, Mulcahy's letter is an express violation of ASC's Conflict of Interest Policy. [ALTHOUGH 7 MONTHS LATER TO BE FOUND ILLEGAL RESULTING IN A FEDERAL SETTLEMENT REQUIRING ASC TO REWRITE IT---BUT SKICO SAYS IT'S AN OLD 1930S LAW---LATER IN THE CHAPTER 'BULLIES NEVER LEARN:'THE FEDS CAUGHT THEM VERBALLY STATING IT TO EMPLOYEES WITH A..................... DIGITAL PEN----SEE COMMENTS:http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20130214/NEWS/130219938 ] Further, the Policy expressly states that:

All employees have a voice. [AND APPARENTLY DIGITAL PENS 2] Our community expects a degree of honesty and insight from our employees greater than the general public. CONSEQUENTLY, IF AN EMPLOYEE IS FOUND TO BE MAKING PUBLIC STATEMENTS THAT ARE EITHER DAMAGING AND/OR UNTRUE, THAT EMPLOYEE MAY BE DISCIPLINED UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION. Exhibit E at *21 (emphasis IN CAPS added BY SKICO)

As discussed, Mulcahy noted in his May 7, 2010 letter he was writing as an employee of ASC. See Exhibit D. His statements were clearly intended to attack ASC's conduct and to imply ASC was not actually living up to its own core values. Despite Mulcahy's own unconvincing assertions that his letter was intended to promote a positive public dialogue, it is plain that the letter was intended by Mulcahy to "air out" his own personal issues with ASC in a manner that would embarrass ASC in the public eye. ASC's Conflict of Interest Policy was designed to create a balance between the benefit served when employees constructively voice their issues and disagreements with ASC and ASC's right to protect its public image. Mulcahy's May 7, 2010 letter was a flagrant and unequivocal violation of this Policy and further proof that Mulcahy had no desire to resolve his differences with ASC in a constructive manner....200 pages of corporate bullying follows.

------------------------Wisdom from Tina Adcock-Thomas, attorney:

SkiCo is the largest employer in Aspen and surrounding area. SkiCo sets the level of income in the area. SkiCo sets the level of rent for housing in the area. If you live in the area and want to ski, but don't want to travel miles and miles away, you must patronize SkiCo. If you want to access the National Forrest in you own backyard, you better make sure you have the permission of SkiCo. You want to speak in glowing terms about your employer, SkiCo? Go right ahead. You disagree with or don't like aspects of your employment with SkiCo? STFU. Or be fired. Maybe sued.

I live in a place some would call a "company town," too. Certainly a much bigger and more lucrative company owns this town... Walmart. That said, I'd choose this place over Aspen and SkiCo any day because Walmart isn't interested in controlling the lives of the residents here and, based on the protesters I see on occasion, Walmart isn't interested in controlling the free speech of others.

Yes, SkiCo is a bully. Congrats... the more SkiCo tries to control thought, action and speech of it's employees, the more negative publicity SkiCo gets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyJWKotg-nY