Once again Frosty Woodbridge, who does not actually live in the city boundaries of Golden, throws the city council and the mayor under the bus of development and blames its members on the destruction of the world. As a former science teacher, who literally had Dr. Albert Bartlett of CU lecture to his students about geometric progression, I feel informed enough to comment on Mr. Woodbridge’s latest letter to the editor in the Golden Transcript.

I frankly agree that there is no such thing as a sustainable growth rate on a finite planet. But the developments on South Golden road to which he alludes, with their green siding and large footprint are not in the city. They are in the unincorporated county, like Mr. Woodbridge. The new development by Reva, south of King Soopers is likewise in the unincorporated county, like Mr. Woodbridge. His continued insistence that Golden fix the world’s problems is at some level noble, but at the same time demonstrates a lack of understanding about who controls what.

Private owners in Colorado have many rights, including the right to build on their land. As long as people want to have those rights (and I for one want them), the government, regardless of its jurisdiction, cannot control growth in total. Declaring zero growth, ever, is not viable in our democracy. I have not figured out how to have personal freedom and limited growth either.

And finally, Mr. Woodbridge has been writing for years that the city council is to blame for the ills of the world. Neither is true. I’ve seen no evidence that he has changed hearts and minds. Perhaps he needs to investigate a new approach, as the current one is unsustainable. I write this as a citizen of Golden who also happens to be on the city council, but I do not speak for them.

Don Cameron, Golden