Bike Sharing, the Next Destroyer of America

Politics can be a crazy thing and in Colorado they can be really crazy.

One of the many things I love about Colorado is that it can be progressive and forward thinking. Two things that Coloradoans really love are the environment and a healthy lifestyle. Think about it. We have beautiful mountains running through our state and people want to preserve that beauty. And the mountains and open space also open themselves to hiking, running, biking, and other outdoor activities. It's no wonder that Colorado often tops lists of most eco-friendly and healthiest states.

Earlier this year Denver launched a large bike-share program. There are about forty bike share stations throughout the city and you pay by the hour to rent a bicycle. One would think that this is a great thing. For those who don't own cars, this is a way for them to get around town. Riding a bike is healthy and one less vehicle on the road is good for the environment. Totally harmless and a great idea, right? Not so, according to Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dan Maes. Let's just say that Maes puts the "guber" in gubernatorial.

Maes has criticized the bike share program and has implied that there is something evil lurking in the program. Denver happens to be a member of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), an international organization that promotes sustainable development, and the ICLEI happens to promote and encourage bike sharing. You'd think that sustainable development would be a good thing, but apparently the "international" part of the organization is what terrifies Maes. Maes has said that the bike share program threatens to convert Denver into a United Nations community and that the program could threaten our personal freedoms. Um, really?

Let's ignore the fact that Denver joined the ICLEI in 1992 along with about 600 other cities in the United States, apparently in this political climate anything influenced or inspired by an international organization or foreign countries is a dangerous thing. Maybe Maes thinks that by being a member of this organization we will sign our rights away to the United Nations and we will become like other European countries—because, you know, guaranteed government-sponsored health care, civil rights for gays and lesbians, religious freedom, and politics that are not influenced by religion are bad things.

The only thing that could possibly make matters worse is the fact that the bicycles are all painted red, and I'm surprised that Maes didn't bring that up. Red bicycles are obviously socialist or communist or fascist or something un-American. If people start sharing and borrowing bikes, what else could that lead to? Renting and borrowing books? Sharing knowledge? God help our society!