December 6, 2011

SandBox Comments: HuffPost "Robert Allen, U.S. Marine In Afghanistan, Sings Christmas Song For His Wife"

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Richard Cohen "Mr. Lucky"

One of the things Perry supporters seem to be looking forward to with high anticipation.

Is the fall of all these op-ed columnists who have focused first on Herman Cain and now on Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

Of course Romney will fall again and Gingrich crash and burn.  It's in the stars, it's destiny and the Fury of the Fates.  Mazel Tov!  Thank Buddha!

After all these months of saying nothing at all about the man, how in the world will they be able to recover their ink wells fast enough to get words out there?

They don't even know the guy.

Just imagine how much fun that's going to be to watch. 

"...Things turn out for Barack Obama. They always have and it seems they always will.

Shall we start with the latest unemployment numbers? At 8.6 percent, the jobless rate is lower than it has been in two and a half years and is heading in the right direction. Lots of people are still out of work and they will continue to be because the problem is structural, but the economy is improving and there is nearly a year until the presidential election — time for a new reality to overcome the old perception. Amazingly, the United States is about to become a net exporter of petroleum products. The last time this happened was 1949, which was 12 years before Obama was born. Talk about luck!

Two of the great American auto companies have survived their close call with going belly-up and now are making money. Along with the financial system, they were saved by government programs that Republicans characterize as pretty close to neo-Stalinist. Call them what you may, they worked. Jobs were saved. You got a problem with that?

The war in Iraq, George W. Bush’s own stimulus program, is coming to an end, and the war in Afghanistan is winding down. Osama bin Laden is totally dead, his ranks vastly reduced by drones. And while the Middle East policy has been something of a mess, even the Israelis have come around on Obama: A majority now have a favorable view of him. Mazel tov!

Some of this is the vagaries of fortune and some the bounty of good policy. But Obama’s most astounding bit of good luck is the motley crew of opponents the Republican Party has coughed up. It is simply amazing that in a country of 313 million people, many of them literate, the political opposition consists of ignoramuses, dimwits, contrarians, Christian jihadists and, now, two men so thoroughly hollow that a moral principle would make a rattling sound inside them. I am talking of course of Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. (I don’t know how to categorize Jon Huntsman and neither, it seems, does the Republican Party.)...."
(Richard Cohen)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." 

SandBox Comments Summit Daily News/Morgan Liddick "Gerrymandering alive and well in Colo."

Another straight-talking, highly respected conservative opinion columnist.  Morgan Liddick.  Up and over on the Summit Daily News.

SandBox couldn't agree more with Liddick.

Lib's have created a major ruckus only to earn anticipated spoils they are very likely going to strongly regret.

Colorado is not a Purple State.  Colorado is a Red State.

"Somewhere, Elbridge Gerry is having a laugh. The famous 18th-century American politician, representative of Massachusetts, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, vice-president and inventor of the “Gerrymander” has to be more than mildly amused by the antics of the Democrat members of Colorado's Reapportionment Commission, tasked with redrawing the state's map of electoral districts..."
(Morgan Liddick)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Times "No end in sight in war with Aspen City Hall"

(sigh...rolls eyes....seriously thinks about pouring a shot of something stronger than tea in her cuppa...)

'SandBox Nanny' thinks, for the reporter being Rick Carroll, he's done an OK job on this piece.

Oh, sure.  He digs and pokes and drags on and on in the flamer portions.  But overall, you 'kids' need to consider that it's pretty good, actually.

There is though, a question for our local reporters on both newspapers.

Have you ever thought about going after the real story instead of just playing stalkarazzi on Marilyn, Elizabeth and Mick?

That real story is the culture of Aspen that is struggling so mightily for change.  Right here in Carroll's article there is a plethora of possible angles.

There are the screams and wails of anguish for the all of a sudden demand to toe the line of law and accountability.  The job is 'hard' now. (Hasn't it always been the same job??!)  Boy, what historical story offerings there must be out there of  all the others like Marks and Milias who felt disenfranchised and never had the courage to speak up.

Then there are the calls of angst from folks wanting everyone to play nice but realize politics isn't paddy-cake.  Wonder what kind of stories they have and what they really want and need from their government.

Then we have the 'gadfly', 'bullies', 'alpha dogs' and 'elites'.  Isn't one of the roles of a high standard, good newspaper publication effective communication with its readership?  There is one stand alone for certain in this entire 'war with City Hall'.

So far, there hasn't been a single reporter or publication that's managed to get all sides to the table with some truly effective communication.

Go figure.

(Learn more on the segregation of church and state up in Aspen?  Click title.  Comment to discuss)

SandBox Comments: Colorado Statesman "Hickenlooper tosses COIN into economic development pool"

Hick's doing a very good job, even all the red out here thinks so.  So far, he's walking the talk.  His latest addition to his Bottom-Up Economic Development Plan is COIN (Colorado Innovation Network).  There's a little bit of dissent but not much.  Overall, the concept is sound, the idea is terrific and the execution clearly viable.

"Gov. John Hickenlooper announced on Monday the creation of a statewide initiative designed to bring together inventors and entrepreneurs with an aim of increasing the number of manufacturing jobs in Colorado while boosting the state’s reputation as a hotbed of innovation.

Pointing to areas around the country that combine cutting-edge research with market-shaking entrepreneurial zeal — from California’s Silicon Valley to comparable corridors in Massachusetts and North Carolina — Hickenlooper said it was time for Colorado to do what it can to join those ranks.

The state, he said, has “The Colorado advantage — we are almost perfectly poised to be a center where (there is) that kind of acceleration of taking a new idea and translating it into new jobs....”
(Ernest Luning)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Colorado Peak Politics "TAINTED TENDER: Compass Colorado Calls On Senator Udall To Return Nearly $5,000 In Corzine Cash "

“With a criminal investigation looking into Jon Corzine’s shady Wall Street firm, Mark Udall should immediately return Corzine’s tainted campaign cash,” said Tyler Q. Houlton, president of Compass Colorado. “Mark Udall may pretend to stand up to Wall Street bankers, but his campaign war chest suggests otherwise.”
(via Colorado Peak Politics)


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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: National Review "The Solyndra ‘Business Model’ "

"How does a fledgling solar-panel company with dim prospects for survival in the free market become profitable? Well, in the case of Solyndra, a good first step was to have the federal government put up a considerable investment — a $535 million loan guarantee. But as the company’s backers would soon discover, coming up with a viable step two is a little more complicated. In many cases, the only feasible way forward is to go to whatever lengths necessary to repeat step one...."
(Andrew Stiles)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Accuracy in Media "The Case of CH2M HILL: $2 Billion in Crony Stimulation "

Ever wonder what it adds up to on local levels?

Cronyism.  Worse yet, cronyism combined with unjust enrichment.

Few thousand here and there.  Few tens of thousands over there.  Start heading up valley into high-end construction and business and a few hundred thousand to millions. 

There are many good things that eventually will come out of the exposure from Solyndra and the rampant abuses in Fanny, Freddie and the housing bubble.

The question is.

Will the folks survive that long?  Especially when every time they turn around on federal levels, state levels and local levels more evidence of more abuses keeps rising like cream to the surface.

“Not very much.”

This was the answer that the Department of Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, recently provided when asked of the amount the federal government will be able to recover from the Solyndra bankruptcy.

“Not very much.”

The same could be said for the amount of research that the federal government has put into other companies involved in the Solyndra scandal. One such company, CH2M HILL, should be next on the House GOP radar, having used nearly $10 million in stimulus funding to design the elaborate Solyndra facility in Fremont, California. While CH2M HILL is in no danger of suffering the same bankruptcy plight, they also languish in a pool of mismanaged taxpayer funds. The firm has a history of fraud, kickbacks, violations, and cover-ups, not to mention one particular parallel with the Solyndra scandal—layoffs. This, despite receiving almost $2 billion in stimulus funding.

Why, having been awarded more than three times as much funding as Solyndra, has CH2M escaped serious scrutiny?

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Craig Daily Press "Prosecutor back for second stint with 14th Judicial DA"

SandBox did a lengthy post on Brett Barkey when he returned from his third tour in Iraq.  Now archived to hard copy.

Congratulations to retired Marine Corp JAG Colonel Brett Barkey on his appointment to the second-highest seat in the 14th Judicial District.

"There’s one thing Brett Barkey knows well, and there’s another deep in his blood.

The first is the legal system. Barkey has more than 20 years in the legal field, following his graduation from Georgetown University Law Center and his subsequent admittance to the bar in 1986.

The second is his connection to Colorado.

“I’m a fourth-generation Coloradan,” he said. “My ancestors came out here from Iowa on a covered wagon in the 1860s and settled in the South Park area.

“One of their homestead cabins is still standing.”

Barkey has returned to the state where his family made their home.

More specifically, he’s been welcomed back to the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, where he’s filled the assistant district attorney’s seat since Aug. 22.

Barkey is familiar with the 14th, having served as Moffat County chief deputy district attorney before resigning in March 2008...."
(Bridget Manley)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: KREX News 5 "Law Enforcement Training Center Plans Move Forward"

Congratulations to the entire region of law enforcement should this finally go through!

"Grand Junction - Mesa County law enforcement is a step closer to getting a regional public safety training facility. On Monday, Mesa County Commissioners voted to approve an agreement between the county and engineers for the project.

The first step is to design an emergency vehicle operation training track. Sheriff Stan Hilkey says the project has been in the works for more than 10 years...."
(KREX)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Mueller allowed to return to California"

(Note from Nanny:  There is a very short leash on comment activity for Charlie Sheen's ex-wife and that family's ongoing press-op relationship with deputy D.A. Mordkin.  Few postings are going to be done on SandBox regarding her cases and the viral internet debacle that is all turning into again.  Chad Abraham has done his usual pretty thorough job of lining out details in this article and until there is a verdict and sentence; SandBox thinks his work today is plenty to go on.  Need a reminder on how to best get along with 'SandBox Nanny'?  Click here.)

"A Pitkin County judge Monday approved a motion allowing Brooke Mueller to return to California until her next court date on Dec. 19, when she is expected to be charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute...."
(Chad Abraham)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Times "Teens advised on auto theft charges"

Rick Carroll:

"...The 14-year-old, who was arrested Oct. 30 by Garfield County sheriff's deputies, did not have legal representation at Monday's advisement, but Nichols noted that the Public Defender's Office is handling his cases on both ends of the valley.

Both defendants asked if they could speak, but the judge implored them not to since their lawyers were not present.

“What if it wasn't my decision to steal them cars?” the 14-year-old asked Nichols. The judge, in return, advised him not to speak any further.

If convicted, each suspect faces potential punishments of up to years in the custody of the Division of Youth Corrections. Or, they could be sentenced to the custody of the Department of Social Services until they are 21 years old.

In a press release issued after the teens' arrests, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said both defendants are believed to be members of the criminal Sureno gang. The investigation into the vehicle thefts involved law-enforcement agents in Garfield and Pitkin Counties, Aspen and New Castle police, and ICE Homeland Security Investigations."  (Read more?  Click title.  Comment to discuss)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Commissioners verify medical marijuana grow operations"

SandBox keeps asking the questions: 

"How long can this placing by elected officials of small businesses into high risk go on?"

"How much longer can these small high-risk businesses be allowed to violate federal laws (and) why are taxpayers forced to cover all the costs of handling all the fall-out?"

John Stroud:
"Chris Busley, co-owner of CMD Care House, informed the commissioners Monday that the lease for his original growing facility along County Road 100 east of Carbondale ran out, and he has since relocated.

“My business has always been forced to move ahead of the rules,” he said, asking for clarification that he would be allowed to continue to operate the grow facility in the new location.

County officials confirmed that the operation could continue, but there are no guarantees once the new zoning regulations are approved.

“If the time comes that we have the zoning in place, and your location isn't within that zone, we will have to look at it,” Commissioner Mike Samson said.

To which Busley responded, “There are a lot of risks associated with what we're doing. We're all aware of that....”

(Learn more?  Click title.  Comment to discuss)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Two sociologists study inequality in Aspen ‘Slums’"

"A pair of sociologists, in their new book, paint a damning picture of the stark inequalities between local immigrant laborers and Aspen vacationers and the wealthy homeowners they serve.

Titled “The Slums of Aspen: Immigrants vs. the Environment in America’s Eden,” the book by University of Minnesota professors David Naguib Pellow and Lisa Sun-Hee Park was published in September by NYU Press.

The authors spent 10 years studying the haves and have-nots of Aspen. They concluded that the rich and mostly white ruling class here has used its economic and political power to gain exclusive access to the environmental amenities the area offers, at the expense of immigrants who work as landscapers, housekeepers and line cooks.

They define the phenomenon as “environmental privilege.” They argue it is similar to the better-known practice of “environmental racism,” where minority neighborhoods are burdened — by governments and other powers that be — with toxic waste dumps, power plants and other potentially dangerous pollution centers.

“The case of Aspen,” the authors write in their introduction, “illustrates the importance of understanding poverty and environmental inequality by getting out of the ghetto and into places where racial and economic privilege are enjoyed. That certain communities face greater environmental harm is indeed a social problem, but the accompanying social problem is that others benefit from this harm through environmental privilege.”
(Andrew Travers)

(Read the rest?  Click title.  Comment to discuss)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."