March 9, 2012

SandBoxBlogs: Right Scoop "ShePAC’s brutal takedown of Obama and Bill Maher"

Scoop:
"ShePAC put together a fantastic mash-up exposing the horrible things Maher has said and Obama’s willingness to look the other way:...."

SandBoxBlogs: Town Hall/Michelle Malkin "Colorado's Own Green Loan Sinkhole"

Come to think of it, have there been any success stories at all with Obama's Green Jobs initiative?

Michelle Malkin:
"There's no escaping Solyndra Syndrome. Here in my home state of Colorado, citizen journalists have uncovered our own gaping government green loan sinkhole. The stench of Chicago-on-the-Potomac is fouling the fresh Rocky Mountain air.

Meet Loveland-based Abound Solar, the lucky winner of a $400 million federal loan guarantee from the Obama administration. Earlier this month, the thin-film cadmium telluride solar module-maker announced layoffs of nearly 300 employees (70 percent of its workforce). In addition, the firm froze plans to build a new factory in Indiana. Abound says it will ride out bad market conditions and "hopefully" survive until the market recovers.

But White House hope-a-nomics is what got Abound and taxpayers into trouble in the first place.

Back in 2010, President Obama promised America in his weekly radio address that Abound would "manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs." Energy Secretary Steven Chu waves his green pom-poms, too. "Not only is this investment creating thousands of jobs, but it is also increasing our renewable energy manufacturing capacity and putting us on the path for our future prosperity."

Like the rosy projections Obama and Chu used to justify pouring half-a-billion dollars in eco-subsidies down the now-bankrupt Solyndra solar drain, Abound's financial outlook was based on mathematical make-believe. Hope plus change equals fail. Turns out Abound raked in green government funds despite big red flags from Fitch Ratings...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Pueblo Chieftain "K-9 units seldom off clock "

Dennis Darrow:
"Advances in training make police dogs increasingly valuable to police departments, Mangel told chamber members during a break from the drills.

"They are a great, great tool," she said.

K-9 units also are among the most dedicated professionals in the workforce, she said.

Police dogs live with their K-9 officers and, when the pairs aren't on the job, they train for a couple of hours a day on their days off, she said. The highly trained dogs like to stay busy, she said.

The Pueblo police department maintains two K-9 units.

Mangel, who led a community fundraising campaign to bring Onkai to Pueblo, urged businesses to keep showing support for the K-9 program in hopes that additional dogs can be added..."
(Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Durango Herald "Rope rescue saves dangling climber near Stoner"

Please remember to support your local search and rescue organizations.  One of the easiest ways to do that is to buy your annual CORSAR card.
Reid Wright:
"Eventually, rescue workers were able to lower additional lines over the cliff, rappel down to Pauley, and clip the man’s harness into another rope.

Rico Fire/Rescue member Mike White held on to Pauley, and the two men were lowered slowly to the ground just as wind gusts began to pick up..."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Discussion to focus on Pitkin County poverty"

Wonder if Lee Mulcahy's 'People4alivingwage' quest will be further vindicated when this new report comes out?  

What do you think?

Will the new standard still show higher need than what the Aspen Ski Corp. pays?

"ASPEN — How much must an Aspen worker earn to pay for the basic necessities of life?

The figure might be open to debate, but it and other data related to the cost of living in Pitkin County will be unveiled at a free community presentation at the Pitkin County Library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Tracey Stewart, family economic security program manager for the Denver-based Colorado Center on Law and Policy, will give the presentation. The organization is a legal-advocacy group that works on behalf of low-income residents across Colorado.

She'll reveal the latest “self-sufficiency standard” for Pitkin County based on a study that is done every three years. The latest data, from 2011, were released recently.

The figures reveal the cost of living in the county and the kind of jobs and wages that are necessary to keep people above the poverty level locally, she said. Identifying the obstacles and opportunities that exist in creating a more self-sufficient community is the greater goal.

Her ultimate purpose is engaging communities around the state in the Take Action Challenge — finding innovative solutions to cut poverty in Colorado in half by 2019...."  (Read more? Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Glenwood Springs, RFTA must work to make sure local transit goals are met"

"As such, though, we believe RFTA and the city both have some more work to do to make sure the new BRT system will be convenient and therefore successful on this end of the line in its effort to encourage more upvalley commuters to get out of their cars and onto the Glenwood-Aspen express bus.

Glenwood Springs is an important member of RFTA, which has made much progress in addressing the transit needs of the Roaring Fork Valley and western Garfield County.

But Glenwood Springs' single-biggest transportation issue is traffic congestion on Grand Avenue — Highway 82 — as it passes through the middle of town...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Plan for EL Jebel bus stop hits speed bump"

Again, will there ever come a time when we do not have elected officials so blinded by the spin of RFTA's sales pitches that they actually look at the facts before they sign on millions of dollars in bailouts over the years?  Or  lend their support to soliciting federal funds without checking to make sure RFTA had all the promises for that grant lined up first?

Good luck to the residents of Sopris Village in stopping an eminent domain takeover.

Scott Condon:
"That proposal has failed so far to earn the support of the Basalt Town Council or the Pitkin County commissioners. And on Thursday, Sopris Village residents teed off on the road plan at a Roaring Fork Regional Planning Commission meeting.

“I care that they're going to pave over our park at Sopris Village and pave over Crown Mountain Park,” said Janine Gunning, a resident of the subdivision. Sopris Village, the neighborhood behind the El Jebel City Market, is home to 130 families.

Angela Kincade, assistant project manager of bus rapid transit, stressed to the audience that RFTA didn't propose the road realignment. The bus agency is trying to be a “team player” with Eagle County and Crown Mountain to work on a plan, she said.

But Sopris Village residents had plenty of other complaints about RFTA's plan.

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times/Letters to the Editor "Who needs meetings?"

Maurice Emmer, Aspen:
"Dear Editor:

Aspen is a progressive city. Now it has discovered the most progressive approach yet to city government.

It appears that our councilmen have already made a decision on an upcoming item for the March 12 meeting (overturning Ordnance 30 or bringing it to a public vote) one week early! And without the messy distractions of a meeting, public discussion and a public vote (see Aspen Daily News, March 5).

I applaud the council for expediting the process and would like to suggest that they do this from now on for every agenda item. In fact, who needs agendas? Gone are the four- to five-hour council meetings with tiresome presentations and endless musings by the mayor about threats to his idyllic vision of Aspen from all manner of selfish capitalists. With this new, expedited approach, council meetings could be done and over with in a matter of minutes.

Better yet, just cancel the meetings altogether and have Grassroots televise our great leader every other Monday at 5 announcing the new rules, guidelines and public projects that have already been passed and implemented...."  (Read original letter?  Click title)
 
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Morning Photo: Best of February"

All credit Bob Berwyn: