Yes, Virginia.
There really is going to be a new Grand Avenue Bridge. All the weeping and wailing done over the years trying to prevent really was pushed through well over a year ago when the folks 'staged a coup' and sat a near-clean sweep of city council via 'whispering campaigns' and the democratic process held in the power of the individual voter. Not to mention some pretty nifty strategy of keeping the best candidates unopposed.
A special thank you goes out to CDOT for having the patience of Job.
Here's to the little guys.
Let freedom ring.
Heather McGregor:
"GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Engineers and community leaders have winnowed the 11 alignment options for a new Grand Avenue Bridge down to four, including one option to build a new bridge right where the current bridge is today.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is slated to present the four options at a community open house and meeting next week, with time for people to ask questions and express their views on the bridge options.
The agency has budgeted $59 million to design and build a new bridge replacing the city's primary route across the Colorado River.
If all goes as planned, the planning process will run through fall 2013, followed by a full year to develop the final bridge design. Construction is expected to take up to two and a half years, from early 2015 until fall of 2017....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label anonymity as protection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anonymity as protection. Show all posts
May 31, 2012
May 26, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Cliffhanger coaster under construction"
(See related posts and public comments here and here)
John Colson:
"....It was quite a feat getting the Cliffhanger here from Branson, Mo., where it sat idle at the Celebration City amusement park from 2009-2011, Heard said.
The Italian-made ride was new when it was erected in Branson, and ran for about five years before it was shut down for financial reasons, she explained.
Adventure Park maintenance manager Kelly Bates (known as “the master” among the park's crew) is project manager for the Cliffhanger.
Bates knew of the idled ride, and started negotiating to buy it before it was even advertised for sale, Heard said.
She said the Adventure Park was competing against Elitch Gardens in Denver and Darien Lake Theme Park near Buffalo, New York, to buy the used coaster.
The negotiations resulted in a purchase price of $375,000 for the roller coaster, Heard said. The total cost of disassembly, repairs made to the structure in Branson and to the cars in Florida, and reassembly in Glenwood Springs is expected to be about $800,000.
The Adventure Park bought 1,400 new bolts for the reassembly, including 700 special bolts, 14 inches long with metric threads, used to hold the sections of track together.
“That's 50 grand just in hardware,” she said of the bolts.
Then came the difficulty of transporting the disassembled, refurbished structure to Glenwood Springs.
Heard said it was difficult to sign up a dozen independent truckers, the number needed to ship the disassembled structure to Glenwood Springs.
The difficulty, she said, was that “there's not much return freight” for trucks to pick up once they unload in Glenwood, and an empty truck is something independent truckers try to avoid.
Instead, Heard said, the Beckleys turned to shipping brokers, who were able to find the needed trucks.
But sometimes several rigs would show up at once, both in Branson to pick up their loads and in Glenwood Springs to unload, she said, prompting a mad scramble for work crews.
“It was feast or famine,” Heard said with a wry expression.
Once the trucks arrived in Glenwood Springs, the loads had to be hauled up the mountain to the Adventure Park site.
That job went to Bates, who would meet the trucks at the gondola base and immediately lead them up Transfer Trail. He stayed mum about the steep, twisty route they were about to drive up.
“We had all these flatland truckers with no experience in mountain driving,” Heard recalled.
“A lot of them didn't quite appreciate being suckered into that,” Heard laughed. “None of them made a second trip....” (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
John Colson:
"....It was quite a feat getting the Cliffhanger here from Branson, Mo., where it sat idle at the Celebration City amusement park from 2009-2011, Heard said.
The Italian-made ride was new when it was erected in Branson, and ran for about five years before it was shut down for financial reasons, she explained.
Adventure Park maintenance manager Kelly Bates (known as “the master” among the park's crew) is project manager for the Cliffhanger.
Bates knew of the idled ride, and started negotiating to buy it before it was even advertised for sale, Heard said.
She said the Adventure Park was competing against Elitch Gardens in Denver and Darien Lake Theme Park near Buffalo, New York, to buy the used coaster.
The negotiations resulted in a purchase price of $375,000 for the roller coaster, Heard said. The total cost of disassembly, repairs made to the structure in Branson and to the cars in Florida, and reassembly in Glenwood Springs is expected to be about $800,000.
The Adventure Park bought 1,400 new bolts for the reassembly, including 700 special bolts, 14 inches long with metric threads, used to hold the sections of track together.
“That's 50 grand just in hardware,” she said of the bolts.
Then came the difficulty of transporting the disassembled, refurbished structure to Glenwood Springs.
Heard said it was difficult to sign up a dozen independent truckers, the number needed to ship the disassembled structure to Glenwood Springs.
The difficulty, she said, was that “there's not much return freight” for trucks to pick up once they unload in Glenwood, and an empty truck is something independent truckers try to avoid.
Instead, Heard said, the Beckleys turned to shipping brokers, who were able to find the needed trucks.
But sometimes several rigs would show up at once, both in Branson to pick up their loads and in Glenwood Springs to unload, she said, prompting a mad scramble for work crews.
“It was feast or famine,” Heard said with a wry expression.
Once the trucks arrived in Glenwood Springs, the loads had to be hauled up the mountain to the Adventure Park site.
That job went to Bates, who would meet the trucks at the gondola base and immediately lead them up Transfer Trail. He stayed mum about the steep, twisty route they were about to drive up.
“We had all these flatland truckers with no experience in mountain driving,” Heard recalled.
“A lot of them didn't quite appreciate being suckered into that,” Heard laughed. “None of them made a second trip....” (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
May 16, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "The history of LTEs"
Andrew Kole:
"Letters to the editor (LTEs) have been an important feature of American newspapers since the beginning of their publication.
A great deal of the news reports and commentaries published by early-American newspapers were delivered in the form of letters.
By the mid-18th century, LTEs were a dominant carrier of political and social discourse. Many influential essays about the role of government in matters such as personal freedoms and economic development took the form of letters, and so by the turn of the 20th century LTEs had become permanent fixtures of the opinion pages.....
.......The latter is a fairly recent development in LTE management. Prior to the Cold War, anonymous LTEs were common; the right to write anonymously was central to the free-press/free-speech movement.
By the 1970s, editors had developed strong negative attitudes toward anonymous letters, and by the end of the 20th century, about 94 percent of newspapers automatically rejected anonymous LTEs.
Some newspapers in the 1980s and ’90s created special anonymous opinion forums that allowed people to either record short verbal opinions via telephone (which were then transcribed and published) or send letters that were either unsigned or when the author used a pseudonym.
Aspen’s very own Roger Marolt used a form of pseudonym in the greatest LTE hoax Aspen has ever seen, resulting in the well received excerpt of the Aspen Times’ book “Letter’s To The Editor.”.....
......Defenders argued that anonymous forums upheld the free-press tradition of vigorous, uninhibited debate similar to that found in earlier newspapers. But again, those defenders are often a bit obscure in respect to putting even their names to this defensive position......
....Last year the Aspen Times finally stopped publishing their online hate mail forum by anonymous persons when pressure from the public hit a new high, along with the vicious content of the comments......
......As a relatively consistent writer of LTEs for the last 13 years, I say congratulations LTE writers, and to our local papers who publish them.
Write on......." (Read more? Read without breaks? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Letters to the editor (LTEs) have been an important feature of American newspapers since the beginning of their publication.
A great deal of the news reports and commentaries published by early-American newspapers were delivered in the form of letters.
By the mid-18th century, LTEs were a dominant carrier of political and social discourse. Many influential essays about the role of government in matters such as personal freedoms and economic development took the form of letters, and so by the turn of the 20th century LTEs had become permanent fixtures of the opinion pages.....
.......The latter is a fairly recent development in LTE management. Prior to the Cold War, anonymous LTEs were common; the right to write anonymously was central to the free-press/free-speech movement.
By the 1970s, editors had developed strong negative attitudes toward anonymous letters, and by the end of the 20th century, about 94 percent of newspapers automatically rejected anonymous LTEs.
Some newspapers in the 1980s and ’90s created special anonymous opinion forums that allowed people to either record short verbal opinions via telephone (which were then transcribed and published) or send letters that were either unsigned or when the author used a pseudonym.
Aspen’s very own Roger Marolt used a form of pseudonym in the greatest LTE hoax Aspen has ever seen, resulting in the well received excerpt of the Aspen Times’ book “Letter’s To The Editor.”.....
......Defenders argued that anonymous forums upheld the free-press tradition of vigorous, uninhibited debate similar to that found in earlier newspapers. But again, those defenders are often a bit obscure in respect to putting even their names to this defensive position......
....Last year the Aspen Times finally stopped publishing their online hate mail forum by anonymous persons when pressure from the public hit a new high, along with the vicious content of the comments......
......As a relatively consistent writer of LTEs for the last 13 years, I say congratulations LTE writers, and to our local papers who publish them.
Write on......." (Read more? Read without breaks? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
May 1, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "News in brief"
Hey, how about the local Democrats?
What do they think this is? A tea party? An occupy the spotlight? A revolution for independence?
Arab spring, maybe.
Lordy, lordy. The Aspen Dem's/liberals/moderates/? are taking on the media.
Suggestion? Tweet it in a live stream so that everyone can participate without those pesky ink barrels being able to identify them in a 'media line up'.....
Aspen Daily News staff:
"A panel regarding Aspen’s unique media environment..(lol..."unique"...(sbn)) on Wednesday kicks off an off-season discussion series produced by the Aspen Democracy Initiative.
Aspen Daily News managing editor Curtis Wackerle, Aspen Times editor Ryan Slabaugh and Aspen Public Radio reporter Luke Runyon will take part in a panel discussion moderated by Steven Wickes of the Aspen Community Foundation. The event is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. at BB’s Kitchen, 525 E. Cooper Ave. in Aspen.
Panelists will share their insights on the local media, discuss how they develop stories and how they approach covering local politics and policy. They also will take questions from the audience.
Wednesday’s discussion, titled “The News Media in Aspen,” is the first in the Democracy Dialogues series that will take place each Wednesday in May at BB’s.
Future topics include “Building Schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan” with Silbi Stainton of the Marshal Direct Fund, May 9; “The Business of Environmental Policy” with Auden Schendler and Matt Hamilton of the Aspen Skiing Co., May 16; “What the Heck is a SuperPac” with Reagan White House counsel Peter Wallison, May 23; “Happy Hour with Sen. Gail Schwartz,” state senator for the Aspen region, wraps up the series on May 30......" (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
What do they think this is? A tea party? An occupy the spotlight? A revolution for independence?
Arab spring, maybe.
Lordy, lordy. The Aspen Dem's/liberals/moderates/? are taking on the media.
Suggestion? Tweet it in a live stream so that everyone can participate without those pesky ink barrels being able to identify them in a 'media line up'.....
Aspen Daily News staff:
"A panel regarding Aspen’s unique media environment..(lol..."unique"...(sbn)) on Wednesday kicks off an off-season discussion series produced by the Aspen Democracy Initiative.
Aspen Daily News managing editor Curtis Wackerle, Aspen Times editor Ryan Slabaugh and Aspen Public Radio reporter Luke Runyon will take part in a panel discussion moderated by Steven Wickes of the Aspen Community Foundation. The event is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. at BB’s Kitchen, 525 E. Cooper Ave. in Aspen.
Panelists will share their insights on the local media, discuss how they develop stories and how they approach covering local politics and policy. They also will take questions from the audience.
Wednesday’s discussion, titled “The News Media in Aspen,” is the first in the Democracy Dialogues series that will take place each Wednesday in May at BB’s.
Future topics include “Building Schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan” with Silbi Stainton of the Marshal Direct Fund, May 9; “The Business of Environmental Policy” with Auden Schendler and Matt Hamilton of the Aspen Skiing Co., May 16; “What the Heck is a SuperPac” with Reagan White House counsel Peter Wallison, May 23; “Happy Hour with Sen. Gail Schwartz,” state senator for the Aspen region, wraps up the series on May 30......" (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
April 6, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "City looks to the web for feedback"
AAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!
(Cue sounds of rioting in the streets, chaos and mayhem everywhere...sobbing women and children....outraged husbands and fathers....)
Again:
Anonymity is a personal choice.
'Tito the Carpenter' and 'John and Jane Doe' do not want recognition for their ideas and tips to officials and authorities. It's not safe to have recognition.
It's not feasible in the world of 24/7 publications and media that buys ink by the barrel that are hell-bent on public exposure of anyone they can exploit in a heartbeat.
They have lives, loved ones, jobs and personal needs that they are protecting.
They also are voters who 'hire' those officials and authorities with their votes and pay their salaries with their taxes. Frankly....they are so damn sick and tired of the mess so many of those officials and authorities make of the system, rules, laws and financial resources we have...they have to find a way to speak up.
If they do not, all is lost. 'Paradise' really will be doomed.
If they wanted to be a city councilman, they would be. If they wanted to work for government, they would. If they feel they can trust a cop they will go to that cop. If they don't, then they will not.
Why is it that the simplicity of the 'anonymity concept' is so deliberately ignored in this valley? Nobody in their right mind goes out and willingly paints a bullseye in center of forehead and opens themselves up to 'Conversations with Mick'. Not in an environment where power out of control paints those bullseyes at will.
The common folks out here are right. This isn't about the information or idea itself. This is about wanting to know who these people out here are. That is really what every city and county agency in this valley wants. Is to know who you are before they will act on the public behalf.
What a sad, sad state of affairs that people cannot even give away their information to officials and authorities to use for public good because those same officials and authorities are the ones that have so violated public trust they have an entire sub-culture out here that lives in the shadows. It really is not worth it in any way to sign up, give DNA and contact information simply so the little guys can show Mick, Rachel, Michael, Mitzi, Joe and Richard where everything from building code problems to tourism problems to crime lie within their own communities. Here's a news flash: The folks are giving you information that is great info and you can use that to glorify yourself in your political careers. The folks want you to have all the credit for the tips or idea. Run with it! Knock yourselves out! If the people wish to join you...they will become a community leader or politician.
Good luck with this new tell-all system, City of Aspen. Chances are it will be as successful as the Aspen Times forcing sign up to login, password, ability to post on walls app that "allows" public comments.
See related story here.
To read up on the brilliant new idea the City of Aspen has to 'encourage' citizens to come forward and speak up; click title.
BTW, here's a very interesting tidbit hidden deep by ACRA in this same news story off the Daily:
"It was also announced that Donnie Lee, general manager of The Gant condominium hotel, will succeed Warren Klug as chairman of the ACRA board. Klug, general manager of the Aspen Square condominium hotel, is stepping down after three years at the helm of the ACRA board...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
(Cue sounds of rioting in the streets, chaos and mayhem everywhere...sobbing women and children....outraged husbands and fathers....)
Again:
Anonymity is a personal choice.
'Tito the Carpenter' and 'John and Jane Doe' do not want recognition for their ideas and tips to officials and authorities. It's not safe to have recognition.
It's not feasible in the world of 24/7 publications and media that buys ink by the barrel that are hell-bent on public exposure of anyone they can exploit in a heartbeat.
They have lives, loved ones, jobs and personal needs that they are protecting.
They also are voters who 'hire' those officials and authorities with their votes and pay their salaries with their taxes. Frankly....they are so damn sick and tired of the mess so many of those officials and authorities make of the system, rules, laws and financial resources we have...they have to find a way to speak up.
If they do not, all is lost. 'Paradise' really will be doomed.
If they wanted to be a city councilman, they would be. If they wanted to work for government, they would. If they feel they can trust a cop they will go to that cop. If they don't, then they will not.
Why is it that the simplicity of the 'anonymity concept' is so deliberately ignored in this valley? Nobody in their right mind goes out and willingly paints a bullseye in center of forehead and opens themselves up to 'Conversations with Mick'. Not in an environment where power out of control paints those bullseyes at will.
The common folks out here are right. This isn't about the information or idea itself. This is about wanting to know who these people out here are. That is really what every city and county agency in this valley wants. Is to know who you are before they will act on the public behalf.
What a sad, sad state of affairs that people cannot even give away their information to officials and authorities to use for public good because those same officials and authorities are the ones that have so violated public trust they have an entire sub-culture out here that lives in the shadows. It really is not worth it in any way to sign up, give DNA and contact information simply so the little guys can show Mick, Rachel, Michael, Mitzi, Joe and Richard where everything from building code problems to tourism problems to crime lie within their own communities. Here's a news flash: The folks are giving you information that is great info and you can use that to glorify yourself in your political careers. The folks want you to have all the credit for the tips or idea. Run with it! Knock yourselves out! If the people wish to join you...they will become a community leader or politician.
Good luck with this new tell-all system, City of Aspen. Chances are it will be as successful as the Aspen Times forcing sign up to login, password, ability to post on walls app that "allows" public comments.
See related story here.
To read up on the brilliant new idea the City of Aspen has to 'encourage' citizens to come forward and speak up; click title.
BTW, here's a very interesting tidbit hidden deep by ACRA in this same news story off the Daily:
"It was also announced that Donnie Lee, general manager of The Gant condominium hotel, will succeed Warren Klug as chairman of the ACRA board. Klug, general manager of the Aspen Square condominium hotel, is stepping down after three years at the helm of the ACRA board...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 11, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times/Chris King "Enough of the political pandering"
There were a number of factors that brought 'SandBox Nanny' to her final decision on whether to take up the idea regional avatars came up with of creating a hub for uncensored yet moderated commentary on local, regional, national and world news.
It has been a long trek trying to get someone (anyone) to ask the question of what the final deciding factor was. Who knows, maybe eventually someone will get around to asking instead of speculating. Imagine a world where direct-to-source information truly exists. Why, it is safe to speculate we would have a world with far fewer issues, eh?
One of the reasons for agreeing to the experiment of 'SandBoxBlogs' was to grow the ability to tie various patterns of what 'community knowledge' (talk, gossip, group debates, forums, etc. etc.) holds in information that is needed in the public eye into what the news media actually prints and projects to the public.
One of the more interesting results of that effort has been the sound of seldom raised in public voices.
As said many times before, local gossip mongers would be stunned at 'who' and 'what' is brought forward in 'anonymous' commentary. Proof that it is not the method of delivery but the information itself that is relevant. Imagine a world where we had authorities such as cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and kings that listened to the information direct from source itself and then just simply did their own job and no one else's scope of work.
Just maybe, we might end up with systems of balance and justice instead of high-tech media lynchings, wars and politics that sway all things within the lives of the common folk.
One of the strongest statements that is also repeated continually in avatar commentary, claims that 'if I want to be publicly known, I will be. If I want to be a politician, I will become one.' Simplistically stated, what 'SandBox Nanny' hears these commentators 'just sayin' is that they are in charge of where their vote goes. That they are doing the electing or hiring of cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and sometimes kings to do the job that office holds. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Today's local news patterns reveal a thread that crosses the ocean to the UK, bounces off the hallowed halls of the United States Senate and involve the politics of a president, a local prosecutor, a senator, one of the most powerful (and undeniably softly corrupt if you really get into the world of so-called non-profit organizations) lobbyist groups in the world and a number of issues such as women's rights and energy development.
To start off the posting of that pattern, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up the guest opinion of Chris King. Up on the Aspen Times. Then follow that up with a thought provoking column by John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall.
Happy Sunday, everybody. Make it a good week out there.
Chris King:
"When politicians ask us to “leave politics out” of any government activity, we must suspect that we are being hosed. For wherever legislation and tax money are involved, so is politics. It is already in. And it should be. Good government requires constant citizen input and oversight, which is, in effect, “politics.”
Thus in the recent Aspen Times guest opinion by two Democratic senators, the title, “Take politics out of women's health care,” promises a double hosing (Feb. 29). Being superb politicians, these twain do not disappoint.
The title itself misstates the issue, which they only pretend to address. It's not really “health care.” More specifically they aim to defend Obama's new mandate, which rewards political supporters at the expense of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, it requires all employers, including church groups, to cover health plans that include birth control and abortifacients, thus forbidding employers' free exercise of religion, the very first freedom specified in the First Amendment.
Such a power grab might once have bothered the American Left, but not today. After all, when you run the government, why care about a few dissenters? Benefits trump fundamental rights. So stuff their freedom of conscience. They're a minority anyway. What's the big deal? What constitution? Benefits, man! They should shut up and get in line...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
It has been a long trek trying to get someone (anyone) to ask the question of what the final deciding factor was. Who knows, maybe eventually someone will get around to asking instead of speculating. Imagine a world where direct-to-source information truly exists. Why, it is safe to speculate we would have a world with far fewer issues, eh?
One of the reasons for agreeing to the experiment of 'SandBoxBlogs' was to grow the ability to tie various patterns of what 'community knowledge' (talk, gossip, group debates, forums, etc. etc.) holds in information that is needed in the public eye into what the news media actually prints and projects to the public.
One of the more interesting results of that effort has been the sound of seldom raised in public voices.
As said many times before, local gossip mongers would be stunned at 'who' and 'what' is brought forward in 'anonymous' commentary. Proof that it is not the method of delivery but the information itself that is relevant. Imagine a world where we had authorities such as cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and kings that listened to the information direct from source itself and then just simply did their own job and no one else's scope of work.
Just maybe, we might end up with systems of balance and justice instead of high-tech media lynchings, wars and politics that sway all things within the lives of the common folk.
One of the strongest statements that is also repeated continually in avatar commentary, claims that 'if I want to be publicly known, I will be. If I want to be a politician, I will become one.' Simplistically stated, what 'SandBox Nanny' hears these commentators 'just sayin' is that they are in charge of where their vote goes. That they are doing the electing or hiring of cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and sometimes kings to do the job that office holds. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Today's local news patterns reveal a thread that crosses the ocean to the UK, bounces off the hallowed halls of the United States Senate and involve the politics of a president, a local prosecutor, a senator, one of the most powerful (and undeniably softly corrupt if you really get into the world of so-called non-profit organizations) lobbyist groups in the world and a number of issues such as women's rights and energy development.
To start off the posting of that pattern, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up the guest opinion of Chris King. Up on the Aspen Times. Then follow that up with a thought provoking column by John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall.
Happy Sunday, everybody. Make it a good week out there.
Chris King:
"When politicians ask us to “leave politics out” of any government activity, we must suspect that we are being hosed. For wherever legislation and tax money are involved, so is politics. It is already in. And it should be. Good government requires constant citizen input and oversight, which is, in effect, “politics.”
Thus in the recent Aspen Times guest opinion by two Democratic senators, the title, “Take politics out of women's health care,” promises a double hosing (Feb. 29). Being superb politicians, these twain do not disappoint.
The title itself misstates the issue, which they only pretend to address. It's not really “health care.” More specifically they aim to defend Obama's new mandate, which rewards political supporters at the expense of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, it requires all employers, including church groups, to cover health plans that include birth control and abortifacients, thus forbidding employers' free exercise of religion, the very first freedom specified in the First Amendment.
Such a power grab might once have bothered the American Left, but not today. After all, when you run the government, why care about a few dissenters? Benefits trump fundamental rights. So stuff their freedom of conscience. They're a minority anyway. What's the big deal? What constitution? Benefits, man! They should shut up and get in line...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 29, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: "Aspen Daily News "City’s hydro push a disgrace to democratic process"
Great advice from Hauenstein. Up on the Aspen Daily News.
Ward Hauenstein, Aspen:
"...The city does not want to discuss the issues related to the hydro project. They want to divert attention, and cry WMD and Swift Boat. They want the public to be distracted from the city’s deceptive process and lack of fiscal responsibility. The city wants to make the public fear a group that has exercised its legal and ethical rights to oppose the hydro project.
SOS is not the dark, sinister, extreme right wing boogie man that Mayor Mick Ireland tries to project. The city government is trying to use fear to distract attention from the real issues. WMD, Swift Boat, you are with us or against us. These tactics are despicable and damaging to democracy. I think the citizens of Aspen can see through them if they just see it for what it is.
I am outraged by the behavior and culture of my city government. The many irrational rants delivered by our mayor and condoned by council is a disgrace to the democratic process. My sponsorship of the petition on the hydro project was a protest of the city’s behavior.
Be a critical thinker. Be a skeptic. Be a cynic. Who is engaged in misinformation?...."
(Read the rest? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Ward Hauenstein, Aspen:
"...The city does not want to discuss the issues related to the hydro project. They want to divert attention, and cry WMD and Swift Boat. They want the public to be distracted from the city’s deceptive process and lack of fiscal responsibility. The city wants to make the public fear a group that has exercised its legal and ethical rights to oppose the hydro project.
SOS is not the dark, sinister, extreme right wing boogie man that Mayor Mick Ireland tries to project. The city government is trying to use fear to distract attention from the real issues. WMD, Swift Boat, you are with us or against us. These tactics are despicable and damaging to democracy. I think the citizens of Aspen can see through them if they just see it for what it is.
I am outraged by the behavior and culture of my city government. The many irrational rants delivered by our mayor and condoned by council is a disgrace to the democratic process. My sponsorship of the petition on the hydro project was a protest of the city’s behavior.
Be a critical thinker. Be a skeptic. Be a cynic. Who is engaged in misinformation?...."
(Read the rest? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 27, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Why spend against the vote?"
Hear, Hear!!
Nowhere in the USA are there better examples of 'why' people feel they need anonymity for protection than right here in the Roaring Fork Valley, the 5th, 9th, 10th and 21st Judicial Districts and both Garfield and Pitkin counties.
When they are met with nowhere to turn (and) complete and total quashing of their voices and lives; the people have no other recall than to do the best they can to stand on their own.
Another special thank you goes out to Maurice Emmer. Sometimes, it does pay off to get a lawyer thoroughly motivated. They do have a way with words, don't they?
Maurice Emmer:
"Editor:
A Feb. 24 article in the Aspen Daily News reported about the city’s spending on newspaper advertising relating to its proposed Castle Creek hydro project. The article reports that the city spent $5,255 in January and February on such ads. The article further indicates that the city did this to react to “misinformation.” As the Aspen Daily News recently seems to have been feeling its Cheerios as an investigative journal, it is surprising that the reporter did not press the city to specify even a single example of “misinformation” that has been disseminated against the project. Or perhaps there just didn’t happen to be any misinformation against which the city actually felt a need to react. Perhaps what the city was reacting to was a genuine and unexpected grass roots effort by residents to have their voices heard...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Nowhere in the USA are there better examples of 'why' people feel they need anonymity for protection than right here in the Roaring Fork Valley, the 5th, 9th, 10th and 21st Judicial Districts and both Garfield and Pitkin counties.
When they are met with nowhere to turn (and) complete and total quashing of their voices and lives; the people have no other recall than to do the best they can to stand on their own.
Another special thank you goes out to Maurice Emmer. Sometimes, it does pay off to get a lawyer thoroughly motivated. They do have a way with words, don't they?
Maurice Emmer:
"Editor:
A Feb. 24 article in the Aspen Daily News reported about the city’s spending on newspaper advertising relating to its proposed Castle Creek hydro project. The article reports that the city spent $5,255 in January and February on such ads. The article further indicates that the city did this to react to “misinformation.” As the Aspen Daily News recently seems to have been feeling its Cheerios as an investigative journal, it is surprising that the reporter did not press the city to specify even a single example of “misinformation” that has been disseminated against the project. Or perhaps there just didn’t happen to be any misinformation against which the city actually felt a need to react. Perhaps what the city was reacting to was a genuine and unexpected grass roots effort by residents to have their voices heard...."
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