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April 23, 2011 03:03 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 71 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Candor is always a double-edged sword; it may heal or it may separate.”

–Wilhelm Stekel

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71 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. Too good to not pass one rule no. 1: Regulators regulate. But often they lack mental capacity or have sugar plum dreams of regulations that maybe they’d make law if they were king.

    Who: Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe

    What: Under questioning before a Senate subcommittee said natural gas drillers must get an EPA permit before they can use diesel in hydraulic fracturing operations.

    Why it’s dim: There is no such EPA permit.

    Cure: Fewer regulations to keep track of maybe?

      1. “The oil and gas companies involved acknowledge using the diesel fuel, but are arguing it wasn’t illegal because the EPA has failed to develop rules and procedures governing the use of diesel fuel in fracking liquid.”

        This is the same argument made by companies that sell edible vegetable oils on grocery store shelves, which are treated with hexane, a solvent just like diesel.

        http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlt…

        Whole Foods sells canola oil that is not treated with hexane.

        1. 1. We don’t need more regulations because we carefully do our thing, with delicate hand and light touch.

          2. We did inject massive quantities of diesel fuel into the ground, because no regulation told us specifically (according to the legal shop) that we couldn’t…

          1. the chances of the agency weighing in on diesel fuel in our drinking water seems remote.  Where are Udall, Bennet and Hickenlooper on this?

    1. I think the two of them will do everything they can to improve education in this country. And it remains one of the few issues that gets bi-partisan support so I’m hopeful that they can accomplish significant improvement.

      1. You know how like I’m always saying that the Senate primary didn’t have anything to do with the DPS recall shenanigans (either of them), but that it’s vice versa? The fight we are about to see is a continuation on that.

        Knowing where you stand, that’s just fine for you. 🙂 A few people on this site are going to be pissed off when those plans start coming down.

        I’m offering no opinion, just saying. Ugly, it will be.

          1. Not being a snarkbutt, completely serious.

            Remember the DPS dropout drop I was even praising not so long ago? Merida, in a moment of clarity, offered proof that the attendance numbers were off, skewing the numbers. Whoops.

            The only significant success I can think of off the top of my head told just about everyone to fuck off and let them take care of their own house.

            Call me a cynic, but I have doubts we’re going to see a federal mandate to leave schools alone. I don’t even think we should. In my mind, if community solutions worked we wouldn’t have a mess made of solutions for when community solutions were few, far between, and unnoticed.

            I personally don’t think federal anything is ever going to help. I’m not talking about abolishing anything. 🙂 Rather suggesting a different approach. For instance, how about instead of giving the magic recipe (it’s invisible and not very filling), we outline the outcome we want and let local control go from there? Just a random thought. First step is letting go of the idea that there’s a magic solution at all. Instead I fear we’ll hear that, with a solution of doing the same thing everywhere anyway. Both sides of the DPS board are guilty of this and that’s where Bennet learned about schooling kiddos.

            Because I only know what doesn’t work, I’m open to anything that does. That vision isn’t going to come easy. (Insert final cynical statement that doesn’t serve anyone. <– Self control!)

            1. But it could play out like you say, that they mandate policies and approaches that are built on opinion rather than valid studies. And that would just make things worse.

              One of the things I liked about SB-191 was a lot of it was measuring the end result. That I think is gigantic because it incents each district, each school, and each teacher to do their best. Add in studies to find what works best and feedback to every teacher on how they can improve based on those studies and you’ve got something.

              I hope Bennet, Polis, Duncan, etc. find some way to truly improve things. All three are damn smart and they don’t seem to be owned by any of the standard educational power centers – so we have a chance.

          2. The entire local school system should be removed and replaced with a national curriculum, with a class for local history, local government.  Right now there are students learning that magic created them. That GLBT people are subhuman (and never mention black or brown people). And that history is only about white males dominating everyone or anything else.

            Only by eliminating the local input of mysticism, racism, misogyny, and homophobia will American children be taught the truth.

            2. Home schooling has it’s downside, too. The Republican mission of reality recreation is couched in the ability to teach the wee ones that they are “exceptional”, with rights that are slightly more inalienable than those of others..the “different” ones.

              We don’t see the term WASP used much anymore…maybe we should remind ourselves.

        2. As one of “a few people” on this site, I don’t get pissed off about much, except Repub talking point snipes and any mention of the 2010 Colorado Senate Primary. So now you’ve pissed me off. 🙂 Now let’s get on to 2012/16, please.

            1. Is that like “Roget’s”? Or “Webster’s”? Or “Robert’s”? Or “Newton’s”? Oh, like “Cher’s”? “Emenem’s”? “The Donald’s”?

              New? Is that like “New liberalism”? “New neoconservatism” (Boy, there’s one.)? “New Rove’s”?, “New Carville’s”? “New old hat”?”

              Or “New tiring droll, cutely selfdescribed as snarkbutt”?

              “new Goodwin’s”? Please, droll. Nowhere in my comment was there a Goodwinesque reference, old or new. You’re entitled to your own beliefs, even your silly observations, but not your own facts.

              Continue on. But there are on this site way better champions of your opinions than you. Is that “new GalagoLarry’s” enough for you?

              2. Please step out of the keyboard, sir. You were doing 14 faux-tations in a maximum five faux-tation zone. May I see your license, insurance, and list of complaints about your ISP?

  5. A proposed law by the Republican’t Party would force foster children to only wear 2nd-hand clothes:


    Under a new budget proposal from State Sen. Bruce Casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.

    Casswell, a Republican representing Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and St. Joseph counties, made the proposal this week, reports Michigan Public Radio.

    His explanation?

       “I never had anything new,” Caswell says. “I got all the hand-me-downs. And my dad, he did a lot of shopping at the Salvation Army, and his comment was – and quite frankly it’s true – once you’re out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes.”

    Under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores.

    http://michiganmessenger.com/4…

    I can only guess what’s next – “A Modest Proposal” to serve illegal immigrant children as a meat item at buffets?

    3. repeal child labor laws and let them earn their gruel and rags, I say. There used to be plenty of work for the little freeloaders in mines and factories. At least the mines are still here. What does he call this proposal?  The Scrooge Bill?

      1. Like they’re going to get undies and shoes. Toothbrush? Certain plants can double as one! I saw it on Man vs Wild.

        Spoil those little bastards now and next they’ll be wanting decent food and schooling. Trash cans, fliers left on doors. That’s how I ate and learned as a child!

  6. Like magical rabbit bearing little chocolate eggs and bunnies from Walgreens….

    http://www.boston.com/news/nat…

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve’s experimental effort to spur a recovery by purchasing vast quantities of federal debt has pumped up the stock market, reduced the cost of American exports, and allowed companies to borrow money at lower interest rates.

    But most Americans are not feeling the difference, in part because those benefits have been surprisingly small. The latest estimates from economists, in fact, suggest that the pace of recovery from the global financial crisis has flagged since November, when the Fed started buying $600 billion in Treasury securities to push private dollars into investments that create jobs.

    2. I mean the intellectual dishonesty.

      Allways the snide crap that ignores the wholesale theft and plundering of the U.S. economy by the republicans and assigns some mysterious evil motive to every attempt to right the ship.

      Again I ask you……….what are the republicans doing about jobs?

      When Boehner was minority leader it was everyday with him and the tweets about “where are the jobs Mr. President?”.

      Since the reds filibustered their way into the majority, It’s been legislation about planned parenthood, gay marraige, abortion, and just about every other bullshit goober social issue, but nothing about bringing jobs back or getting the millionaires and billionaires to pay taxes.

      Nothing about job creation, nothing.

      Now it’s the Ryan plan to funnel all obligations down the economic social ladder, off the richest, 100% onto the middle class and eliminate Medicaid.

      Boehner…Where are the jobs? The factories?

      Libertad…..either you’re in the top 1% or you’re an idiot, advocating against your own and your own family’s best interests.    

      1. either [1] you’re in the top 1% or [2] you’re an idiot, advocating against your own and your own family’s best interests.

        Thanks, I love polls. Also liked your post.

      1. Obama renominated him for chairmanship of the Fed. Like it or not, he’s Obama’s responsibility and our seemingly unaccountable (except to Wall Street) villiage idiot, the largest–hugest–mistake Obama has made. Too bad both Bennet and Udall supported him.

        1. So I guess you’d agree we should be referring to the Obama tax cuts and Obama’s Afghani war and Obama’s prison at Gitmo

          Bernanke – Fed Board of Governors: 2002 (Bush)

          Bernanke – Fed Chair 2006 (Bush), renominated 2010 (OBama)

          But that’s all beside the point: The President doesn’t run the Fed.

          1. As long as Obama embraces Bush advisors, embraces Bush policies and embraces Bush wars, they’re now his and the results are his responsibility. Much to his discredit (and to my sadness).

            But to the point: The President appoints (yes, with approval) the Fed Chairman. Bernanke was appointed again by President Obama. Bernanke runs the Fed. You don’t think Bernanke and Obama don’t confer? You don’t think the Fed is a politcized institution? Obama may not “run” the Fed, but he sure in hell approves of what Bernanke is doing with it or he’d field every opposing spokesperson he could command, to refute Bernanke at every turn.

            Now, I support Obama to the hilt. But he’s made mistakes. And just as we urge him forward on actions which we consider wise, we must hold him accountable for those which are not. Keeping Bush’s Fed chairman was the worst single unwise action Obama has committed. Let the Repubs do the lying and the denying and the shying. Progressives don’t need to.  

        1. Originally it was seen as an economy–the general economy, “mainstreet” economy, the regular banking economy (back when banks were smaller and had some restraint on their activity)–stabilizer. It’s become an advocate for only Wall Street security. It’s now run by Wall Street for Wall Street insiders.

          Needed: transparent audit (coming soon), replacement of its current Wall Street insider governance (Bernanke and friends), genuine congressional oversite and a good hard grandmotherly thump on President Obama’s noggin (may his grandmother rest in peace).

        2. Do we believe the economy would be about the same without this action, or worse? (I think we can all agree that it wouldn’t be better, but I’m open to someone making that case.)

  7. Damn Texas!  At least we beat out Louisiana and Utah.  

    The report ranked Colorado second in the nation for the states in which energy companies used at least 100,000 gallons of fracking fluid containing cancer-causing chemicals from 2005 to 2009.

    Those companies used 1.54 million gallons of carcinogen-containing fracking fluid in that period.

    Topping the list was Texas, where almost 3.9 million gallons of carcinogen-containing fracking fluid were used. Behind Colorado were Oklahoma, Louisiana, Wyoming, North Dakota, New Mexico, Montana and Utah.

    http://www.coloradoan.com/arti…

    1. All of our draconian regulations were driving away oil and gas business.  How did we get to be right behind Texas with such unreasonable, strict, job killing regulations?  

  8. Save the Rich, Pay Your Taxes

    As Martin A. Sullivan of Tax.com recently calculated, a New York janitor making slightly more than $33,000 a year pays an effective tax rate of nearly 25%. And the effective tax rate for a resident of the Park Avenue building named after Helmsley, earning an average of $1.2 million annually? A cool 14.7%.

    But which one screams louder about their taxes being too high…

    1. Don’t you know the tax cuts that those $1.2 million earners are receiving are responsible for all the great jobs they’ve been creating ever since the Bush tax cuts passed?  Don’t you know they’re why we’re enjoying record low unemployment with plenty of money for schools, healthcare, police, fire fighters, our vets, roads, infrastructure, 21st century transportation and everything else we need to maintain our number one place in the world?  Oh wait…

    1. somebody needs to provide security. If they were doing it in downtown Boulder, the city would need to pay the extra cops.

      Besides, there’s no budget shortage: from your first article:

      The Boulder Daily Camera reports that the university is spending the money as it copes with a $0 million shortfall in state funding during the last two years.

    2. More power to you. Be fruitful and multiply.

      That said, for whatever reason the U needs to provide security (Hmmm. Right wing speakers?), they need to provide security, for your mythic $10,000 student, if no one else. What’s your real beef?

      And you’re not a killjoy. Just hyperventilating.  

    3. then get pissed about what they spend on Shakespeare Fest, or World Affairs Council, or Bolder Boulder, or all the other events that take place on campus and require security.

      Better yet, what do they waste on Regent’s T&E accts?  What do they waste on athlete recruitment?  

      CU needs to get smart & turn this around to take advantage of a 10,000 strong toke up.

      Charge admission?  Sell licensed memorabilia?  CU munchie carts all around…?  

      1. Weed celebration = scholastic event? It’s a university. We can certainly get into a discussion on which degrees are garbage, but I don’t really want to be part of that.

        And yeah, it would be totally awesome for a state school to “take advantage” of the illegal “toke up.” Not liking a law doesn’t mean you get to break it. It means you have to fight to change it.

        Where did I defend any other part of the budget? I’m sorry, but not only is the pot fest on school grounds stupid (no local parks?), but so are the arguments for it. Or against my reasoning. Come up with something good, or don’t post. Those are your new options.

        1. or are U the self-proclaimed editorial arbiter?

          And since when is Bolder Boulder a scholastic event?  I can point to a hell of a lot of things that happen @ CU that aren’t “school related” (if you mean singularly with educational merit) so where do you draw the line?

          I didn’t make any assumptions your were defending CU budget (you just read what U wanted to) but there’s a big problem if you limit your hypocrisy to attacking Boulder.

          You’re silent on the 420 Rally @ Civic Center Park.  Hell, Rep. Polis gave the keynote to that gathering.  How many city cops & sanitation workers did that take — in light of the city & state’s budget issues.  Where’s your outrage?

          1. Illegal substance. That’s where I’ll draw the line.

            I pay Denver taxes. It’s the job of DPD to control crowds. It’s called policing. It’s not CU’s job. (Back to the top, read my comments. There’s a good lad!)

            Was the Bolder Boulder last weekend? No? Then how would you know my outrage or lack thereof? Better question; how much does CU spend on it? How much does CU budget for it? Is it a “sanctioned” event?

            Laws: They matter. Get over it. Your thoughts on weed don’t matter here, that’s not what the post was about. I understand you’re embarrassed to not make sense. Most people would just stop posting random shit to remedy the situation. Not you. Not ever you! I’ve noticed this is a syndrome of yours. What did I say your new policy was? You can’t be bothered to stick to it? It was SO simple! And for your own good. Read. Post something interesting, or with a point related to the parent posts. See? Easy!

            1. It is CU Security’s job to guarantee safety and security for attendees of any event planned or unplanned.  You got a problem with that then change their code of operations otherwise shut the fuck up.

              BTW droll, CU does NOT “sponsor anything” that has to do with 420.  Much like past  protest marches, building occupations, and riots — all events happened @ CU but sure as hell weren’t sponsored by CU.  CU had to foot the bill then & they do so now.  

              But hey that’s reality — sadly something you want to bitch & whine about and stupidly attempt to bemoan in a time of budgeting shortfalls but it’s not really like our campus has a fucking choice.  

                 

              1. Well now you’ve hurt my feelings. 🙁

                My point WAS that CU doesn’t plan it. That makes it a job for the police. To police. Remember? I wrote that above.

                Try again??? Start posting something not dumb and I’ll stop being condescending. Deal?

  10. When it comes to Denver’s politics official party affiliation HAS NO BUSINESS IN DENVER’S BUSINESS

    I’m reaching out to the Citizen Voters of Denver to say enough is enough.

    Denver’s current Finance Committee; Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz, Councilman Charlie Brown, Councilman Michael B. Hancock, Councilwoman Peggy Lehmann, Councilwoman Carol Boigon and the @ Lager City Council members like Councilman Doug Linkhart as well as others?

    Our Auditor Dennis Gallagher and Clay Vigoda do they run Denver, are they the ones that okay the Denver’s illegal contracts?

    The Denver Police and Sheriff; Whistle-Blower protection under Denver’s Whistle Blower protection law; when a Denver’s City Council gave voted themselves a PAY Raise.. In one of the worst economical times and has no regard to its Police Department who has not received a Pay Raise in 3 years.

    How would you Citizen Voter feel if you wake up every morning and don’t know you might not make it back to your wife, girlfriend, children and friends?

    http://www.whoisdestroyingdenv…  

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