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June 07, 2014 06:19 AM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 72 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

"Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right."

–Arthur Schopenhauer

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72 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

            2. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that it's nicotine gum. It kinda looks like it. He's still having an awful time with giving up smoking. 

      2. As related to us by the idiot in chief. I'd rather have one of our politicians about to speak,keep their mouth moist by chewing gum than by trying to inhale a bottle of water a la Rubio. Moddy, like most wingers, you're an ignoranus( a wonderful coinage I found which signifies simultaneous possession of the qualities of ignorance and being an example of that vulgar orifice). You keep trying but so far yu've been unable to create and sustain any widespread public outrage. All we ever hear are pipsqueaks like you pipsqueaking and the bobbling sounds of wingnut babbling bobbleheads nodding in agreement.

    2. Here is how he was received in France:

      Grégory Gasson @GregGasson

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      Obama et son chewing-gum. Classe. #DDay70

      9:57 AM – 6 Jun 2014

      Thierry Le Bras @ThierryLeBras2

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      #DDay Peu élégante, l’attitude de M #Obama mâchant ostensiblement son chewing gum en pleine cérémonie…

      10:13 AM – 6 Jun 2014

      Laurent Caselli @LaurentCaselli

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      #Obama ac son chewing gum… Pas classe du tout #DDay70

      10:13 AM – 6 Jun 2014

      Jayce Oliver @jaycelight

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      Est-ce que quelqu'un pourrait demander à Barack Obama d'arrêter de mastiquer son chewing-gum comme un cow-boy ? #DDay

      10:04 AM – 6 Jun 2014

      Ju' @SaisirUnPseudo

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      Le chewing-gum Obama merde

      9:56 AM – 6 Jun 2014

       

      http://weaselzippers.us/188765-obama-chomps-on-gum-during-d-dad-anniversary-event/

      No need to translate.  It was not well received.

    3. The President can stop chewing gum at just about any time . . . 

      . . . but you're always goint to be a fucking douche.  Have a ass day, hole!

    4. As opposed to our last president, Obama can chew gum and perform the executive duties of his office at the same time.

      Last I heard, our freedoms mean we're not Singapore as far as gum chewing goes.

      1. The rigthies really have turned into a bunch of stupid, nasty teenaged girls, haven't they? Filled with jealousy and spite, throwing tantrums and trying to find something legitimate to hate him over, and completely enraged that no one "gets" why he's the worst person in the world, like, ever…..

         

        1. 'Mudgeon, You nailed it. We called them "mean girls", and the thing that stood  out the most clearly about them was that underneath all the petty spite was a  quivering  ball of insecurity. Reading your post and then glancing back at A.C.'s and Moddy's, I couldn't help hearing Debbie Harry singing "Rip Her to Shreds in my head.

  5. Who remembers this headline:

    Reagan to Honor Nazi War Dead

    WASHINGTON — The American Legion joined Jewish groups today in attacking President Reagan's plans to honor dead Nazi soldiers next month in West Germany…

    While Administration officials said they might reconsider, Jewish leaders said they were outraged and flooding the White House with calls, letters and telegrams. The chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, Elie Wiesel, said he was convening an emergency meeting Monday of the panel, all Reagan appointees, to appeal to the President….

    Legion 'Disappointed'

    The American Legion, which represents 2.5 million veterans, said in a statement that it supports Reagan's trip to Europe next month …But it added, "We are terribly disappointed that President Reagan has decided to visit the German military cemetery at Bitburg."

    1. The only people who adore St. Ronnie are the people who don't really remember St. Ronnie.  Reaganomics doubled my federal tax rate because I am a small business owner.

    3. That's one of the many inconvenient pieces of history where the rightie Reagan worshiping etch-a-sketch shakers come in. As with his ballooning debt, his tax raises, his impeachable actions connected with Iran/Contra, that is if he was still mentally competent to play a real role at that point, his obvious dementia while still in office. Interesting how Reagan, with his dementia, and GW, who was always so blissfully ignorant and oblivious, didn't seem to phyisically age the way other presidents, especially two termers, have? I guess what me worry cluelessness is good for avoiding those frown lines.

    1. I am extremely leery of this "deal". I have seen the nature of legislation change 180 degrees between a committee and the house floor. The problem is, the O&G lobby doesn't know the meaning of "good faith". This is a set up for some double dealing by Gov. Frackenlooper and the Oily Boys. Particularly since they have picked the people at the table.

      I would like to hear from the "environmentalists" who were a part of the negotiations. That does not include Congressman Polis, who, for all his posturing, didn't say or do diddly-squat about this issue until it affected him personally.

      Did they invite you, ct? No one I know was involved….

      1. Its all talk.  I still remain skeptical. Anadarko and Nobel sound like the primary industry folks…interestingly enough the two companies that seem to be pouring the most into fighting the measures as well.  But CPA doesn't like the idea of even having to acknowledge such a thing as peons on the surface that have any say other than what the COGCC rubberstamps.  Whatever enviros are involved it appears Hick thinks that's enough to roll the rest.  I believe that is mistaken.  The energy in this movement is no longer in the cubicles and offices of Denver.  

        1. I agree, And I would caution congressman Polis to be careful whose bed he chooses to lie in. If he thinks the industry won't double cross him because he is rich and important, then he isn't as astute as I think he is.

           

      2. I am also skeptical. For one thing, the setbacks  in the proposed legislation are just "tweaks". These tweaks won't do squat to keep the potable or agricultural water safe in the event of catastrophic floods, mudslides, quakes, etc, which are all consequences of climate change and/or deep well waste injection from fracking in Colorado. 

        I don't know who was invited to negotiate. There is nothing about this story on the local control web or facebook page. 

        1. In exchange, Polis, D-Boulder, has agreed not to pursue ballot initiatives related to local control of oil and gas operations through the 2018 election.

          This line from the Fox 31 story really troubles me. It is Polis' money they fear. I see this as a double-cross, much the same way the CAHB (Colorado Association of Homebuilders) double-crossed the ISOR committee some years ago. Did Polis accept some personal deal to back off? Will these initiatives die without his financial support?

          I smell a rat….

      3. Any updates on how the "compromise" local control legislation is being shopped? There is  no bill number yet, but it would amend CRS 34-60-131.

        I read the draft of the bill Rep. Hullinghorst has put out. The language seems to me to be entirely too trusting of the oil and gas industry to do the right thing. And entirely too limiting of the power of local communities to do the right thing by their residents.

        Local communities can require additional setbacks – but industry is then allowed to "configure additional drilling units" to "allow additional surface locations" – so you could have more drilling, not less.

        There appear to be no provisions for funding additional inspectors, except that it says that the local government can hire private inspectors and charge the companies.

        No moratoriums. No bans. Even if the local government has already instituted them?

        If there is an "operational conflict", i.e. possibility that O&G production would be stopped, the company gets to appeal to the local government, and basically this law says that they get to keep on drilling.

        There is no language about water contamination- it does say that it has to comply with all fed and state regs – but no provision for floods, disasters which are overrunning existing containment.

        I encourage everyone to contact their representatives and tell them to vote no on this compromise bill as currently drafted.

         

         

        1. Here is the summary from a friend of mine that I'll leave unnamed for now as I couldn't reach him to get permission to use his name. I will disclose his name later if he wishes me to do so. (The summary is done as a compartive summary of the provision of 'local control' in Amendment 64):

          The first thing I've noticed, having read several bills regarding … ahem "Local Control" over the past few years.  Every reference to the "balance of public private interests" places the public first. Check out page 2 of the bill (Section 1 (2)(II). Every marijuana bill has some language like "protecting the interest of the public and …. You decide what word choice means after you read the bill

          Charge a "reasonable and non-discriminatory" fee for site inspection. Should be redundant to DORA rules about cost recovery but I guess these small entrepreneurs on shoe string budgets, paying high taxes should have that extra bit of protection … oh wait a minute …

          An express prohibition on certain restrictions imposed by local governments preempted by state law … I could certainly have used a provision like that when it came to the discussion on whether Boulder can (or already has) banned hemp.  (For the record city staff's position is they already banned it, my position is they didn't, unfortunately, staff doesn't seem to "know" how their mycion code interacts with the state law, thereby showing the wisdom of section 1(3)(a)

          (b) of the same section would also have come in handy. The "confusion" on merchandise is a result of the code passed in November. If marijuana had the same protection as proposed in this (oil and gas compromise) bill imposing MORE RESTRICTIONS on oil and gas, City Council would have been required to answer before the first retail store even opened. Instead, here we are 8 months later and nearly a week since council even demanded an answer …

          Section 4; moratoria have to be short and reasonable. Again, that it needs to be said is a condemnation of the abuses of local governments because that is already law. That said, it would be great if all the cities that have renewed marijuana moratoriums would just grow a set and ban. They know if they did, their residents would
          overturn it.

          JUST A TIP FOR READERS. WHEN READING A BILL, ALL CAPS IS NEW LAW, Text case is citations of existing law.

          Having read this bill, I support its passage so that we can run a campaign "Regulate Grass like Gas"!

          To summarize the bill: It appears that it empowers Local governments can do whatever they like … so long as it doesn't in anyway impede on the "recovery" of oil and gas.

      4. As for the 180s, I believe that Polis has said he would support this fix only with no changes, for what that's worth. If he really means it, that would give him room to withdraw support and, instead, support initiatives. Your point about Polis never showing any concern about this until it affected him personally is well taken. I've never been a huge fan of the decidedly center right (except on issues that directly affect him) Polis, though he is certainly preferable to any Republican.

  7. Anyway…Here are the AFP twitter talking points, which AC will be promoting this weekend. Polsters, please decide whether or not you want to let AC direct discussion on these topics, or if you'd prefer to choose your own controversies:

     

    1. Does local control conflict with EPA regs? (hint: no)
    2. Do Udall and Obama support each other (yes, on some issues, no on others)
    3. Can we deny  job gains under Obama by comparing it to a 30 year trend? (maybe – statistical analysis might be interesting)
    4. Only 4/30 of uninsured will pay an Obamacare penalty. How unfair, right? They should all have to pay a penalty – not. 
    5. Will the Springs Drake coal plant be a "victim" of EPA regs? (Or, to put it another way, what is the value of human life around the Drake coal plant, and if these voters die, what does the GOP gain?)

    So…talk about what AC wants to talk about, or not…polsters, decide. 

     

  8. I've often wondered,living in a rural area, as I do why- when formerly pure groundwater is now so tainted by nitrates, applied as ammonium nitrate fertilizer in gaseous  form that pregnant and nursing mothers are given vouchers for bottled water- do fracktologists believe the products used and liberated in the process will not eventually end up in our drinking water?

    1. Yes. They have a strong incentive to drink the fracking fluid and believing the Big Lie. It is known as not biting the hand that feeds you…almost everyone who blindly accepts the absurdities offered up routinely by the Oily Boys, is either someone who profits thereby or just a rightie drone who only hears the the buzzing of the queen bee.

    2. langelomisterioso – I believe this is why Farm Bureau has joined forces with the industry to oppose local control.  They're concerned that issues ala the chicken farm on the western slope will be next on the radar.  To your initial point, we already have severely compromised water supplies in the Ogallala from years of over-application of nitrogen to our corn (particularly in the valent sands north of Wray). They (Farm Bureau) haven't been particularly supportive of the renewable standards, even though they have already caused nealy $6 billion in wind farms to be built in their members back yards without their members having to lift a finger. 

      Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-ag, quite the opposite.  But to the point of this whole conversation in regards to industrial agricultural operations, it's why we have 20x more animals in confinement in Yuma County than we have people.  And everyone out here is fine with that.

       

      1. MB…you are right on with the chicken farm kerfuffle…we have pro-business, pro-drilling and fracking county comissioners willing to only listen to certain voters/donors…that is a danger to us in the "local control" camp…but, we are organizing, communicating, and looking for alternatives to these gop/clowns…I-75 may be the only way to severely limit the Oily boys from rollling over us rural folk…

        1. I've posted this in other forums – I suppose posting here now is good, too.

          I-75 contains language normally found in anti-Federal government, anti-Sharia Tea Party bills. It explicitly says that local control overrides Federal law.

          I refuse to support – and will continue to actively speak against – any bill, amendment, or initiative that uses such blatantly Unconstitutional language. Were I-75 to pass, it would invite immediate lawsuits and, after expending significant taxpayer resources, it would be thrown out because its authors either decided to side with the Tea Party racists, or because they were too dumb to understand history.

          If you want, I'll tell you how I really feel about it.

          1. Somewhere between extremes, such as, federal control of local zoning and local control of the armed forces, there must be language that works to do the job necessary.

            Wouldn't a simple statement that "all industries are subject to local zoning rules" suffice?

            1. http://www.cocrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/State-Ballot-Initiative-Online.pdf

              The link (at Colorado Community Rights Management, the title's sponsor) to this PDF claims that this is the official language of I75 as approved by the State Title Board March 19, 2014.

              Section 3 states, in part: "Local laws pursuant to section (2) of this section shall not be preemtion by international, federal or state laws, nor shall they be subject to limitation pursuant to section 6 of article XX of this constitution […]", with the elided portion limiting such preemption to things that don't limit individual, community, or nature's rights.

              As the Initiative does not limit itself to the O&G industry…

              1. Gaack! You're right! The final language of I 75 posted on the Secretary of State's initiative site has been broadened incredibly from the original local control language.

                I downloaded the version I posted from a February 2014 Business Journal article by Mark Harden. 

                It's really disappointing – I was planning on getting signatures for I75 this summer, but I won't be gathering sigs on that Libertarian manifesto. It's way too broad. 

                Seriously, I know some of you know – WTF happened? How did a modest, serious proposal to limit oil and gas development turn into that crap?

                How did: 

                (3) Grant of authority

                1. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, local governments may restrict the time, place or manner of oil and gas development, including but not limited to prohibitions or moratoria.
                2. (b) Such restrictions are deemed not to be in conflict with the state’s interests.
                3. (c) No local government may enact any rule on oil and gas development that is less protective of any interest, including public health, welfare, safety, or air or water quality, than any other existing Colorado, federal, or concurrent local provision.

                turn into the CCRN version?

                I feel betrayed. 

    1. Thanks, Dr. DP. I hadn't realized how anti-abortion all the pop culture memes were. I'm glad that this movie undermines those 1950s memes a bit.

  12. Evidence #12,096 that Republicans are stupid.

    Today I got a lit dump on my stoop reminding me to vote in the Republican primary. I got the list of the full Republican slate including the sacrificial lambs for CO HD-2, SD-32 and US CD-1, as well as info from all four goober candidates.  

    Don't you have a list of registrations when you go out canvassing?  I've owned this house for 11 years, so there's no mistaking that any Republicans live here.

    The candidate brochures looked like someone had printed them on their home inkjet, which was low on ink.  Kopp and Gessler had multi-page position statements on various issues.  Tanc was one page B+W listing bullet points ("The only governor candidate who fought the radical pro-abortion agenda in the 2014 legislative session." How exactly?)  and BWB was one page showing only his campaign logo.

    Impressive, boys.

    Now Garnett v. Perkins?  Hard to decide.

    1. Didn't know we were neighbors, Daft. I'm in HD 2, also. Mark Farrendino endorsed Garnett early on, so I got my sign a month ago, hence a complete lack of lit from Perkins. 

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