Castle Rock's UN Paranoia: The Damage Done

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by: Colorado Pols

Castle Rock.

As the Castle Rock News-Press’ Shanna Fortier reports, following up on a story we wrote about a couple of weeks ago:

The Castle Rock Senior Center will be unable to apply for 2016 federal monies from the Community Development Block Grant, which provides funding for nonprofits working with low- and moderate-income people, because of a recent town council decision to bow out of the program.

For Douglas/Elbert Task Force, which is based in Castle Rock and received close to $40,000 in grant money in 2015 for emergency rent, utility and overnight lodging assistance, that decision means it cannot use any of those funds to serve Castle Rock residents.

The council’s 5-1 vote on Aug. 18 came after lengthy discussion and public comment that urged the city not to accept federal money… [Pols emphasis]

Castle Rock has participated in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered by Douglas County, since 2006. The county received $1 million in 2015 to disburse among nonprofits who applied for grants. Because the town’s population has exceeded 50,000 — the first in the county to do so — it became eligible to become an entitlement grantee, which means it would receive money directly for town organizations, in this case, $212,000.

But by Castle Rock declining to participate, Douglas County’s annual allocation in CDBG funds for 2016 will be reduced by $212,000.

As we discussed in August, the Castle Rock town board is currently dominated by stridently conservative “Tea Party” types. The decision whether or not to directly accept Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs) to fund programs that had already been receiving the funds via Douglas County’s participation in the program devolved into a debate on the supposed “loss of sovereignty” that comes with accepting federal grant money. Conservative activists like GOP state senate candidate Jess Loban invoked the dreaded “Agenda 21” conspiracy theory, linking these funds to a United Nations plot to replace local government control with unknown horrors in the name of “sustainability.”

But as we can now determine conclusively, the nefarious United Nations plot Castle Rock avoided by rejecting these federal grants was just some money for the Castle Rock Senior Center.

In a perfect world, this would be the kind of tinfoil-hat nonsense that ends political careers. But even with this stone-cold proof of an idiotic and paranoid decision made by the Castle Rock town board, tilting at proverbial windmills in a way that can be so easily proven so laughably irrational…

They’re all going to keep their jobs, folks. Because neither this board, nor the voters who elected them, seem to care about the facts. This beet-red town in beet-red Douglas County will march right on with their baseless anti-government paranoia, and no one will think twice.

Does that sting a little? Good. We invite the voters of Castle Rock to prove us wrong.

10 thoughts on “Castle Rock’s UN Paranoia: The Damage Done”

Progressicat says:

September 11, 2015 at 1:38 pm

Arsonists set fires because they like to watch things burn.

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FrankUnderwood says:

September 11, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Wait…..the UN sponsored B-Cycles will be coming to Castle Rock next. Oh the horror, the horror……..

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Bokonon says:

September 11, 2015 at 2:25 pm

Our government is dumb because our politics are dumb … and because voters vote dumb politicians into office (or they don't vote at all).

It would be fine for Castle Rock to refuse the grants as a rational decision, or based on a review of the program requirements – but to do it based on flipped out Agenda 51 fears? That is just beyond stupid.

One of the most depressing things is when you have a comparatively wealthy and well-educated set of voters in a place like Douglas County … and the voters and their politicians still believe in discredited conspiracy theories strongly enough to let them determine their governing decisions. In stupid ways. It doesn't give you much hope for rural and poor areas of the country (which are just swimming in this stuff).

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1. Conserv. Head Banger says:
  
  September 12, 2015 at 1:44 pm
  
  Bokonon: I believe you're referring to Agenda 21, as opposed to Area 51 in Nevada.
  
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  1. BlueCat says:
    
    September 13, 2015 at 11:40 pm
    
    Oh well. All part of the same all encompassing government conspiracy.
    
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    1. Bokonon says:
      
      September 14, 2015 at 12:13 pm
      
      It is a well-known fact that aliens from Area 51 are behind Agenda 21. Which just shows how danged dangerous and un-American it is. We must band together to oppose space alien plans for bike trails and public transit at all costs!
      
      [Sorry about the typo. It is "Agenda 21". 🙂 ]
      
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BlueCat says:

September 11, 2015 at 2:28 pm

When people like this express their undying patriotism to the USA just what do they think they're talking about? You don't hear them going around expressing undying patriotism for the state they live in. Nope. It's God bless the USA. Proud to be an American. American exceptionalism. Nobody asks a pol if believes in Colorado, Alabama, Pennsylvania exceptionalism. What do they think the USA is? What do they think the government of the USA is.

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1. Budded says:
  
  September 11, 2015 at 2:58 pm
  
  Exactly, the USA is a government for and of the people.
  
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Budded says:

September 11, 2015 at 2:56 pm

As someone who wants the best for humanity in order for us to evolve and become better and better people overall, it's hard for me to wish harm on others, but… These idiots deserve the government they voted for. When will these dumb rubes realize they're voting against their own and town's best interest? They're so brainwashed from "fire in a crowded theater" right wing media, they'll believe everything they hear, the derpier the better.

Screw 'em and let them ruin their own little town in the name of their right wing puppet masters. Morons!

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Diogenesdemar says:

September 11, 2015 at 4:26 pm

"Idiotic and paranoid" does not even begin to describe the insane asshattery of Mayor Donahue, and the clown posse of fellow Councilfools Green, Valentine, and Teal …

… and, blame the Neanderthal voters here all you want, but the Colorado Democratic Party wrote this town off for twenty-five plus years, from before the time that this town only had 5,000 residents. Now all you visionaries can do is laugh and shake your heads! (See also: Pogo, enemy we have met …)

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