Sunday, February 20, 2005

Troubles In ‘Paradise’

There’s TROUBLE. Right here in River City….

Chuck Green has an interesting editorial in today’s Pueblo Chieftain. The reverse side of the Pueblo coin. Last week he editorialized on why this is a great place to live. Today, he shows us the other side of the coin. Listing the flaws in the object that makes it less than perfect condition. And the list is interesting.

• The ‘ugly’ face of downtown people see as they whiz past on I-25.
• I-25 exits that drop people into ‘ugly’ neighborhoods.
• Inadequate ‘signage’ that fails to promote this place properly.
• A self-esteem issue. Heh….
• Resistance to change.
• Highest teen pregnancy rate in Colorado.
• A disregard for the historic aspects of the city.
• Apparent dysfunctional industry attracting activities.
• An apparent collection of skeletons in a closet; some of which are about to open the door and step into the living room. Presumably to dance a merry jig for eveyrone’s entertainment.

I can’t speak to the secrets he’s referring to in the last bullet. I don’t know what these skeletons look like. He does and I look forward to watching the dancing and commensurate excitement that will result.

I can speak to some of the other issues he mentions. And I think I will. And I invite others to chime in with their opinions. This blog has been established for such a discussion as this. It’s the ideal place for people to actually get a ‘letter to the editor’ published. And in such a fashion as for the whole world to see; that which bothers to look here.

Over the next few days, I’ll address the various bullets. I hope others here have the courage to contribute their thoughts.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Super-Slab SITREP — 050214

House action completed.

According to the Pueblo Chieftain, HB 1030, the legislation to authorize an initial step in the establishment of a four-lane super highway and dual-railroad system to the east of the Front Range metropolitan areas, has passed the state House vote.

This is good news. Actually, this is great news. The momentum is building for building something every city along the Front Range desparately needs, relief from the congestion on I-25 and the rail net.

Forward thinking people, most especially transportation planners and urban developers, will need to re-examine some concepts I’ve heard batted about over the last year or so.

Is Water Thicker Than Blood

Stray thoughts on water issues, politics and family.

So we have the Salazar brothers representing us in Congress; Senator Ken Salazar and Representative John Salazar.

I wonder how they would vote if a matter relating to water quality or sales in the Arkansas River Valley came before them at the national level. I trust that our 3d District Rep, John, would vote as we would vote were in in his shoes. The question is would Ken vote the same way? After all, the metroplexes that covet the Arkasas River water provided a big part of his ride into the Senate.

Based on the fact that Rafael Gallegos (D-Antonito) was rebuked by his fellow Democrats on the House committee that shot down his proposal for cleaner water, I get the distinct impression that when it comes to water, party politics and possibly even family, are ‘out the window’, like the baby with the bath water.

That Unmistakable Sucking Sound

Words will not stop it.

Mr. Rawlings had a nice editorial in the Pueblo Chieftain last week. It was all about how everyplace between Commerce City and Monument Hill is eyeing the water in the Arkansas River Valley to meet their growing demands for clear liquid gold. Lots of comments on how speculators are trying to buy up the water in order to sell it to the metroplexes.

It’s nice to see Rawlings and Company spreading the alarm. Unfortunately, spreading the alarm is not going to solve the problem. Even MORE unfortunate is the fact that our electing people who will fight for the water of the Arkansas to stay in its valley isn’t going to do much good either. Why is that? Well, it all goes back to the early 60s when the Brennan Supreme Court overthrew the constiutition of the Great State of Colorado, along with every other state constitution; Baker v. Carr (1962). It’s called the One-Man/One-Vote ruling and it destroyed the balance of power between the urban and rural communities in every state, save Nebraska. It has a one-house legislative body. It did this by making the state senate nothing more than a glorified state house of representatives.

As it is now, eventually, the metropolitan areas will win out because they have the controlling votes in both houses of the legislature. As an example of this, I cite the results of the recent legislative effort to require that water out of the ‘system’ should be put back in, or exchanged, at the same quality. HB 1181, initiated by Rafael Gallegos (D-Antonito). It was shot down in flames because the concept ‘went too far’. (See Pueblo Chieftain article.)  Admittedly it was shot down in a house committee. And the house, whether the One-Man/One-Vote ruling is overthrown or not, will always favor the metroplexes. But that’s only right. It would be interesting to see what would happen if this bill was sponsored by a state senator. I’ll wager that the metroplex dominated state senate would do the same thing.

Everybody thinks the Great Compromise that exists at the national level, in Congress, is a great idea. I wonder why they can’t see the importance of it at the state level as well. And if it is such a good idea, why the heck aren’t they fighting to get it back?

Brennan’s decision is probably the most egregious example of judicial activism in American history. And we, here in Pueblo and the Arkansas River Valley are having to live with the consequences. If the Pueblo Chieftain really wants to get into the thick of it, it will start looking for a case to spearhead an attack on the infamous Brennen decision to get our state legislature to look, act and behave as the Congress does, where there is balance between the populous areas and the rural.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

The Fun Just Keeps On Come’n On

Change is Life’s way of keeping you off balance.—Chuck Pelto

Sorry for not posting for so many days. Especially in light of the fact that there is so much in the Pueblo Chieftain to be offered up for public discussion. [Note: You REALIZE that YOU can make comment here, under an assumed name, that can be shared with everyone in the world who stumbles upon this site; don’t you?] But, as someone once said, “Nothing endures like change.” I find that one of the more pithy comments on the nature of Life.

We had just such a ‘change’ over the weekend. The distaff’s best female friend passed away and she is the indicated executor on the estate of a dysfunctional family ‘left behind’. I suddenly find myself being secretary, technical support guy and ‘Odd Job’ [less the ‘killer’ hat and solid gold Rolls.] Not to mention that some of the scenes I’ve witnessed/been involved with would fit well in a Neil Simon serio-comedy Broadway hit.

So the dust has hardly settled. Indeed, some more gets kicked-up just about every few hours. But at least I can get a computer and link working.

There are interesting things going on around this wonderful town. I think I’ll be blogging on them once I can get my feet back on the ground and a good night’s sleep.

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Mutual Respect Requires Honesty

The police department’s efforts to win the trust of the citizens will be in vain if it is not willing to examine actions in the public light.

Juan Espinosa, of the Pueblo Chieftain staff, has a good ‘editorial’ in today’s edition. He’s addressing last Thursday’s efforts at public relations efforts conducted by the city with regards to the growing concern that the Pueblo Police Department has an attitude problem.

This segment of the article caught my attention….

Pino’s family questioned why police have been reluctant to release reports on the incidents that led to the young man’s shooting. A lawyer for the family said Police Chief Jim Billings had not returned calls from the family. Chief Billings countered by saying the family had missed an appointment with him to discuss the case. He offered to set another date. Pino’s mother said she was not ready.

The question that it brought to my mind is, where is the official police and coroner’s report on the shooting of Daniel Pino? Surely they have been completed and are on available. What does it take to see the reports? A Freedom Of Information Act law suit?

I remember my days living in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the 70s. I recall two incidents where the police had to kill someone in their contacts with the citizens. One incident was right out of Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me. A mentally unstable man came out of the door of his room with a kitchen knife and attempted to stab one of the detectives who had come to question him about a reported criminal activity. In the other incident a guy started shooting at the officers. In both instances, the LPD held a public hearing to explain their official reports on the incidents. The citizens respected the police department’s actions in both instances. The public hearing to brief the citizens worked very well in accomplishing that.

I would suggest that it would be in everyone’s interest if the PPD adopted the same policy. If someone is shot by an officer, then the PPD should hold a public hearing to explain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.

Friday, February 04, 2005

New Sidebars

More and better things to see and do and places to go/stay.

I’ve expanded the sidebars (see left-hand side of the blog at the main level). I’d like to tout some of the great places to go, things to do/see and places to stay in town. So I’ve added some sidebar boxes to assist in that.

If you can recommend any others, I’ll be happy to try them out for myself, as best I can. Send an e-mail to ADMINISTRATION.

And Thanks!

Girl Scouts, Beware!

Or….letting no good deed go unpunished.

An interesting report from Durango.

Seems that a couple of sweet kids, who decided to skip an opportunity to ‘parte!’ in order to do a good turn for their rural neighbors around Durango wound up going to court and paying $900 for their efforts to promote community. So, instead of going to some place where they might get drunk and or ‘accosted’, they baked a bunch of cookies and went from farm to ranch to home dropping off a dozen or so and knocking on the doors.

One each Wanita Renea Young, age 49, claims she suffered an anxiety attack from the delivery. She reports that she thought they were burglers, or worse.

She had such an anxiety attack that she went to the hospital…the next day. So, in order to recoup her medical expenses, along with punitive damages for ‘pain and suffering’, she did what any red-blooded American woman would do…she sued! [Note: Please excuse the sarcasm.]

Judge Doug Walker, who heard the case, decided in Young’s favor with regards to medical expenses. However, the ruling denied the punitive ‘pain and suffering’ request.

Personally, when I’m having a bit of anxiety, I use a homeopathic materia medica; Ignatia. Two pills under the tongue. Works every time.

For burglers and other intruders, I’ve something a tad ‘stronger’; Plumbum Metallicum in non-homeopathic doses.

In the future, I recommend to Mz Young that she might do better to consider those alternatives.

For the civic minded young folk, in Durango and elsewhere, be careful as to whose door you knock on. And it doesn’t have to be at night. Especially now that a legal precedent has been established.

And for the two young ladies….let that be a lesson for you. God only knows WHAT. But, as one general officer addressing the assembled classes at Benning School for Boys said….

“Good judgement is based on experience. Experience is based on bad judgement.”

Thursday, February 03, 2005

‘Headlines’ In the News

Not enough coffee before checking the state of the world, via the web.

Susan is off to the conference on historic preservation and I’m batching it. Sipping my coffee, listening to Vivaldi and catching up on the things that have transpired while I slept.

Here I was checking the Drudge Report. The screen has scrolled down a tad and the first row of text I read…

UKRAINE MAY HAVE SOLD MISSILES TO ‘GLOBAL WARMING’ SCIENTISTS

Say WHAT?!???!?

Flashbacks to the funky James Bond-esque days of the 60s with James Coburn as Our Man Flint. Evil scientists thinking that mankind has run amok and is ruining the planet are determined to slap mankind down. Now, in the 21st Century a group of them have procured weapons of mass destruction. Got them cheap at a Going Out of Business sale from a cash-strapped country. With them, these miscreant masterminds are determined to achieve their goals of world domination. It’s for our own good they would nuke us.

Where’s Flint!

Scroll down a little further and I see there is a break between the words TO and ‘GLOBAL’. Two different columns. Two different stories. Phew…..

Down to get more coffee. It’s going to be a long day….

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

The Naming of Names

What’s in a name? Surely a rose by any other name still smells as sweetly.—William Shakespeare [Romeo & Juliet]

Some people seem to be ‘dissatisfied’ with the name of this blog. Indeed, some have reacted as if I were a Capulet and they of the house Montegue. Not exactly sure as to the whys and wherefores. I do have some interesting ideas. But I’m not quite as ‘arrogant’ as some people may like to think. If I were, I would not be open to suggestions.

So, here’s what I’m suggesting….

I’d like to see some suggestions on what this blog might be better named. Here are the criteria I’d like to see satisfied in a proposed new name.

[1] It has to be relatively short. We don’t want people fat-fingering long names like thegreatandwonderfulcityofpueblocolorado.info. Preferably eight characters between the dots; e.g., http://www.12345678.info. We can go as high as ten if it really ‘sings’.

[2] It needs to be snappy. Something that people will remember when they hear it once. Panache! Maybe even with a bit of an edge to it.

[3] A bit of a ryhme would be very good. OHNO Pueblo is a good example. Pue and View was also a good rhyme. So think along those lines.

[4] It should be easily identifiable with Pueblo. And I mean this in a fashion that cannot be confused with any other city. I’ve heard Steel City mentioned, but anyone outside of southeastern Colorado would likely think of Pittsburgh if they heard it.

[5] It may not be vulgar or obscene.

We will take suggestions over the next thirty days. After that, I think I can come up with a system to vote on them. I’ll have to hammer that out as I’ve some concerns about voting fraud. Lord knows we’ve seen enough of that several months ago.

To submit a proposal you can do it by e-mailing me. Just click on the Administration item in the box below this entry. Or, you can register with the system and make a comment by clicking on the Comments item in the box below.

Additional thoughts on all of this….

• The only person spending money on this operation is myself. No one else has ‘bought into’ this activity by showering me with filthy lucre. And I doubt if anybody will. But that’s not a problem for me. However, if someone wishes to buy me out, I’m willing to listen. Think five figures.

• It’s intended as a public service and a place for people to discuss issue germane to the city. Issues such as you’ve seen here lately.

• I’m willing to let anyone have their say here, as long as they abide by the rules (see Registration). They don’t have to invest any money, which makes it ideal for organizations that cannot benefit from governmental largess, i.e., CDBG.

• Nobody is holding a pistol to anybody’s dog, threatening to shoot if they don’t read this blog. At least not as far as I’ve heard. If there is such a situation going on, please, Please, PLEASE, get in touch with Pat Heine. She can use the job security and it would make an interesting read in the Pueblo Chieftain’s Crime Beat.

• Finally, I’ve learned that it is best to be able to laugh at oneself. It makes one less brittle and not quite so overly sensitive. Therefore, when people start saying things, intentionally or unintentionally, you don’t go ballistic on them. At least not until you know if there is mens rea; malice of forethought, a “guilty mind”.

“Do not be quick to anger,” some wag said, about 2000 years ago.

All that said, I look forward to seeing what others have to suggest.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Good-Thai

Sometimes…you just have to do it yourself.

One of the great things about this town is that there is a wealth of culinary delights to be had, if you know where to find them. We’ve got an interesting admixture of ethnicities and tastes in town. Everything from haute cuisine a la Steel City Diner [Note: Which isn’t REALLY a ‘diner’. It’s more like a, ¡horrors!, bistro.] and the Renaissance to places that have great Mexican dishes, but mind you don’t leave expensive things in plain sight in your car while you eat. Then there are the Slovenians and Bohemians and Japanese and Chinese and let’s not forget the Italians.

The town is a virtual buffet.

One of the groups I associated with in another life/town, somewhere north of here, had a special interest group (SIG) that went by the charming appellation of STUFF; SIG for Totally Unabashed Face Feeding. Once a month they’d descend on some hapless restaurant and partake of just about everything on the menu. Once there were thirty of us at a well-known Chinese outfit. All of us around one very large table. Everyone ordered something different from the menu. The food arrived and the plates were whizzing about as if props from a 50’s scifi invasion movie. A fine time was had by all.

Well. Whereas I can find just about anything I want, when I want to avoid cooking, I can’t find anything from southeast asia; Viet Nam or Thailand. So, I’ve had to take up doing it myself. Even as I type the skillet is coming up to temp as the rice noodles soak in hot water. The salmon is thawed. The pud thai sauce…the deliriously, delicious and spicy sauce of limes, peppery powders and sauces, brown sugar and fish sauce is ready to go. [Note: Interesting. It’s been stable for several months in the refrig when I had to juice a bunch of limes and needed something useful to do with the results of all that squeezing. That’s some kinda preservative. They could have transported Nelson’s body all the way from Siam, packed in that, if he’d died there instead of off the Spanish coast. Instead, they used a cask of cognac. It was probably easier to come by.]

At any rate….

...if one can’t find it oneself. Even here. One has to be prepared to do it on your own. Hence learning how to cook. Which brings me back to dinner. It’s TIME…to get back to work. The noodles are drained. The fish is thawed. The skillet is hot. And Life is ‘good’.

Bon appetite!

P.S. If you are interested in the recipe for the pud thai sauce, feel free to drop me an e-mail/line. I’m always willing to share such blessings.