Pueblog USa
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Those Damn Dams
Remembrances and Thoughts on Some Damming Business.
Frank Starginer passed away last week. He was quite the man in town. Some people loved him. Some people didn’t think so highly of him. I wish I’d had the time to pick his highly informative brain and record all I could from him. He was so full of information that we need. And now….most of it is lost to us.
One of Frank’s pet ‘peeves’—he had a number of important ones—was the safety of Pueblo from the possibility of a failure of the Pueblo Lake dam. I’ve heard him talk on it a number of times. As I’m sure a number of others have as well. Many to the point of despair. However, what he said about the potential for disaster may have been more accurate than most people would care to think.
I say this based on two incidents. One from a year ago. Another just today.
A year ago, I attended the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs, Southern District Annual Meeting. There the guest speaker was talking about water issues for southern Colorado. I happened to be seated at the table with the gentleman and somehow….I don’t know exactly how….the discussion came around to water control mechanisms, e.g., dams. During the conversation, he mentioned that about 50% of the dams in Colorado were below ‘par’, i.e., not up to ‘snuff’, for their requirements. This prompted me to remember Frank’s comments about dam safety. Especially the Pueblo Reservoir dam.
Today, I found THIS on the web.
Now I have to wonder about the safety of Pueblo again.
If Frank were here and heard about this, I’m certain he would have been at the next 2010 Commission meeting raising (1) his hand and (2) cain.
[Hero: n., One who is never appreciated until he is no longer around.]
Now That You Mention It — 090827
Blow-back on the Loretta Sword article in the Pueblo Chieftain, i.e., a ‘fisking’.
I attended the Public Forum on the proposed health care reform legislation working its way through Congress, last Monday evening. I also read the article in the Chieftain from Loretta Sword about her observations of the forum.
As I had some thinks to say to Juan Espinosa earlier this month about his ‘reporting’ of a Tea Party event about the legislation, it would be ‘sexist’ of me not to give Loretta the same ‘attention’.
Sooooo…...here ya go, ladies and gentlemen…..
Monday, August 17, 2009
Milk-Carton Politicians
The MIAs of Congress.
An interesting list.
It doesn’t include our own Congressperson John Salazar, who, as I reported earlier, is not planning on holding a Town Hall meeting for us to address ourselves to him over HR 3200.
So I passed the source of the list his name.
On the other hand, our own Pueblo Chieftain reports that….
Salazar, who will also be in Grand Junction today, is looking to “schedule other events at this time,” a spokesman said Friday. - Peter Strescino
I guess I’ll call his office AGAIN and ask for specifics.
But, knowing politicians and poli-speak, it’s mostly double-talk, i.e., it can mean many things. None of which may involve a Town Hall meeting.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
A GREAT Idea!
If my Congressperson, John Salazar, doesn’t host a town hall this August….
....I recommend that whomever is planning to run against him for the Colorado Third Congressional District do THIS!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Where Is John?
Missing Inaction?
I’ve contacted my Congressman’s local office (phone #: 543-8200) twice now on a matter near and dear to the hearts of a LOT of my fellow citizens. That is if you believe the reports of ruckus being raised over House Resolution (HR) 3200.
I called on August 3d. And I just got off the phone with that office again.
On BOTH occasions, the staffers I talked to indicated that my Congressman has no plans to hold a Town Hall meeting on this matter.
And I have to wonder just WHY.
His staff has not been forthcoming when I’ve asked what has he been doing all this time.
On MIGHT get the impression he’s flown to Argentina, for all we know.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tamiflu a No-No for Kidos?
Oh oh…..
An interesting report from England about the use of Tamiflu to treat children for Swine Flu.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Now That You Mention It — 090810
Comments on an article in the Pueblo Chieftain.
I normally do not comment on matters at the national level in this forum. But because of the importance of the issue of healthcare ‘reform’ and its impact on everyone in the city and county of Pueblo, I’ve decided to start this Now That You Mention It series.
The Pueblo Chieftain article caught our attention the other morning. And I decided it was time to throw in my two-bits on what was said in it.
The article, titled “Health care debate deserves more than one-sided rhetoric”, relates to HR 3200, a.k.a., America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.
It is by Juan Espinosa. He’s the “night city editor” of the Pueblo Chieftain. And, as with all too many people in such an organization, he’s ‘liberal’ to the point of obvious bias. Maybe even to the point of being ‘progressive’. But that’s beside the points I’m about to make here.
But before I begin here, let me comment that this matter is being complicated in a manner that Juan is NOT addressing. Like so many others, he is getting confused by mutually conflicting issues. And I’ll discuss those as “The Bottom Line” after fisking Juan’s article.
So, now, let us begin…..