Pueblog USa
Monday, July 14, 2008
Governor’s Commission on Community Service (GCCS)
A chance to speak your mind.
This week—Wednesday, Thursday and Friday—there will be representatives from our friends in Denver, i.e., the Governor’s office, asking us what we think needs to be done to help Pueblo.
The meetings are to be held:
Place: First Nazarene Church
Date/Time:
- Wednesday, 16 Jul, 12:00 - 1:30
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 10:30 - 12:00
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 12:00 - 1:30
- Thursday, 17 Jul, 2:30 - 4:00
- Friday, 18 Jul, 9:00 - 10:30
- Friday, 18 Jul, 1:30 - 3:00
All are invited to attend one of the forums, at your convenience.
Please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), stating the date and time you’ll be attending. I think they’re offering lunch for certain forums.
Personally?
I’m intending to go and tell them that in order for Pueblo and the rest of the state of Colorado to get what they need, on a par with what Denver needs, we need to return to the balance of legislative power we enjoyed before the Supreme Court overthrew our state constitution; Reynolds v. Simms (1964). The place where the state senate was elected based on geographic areas instead of population, as the state house of representatives is. As it is now, the state senate is just an over-paid version of the state house of representatives. And Denver controls the most votes in both.
As it is right now, the Denver metroplex holds 17 of the 35 state senate seats. This is an egregious concentration of power that allows the Denver area to dominate state law-making and the appointment of judges and commissioners.
Until that balance, as we enjoy at the Federal level, is restored, Denver rules Colorado.
Next entry: Don't miss reading this Denver Post Series on Open Government Previous entry: Speaking of Initiatives-
Chuck . . All I can add to that is . . . Amen!
My bet, though, is that shortly, The Gov and his Northern minions are going to be wanting us to give up more tax money for the “greening” of Denver and areas around it . . and this is his (or their) way of “softening the voters up” . .
The term, though might be “Feeling the voters up’ because the end result will be the same . . “Screwed Again!”
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/14 at 03:29 PM -
TO: Large
RE: Denver GreeningsI wouldn’t put it past them.
The facilitator at last Thursday meeting was somewhat non-plussed about the way the Denverites dominate legislative law. So were a lot of the other attendees, when the concept FINALLY soaked into them.
The question that brought it all to the fore was “What do you think the issues will be 10 years from now?”
The previous question being what are the issues of this community. [Note: In my honestly held opinion, nothing but pablum for the ‘local yokels’ to give them the impression that the Denverites REALLY care about them.
So we gave the facilitator our responses. The same things I’ve heard for the last five years here; gangs, crime, graffiti, teen pregnancy, education, etc., etc., etc.
When the follow-on question showed up—What will be the issues 10 years from now—I said WATER. And explained the relationship between Aurora’s leases on water and the Denver-metro area hammerlock on legislation and appointment of judges and commissioner. [Note: Would you believe it? The facilitator, who I suspect IS a governor-appointed commissioner had no idea what the process of such an appointment was. Can you say, “Advice and Consent”? Sheesh!]
The point here is that unless Reynolds v. Simms (1964) is revisited and overturned, we’re up a creek without a paddle and the ‘creek’ will be sucked dry above the Pueblo Resevoir.
The other attendees got rather quiet about that time.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/19 at 12:50 PM -
Quoting Chuck: “The same things I’ve heard for the last five years here; gangs, crime, graffiti, teen pregnancy, education, etc., etc., etc. . . unquote . .
Those are local problems that can really be solved by the locals . . (They never learn)
but you’re right . . WATER is the issue . .
And we have little voice . . .
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 07/20 at 10:07 AM