Monthly Archives: March 2011

Yesterday Don Cage commented in his guest commentary that it was necessary to throw the democrats out of office because “they are too indebted to the unions and the special interst groups that helped put them into office…” Really? How about voting out the Republicans who still support subsidies to the oil companies who make an $80.00 profit on every barrel sold? How about voting out the Republicans who refused to raise taxes on the richest Americans while polls show that the overwhelming majority of our citizens support such.That could do a lot to balance our budget which was in the black when Bill Clinton was President. I could go on about the lies told about global warming by the Republican congressmen too indebted to their lobbyists to save the planet from carbon driven climate change. The sad fact is that while Republicans scream about the advantages of the democrats from their special interest groups, all of the largest contributors to our Congress (except unions) come from ther radical right who want to brook no opposition in their drive to finally make a complete oligarchy out of our government while the middle class is crushed.

And while a balanced budget idea is a lovely but facile prescription to cure all ills it would require the decimation of most of government and vast reductions in the Social Security payments on which so many Americans depend to survive. A little honesty on the Republican side would be a refreshing change, but I’m not holding my breath. One only has to look at the states who have elected Republican governors to see mega-handouts given to business while slashing education and other critical services. The true agenda of the Tea Party and its adherents are to reduce government to the skeletal structure provided in the Constituion, doing away with such “socialist” ideas as public education, the prohibition of child labor and the requirement for a minimum wage.

While I’m sure Mr. Cage is sincere and well intended, he is sadly misinformed about the party which must be voted out if America, as we have known it, is to survive.

Elin Riley-Weiss
Lafayette Continue reading →

Letter to the Editors:

The Commonwealth Fund estimates that the average family insurance will cost $20,000 to $24,000 per year by 2020. This is with or without the recent national health care reform legislation. Is this the financial and health crisis we’re stuck with?

In Colorado we have an option. Senate Bill 11-168 has been introduced by Senator Irene Aguilar, MD. It will engage the consultants to design, at no taxpayer expense, a Cooperative that includes all Colorado residents, to pay for our health care. The Colorado Legislature will refer this design to the voters of Colorado for approval. It’s Colorado’s choice. To learn more: healthcareforallcolorado.org/?p=83

At the upcoming Conference on World Affairs at CU, Paul Hochfeld, MD, who has been one of the Mad As Hell Doctors, will be speaking on several panels – check your programs. He speaks eloquently to how we have a non-system designed around profit, not people. He sees us facing not only a health crisis, but also a fiscal disaster.

Margaret Flowers, MD, a Maryland pediatrician, will be speaking on Sunday, April 10, from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Boulder Unitarian Universalist Church, 5001 Pennsylvania. She has been an active voice for cost effective, universal health care, including getting arrested during Senate Committee hearings that refused to listen to testimony from advocates for a single, publicly accountable system – she spoke up anyway.

Other industrialized countries do not face the over half million medically driven bankruptcies that we do, spend about half what we do on health care, cover everyone, and have better outcomes. We need to understand and act.

Bill Semple, LCSW
Boulder Continue reading →

How “we can make the experience better”?
By eliminating the dogs. It has become DOG DAY SHOW AND TELL.
You show me your dog, I’ll show you mine and we will stand in the middle of the aisle discussing at length the cute things they do. Fifteen to 20 feet of leash will give Fido complete freedom to tangle between pedestrian’s legs, obstruct walkers, shoppers and slow down the whole process.
I avoid the whole chaos entirely and go to regular markets unfettered by the confusion of Boulder Farmers Market.

A. Grant
Boulder Continue reading →

Neoconservatives, in conjunction with neoliberals such as the Obama-Clinton clique, have an eerily common agenda: privatize America’s public sector at any cost, foster disregard for our constitution and international law, and utilize military force as the first option to retain or enlarge corporate foreign economic interests. There’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties. Their only area of disagreement lies in strategies and tactics, not in goals.
Obama’s recent jingoistic use of “humanitarian intervention” is simply the latest example of manipulating public opinion at home to justify military aggression abroad. Bill Clinton used human rights to sell undeclared wars in the former Yugoslavia and Iraq, and Obama is doing the same in Libya. He didn’t even have the decency to consult Congress as mandated in the constitution and in the War Powers Resolution of 1973–an impeachable offense.
What is unseemly beyond belief is that Colorado Senators Udall and Bennet have unilaterally sided with the president, their own congressional responsibilities be damned.
Perhaps a serious effort to recall the senators would act as a corrective to their indifference toward congressional accountability.
Our current vice president, Joe Biden, summed up the Democrats’ position when, as senator, he said, “Force will be used without asking anyone’s permission when circumstances warrant”.
When politicians start yelping about intervening in a civil war to “protect civilians”, remember that they are really talking about humanitarian imperialism and all the human suffering, economic pillage, and environmental degradation that implies.

Dave Morton
Longmont Continue reading →

I do not intend to defend the indefensible, but let’s not overly demonize the mountain biking community for the actions of a few bad eggs. This group seems to be taking an awful lot of unbalanced flack lately. Yes, creating an unauthorized or “rogue” trail by any means IS illegal. However, there are countless instances of similar unauthorized trails, short-cuts, and pass-arounds in Boulder’s outdoor areas, whose impact on the trail, habitats, and flora are just as harmful. But, when hikers, dog-walkers, or runners do it it’s referred to as a ‘social trail’ though it’s equally impactful and illegal. They NEVER get front page coverage and on the eve of an important City Council decision. We can all use our city’s resources if we stop the finger-pointing at a single group and manage the overall problem.

Stephanie Wanek
Boulder Continue reading →

Where can I go?

On the road, I am reviled. I try to stay out of the way, but you don’t hesitate to blast your horn if I somehow inconvenience or annoy you. You sideswipe me, hit me with your rearview mirror, spit on me, and throw sodas, pens, paper wads, and yes, once, even a cantaloupe at me.

Where can I go?

It is illegal for me to be on the sidewalk. The bike paths are choked up with people jogging, drifting across the lanes, pushing baby strollers, walking dogs, wearing earphones, skateboarding, rollerblading and hanging out. I try very hard to be alert, but your movements are very erratic. If I call out, “On your left,” 9 times out of 10, you turn to your left, and there I am. I see the scorn in your eyes as I pick my way through you, and know that I am not wanted here.

So where can I go?

The trails call me. So I head to the plains. I like to see the coyotes, the deer, the meadowlarks call, the cattle graze, and the angle of the light change with the seasons. You do not want to share this space with me. You act terrified when I slow to approach you. You jump off the trail, and I cringe, because I do not want to see the trail widened. When I ask to pass, you refuse to go single file, and when I find a safe spot to do so, you are not afraid to tell me I am a jerk.

Where do you want me to go?

I do this for recreation, to socialize, to stay fit, to experience nature, sometimes to commute (25 miles one way to Mead, CO), and to feel free. I don’t want to hurt, scare or upset you. How can I experience all the joy that this one activity can give a person, if I can’t go anywhere safely and be accepted?

I am a cyclist.

Karin Barclay
Gunbarrel Continue reading →

The triple catastrophe that has occurred in Japan has shocked the world. Tragically, it now turns out that the Japanese government had been warned on numerous occasions about the potential for catastrophe due to their operation of nuclear plants in earthquake zones. But they didn’t listen – self-interest and inertia plugged their ears.

Unfortunately, the process of catastrophe denial is still occurring. Governments worldwide have repeatedly been advised that average global temperatures might rise at least 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century due to global warming. According to scientist and author Joseph Romm, the last time the earth’s average temperature was 2 to 3 degrees Celsius higher than it is now – some 3 million years ago – sea levels were more than 80 feet higher than they are now. If even a fraction of such sea level rise would occur in the modern world, it would swamp many of the coastal cities around the world. Yet, our leaders are effectively doing nothing to address this threat. How many catastrophes will the world have to experience before our leaders will be willing to act?

To learn more about warnings of nuclear peril to Japanese officials, as well as accessing organizations addressing nuclear or global warming problems, you can go to the website: This is not a drill radio.org. This is Judy Lubow for Planet Warning.

Thank you.

Judy Lubow
Longmont Continue reading →

Thank you so much for printing and distributing the complete agenda of the 63rd Conference on World Affairs. You continue to make a fine contribution to our community.

I have reviewed the sessions and I am disappointed there is no discussion of nor challenge to what Andrew Bacevich calls the Washington Rules in his book of that same title. These rules can be stated as: For the past sixty years the US has had an abiding conviction to maintain a global military presence, to configure its forces for global power projection and to counter threats by a policy of global interventionism. (p.14) As he says and Ike before him, we can no longer afford both guns and butter. The expense of our military is just too great.

Mr. Bacevich calls on all Americans to take on the responsibilities of an active and engaged citizenship. The Washington rules are propelling the United States toward insolvency and perpetual war. (pp.249 and 250) I recommend everyone read this book.

I hope the conference has several sessions discussing this serious problem and that I have merely overlooked them.

Yours very truly,

Marvin B. Woolf
Boulder Continue reading →

When I happened upon Squeeze–the cat with his head stuck in an old
water pipe on my property–I recognized him as one of the neighborhood
feral cats. I tried everything I could to get him free, but he was
really stuck.

I called Boulder County animal control and described the situation to
Officer Brandy Perkins. I told her I thought it was just a feral cat.
Her response was that it didn’t matter if it was someone’s pet or
feral, no animal should suffer like that.

Her determination, and that of the Mountain View Fire District crew,
to free this cat was impressive. After witnessing the care these
people took with this cat, I was reminded that we can’t just take for
granted that if any of us need help—whether it’s a fire, a heart
attack or a trapped kitty, our local emergency crews are here to help
all of us when we need it. We should be supportive and grateful to
them.

I’d also like to mention another great resource we have that shouldn’t
be taken for granted, and that is the Boulder Valley Humane Society. I
can’t imagine not having their services to reconnect lost pets with
their owners, or for finding good homes for unwanted or stray
animals—as they will do for Squeeze. Please support your local Humane
Society.

Finally, Squeeze (and the bunny!) will be glad to know I have plugged
all the openings on the rest of that pipe!

Suzanne Engert
Lafayette Continue reading →

In my 15 years in Boulder, I have had the opportunity to enjoy the
West TSA as a hiker and trail runner. Though I am also an avid
mountain biker, when I heard of the possibility of opening trails to
mountain biking in the West TSA, I was not completely supportive of
the idea. I have enjoyed hiking on many trails in the West TSA, and
there are times I want to be on a trail where I won’t be disturbed by
those on bikes, and I, in turn, will not disturb them.

However, when I heard the BMA was asking only for access to 4 miles of
trail, most of that non-intersecting with the 100+ miles of trails I
hike, I found myself supportive of the proposal, with one caveat. I
do not want bike access to trails if my bike is going to damage those
trails. At the public meeting, there were many “studies” quoted that
either showed that bikes caused no more damage than hiking, or that
bike damage would cause the end of civilization as we know it. No
matter what you believe, I suppose you can find a study to support
your opinion.

If the reason given for banning mountain bikes in the West TSA is due
to a negative impact on the environment, then the environment wins,
and it will be a decision of which we can be proud. But if the reason
given for banning bikes is due to “irreconcilable differences” between
mountain bikers and other users, then a small percentage of
close-minded people win, and it will be a decision of which we should
be ashamed.

Other communities have found a way to support multi-use trails with
multiple user groups. We should be intelligent and open-minded enough
to do the same.

Scott Gurst
Boulder Continue reading →

You may have already seen it in yesterday’s Daily Camera: Rangers
found a trail on open space that was illegally built, and was used by
mountain bikers.

The Boulder Mountainbike Alliance does not condone illegal trail
building, breaking rules, or trespassing.

BMA continually works to educate riders to follow the rules of the
trail, to stay on trail, and ultimately, to be nice to other people!
Sadly, this small group’s actions have caused negative attention at a
critical time for mountain bike access.

It is important to remember that a few people making poor decisions is
not indicative of all of those who enjoy mountain biking. Just as one
hiker going through a Habitat Conservation Area without a permit or
one dog guardian losing voice and sight control over their dog does
not mean that all hikers or dog guardians are bad people. But let us
reiterate – constructing or riding an illegal trail is wrong.

It also only hurts the cause of moving the Boulder community into a
future where mountain bikers are accepted as a valuable and
constructive part of the open space community. BMA has fought for 20
years for better trails, better open spaces, and better bike access.
Let us be clear in a message to those who have built and used this
trail illegally: your choice directly hurts the 20-year constructive
legacy of BMA.

The 25 year bike ban in Boulder’s West TSA drives some mountain bikers
to believe that there is no future for mountain biking in Boulder. The
level of vitriol, misinformation, and caricaturing of mountain bikers
as a group throughout this process has left a bad taste in many of our
mouths. But let’s put things in perspective. We’ve seen incredible
trail access opened up to mountain biking in Boulder County over the
last 5 years. Think Dirty Bismarck, Picture Rock, Wild Turkey,
Springbrook, and more. Think about what will open up this year -
Betasso/Benjamin and Valmont Bike Park.

We also have a message to those that might want to blow this 1 mile
trail out of proportion on the eve of City Council deciding upon the
West TSA. According to OSMP there are more than 58 miles of
undesignated trails in the West TSA – an area where bike travel is not
allowed. Three and 1/2 miles of those undesignated trails are in
habitat conservation areas. The problem is not isolated to a single
user group. The problem is when a use is not managed at all. If
illegal and social trails are an issue worthy of our attention, our
energies would be better spent working together to better manage our
open space lands than pointing fingers.

Jason Vogel
President
Boulder MountainBike Alliance Continue reading →

Americans are rightly debating President Obama’s Libya policy. Some pundits and columnists (including Thomas Friedman, “The Key Question on Libya,” March 25), however, have been putting a dubious spin on the matter by characterizing Libya as a primarily “tribal” society. This interpretation, usually advanced to criticize US support of the UN-authorized intervention, smacks of what the renowned scholar Edward Said called “orientalism.”
To be sure Libyans remain aware of the traditional clans that were once the organizing structure of this vast Saharan nation. No one would deny that the Qadhafa clan enjoys a privileged status in contemporary Libya. Yet to reduce the current uprising to tribal warfare is demeaning to the Libyans who have taken up arms against a ruthless dictator. Friedman’s “tribes with flags” is a gross simplification.
The Libya of traditional lineage groups was a loosely knit society whose principal export was esparto grass. Today’s Libya is an oil-rich state in which larger patronage networks have increasingly displaced the old kinship relations. Under Qaddafi Libya has become a patrimonial regime in which the majority is both politically and economically disenfranchised. The leaders of the opposition council are doctors and lawyers from the new middle class, not tribal chieftains.
While it is legitimate to raise questions about the wisdom of American policy, the debate should not be conducted in old colonialist stereotypes. The rebellion against Qaddafi’s 41-year long dictatorship is clearly inspired by events in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt. In my view, the United States has an interest in aligning itself with these forces of change in the Arab world.

Robert Mortimer
Boulder Continue reading →

Where are the Boulder anti-war protestors? President Obama has initiated an unconstitutional, undeclared and prohibitively expensive war on Libya. If George W. Bush had done this, the rabid protestors would be beside themselves with outrage. Where are the anti-war bumper stickers and yard signs? I am a fiscal conservative,for contraction of the Federal government and I am moderate on social issues. This incursion is another mistake.I suspect that because the Messiah Obama started this, the usual liberal protestors won’t come out against him. The President is hiding behind the so-called “coalition”, the Arab League and NATO. This allows him to distance himself from his war. Perhaps he should return that Nobel Peace Prize!

James R. Peshock
Boulder Continue reading →

I have lived in the Boulder / Longmont area for the past 45 years. I
am a member of the Concerned Citizens Group of Gunbarrel. No one in
our group has suggested or even hinted to eradicating the existing
black tailed prairie dog colony that fringes our neighborhood. That is
not our wish nor our position. There used to be over 3,000 of them in
our immediate area before the plaque in 2007 reduced the colony. We
are not even asking that they be relocated. We are simply and
rightfully as property owners asking the Open Space authorities to not
relocate more prairie dogs from the City of Boulder into this specific
area and to adequately maintain the current colony of about 200 that
exists there. There is a problem in the City of Boulder with to many
prairie dogs in one area. They want to eliminate that problem by
relocating 500 of them to our neighborhood. If they do this it would
transfer the problem to our unincorporated neighborhood.
Our group of area citizens consists of enlightened and educated
people. I do not believe any of us are arrogant. We understand and
appreciate the ecological benefits the prairie dogs provide. We all
truly enjoy the beauty of all of the wildlife in our area and it is
abundant. Eagles, hawks, many species of birds, rabbits, coyotes, red
fox, raccoons, squirrels, owls and black tail prairie dogs. There is a
pair of ducks that nest every year by the irrigation ditch that runs
by our property. We enjoy seeing the young ducklings grow and waddle
around our yards. We get an occasional deer roaming through. A cougar
was trapped in the walking path tunnel under highway 52 at the
Gunbarrel Tech Center several years ago.
Plague is not our main concern or issue. We all know that prairie
dogs do not carry the plaque, fleas do. When the prairie dogs become
stressed because of lack of adequate vegetation to eat due to over
population they become undernourished and sick. They also expand their
territory because they fight for space for their individual coteries
which occupy specific burrow systems. Once that happens the fleas
thrive. The prairie dogs get infected by the plaque carrying fleas and
the colony is reduced. The age old natural cycle of nature.
What we do not like is that when the prairie dogs become
overpopulated they get into our beautiful well maintained yards. It is
not acceptable. A well maintained colony will not deplete the
vegetation in their contained territory. They do cause open ground
which results in erosion and dust storms. We have asked the Open Space
officials to put a permanent fenced barrier around the area of the
colony and maintain their population. It is their property not ours.
They have refused to accept our request.
We have done our homework. A documented very detailed study by the
University of Nebraska in 1986 on Population Dynamics and Expansion of
Black Tailed Prairie Dogs written by Lyle A. Crosby and Randy Graham
states that they will almost double their population every year.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/vpc12/18 I suggest anyone that is a
truly concerned citizen that wants to be informed read this document.
I hope this letter more fully and accurately states our groups
feelings, position and situation.
Respectfully,

Larry Buckendorf
Longmont Continue reading →

Editor,

Prior to the recent conservative thrust to withhold funds from National Public Radio it is rumored that NPR was seeking to develop programming designed to appeal to conservatives. A proposed series called “Conservative Culture Hour” was attempted but failed to gain traction because of a “complete lack of content”.

Subsequently, a conservative oriented series was proposed called “Delusional World Views”. While rich in content, the series debut is in jeopardy because of a lack of funding.

George H. Johnson
Lafayette Continue reading →

25 March 2011, The Wall Street Journal did an article on Thomas Jefferson’s cut-and-paste bible. As we all know from our history lessons that Jefferson frequently argued with some of his religious fanatical associates about the truth and facts regarding religion. The intent of Jefferson’s version of the bible was to present the true words of Jesus, not the fantasies, corruption, vulgar ignorance, superstition and fabrication that has been written in the bible. During the election of 1800 Jefferson was described as “a howling atheist” and “a confirmed infidel.” Jefferson viewed Jesus as “a great philosopher.” Personally I believe, as does Thomas Jefferson, that all religions are the creation of men with an agenda, be it politics, greed, sex, racism or homophobia. The Bible, Koran, Book of Mormon and all other so called religious texts are written by men, not the word of God. As a matter of fact, God has never spoken or left a message with anyone on earth. I do believe in God as did Jefferson and I believe if God were to leave a message it would be for us to live in peace, love our neighbors and ignore the lies of the so-called religious. Jefferson was the most self-consciously theological of all American presidents.

Leon Rodriguez
Denver Continue reading →

In Friday’s Camera, we learned that the Boulder police will soon be
outfitted with a car that reads and verifies license plates as it drives
around town. This bit of kit is said to be for the identification of
stolen cars, which seems like a worthy goal. The Camera forgot to ask
some important questions, though.

In particular: to what other purposes will the license plate data be put?
How long will it be stored, and who else will have access to it? The
police department is acquiring the ability to create an extensive database
of our locations at specific times; what safeguards are being put into
place to ensure that this database is not misused? We (and our newspaper)
should pay attention to such things.

Thanks,

Jonathan Corbet
Boulder Continue reading →

Dear Editors,

I was surprised and pleased to see the UFO article in today’s Camera, Friday, March 25, 2011. I have long believed we could not possibly be the only intelligent beings in the universe, especially considering the recent claims, by science, that there are billions of earth-like planets in cosmos.

In the front page article, Valedez, says he is not a “UFO nerd or whatever.” Nor am I one. A source from London, which to my mind is credible, has been saying for decades that we should not call them aliens, but our Space Brothers. Benjamin Crème, editor of the non-profit Share International magazine, goes on to say, they are here to help and not harm; and that they are cleaning up much of our atmospheric pollution; and despite what has been poured in our heads, they are not here to harm us in any way, nor responsible for mutilations of animals and other atrocities as popularized in movies and books.

How have we become this negative society in which we must think the worst? I suggest keeping an open mind and hope Mr. Crème is correct when he says the increase in such reports heralds good news and not bad.

Lon Loucks
Boulder Continue reading →

To the Editor:

Satiated with the spate of letters and articles on the potential presence on certain trails of dogs and bicycles, I have a new suggestion that might satisfy all, and end the debate. Allow dogs and bicycles on the disputed trails only if the dogs are riding the bicycles.

Mark Dubin
Boulder Continue reading →

We went to the CU Women’s basketball game in Laramie Thursday night. They were great! It’s wonderful and amazing to see them all playing so well under first year coach Linda Lappe’s terrific leadership. Congratulations to Coach Lappe and her talented and determined players.
It was also amazing to see the Cowgirls fans turn out to the tune of 7,000 plus. Please, please come out and support our wonderful women athletes at the WNIT Tournament on Sunday, 1:00 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.

Gretchen Diefenderfer
Gold Hill Continue reading →