Coyote Gulch

Friday, August 13, 2004

Robert Cringely - Misguided Prison Policy
i, cringely: "The interface between science and public policy is awkward at best. Scientists and academics need money for research, while politicians need research to build better weapons and sometimes to justify intended policy changes. But what happens if you look for scientific support for some new policy and the results of the research show that what you are intending to do is wrong?"
5:20:49 PM

2004 Presidential Election

Here's a recent USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll. From the article, "The poll finds the presidential race essentially tied: Bush leads Kerry 48%-46% among likely voters; independent Ralph Nader has 3%. The difference between Bush and Kerry is within the poll's error margin of +/- 4 percentage points." Thanks to Blogs for Bush for the link.

TalkLeft will be blogging the Republican National Convention. She writes, "The real story for TalkLeft will be the action in the streets--the protesters, the security, the riot police and their attitudes. I'll have my digital camera, tape recorder , ipod and laptop. I have recruited two volunteers so far to capture the images on the streets, so TalkLeft can upload and bring them to you as they are happening."

6:32:20 AM

Denver November 2004 Election

The first debate between Ken Salazar and Peter Coors will be on September 11th, according to the Rocky Mountain News [August 13, 2004, "First debates date: Sept. 11"]. From the article, "The Western Slope organization traditionally holds the first major political debates of the general election season: Saturday, Sept. 11; Two Rivers Convention Center, Grand Junction; U.S. Senate - 7 p.m., Republican Pete Coors and Democrat Ken Salazar; 3rd Congressional District: 6 p.m., Democrat John Salazar and Republican Greg Walcher."

6:21:31 AM

Colorado Water

Flows in the Dolores River are the subject of this article from the Rocky Mountain News [August 13, 2004, "Officials say EPA out of line"]. From the article, "Top Colorado officials are accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of trying to tell the state how to regulate its rivers and streams, challenging Colorado's sovereignty over its own water. The issue erupted recently when the EPA blamed pollution in the Dolores River on low flows, according to the state's top environmental regulator and the state agriculture commissioner...The letter focuses on a recent EPA demand that state water quality regulators include a stretch of the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado on a statewide list of polluted stream segments that need cleanup plans. Colorado officials had declined to include the river segment on the cleanup list back in March, when the matter was debated before a state regulatory board. But in July, the EPA overruled Colorado and told state officials to add the Dolores. At issue on the Dolores River immediately below McPhee Reservoir in Montezuma County are declines of roughly 70 percent in brown trout populations between 1996 and 2001. The EPA attributed the declines to a rise in water temperatures, algae growth and sediment increases."
Denver Water is studying pumping water from Chatfield Reservoir in times of drought, according to the Denver Post [August 13, 2004, "Chatfield eyed as drought fix"]. From the article, "The pump station would allow it to take another 3 feet during severe drought years, such as occurred in 2002. Concerns about dropping the lake by 3 feet, however, could be moot by the time the pump station is built and the next drought rolls around. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been studying for eight years a lake expansion of more than 76 percent, adding many times the lost depth to Denver Water's drought plan."
6:06:47 AM

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