Coyote Gulch

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Netroots
Bull Moose: "Appreciate the usefulness of the net, but don't over inflate its importance."
8:17:22 PM

Social Security
Josh Marshall: "Private accounts today, private accounts tomorra, private accounts foreva ..."
8:11:17 PM

Yuba Gold Fields
Highway West: "Calvert put together the Yuba Goldfields Access Coalition, and meanwhile he kept opening the locked gates on Hammonton Road with bolt-cutters." Thanks to the Western Democrat for the link. I really like the bolt-cutters.
8:04:56 PM

Titan
2020 Hindsight: "This is a followup from the post I made about the Titan-landing-Eve tailgate party thrown by the Planetary Society."
7:57:46 PM

Iraqi Election
A election pamphlet from the Unified Iraqi Coalition states, amongst the goals if elected, ensuring security and peace, fighting terrorism and setting a timetable for the withdrawal of multinational forces from Iraq.
Ensuring security would be way up there as part of my platform if I was running.
Today, people were walking the neighborhoods.
Heres a link to an article about Abdul Aziz al-Hakim one of the Unified Iraqi Coalition candidates. From the article, "Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and the leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a large, influential, and moderate Iraqi Shiite political organization formerly based in Iran. Having long opposed Saddam and operated clandestinely against his regime, SCIRI did not interfere with the U.S.-led invasion, and it has since formed a tactical alliance with the Coalition Provisional Authority."
Here are the election rules and timetable.
6:07:55 PM

2004 Presidential Transition
Douglas Feith, Undersecretary of Defense, resigned yesterday. From the DOD press release, "Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith announced today that he would leave his position this summer. As he has informed Secretary Rumsfeld, Mr. Feith made his decision for personal and family reasons."
Mark Noonan writes, on Blogs for Bush, "One has to admire the courage of a fabulously rich, aged white man standing athwart the appointment of a black woman who grew up in poverty such as even Kennedy's nannies, maids, menservants and gardeners have never known."
Saying that Condoleezza Rice grew up in poverty sullies the accomplishments of John Rice, the subject of Mike Littwin's column in today's Rocky Mountain News [January 27, 2005, "Littwin: Like father, like daughter? Maybe not for Rice"]. Mr. Noonan is using a stereotype to attack when the facts do not support his argument. Weak.
6:29:49 AM

Colorado Water
Cortez Journal: "The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission has scheduled a public rulemaking hearing at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 14, to consider revisions to water quality standards for two segments of the Eagle River near Minturn as a result of a study of the effects of a Superfund cleanup of the Eagle Mine in the area...As a result of remedial activities at the Eagle Mine Superfund site, significant improvement in water quality in the affected segments of the Eagle River has occurred in the past five years. The work has included a site-specific biological study conducted to define a 'healthy biological condition' for the aquatic community." Good news for a change?
6:07:25 AM

2008 Presidential Election
Wellington Webb and Howard Dean are lining up endorsements as both are vying to lead the Democratic National Committee, according to the Denver Post [January 27, 2004, "Webb, Dean score endorsements in hunt for DNC's top job"].
5:56:53 AM

Denver May 2005 Election
Yesterday city officials briefed City Council on the tax effects the proposed Justice Center, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 27, 2005, "Justice Center tax tab detailed"]. From the article, "The average Denver homeowner will pay $93 a year in taxes if voters approve the city's proposed new Justice Center, planners told City Council members Wednesday. However, that tab could be paid without increasing the mill levy. Instead, homeowners who may have otherwise seen their taxes decline will find that they stay steady, city officials said."
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [January 27, 2005, "Mayor: Jail won't take funds from other projects"]. From the article, "The city wants to build a justice center - including 1,500 jail beds and about 35 courtrooms - in the 300 and 400 blocks of West Colfax Avenue to ease crowding at the city's Smith Road jail. Denver's current jail system - including Smith Road and a smaller facility at police headquarters - houses more than 2,000 inmates in space designed for 1,500 to 1,700. If voters approve the justice center and Denver issues three series of bonds to pay for it, the city's obligations technically will exceed the $70 million threshold in 2006 and 2007. However, the city will pay that $20 million excess cost with reserve funds amassed to buttress its overall debt. If voters reject the plan, annual property taxes on a $250,000 house could drop by $93 by 2010 as older projects are paid off. However, that assumes the city would not gain approval to fund other projects in the interim."
5:37:26 AM

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