Coyote Gulch

 



















































































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  Sunday, November 13, 2005


Minuteman Project

Here's a short opinion piece from today's Rocky Mountain News defending the Minuteman Project's border patrols [November 13, 2005, "Speakout: Project's border patrols effective"]. From the article, "This ongoing effort by ordinary citizens like me and my wife to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border is by no means bogus, as stated, but rather the outgrowth of an effort now years old by Arizona border residents trying to find some relief from the invasion of illegal immigrants. Of course the Minuteman Project's patrols are not about 'catching illegals' and never has been. Minuteman organizers have always stressed, out loud, the protocol of not engaging illegals unless they require humanitarian assistance, but allowing them to pass and reporting by phone or radio to the Border Patrol which can then do the job of intercepting them. The goals have been, since last winter's beginnings, to publicize the border problems, the social and financial costs to the country of the invasion by illegals and to bring media and public pressure to bear on Congress and the administration to do their constitutional duty of protecting the country from this invasion."

Linda Seebach weighs in on Intelligent Design in her column from yesterday's Rocky [November 13, 2005, "Seebach: One step forward, one back in struggle against 'design'"]. She writes, "If someone holds a worldview that is essentially religious, and in a form that puts much emphasis on doctrinal purity (not every religious person does) then even small differences seem to be evidence of catastrophic failure. The early Christian church was convulsed by disputes over such now-esoteric distinctions as the one between 'homoousian' and 'homoiousian,' and the distinction between Shiites and Sunnis convulses Islam still. Equally small differences between biologists over the mechanisms of evolution are likewise taken as evidence of catastrophic failure in a scientific theory, when in fact they're the normal and healthy way that science makes progress."

Washington Post: "Tom Tancredo has a bold idea to stop illegal immigration: Deny automatic citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants. 'There is general agreement about the fact that citizenship in this country should not be bestowed on people who are children of folks who come into this country illegally,' he told the Washington Times. General agreement? Perhaps among Mr. Tancredo's friends in the House but not among the framers of the 14th Amendment. Indeed, any such modern consensus would have a small problem in the text of the Constitution, which is, inconveniently for anti-immigrant demagogues, not subtle on the point. The 14th Amendment begins: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' Not 'all persons except children of illegal immigrants,' not 'all persons except those Congress exempts in moments of nativism.' All persons."

Thanks to Elevated Voices for the link.

Newsweek: "Of all of his many jobs (ambassador to the United Nations, secretary of Energy, congressman, negotiator with Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro and the North Koreans), Bill Richardson says being governor of New Mexico has allowed him to make the 'most difference' in people's daily lives. Finishing out his first term, Richardson plans to run for re-election next year. But the chattering classes are already eyeing him for the presidential ticket in 2008. In his new memoir, 'Between Worlds' (Putnam), Richardson explains how being the son of an American father and Mexican mother has shaped his life and politics."

Thanks to Oval Office 2008 for the link.

Josh Marshall on the President's speech Friday, "In the president's new angle that his critics are trying to 'rewrite history', those critics might want to point out that his charge would be more timely after he stopped putting so much effort into obstructing any independent inquiry that could allow an accurate first draft of the history to be written. In any case, he must sense now that he's blowing into a fierce wind. The judgement of history hangs over this guy like a sharp, heavy knife. His desperation betrays him. He knows it too."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election


9:15:00 AM     

Referendum C proceeds

Here's an opinion piece from today's Denver Post urging caution in spending the proceeds from Referendum C [November 13, 2005, "Do what Ref. C says to do"]. They're attempting to describe the "will of the people" with regard to the November 1st election. From the article, "By passing the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in 1992, Colorado voters said they wanted limits on government spending. By passing Referendum C in 2005, Colorado voters said they don't want those limits to drive government out of business. These two votes now serve as guardrails for Colorado's fiscal future. The voters want a frugal and accountable government that still has enough money to effectively promote opportunity and prosperity. Underlying this positive outcome, however, are two critical challenges: First, the resources from Referendum C will be modest compared to the cuts made during the recession. So we must use the money wisely, or we will squander the opportunity we now have to improve the well-being of Colorado families. Second, many Coloradans remain deeply cynical about government...But that's only the first step. What we really need in Colorado - and around the country - is an honest and open conversation about the role of the public sector. What do we think the public sector should do and should not do? What does government actually do now? What can be done to restore trust in the institutions that play such a critical role in our lives? Let's find a process that doesn't demand absolute winners and losers but instead works toward mutual understanding, respect and consensus."


9:00:35 AM     

Reuse of water
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Here's an article from the Pueblo Chieftain dealing with reusing water to extinction. From the article, "As water supplies tighten, cities increasingly are looking at water reuse as a way to stretch their resources. While raw water and treated wastewater is used by many cities for power plants or irrigation, the idea of recycling water for drinking has been slow to catch on. But at least two indirect potable reuse projects will come on line in Colorado during the next five years. Aurora is working on a $700 million project that will supply 10,000 acre-feet by 2010, while two smaller water districts south of Aurora will complete a $26 million project to supply 1,000 acre-feet beginning in 2007. The Denver Water Board is considering a reuse project that could yield up to 18,000 acre-feet to meet water shortfalls in the northern end of its distribution system."

More about Aurora's plans here.

Here's an editorial from the Pueblo Chieftain warning that recent setbacks for High Plains A&M is not enough to protect farmland in the Arkansas Valley. They write, "Intent on extracting huge profits from Fort Lyon Canal water, this outfit terminated options with farmers following court dismissal of High Plains' application for a change of the historic agricultural use to municipal and industrial purposes. Pueblo Chief District Judge James Maes, presiding over Division 2 water court, ruled it a violation of Colorado's prohibition against speculation in water rights. Without identifying an end buyer, no one knows if the water would continue to be put to beneficial use, as required by the law. Judge Maes' ruling really got the speculators' attention when the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decision. Yet High Plains continues to stonewall the public by refusing to reveal who may be in negotiations for buying the Fort Lyon water. Mr. Campbell had the temerity to say the information was 'proprietary.' That's a dodge showing disrepects to people who may be harmed."

Meanwhile the Northern Water Conservancy is hoping to build more water storage in the future, according to the Loveland Daily Reporter Herald. From the article, "After two years of sifting through 180 options aimed at bringing more Western Slope water to Northern Colorado, federal officials have narrowed the list to five. The Bureau of Reclamation released an Alternatives Report this week for the Windy Gap Firming Project. Loveland and the Little Thompson Water District are two of 14 entities participating in the project. The report - available to the public - lists four possible reservoir sites for storing the water as well as a no-action option. Project managers with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District said they continue to favor the proposed Chimney Hollow Reservoir southwest of Loveland. Kara Lamb, a Bureau of Reclamation public information coordinator, said the report sets the stage for a more in-depth look at the five options and an eventual recommendation."

Category: Colorado Water


8:26:00 AM     


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