Sunday, May 7, 2006

Creationism Scotsman.com: "Believing that God created the universe in six days is a form of superstitious paganism, the Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno claimed yesterday. "Brother Consolmagno, who works in a Vatican observatory in Arizona and as curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Italy, said a 'destructive myth' had developed in modern society that religion and science were competing ideologies. "He described creationism, whose supporters want it taught in schools alongside evolution, as a 'kind of paganism' because it harked back to the days of 'nature gods' who were responsible for natural events." Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:40:26 PM

Immigration Ed Cone: "But it is also possible to focus too much on the immigrants themselves, as if they were the only players in this vast game. To do so is like cursing at an overflowing basin while ignoring the hand on the tap. You can't consider the enormous population of illegal immigrants in the United States without asking how they got here and what they do here. "The short answer is that we let them come, and we pay them to stay. Our government has not been serious about controlling this country's southern border. Yes, there are lots of hard-working people laboring in good faith on that job, but the scale and persistence of the inflow suggests it is not a real priority in Washington. And there are obvious reasons why U.S. policy has been neutral at best toward secure borders. "One reason is that business interests want the ready supply of cheap labor, and those businesses wield a lot of influence with our government (customers love lower prices on goods and services, too). That's why it's funny to hear the pro-immigration stance sometimes cast only as a 'liberal' issue. Another reason we let it happen is that migration is a social safety valve for Mexico and other Latin American countries, and we value the relative stability it helps preserve in the region. And of course the increasingly powerful Hispanic voting population wields influence, too... "So what do we do now? Clearly, we are not about (and should not be about) to embark on mass deportations, and criminalizing the people who are already here -- the specific measure addressed by Monday's protests -- seems like a bad idea. Nor does it seem wise to move toward a guest worker plan, which would create a two-tiered society that is distinctly un-American. We need to move our current population of immigrants toward citizenship while making a serious effort to secure our border. The last part especially won't be easy, given the political and economic considerations here and in neighboring countries, but if immigration is really such a problem, then we'd better figure out a way to get it done. "In the meantime, it doesn't hurt to recall those families in the courthouse square and to recognize them as people who want something better in their lives and for their families, much the same as anyone else." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 9:24:20 AM

Holtzman for governor? We're late reporting this story. According to the Rocky Mountain News, Marc Holtzman's campaign will go on without Dick Leggitt. From the article, "Marc Holtzman's campaign for governor lost its lead strategist and spokesman Friday when Dick Leggitt resigned, saying that after weeks of controversy he had become a distraction for the campaign... "The resignation comes one week after Leggitt admitted under oath that he sent false polling numbers to a reporter. Initially, Holtzman said he would investigate Leggitt's actions, but in a statement released Friday, he didn't mention the incident. Holtzman said he accepted the resignation and thanked Leggitt 'for his loyalty and hard work.' Neither Holtzman, Leggitt nor Laura Teal, the campaign's political director, returned calls for comment. Jesse Mallory, the campaign spokesman, said he did not know who would take over Leggitt's position... "The past several months have been tumultuous ones for the Holtzman campaign. Most recently, Leggitt, Teal and Holtzman had to defend the campaign against charges of campaign finance violations. Testifying in a Denver courtroom, Leggitt said he sent bogus numbers to the Denver Post but called it 'spin,' and implied that it's a common practice among political operatives. The trial came at a time when Holtzman was publicly weighing whether to petition his way onto the primary ballot or to attend the Republican Party state assembly, an event he suggested could be rigged against him. On April 28, he decided to do both. The campaign has also seen an exodus among its staff. In the two months before Leggitt's resignation, Holtzman's campaign said goodbye to a steering committee member, a field director and a press secretary." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:30:41 AM

HB 1352 The editorial staff of the Pueblo Chieftain is not happy with the vote on House Bill 1352. They write, "Once again, the water buffaloes have won. And once again, the people of Colorado have lost. That was the result of an 18-17 final vote Friday morning that killed HB1352, a measure designed to maintain good water quality in Colorado's rivers and streams. The bill's prime sponsor was Rep. Buffie McFadyen, a Pueblo West Democrat who was able to get the measure passed in the House earlier last week against long odds. The water buffaloes in Colorado don't like anybody messing with their game of back-room deals. There is an old adage in this state that goes, 'Water runs uphill toward money.' And it was big money interests which turned around enough votes in the Senate on Friday to ensure the death this year of a water quality bill. Big money interests from Colorado Springs kept the entire Republican contingent on the side of killing the legislation... "The legislation had a wide array of support, even from some major water interests. Those included the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Denver Water, the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Pueblo Board of Water Works, the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Trout Unlimited and the Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District. But the big money in Colorado Springs, Aurora and elsewhere want more water. And they have the Arkansas River in their crosshairs. Rep. McFadyen's bill would have offered a modicum of protection for rivers in Colorado when the big money comes calling. This year, big money won. And the people of Colorado lost." Category: Colorado Water 8:15:22 AM

Free water talk From today's Denver Post: "Water Is Not Where the People Are: A Front Range Challenge, a free lecture, will be at 7 p.m. [Wednesday] at the Morrison Town Hall, 110 Stone St." Category: Colorado Water 8:06:31 AM

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