Saturday, February 17, 2007

The Practical Communist Say hello to the Practical Communist. 1:57:37 PM

Healthcare Paul Krugman (quoted by Ed Cone): "[W]e spend $98 billion a year in excess administrative costs, with more than half of the total accounted for by marketing and underwriting -- costs that don't exist in single-payer systems...the United States pays $66 billion a year in excess drug costs, and overpays for medical devices like knee and hip implants, too." "2008 pres" 8:27:47 AM

? for president? Oliver Willis: "Mitt Romney has gone past the flip-flopper stage and is literally tying himself into knots trying to explain his contradictory positions." Here's a short article about Republican web efforts from The Right's Field. Political Wire: "Sen. Barack Obama's newly revamped Web site 'looks a lot like MySpace and Facebook, and that is no accident,' the Chicago Tribune reports. 'As a presidential candidate offering himself as a generational change agent, Obama is leveraging online social networking in a nearly unprecedented way in yet another clear measure of how the Internet is transforming politics.'" Pollster.com: "Additional analysis from a recent USA Today/Gallup national survey of 1006 adults (conducted 2/9 through 2/11) finds: 65% of American adults say former Mayor Rudy Giuliani would make a 'good president;' 60% say both Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain would make a good president; 53% say Sen. Barack Obama would; Former Vice Pres. Al Gore's favorable rating stands at 52%, while Gore's unfavorable rating (45%) 'has not changed at all' since December of 2002." "2008 pres" 8:08:19 AM

Iraq Talking Points Memo: "House votes to condemn escalation, 246-182, with 17 Republicans defecting to join Dems against 'surge.'" The Gavel: "Statements on passage." Whitehouse.gov: "The House of Representatives has passed a resolution expressing disapproval of President Bush's plan to send reinforcements to Iraq. This plan enjoys the support of the Iraqi government and U.S. military leadership, including Gen. David Petraeus, Commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, who recently was confirmed to his post by an 81-0 vote in the Senate. "The President ordered a new way forward in Iraq because he, like most Americans, believed the existing situation in Iraq was unacceptable. The President concluded that this new strategy was necessary in order to help the Iraqi government gain control over Baghdad, assume more responsibility for security, and pursue reconciliation of all of Iraq's communities. "The resolution is nonbinding. Soon, Congress will have the opportunity to show its support for the troops in Iraq by funding the supplemental appropriations request the President has submitted, and which our men and women in combat are counting on. The Onion: "President Bush announced Monday that his administration will permanently sever ties with the democratically controlled United States Congress, ending a nearly 220-year-old alliance between the two governmental branches." Thanks to the Daily Kos for the link. Captain's Quarters: "With all of the focus on Baghdad and the surge, the second portion of the President's new strategy has gotten little attention. Four thousand Marines have begun arriving in Anbar, the power base for al-Qaeda in Iraq, in order to clear the province of these terrorists. They may find their job a little easier than first thought, as the savagery of AQI has turned many tribal leaders against the extremists." Blogs for Bush: "I am so tired of people playing politics with war. This is exactly what I mean about people who won't stand for anything. They are useless. If the people who oppose the troop surge really want to take a stand, why don't they take a stand that means something. This is not only a waste of time and a bad idea, but it's downright silly. Why? That's my question. Why? Why would you authorize the Commander-in-Chief of your country to use force against those who threaten democracy and freedom in the world and then take away his means by which to use it?" "2008 pres" 7:58:17 AM

McCain for president? Say hello to John McCain. The U.S. Senator has put up a new website. He's letting supporters create their own website. "2008 pres" 7:53:07 AM

May election ballot issues? From today's Rocky Mountain News, "Denver voters can expect to be asked to change the mechanics of three elected positions in May. City officials are advancing two separate ballot questions that affect the seats of the Denver District Attorney and the two at-large City Council members. The first would lengthen the term limit for the district attorney from two terms to three terms... "Under the other proposed ballot question, the two at-large council members would be elected by a majority, not a plurality. The top two vote-getters win the election under the existing system. The proposal would create an A seat and a B seat and require a runoff for at-large candidates who don't win by a majority." 7:45:42 AM

Energy policy: Geothermal New West: "Geothermal heat from underground could provide a significant fraction of the West's electricity, according to a newly released report from the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation and the Colorado Geological Survey. The study looks specifically at potential geothermal energy sources in Colorado, but parts of Utah and Nevada also harbor springs hot enough to fuel power plants... "The best spots for geothermal exploration in Colorado appear to be underneath Mt. Princeton, near Buena Vista. While geothermal energy will never provide more than 10 percent or so of the country's energy, it's an emission-free technology that is relatively cheap to produce, once the plants are built. The Bush administration's energy budget for 2007 includes no funds for geothermal-power R&D, because the Office of Management and Budget considers it a 'mature' energy source; according to the Geothermal Energy Association, U.S. production in 2005 was 0.36 percent of national electricity generation." "2008 pres" 7:31:54 AM

Preferred Storage Options Plan The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is asking U.S. Congressman John Salazar to slow down work on the Preferred Storage Options Plan, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "'The situation hasn't changed a lot since last May. We're still waiting until the nine parties (negotiating an intergovernmental agreement) come together. If they all agree, we can come up with something,' said Harold Miskel, chairman of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District's Preferred Storage Options Plan advisory committee... "In January, Salazar unveiled a new bill that specifically addresses his concerns for a long-term study of the cumulative socioeconomic and environmental impacts of water transfers. Salazar's draft legislation authorizes $10 million for the state to conduct those studies and delays the feasibility study on enlarging Lake Pueblo until the state studies are complete. Salazar also would prohibit use of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project to move water out of the Arkansas Valley in the bill. Past PSOP legislation specifically includes Aurora, a provision common to past agreements and the upcoming nine-party IGA." "colorado water" 7:28:00 AM

Arkansas Valley Conduit Here's a short update on the Arkansas Valley Conduit from the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The proposed Arkansas Valley Conduit is getting state and national attention as supporters try to move it forward. The $330 million project could provide drinking water to 42 communities east of Pueblo under a plan first envisioned in the 1962 Fryingpan-Arkansas Act. Although it was authorized, it was never built because the communities could not afford to build it. Legislation in Congress would authorize 80 percent federal funding of the project through the Bureau of Reclamation. U.S. Reps. John Salazar, D-Colo., and Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., on Wednesday asked Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., chairwoman of the subcommittee on Water and Power, to hold a hearing on the conduit as soon as possible in the Arkansas Valley." "colorado water" 7:20:43 AM

Camp Rocky and River Watch Coyote Gulch got hooked on the outdoors and conservation as a kid. We blame our family and the Boy Scouts of America. Both afforded us opportunities to enjoy the mountains in different ways, while giving us a solid educational foundation. We'd like to highlight two efforts in youth education that we've come across recently. First up is Camp Rocky [pdf], sponsored by the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts. We learned about Camp Rocky from an article in the Craig Daily Press. From the article, "This summer, youngsters have the opportunity to bunk in a cabin for a week as they spend the days finding a trees age without cutting it down, electrofishing in the river and learning how wildlife survives in the forest. The program is called Camp Rocky, and young people with a thirst for knowledge are invited to attend... "Camp Rocky is a week-long residential camp July 8-14 designed for 14 through 19 year-olds who enjoy the outdoors and are interested in natural resources. The staff is made up of professionals from around the state who teach participants about their environment, while working in teams with other youth from across Colorado. Teams learn about forest management, soil and water conservation, rangeland science and fish and wildlife management. The camp is sponsored by the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and is held at Rocky Mountain Camp in the mountains above Colorado Springs, near Divide... "The cost of the camp is $250, and the conservation district has sponsored Moffat County youth with scholarships in the past to allow them to attend. 'What has worked well in the past was sending two children from the district,' soil conservation district manager Shary Draper said. 'That way one family can drive them to the camp, and one can pick them up.' For registration forms, contact the CACD office at 970-248-0070 or visit www.cacd@cacd.us and select Camp Rocky. To contact the local conservation district about scholarships, call Shary Draper at 824-3476 ext. 101." The second effort we are highlighting is River Watch, founded and administered by the Colorado Watershed Network. From the website, "River Watch is a statewide volunteer water quality-monitoring program operated by the Colorado Watershed Network in partnership with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The mission is to work with voluntary stewards to monitor water quality and other indicators of watershed health, and utilize this high quality data to educate citizens and inform decision makers about the condition of Colorado's waters. River Watch is comprised of volunteers from school groups to watershed groups, jurisdictions, and consultants, with new groups being added each year. Each volunteer group receives the training, support, and supplies needed to monitor their rivers in a consistent and accurate manner." "Volunteers collect metal, nutrient and macroinvertebrate samples throughout the year for analysis at the River Watch Laboratory. Volunteers also implement a program of pH, alkalinity, hardness, dissolved oxygen, temperature, stream discharge, and physical habitat analysis. The volunteers then manage their data electronically on the River Watch database server. CWN analyzes the metals samples on an Inductively Couple Plasma spectrophotometer and an Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer, and a Lachat auto-analyzer for the nutrient analysis. Quality assurance is essential in the program operation and in the use of the data. Each volunteer group performs their sampling and analysis according to a set of guidance documents. Quality assurance checks are performed to ensure that the volunteers and the River Watch laboratory perform within the established methods." Now if that doesn't make you want to lace up your hiking boots or strap on your waders and help out there may be no hope for you. "colorado water" 7:10:21 AM

Fountain Creek lawsuit Here's an update on the Fountain Creek Lawsuit from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "A judge said Friday he hopes to decide promptly after hearing arguments April 27 whether to throw out Fountain Creek pollution lawsuits or have the case proceed to trial. U.S. District Judge Walker Miller announced the timetable at a courtroom status conference on the lawsuits of the Pueblo County district attorney and the Sierra Club against Colorado Springs... "If Miller does not throw out the lawsuits, as Colorado Springs has asked him to do, he has set Sept. 17 for a 10-day trial. All three litigants have asked the judge to decide key issues without a trial. The issues include: The city contends that the judge should throw out the lawsuits on the grounds that Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut and the environmental group do not have legal authority to bring the suits, which they filed in late 2005; The district attorney's and Sierra's contention that the discharges themselves prove, without any more evidence, that Colorado Springs violated the act; Colorado Springs contends the judge needs to consider evidence in a trial before he would be in a position to decide whether the city violated the act... "Over opposition from the district attorney and Sierra, the judge dismissed Colorado Springs Utilities as a defendant, leaving the city of Colorado Springs as the only defendant. The utilities system had asked Miller to remove it from the case. Miller said whatever orders, if any, he issues against the city will apply to the utilities system. He made his decision after the attorney for the city and for the utilities system, John Walsh of Denver, assured the judge the utilities system will abide by orders against the city. Attorneys for Thiebaut and the club argued that Colorado Springs Utilities needed to be one of the two defendants because it has its own budget as a city-owned enterprise with its own legal authority, and because regulatory permits under the Clean Water Act are issued under the name of Colorado Springs Utilities." "colorado water" 6:43:53 AM

Southern Delivery System Yet another alternative for the Southern Delivery System has surfaced according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "A new alternative that incorporates water reuse will be added to the environmental review of the Southern Delivery System, a proposed $1 billion pipeline project to provide water to Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security. The Bureau of Reclamation notified Colorado Springs this week it found its proposed no-action alternative - pumping water from Fremont County and returning it down Fountain Creek - 'reasonable' and would accept it subject to certain conditions. One of those conditions will be developing an eighth alternative to the SDS environmental impact study that looks at indirect potable reuse of existing water supplies. Indirect potable reuse means filtering some wastewater flows through aquifers, lakes and treatment plants for use in the drinking water system. Colorado Springs imports about 80 percent of its water supply and can reuse return flows. Colorado Springs uses some return flows for golf courses, parks and power plants through its nonpotable water system. It also exchanges return flows on Fountain Creek for fresh water through the Otero Pumping Station... "On Jan. 24, Colorado Springs submitted a new no-action alternative that included a pipeline from Fremont County to supply additional water from the Arkansas River to meet its needs until 2046. Gary Bostrom, Colorado Springs regional projects manager, explained a river intake was necessary to provide redundancy for the other supply pipelines in the Colorado Springs system. The indirect potable reuse plan, developed as an alternative in the 1996 Colorado Springs Water Resource Plan, and listed as the original SDS no-action alternative, could not provide enough fresh water to blend supplies, Bostrom explained. Reuse is seen as a much more expensive alternative to its preferred action, Bostrom said. "Colorado Springs has always favored building a 66-inch diameter pipeline directly from Pueblo Dam 43 miles north to deliver up to 78 million gallons per day to Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security. Reclamation added five alternatives designed to meet public concerns identified during a scoping process. The no-action alternative reflects what probably would happen if Reclamation takes no action on the other alternatives. Reclamation will issue an addendum to its alternative analysis report issued in March 2006 prior to issuing a draft environmental impact statement. No timetable has been released." "colorado water" 6:37:31 AM

Aurora to lease water from Pueblo West? Aurora and Pueblo West are talking about a lease for water, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Pueblo West decided to explore a water lease with Aurora because it is running out of storage space for its water, Metro District Manager Don Saling said Friday. The Metro Board agreed to look at leasing Aurora up to 3,500 acre-feet of its Twin Lakes water at a price of $150 per acre-foot, a deal that could mean $525,000 for Pueblo West as it nears capacity of its current storage, Saling said... "Pueblo West has some reservations about signing a long-term agreement proposed by Aurora, Saling said. From Aurora[base ']s standpoint, there may not be enough space in the right places within its storage system to use the water from the lease, said Gerry Knapp, basin projects manager. Some outsiders are also eyeing the deal. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District is looking into whether the lease would satisfy the conditions of a 2003 Intergovernmental Agreement among the Upper Ark district, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and Aurora... "Pueblo West has about 12 percent of Twin Lakes shares, and storage of up to 6,000 acre-feet in the reservoir, located in Lake County. That account is nearly full. Pueblo West is also leasing 9,000 acre-feet in a year-to-year, excess-capacity contract in Lake Pueblo. It pays about $250,000 to lease the water. It also can store water in Lake Meredith through its ownership of shares in the Colorado Canal, but must then exchange it to Lake Pueblo, Saling said." "colorado water" 6:30:23 AM

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