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Sunday, November 11, 2007
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North Denver News: "The Harris Poll® has been measuring attitudes toward the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion ever since it was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1973. During the 34 years since, Harris Polls found majorities, between 49 and 65 percent of all U.S. adults, in favor of Roe v. Wade. The latest Harris Poll finds that support for Roe v. Wade has increased fairly significantly in a relatively short time. A majority - 56 percent - now favors the U.S. Supreme Court decision, the highest level since 1998 and an increase of seven percentage points from just last year when a slender 49 to 47 percent is supported the decision. Furthermore, only 20 percent of U.S. adults favor not permitting a woman to get an abortion under any circumstances."
"2008 pres"
5:30:15 PM 
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Take a look at the most prosperous rural counties in the U.S. from The Daily Yonder. Colorado counties listed are, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Delta, Grand, Kiowa County, Kit Carson, Mineral, Phillips, Routt, Sedgwick, Washington.
Thanks to New West for the link.
In other small town news, Ed Quillen writes about the effects of fuel and climate change on small town economies going forward. He writes:
Then there's global warming. I remain somewhat skeptical on just how much humans contribute to this, but it does appear to be happening. Ski areas worry about shorter seasons, while water managers wonder how to refit a system that was designed to store most moisture in mountain snowpacks.
Such was the talk at this conference; resort communities worry about everything from food and water to having too many gazillionaires in town. But for a while, I felt encouraged. You always hear people saying, "We don't want to be like Vail or Aspen." This time around, there were other towns on the disapproval list: Telluride, Crested Butte, Breckenridge.
But nobody said, "We don't want to be like Salida," which made me feel better until I mentioned this to Paul Snyder of Westcliffe. "I hate to tell you this, Ed," he said, "but I was at a meeting a couple of weeks ago, and somebody said that if we didn't do things right, we might turn into another Salida."
Then again, that might be a matter of some comfort, since the other mountain towns that are held up as bad examples are thriving and prosperous, with people giving some serious thought to the challenges of a changing world.
"2008 pres"
8:52:29 AM
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Captain's Quarters: "People have questioned Fred Thompson's campaigning style since his formal entry into the presidential race two months ago, but few will question his courage after his latest policy pronouncement. Thompson continues his campaign of ideas by unveiling a comprehensive Social Security reform plan that relies heavily on private accounts and recalculation of benefits. As the Washington Post notes, Thompson becomes the first candidate to offer a detailed plan to rescue Social Security from oncoming collapse."
"2008 pres"
8:28:47 AM
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Bill Richardson stirred up a hornet's nest when he mentioned that a national water policy would be enacted under his administration. Here's an opinion piece about keeping the Great Lakes water in the lakes drainage and out of pipelines to the drier areas of the nation. From the article:
Anyone who wants to be elected president in 2008 should make protection of the Great Lakes a priority, governors of the lake states declared Thursday. Good idea. It's not just that the lakes contain the largest supply of fresh surface water in the world, it's that people in drier regions of the continent -- especially rapidly developing ones -- look with great longing at it. Presidential candidate Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, cast a covetous eye this way while campaigning recently in Nevada. "Wisconsin is awash in water," he said. The suggestion of a pipeline to the southwest may seem a pipedream, but it is not new.
It's only a matter of time until someone proposes seriously to siphon Great Lakes water to areas of the country where local rain and water resources supply can't sustain development that has already occurred. The Colorado River, which cut the Grand Canyon, once emptied into the Gulf of California. These days -- its water impounded and siphoned off for arid cities and agriculture in California, Nevada and Arizona -- the river doesn't reliably reach the "Sea of Cortez." Agriculture and urban California fight over water.
The current great drought in the Southeast also has politicians and business interests there licking their cracked lips about Great Lakes water. Two congressmen from Michigan made a hands-off declaration just this week. Two weeks ago, the Sunday Chicago Tribune warned at the top of Page 1: "Great Lakes key front in water wars -- Western, Southern states covet Midwest resource."
The letter from the Council of Great Lakes Governors, including Illinois' Rod Blagojevich, asks Richardson and 16 other presidential aspirants for their plans to save the lakes threatened by low water levels and increasing pollution. "The next president must share our vision of protecting the Great Lakes," said Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, chairman of the council. "We need federal partners who share our vision." Voters of the lakes states, with 35 million residents, are likely to " play a pivotal role in the 2008 presidential race," he said.
Legislatures in Illinois and Minnesota have already approved a new Great Lakes Basin Compact proposed also to include Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Among other things, the compact would attempt to restrict the use of Great Lakes water outside the drainage areas of the lakes. Actually, since 1985, diversions have been prohibited by an international agreement between the eight U.S. states and the Great Lakes provinces of Canada -- "The Great Lakes Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement."
Coyote Gulch commends Governor Richardson for starting the conversation, we just hope that the other candidates don't use it as a noose around his neck.
"2008 pres"
7:52:51 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 1:42:34 PM.
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