All Things MMJ with Jessica LeRoux - Sept. 30, 2012

Hey Now,
Well there went the Summer, I hope some of you at least made a couple good days of it while keeping up with the changes and challenges of the MMJ business in these confusing times. As of this week we will be delivering to Co Springs EVERY tuesday, so get your orders in ASAP for this week's delivery... And go see the freekin colors, the Aspens in vail are boomin, Telluride is Amazing, and the drive over from T-ride to Durango is off the Hook, top prize in the state is Rico, it may be remote but it is worth the drive! Get on it before the 3-6 days of fall foliage are played out, the snow is coming, and some of it was already falling on me this weekend.

Just in from the MMED, cant imagine what they are licensing since the MMED currently has No statutory authority to issue a vendor license for any person to carry or handle meds... at this time vendors only have statutory authority to Fix equipment and property associated with a licensed MMJ business location.

Special Vendor Only Registration (By Appointment Only)
Friday, October 5, 2012, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Please call 303-205-3330 to set an appointment
Call Today - Time Limited Space if Available
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Rev-MMJ/CBON/1251592985115

BUT PLEASE DONT TAKE MY WORD ON THIS ISSUE WITH VENDORS... INSTEAD I WILL USE THE WORDS OF MS HARRIS HERSELF, TO ONCE AGAIN MAKE MY REDUNDANT POINT FOR ME.

1st off here is the link to the issue we are discussing, Thursday 9/20 Ms Harris issued a "position statement" regarding Brokering Wholesale Transactions...

Read more »

'ELEPHANT' TO BE CHAINED TO GROUND AS RINGLING BRINGS THE CRUELEST SHOW ON EARTH TO DENVER

PETA Zeroes in on Circus's Violent Treatment of Baby Elephants

                       A PETA member wearing an elephant costume will be chained and held to the ground outside the Denver Coliseum on Thursday while the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus forces animals to perform under threat of punishment inside. Other PETA supporters will hold signs that read, "This Is Baby Elephant Training." PETA's point? That a former Ringling employee turned whistleblower furnished PETA with photos that reveal how baby elephants used by Ringling are stretched out, slammed to the ground, gouged with steel-tipped bullhooks, and shocked with electric prods. These abusive sessions go on for several hours a day in order to force the baby elephants to learn to perform circus tricks out of fear of punishment. The photos—and other damning evidence of Ringling's abuse of animals—can be seen in a video narrated by actor Alec Baldwin.

                        "Denver residents would run screaming from the big top if they knew how baby elephants are violently forced to perform difficult, confusing, and sometimes painful tricks," says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. "Since children love animals, the last place that parents and grandparents should take them to is the circus."

Late last year, Ringling paid $270,000—the largest fine in circus history—for violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

                       Outside the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St. (near the intersection of 44^th Street and Arkins Court), Denver

                       Thursday, September 27, 12 noon

Denver's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon - Sept 22, 2012

Fair Food and Farmworker Justice at Chipotle Festival‏

From: Denver Fair Food Committee denverfairfood@gmail.com

 

The weather may cooling, the Campaign for Fair Food is heating up in Denver!  Momentum is growing as Denver allies and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers make plans to bring creative actions to Oct. 6 Chipotle "Cultivate Festival", calling on the chain to finally sign a Fair Food Agreement with the CIW.

Here's a few of the exciting happenings:

1. Oscar Otzoy of the CIW is in Denver through October 6 connecting with community members and animating them to get involved in the Oct. 6 actions. If you'd like to invite Oscar to make an announcement or do a workshop about the CIW's 20-year struggle for justice in the tomato fields of Florida with your community organization, faith group, union, or classroom contact DenverFairFood@gmail.com.   

2. On Saturday Sept. 15, Chipotle brought the "Cultivate Festival" to Chicago's Lincoln Park. While Chipotle celebrated inside the gated festival, the CIW and allies set up on a neighboring field to both remind Chipotle and educate festival attendees that the restaurant chain has chosen to ignore farmworkers rather than recognize and respect their vital contribution to the food system by joining the Fair Food Program. For a small hint of the exciting actions being planned for Denver,see the photo report from Chicago here. 

3. If you're interested in learning more about the Campaign for Fair Food and the actions planned for Oct. 6, one opportunity will be this Thursday at the Occupy Denver Teach-In:

The Fight for Fair Food

Thursday, September 27, 5:30-6:45pm

at Deer Pile Space above City O’ City at 206 E. 13th Ave.

see here for more information.

We hope to see you all soon!

DenverFairFood.blogspot.com

Next Meeting: Wednesday, September 26, 6pm at AFSC (901 W. 14th Ave, rm 7; first floor of Court House Square Apartments)

October Naysayer by Phil Goodstein

All Things MMJ with Jessica LeRoux - Sept. 24, 2012

I camped on Cottonwood Creek, Hiked the Colorado Trail, Hit the Hot Springs, and still made it back to Red Rocks to take my b-day Furthur thanks to some great friends! — My 39th Birthday! 

Hey Now,

Another week where I couldnt get to an internet signal on Sunday, so here we go and just like last time you will get until Noon on tuesday to get your weekly savings locked in.... But if you are in the Co Springs area you need to order ASAP so we get your order made since your delivery day is Tomorrow!  

The "colors" are at peak intensity so go check out a rural MMC and make a new friend... I can honestly say there were more cars on Kenosha pass last Saturday than every other time I pass that way all year added together, so think about making a weekday trip if you can! And Please if you go cruising real slow, make it up to the locals by supporting a locally owned small business instead of a chain restaurant or store! 

Thank Goodness its a slow news week, and we can get to the sweet savings all the sooner! 

As I predicted the latest letters are on again (not to my knowledge in Colorado), and the 45 days will hit right on election day for maximum media coverage... not sure who this helps, but I am sure that our current two party forprofit system is broken...  

Amendment 64: Who's Bankrolling What?kunc.orgColorado’s ballot initiative to legalize marijuana possession is billed by one leading local advocate as “a grassroots effort here on the ground,” but an

Image Sensing Systems Introduces the CitySync Automated License Plate Recognition Solutionwww.nasdaq.comNASDAQ News: Image Sensing Systems Introduces the CitySync Automated License Plate Recognition Solution

Illinois Cops Give Family Ten Minutes Between Delivery of Mysterious Marijuana Package and No-Knock.reason.comAccording to the Lake County News-Sun, last Friday a family in the village of Beach Park, Illinois was given a ten minute window between the postal delivery

Two hunters stumble onto a pot farm

New Hampshire Jury Nullifies Felony Marijuana Casewww.opposingviews.comDoug Darrell, 59, was facing felony drug charges for growing marijuana plants behind his house in Barnstead, New Hampshire, but the charges were dropped after some jurors in his trial successfully convinced other jurors to nullify the case on the grounds that Darrell was obeying the customs of his r...

Study looks at driving under influence of potwww.ajc.comMarijuana use, despite the legal implications, has been common in America for generations, and it's becoming even more widespread as some communities legalize it for medical purposes.

just a general poll, my Med card expires in 7 weeks, which Doctors are the most trustworthy, and what kind of turn around times are we seeing on average? What are we spending on these appts?

and now Sweet Ass savings! save money by ordering on time!

Really Truly Final Week for Key Lime, I thought for Sure we would use up the final few Key Limes last week but there are a dozen or so left so lets use em up and stock up anybody who desires these 85mg gluten free awesome tasting edibles. $5 wholesale. 

Toffee Iced Coffee Cheesecakes... This week marks the end of September, and so the end of these gluten free 125 Mg medallion core bad boys too, Order by noon on Tuesday and get $0.25 off every Toffee Iced Coffee cake you order! 

New Freekin 115Mg Product... MAS Y MAS... finally a spicy latin themed chocolate offering with a name to offer long overdue tribute to LA rockers Los Lobos!!! a partner for the strong selling Triple Crowns so now there will be two pink label chocolates! Mas Y Mas is a layer of dark chocolate, a layer of chipolte pepper infused milk chocolate with sweet dried cherries, more dark chocolate, and roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Eiii es caliente! The Capsicum from the chipolte pepper is a natural pain reliever and they're Gluten Free too!  Wholesale is $6.50 but if you order by Noon on Tuesday you can have $0.25 off all your Mas Y Mas spiced chocolates... 

Apple Crisps! can we get a Hells-a-yeah! for this product? Cause we are getting some very good feedback on this one to our website! Organic CO grown apples, Vegan, Gluten Free, low sugar, and so fucking tasty you might hurt yourself if you dont use self control and stop before you eat the whole thing! 275 real Mg THC wholesaling for just $9.00 each... order by noon on tuesday to save 5 % or $0.45 on each apple crisp you order!

All Kinship Bars are 5% off this week if ordered by noon on Tuesday! 

All Balsamic Nuts are 5% off this week too! 

This week order any combo of stuff that comes to $175 and we will send your shop one size Large t-shirt or one size XL t-shirt, or one size XXL t-shirt (the only sizes we have left!!!) as a thank you!  these are the sweet long sleeved shirts! 

Thanks for reading all this once again! WE really do value your support!

Jessica LeRoux

Twirling Hippy Confections, LLC

2145 W Evans Denver CO

303 922 3661 

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon today, Sat., 9-22-12

The organizers of this event do the best job of informing the neighborhoods what will be happening. I received this taped to my door yesterday.

This goes right by my front door so it's hard to ignore. Maybe I'll try some live streaming from my front porch.

Breaking news on proposed Walmart at 9th and Colorado

COUNCILWOMEN SUSMAN AND ROBB OPPOSE TIF FOR CURRENT 9TH AND COLORADO DEVELOPMENT

September 21, 2012                                                  

(DENVER)  Councilwoman Mary Beth Susman and Councilwoman Jeanne Robb announced today that they will not support tax increment financing for the redevelopment as currently proposed at 9th and Colorado by Fuqua Development. The Councilwomen’s joint statement follows:

“We respect the hard work of the Colorado Boulevard Health Care District (CBHCD), the City’s Department of Community Planning & Development (CPD), the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA), and the developer to facilitate the redevelopment of this key site.  We also want to thank our constituents for all the ideas and input.                  

Plans for redevelopment of the former Health Sciences Center site owned by the University of Colorado (CU) have been in progress since 2003. In that time, different developers offered site plans that evolved with the developer and the economy.  The initial balanced, mixed-use project became more retail-oriented through the years. The proposed insertion of Wal-Mart as anchor tenant created a tipping point for new scrutiny of the project that needs a greater mix of uses if it is to generate increases in retail sales for the area.   We are concerned that the project as proposed is more likely to draw from other retail in the area, thus not producing a true tax increment.

Our constituents have made their concerns about the current proposal known, and we respect their views. 

We intend to continue working with our communities, CU, this developer or a future developer, the CBHCD, and the City administration to find a viable alternative.”

The Fix is In

Have you ever attended a public meeting calling for "citizen input" on an issue to be decided by a government committee? Did you get the feeling that the issue was already decided and that the meeting was just for show? You might want to read this study by Stephen M. Griffin, MAC, PhD.

As “experts” the Denver Parks and Recreation Department excluded, ignored, or marginalized any of the public’s input that did not conform to their view of the best practices in dog park planning. The External Stakeholders Committee members did not feel the meetings were led in a way that allowed them to have meaningful input on the elements of the Plan. The Department’s public meetings were poster sessions, where the primary focus was allowing citizens to ask questions, and the collection of public input on the draft plan was secondary. The meeting conducted by the City Park Alliance was more a debate protest than a planning session. The result was the public had no meaningful influence on the decisions reached in the process.

Read the entire summary here.

The Legacy of Michael Bennet, our Senator

The Denver school system, for instance, got clobbered when it opted for an exotic swap deal pushed by J.P. Morgan Chase (the same villain in Jefferson County, incidentally) and then-school superintendent/future U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, that ended up costing the school system tens of millions of dollars. As was the case in Jefferson County, the only way out of the deal involved a massive termination fee that might have been even more destructive than the deal itself.

Read entire Rolling Stone article here.

Gov. Hickenlooper Longmont visit draws oil, gas protesters

From the Longmont TimesCall

Aurora Schools Tax Hike - Because they are entitled

September 20, 2012

(Aurora) - Just four years after Aurora voters generously approved two tax and bond measures (3A & 3B), the Aurora Public School (APS) district is back, asking for yet more of your hard earned money, with measure 3C. 

Measure 3A from 2008 increased property taxes by $14.7 million annually, for the following purposes: 

Institute programs to decrease the dropout rate (then and now)
Recruit teachers and staff
Expand full day kindergarten
Update instructional technology 

Measure 3B from 2008 authorized additional debt to the tune of $215 million, with a repayment cost not to exceed $475 million. This bond measure, funded by a property tax, provided for a laundry list of school construction, repair and technology projects. 

With the new measure 3C, APS wants an additional $15 million. Exhibit A 

Each year, every APS student is directly provided $8,151.00 in funding from the state, local, federal and other sources. Arapahoe-Adams Funds In 2011, if you include school bonds, federal and other grants, the total funding per student is $10,038.00 

The current average total property tax mill levy for APS 28J, which includes the general fund and bond payments, totals 53.919 mills. If this measure passes the new average mill levy will be 62.859 mills.This new tax, dedicated to APS 28J schools, would increase your dedicated school property tax by over 16%. 

Currently the majority of all property tax that you pay, goes to the Aurora Public School district 28J.In fact, on average, 66% of your entire property tax bill goes to Aurora Public Schools.

With the ongoing economic recession, state funding for school districts has decreased slightly over the past several years. APS is loath to have to operate on slightly less funds and is going back to the local taxpayers for more money. APS believes that they should not have to give up any of the funding to which they have become accustomed. APS believes they are entitled. 

This tax is permanent.

• Voters have an opportunity to say NO
• Voters can tell APS to STOP asking for more
• Voters can tell APS to live with their existing budgets, like Aurora residents do
• Voters can tell APS to consider decreasing their own compensation, like many Aurora taxpayers have been forced to do over the past several years.

Tell this local government entity that enough is enough. Vote NO on measure 3C. 

The “bad for children” argument against legalizing marijuana

from Letters to the Denver Post Editor re: “Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper opposes marijuana-legalization measure,” Sept. 13 news story.

Several Colorado townships, University of Colorado brass, and now Gov. John Hickenlooper have recently come out against Amendment 64, stating that it “would be bad for kids.” There are many freedoms adults often enjoy that are illegal for kids, including gambling, drinking, smoking, investing, driving, getting piercings and tattoos, getting married, staying out all night, going to many concerts, working a double shift, etc. Granted, many of these freedoms could be considered bad for adults, too, but the “bad for kids” trope is nothing more than a cudgel designed to stifle honest debate. An unregulated black market is most assuredly more harmful to kids than a regulated honest market, and Colorado enjoys many economic advantages from the tax revenue these freedoms bring when adults enjoy them responsibly. And rest assured, adults most certainly do enjoy them.

Intelligent, evidence-based arguments against passing Amendment 64 are hard to find, so these folks fall back to the emotionally charged, false argument that it’s “bad for kids.”

Patrick Cappa, Fort Collins

Ballot Issues Forum September 24

All registered neighborhood organizations are encouraged to invite all of their, members to attend this forum about several important ballot issues for the November 6 election.

 

Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, the League of Women Voters of Denver and Denver 8 TV will present a ballot issues forum on Monday September 24 at Montview Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall), 1980 Dahlia Street. Snacks will be available at 5:30pm and the program will begin at 6:00.

 

The first hour of the forum will present pro and con speakers about:

•      Denver Ballot Issue 2A – will allow the city to retain $68 million in taxes that would otherwise need to be refunded under the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights and apply the funds to add new police recruits, replace many city vehicles and restore public library hours.

•      Denver Ballot Issues 3A and 3B - the Denver Public Schools $466 million bond issue and $49 million mill levy proposals.

 

Denver 8 TV will videotape the discussion and televise it several times before the election.

 

Following a short intermission, League members will present the pros and cons of the state ballot measure to legalize a small amount of marijuana, a proposed federal constitutional amendment to limit campaign contributions and changes to the state personnel system.

 

This forum is free and open to the public. For further information, contact the League of Women Voters at 303-321-7571, send an email to info@LWVDenver.org , or visit the web site at www.LWVDenver.org .

Urban Drool

from Tom Anthony

Folks,
at the "Heron Pond" meeting last Wednesday we heard the city civil engineering staff use the term "urban drool" to describe the storm water detention they wanted to place into the American Smelting and Refining slag heap.  The lead engineer scoffed at the idea of anyone going fishing in the city unless they intended to throw it back (or throw it up.)


Urban Drool

Denverites might be surprised to know their Greenway system is fueled by none other than what civil engineers call “Urban Drool.”  This is storm drain runoff which we pretend is a river.

The Platte River has no dedicated flow through Denver, so it's officially nothing but an irrigation ditch.  The fact that it carries treated sewage, windshield washer, ice melt and sand, waste oil and household trivia, not to mention unmentionables from Lowry Landfill, the Federal Center and (thankfully downstream) the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, not to mention Rocky Flats, the Argo Mine, the Argo Smelter (did I mention a few other unmentionables?) should be no surprise to the hippies of the '70's (remember those cool coffee tables?  I didn't think so.)

However, it's a bit close to home when the city engineers tell you they want to put a permanent “urban drool” site into your neighborhood, on top of a bunch of smelter waste.  It makes you realize just how acclimated we've all become to being dumped on.

In Globeville many organizations have made what appears to be a permanent cash flow out of community degradation.  Apparently the “powers that be” figure everyone else will feel guilty about how downtrodden the north neighborhoods are, and therefore every non profit in the city has us on the “shill” radar for guilt money.  How enlightening is it to realize the entire city is essentially being spat upon by the suburbs (otherwise, how do you explain the official term “urban drool?”)

Going a step further, it means the folks in Castle Pines are correct:  they are giving their children a better opportunity than what we in urban metro can.  Consequently, when they conspire to get the taxpayers to make Chatfield Dam into a water storage facility for new suburban sprawl rather than an urban flood control project, and do so without any dedicated source of water while having the rest of us pay for the “hoped for” storage, they're actually simply being good parents.

As to folks living in Globeville, we're obviously lower down in the evolutionary process.  After all, who would let their children frolic around a bunch of drool?

All Things MMJ with Jessica LeRoux - Sept. 17, 2012

Hey Now, 

Long week  out driving on the road, including a trip to a distant Veterinarian after hours (read this as "please order copiously"!) Panama's busted tail is OK now but the bills are untimely.)  but now after being home for just under 9 hours and passing out on the couch for a while, Im back to write y'all a semi-belated letter, not that there is a deadline on doing this since I just do it to share info with y'all... Since I am techincally late you have till Tuesday (hush hush) at noon to get your weekly sales deals locked in... but we do have our fair share of news this week so get your reading glasses out! 

Y'all may be aware that today is the final deadline day for the most recent 10 recipients of the "letters" to close their doors. Wishing solidarity and safe passage to a new location ASAP for all those effected. Brace yourselves for one more round of letters "for the election".... 

Big BS in the so called peoples republic of Boulder these days.... 

Isnt making the fees ungodly expensive for the handful of businesses allowed to survive an unfair burden, after all the City could have worked WITH the businesses instead of wholesale throwing quite a few babies out with the bathwater, hardly the fault of the good eggs is it? http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_21498370/boulders-medical-marijuana-industry-thins-face-strict-city?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

and while they're at it why not shop at the Denver dept of free speech violations?  

Boulder council moves to regulate medical marijuana advertising - Boulder Daily Camerawww.dailycamera.comThe Boulder City Council put medical marijuana businesses on notice Tuesday night as it approved the first reading of new rules that would prohibit advertising aimed at recreational users of the drug.

for that matter Who cares about democracy? Who cares about safety? Who wants to go to Winefest?  

CU regents vote to oppose marijuana legalization under Amendment 64 - Boulder Daily Camerawww.dailycamera.com“We are expressing to parents and future students that we oppose Amendment No. 64 because it's against state laws and federal laws and we're law abiding regents,” Bishop said.

Read more »

"We are unstoppable, another world is possible"

Occupy Wall Street on the street with live streamer Tim Pool at this hour: 7:44am Denver time.


Streaming live video by Ustream

Live Stream from NYC

5:25pm Denver time - NYCPD "White Shirts" picking people out of peaceful march for arrest. Occupy Eye

Denver City Councilwoman Faatz does a survey of her constituents (District 2)

Benefit for the Whiteclay Legal Support Fund

Public Event · By Deep Green Resistance Colorado

Sponsored

Friday, September 21, 2012

• • 7:30pm

• Friends Meeting House 1825 Upland Ave, Boulder CO

• Deep Green Resistance and the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center are hosting a benefit concert on Friday, September 21st at the Friends’ Meeting House at 6pm. The Earth Guardians and Common Good will be contributing musical performances, and Oak Chezar will be doing a standup comedy act at the event to raise money for the legal defense of five activists who were arrested at a protest near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation last month. On August 26th, Lakota women from the Pine Ridge Reservation and their  families participated in the Women's March for Peace. They and their allies marched from Pine Ridge to the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska. The town of Whiteclay lies less than 300 feet from the border of the Pine Ridge Reservation, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited. Whiteclay has a population of 14, yet 4 liquor stores in the town sell 12,500 cans of beer each day. It has been documented that the stores sell to bootleggers, intoxicated people, minors, and trade beer for sexual favors. The impact of alcohol distribution is felt by women and children on the reservation in particular, with rates of sexual assault and domestic violence double the national average. The event on the 26th was also attended by members of several indigenous and non-indigenous ally organizations, including Deep Green Resistance, Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center, AIM Grassroots, Native Youth Movement, Occupy Lincoln, Un-Occupy Albuquerque, and Nebraskans for Peace. After speeches were given by Lakota leaders upon arriving in Whiteclay, five non-indigenous members of Deep Green Resistance locked their arms together using lockboxes made of PVC pipe. They managed to block the road for seven hours, and caused the predatory liquor business of Whiteclay to lose over five thousand dollars. Within the context of more than 500 years of genocide at the hands of European Invaders, Whiteclay is more than a criminal operation: it is a tool of genocide. One hundred and fifty years ago, it was smallpox infested blankets. Today, it is Whiteclay, Nebraska. Police at the march arrested a fourteen year old for self defense, maced a ten year old and several other bystanders, and carted the five protesters to jail while still locked together with the illegal and dangerous use of a manure-encrusted livestock trailer. The five are collectively facing up to six thousand dollars in fines and legal fees. Any size donation is helpful, and every cent goes toward paying the protesters fines and legal fees. They need your help in order to fight the ongoing genocide that Whiteclay is helping to perpetrate, and they are committed to standing with the Lakota until the last of Whiteclay's bars closes its doors forever.

Tell Gov Hickenlooper not to sue Longmont for protecting its citizens!‏

(from Micah Parkin - 350 Colorado

) 

Friends,

Recently, the city of Longmont passed some commonsense regulations to protect its citizens from rapidly expanding natural gas fracking in Colorado.

Fracking is a threat to our communities and our climate—but Governor Hickenlooper is taking the unprecedented step of suing the city of Longmont, claiming that local governments shouldn't be allowed to regulate or ban the dangerous practice.

Tell Governor Hickenlooper: Let Longmont ban fracking!

Then please join us at the following events to stand up for Longmont and local communities throughout the state:

Deliver declaration against fracking and invitation to Governor Hickenlooper

WHEN: Wednesday, Septemer 19, 11:00 AM
WHERE: Governor Hickenlooper’s office, 200 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO

Activists will deliver the “Declaration of Solidarity Against Fracking” signed by more than 4,000 Coloradans, along with an invitation for the Governor to join the “Rally ‘Round Longmont” on Sept 22. We're inviting Hickenlooper to explain why he is suing the citizens of Longmont  and allowing the gas industry to frack next to their homes and schools.

Rally ‘Round Longmont

WHEN: Saturday, September 22, from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
WHERE: Location: Rogers Grove, 220 Hover Road, Longmont, CO

Hundreds of Longmont residents and concerned Coloradans will gather and speak out for local control and against fracking. We'll have music, family activities, and solidarity. No word yet on whether Governor Hickenlooper will attend!

It's up to us to stand up for our communities. Don't let the Governor stand in our way, and don't let him get away with suing the city of Longmont.

Onward,

Micah

Want to stay in touch locally? Connect with 350 Colorado on the web, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

2012 Ballot Issues

Monday, September 24, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
Montview Pres Church, Fellowship Hall 1980 Dahlia St

This year the League will be partnering with Denver 8 and Inter-neighborhood Cooperation (INC) in presenting the Denver and state ballot issues.

Denver 8 will begin taping the program at 6:00 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be available prior to the taping. The two Denver issues are Denver Schools and Tabor Limitations. Each issue will be given 30 minutes with pro/con speakers discussing the positions. A professional moderator will guide the discussions. League members will then present the pro/cons of the state issues.

This is the perfect opportunity to see what League has to offer. If you have questions, please contact our office at: 303-321-7571, or by email at: info@lwvdenver.org. We encourage one and all to get involved!

Editorial: Why Denver Citizens Groups Always Seem To Lose These Days And Who Are Denver’s Real Heroes?

from Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, September 2012

     In many large cities across the United States like New York and Chicago, the residents have largely come to expect that the political game is rigged and that the entrenched powers will almost always win, hence the maxim: “You Can’t Beat City Hall.” One of the nice things about Denver is that the citizens traditionally have not believed that they are helpless against City Hall and through the dozens of neighborhood groups they have formed they believe they can exercise power for the betterment of their city.

     That innate optimism about the nature of city government has been sorely tested in recent years. Citizens have tried to fight back against the corrupt deal that transformed Lowry Vista from open space to a highly-dense, mixed-use development; against a modified running trail through Washington Park forced on them by Denver Parks and Recreation; against a photo radar program that is run by a private firm that is little more than a cash cow for the city; against closing the only park in Cherry Creek North, Fillmore Plaza, and turning into a street at the behest of two developers; against large apartment houses being fostered on a single family home area of Highlands by a developer; against a Civil Service Commission which is unable to discipline the most brutal and dishonest police officers even when their illegal acts are caught on tape; and most recently against massive tax subsidies for Walmart in a residential area at 9th and Colorado.

     These are just a few of the highly unpopular acts either approved or initiated by the City and County of Denver against the wishes of an overwhelming number of the affected citizens. The citizens fought as hard and as long as they could only to fail. Why?

Continue reading...

     

Farmworkers protest Denver Chipotle festival

Adapted from background provided by Denver Fair Food Committee

By Dave Felice

No ‘chipocrisy’ in our ‘hood!

     Denver-based Chipotle still refuses to sign a Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW).  The Coalition says the agreement would uphold human rights standards, fair wages and a voice for farmworkers who pick Chipotle's tomatoes:  “Without signing a Fair Food Agreement, there is no transparency, worker participation, or, most of all, no binding commitment to farmworker rights by Chipotle.”

     Members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers are coming to Denver from the coalition base in Florida to educate the community about their struggle and encourage people to get involved. 

Food “celebration” targeted

     On Saturday October 6th, Chipotle Mexican Grill will hold its “Cultivate Festival” in City Park.  The day-long festival – “bringing together food, farmers, chefs, artisans, thought leaders, and musicians” – is described as a celebration of Chipotle's self-proclaimed commitment to “food with integrity.”  

     The Cultivate festivals are part of a marketing effort by Chipotle to distance itself from the image of a traditional fast-food company and to appeal to the country’s growing “good food” movement.

     According to the Denver Fair Food Committee, Chipotle's behavior is contrary to the company’s claim to be the fast-food leader in social accountability.  The Denver restaurant chain has for many years now refused to sign a Fair Food Agreement, an agreement four other leading fast-food companies signed long ago.

     CIW's Fair Food Program is said to be the only social accountability program that combines worker-to-worker education, a complaint mechanism with protection against retaliation, and a third-party monitoring organization that investigates and resolves complaints.  In addition, the Fair Food Agreement requires regular field and farm office audits to measure compliance with the Fair Food Code of Conduct.

     The Coalition of Immokalee Workers credits the growing Fair Food Program with “transforming conditions and wages in the fields which for so long fostered poverty and human rights abuses for farmworkers.”

Market forces prevail

     According to CIW, the Fair Food Program is enforced through market consequences if a farm fails to comply with the Code.  The market consequences are required by the Fair Food Agreements signed by participating retail food corporations, in which the companies agree to curtail purchases from growers unwilling to comply with the Code.

     CIW says Chipotle's refusal to sign an agreement means “it is under no obligation, much less verifiable obligation, to stop buying tomatoes from growers where workers' rights are being violated.  Chipotle insists that it only purchases tomatoes from growers complying with Fair Food Standards, but such claims, lacking the transparency, monitoring and binding commitment of a Fair Food Agreement, amount to little more than a cynical attempt to white wash its image.”

    

Farmworkers seek commitment

     On October 6, the CIW and allies plan to be present at the Cultivate Festival in Denver to show Chipotle that promoting itself as sustainable is not enough; the company must include workers' rights, and workers themselves, in its vision of a food system that claims to be based on integrity.  CIW declares “we will not settle for public relations games and half measures when it comes to human rights.”

Contact DenverFairFood@gmail.com for more information

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