Let your voice be heard - Saturday, July 5 at 11:00am

Stories from Oglala Native Youth Movement Tokalas on their roles as true land owners and defenders

Cheesman Park Play area - $3.5 million expansion?

from Constance Mortell via Dave Felice

Dear Councilwoman Robb:
Cheesman Park Play area - $3.5 million expansion? or is it $1.2 million? - is this mega proposal necessary? part of the Cheesman Park Master Plan? Where is the demand? Who is behind this?

After speaking with dozens of people using and/or living around the park (only several had even a passing knowledge of your plan) I decided it was best to write to you and inquire from the source.

Since I'm in the park almost daily - race walking the perimeter at various times - I have never/ever seen a line waiting for any of the swings, or the slides or seen people unable to access the general play area because of a crowd. Quite the contrary, the children's play area seems to be the quiet and embracing part of the park for families with young children, on a scale that befits a small neighborhood park like Cheesman.

So one wonders, why would a large, very expensive expanded playground even be proposed in the first place? What is the necessity? Where is the demand? Who is precipitating this? Why disrupt something that is already working well?

Certainly, if there is a need for additional swing sets, or a larger slide or extended monkey-bars, I could understand, but how could that possibly cost in the millions? I would guess maybe $20,000? or $30,000 at most? And please don't tell me you are already paying that kind of money to study the whole scenario? This is exactly the kind of behavior that gives government a bad name - spending money on studies and then large infrastructure projects that they justify.

If there is currently so little money in the Parks Dept. budget for replacing the additional trees we continue to lose, or for additional plantings of bushes and flowers around the perimeter, or the adding of gravel to the whole (original) running trail which was not done, or possibly hiring additional staff - then why in the world are we off budgeting for an expansion of something that is currently serving a need (and doing a fine job of it) rather than taking care of what needs more care?

Truly, if you can come up with $ 3.5 million or $ 1.2 million, please, spend it on the park itself or hire more park staff, or put it toward paying for a Festival Park some where on city owned property, so we can take the pressure off all the neighborhood parks that continue to take on more and more users and the associated problems of noise/garbage/parking, etc., etc. with the constant expansion of big events and festivals in our neighborhood parks.

Expanding the children's play area, beyond the respite spot it is now, with something even approaching $1.2 million in infrastructure, is not only inviting more traffic, car parking problems, noise and garbage, but what about additional urinals and the on-going need to service them?

I do not understand this urge to always build infrastructure rather than support the natural flora for which parks were originally created - horticultural essentials are what parks are supposed to provide - a retreat from infrastructure, a tranquil place to go and lie in the grass and look up at trees and hear breezes, not the noise associated with ever larger infrastructures and there commercialized events.

Please explain the thinking behind this kind of proposal, who came up with this in the first place and who is funding it? If you remotely have these resources to fund this kind of project, then please put the money toward maintaining and supporting the current needs of this small and very well used urban oasis, hire more individuals to care for it, create native and tall grass areas around the perimeter, do something to honor the present park rather than squandering limited resources on some grand infrastructure scheme that is meant to benefit those that build it and the event planners that then want to use and commercialize it for their narrow profit gains.

Very truly yours,

Constance Mortell

Citizen Oversight Board Quarterly Public Forum

If you have concerns over the excessive use of force and militarization of the Denver police this would be the place to make them known.

Thursday, July 10, 2014 7:00-8:30 PM
True Light Baptist Church
14333 Bolling Drive, Denver, CO 80239

The Citizen Oversight Board is appointed by the Mayor to make disciplinary, use of force and policy recommendations regarding the Denver Police and Sheriff Departments.

We would like to hear your experiences and insights on how we can collaborate to ensure the Police and Sheriff Departments best serve our communities.

Panel presentation on disproportionate minority contact (DMC) in the juvenile justice system in Denver.
Public comment session follows.

Neighborhood Alert - 21st and Marion

from John Elliot on FB
Two guys, African American younger males, are knocking doors, jumping into people's yards and checking out houses along Marion from 21st through 23rd at least. Excuse is the guy wants "75 cents" or something if someone answers, but they try the door if they think no one is coming.
DESCRIPTION: 2 black males...shorter, maybe 5'6-9", short hair. One with a backpack. Other with a grey shirt. Knocked on my door twice. I answered the second. Scared off by my dog. Saw them scoping other houses without lights on. Called the cops when I saw one go into a yard while the other stood watch. Still haven't seen the cops roll by.

What will it take before the people are provoked into action?

Opinion by Gerald Trumbule

The insults perpetrated upon us by our government seem to be growing in size and frequency. Here, and around the world, governments are pounding their people in so many ways I hesitate to even start to enumerate:
1. Continuous inflation, which we are told is normal at 3% and which is actually more like 9% and much higher in many sectors (education, healthcare), and which, by the way, is unconstitutionally controlled by a cabal of bankers called the FED. Add in negative interest rates and bail-ins (confiscation of what used to be your money) and you've got yourself a teetering house of cards with our currency headed for the ash heap.
2. Continuous warfare abroad, which, to say nothing of the horror being droned down on "the enemy", is constantly adding to the underclass of used-up American warriors, physically and mentally maimed for life, requiring care which was promised and is not delivered. Now in the millions, but the money goes instead to the Military-Industrial-Security Complex.
3. Terror hysteria at home, (TSA, DHS, DEA, NSA).
4. Militarization of police departments with equipment and training promoting the population as an enemy - bringing the wars home. Add in asset forfeiture and excessive force to sweeten the deal.
5. Administration of excessive psychoactive drugs to the entire population, especially kids,
6. Perpetuation of an "education system" designed to reduce bright healthy newborns, capable of becoming geniuses with proper care and nurture, to low-level plodding workers, who can easily be denied "jobs", for which they will then clamor.
7. Enforced poverty through the denial of a living wage without cost-of-living increases, sped up by the destruction of unions.
8. Government instilled inequality of races and sexes to instill hatred among the people of "the other". 9. Cutting "benefits" which we have already earned.
10. Perpetuating torture in our name.
11. Allowing and even promoting the pervasive and continual degradation of the planet to our eventual detriment and demise. Nuclear testing has raised the "background" radiation of the entire planet. The oceans are dying, right now. The 6th extinction is upon us. Most astonishing, here in Denver, is the delivery of Lowry Landfill toxins to our parks and lakes.
12. Incarceration of citizens by government reaching astonishing levels in the U.S., highest in the world, with the destruction of families, creation of gangs and continuing denial of rights as additional spin-offs.
13 Creation of a set of rules and regulations, the size of which is unknowable, which we must obey and are subject to incarceration or fines if we transgress. Now we are even subject to secret laws and courts, and remember, "ignorance of the law is no excuse".
14. Mass evictions from homes which creates more poverty for the benefit of the banks.
15. Deregulation of business to allow more of the same.

I'm getting tired of adding to this list and I'm guessing you are too and I know you could add another 10 or 20 items yourself anyway.

The question is - How long are we going to put up with all this? And, if and when we stop putting up with it, what are we going to start doing instead? Hmmm...maybe we should give this some thought before it comes washing over us and wakes us up with a giant startle.

Here's one answer: the pitchforks.

Notes from the New Drug War by Jessica LeRoux - June 22, 2014

I cant recall a single day in 2014 where there werent at least a half dozen fresh stories about police brutality and abuse of the badge in my feed. EVERY SINGLE DAY! The problem is nationwide. The problem seems to be growing. The will to stop the police state madness is sadly lacking. POLICE ARE REGULARY SHOOTING CUFFED ARRESTEES, SHOOTING PETS, BEATING CIVILIANS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN CHARGED AS WELL AS BEATING PRISONERS, SWAT RAIDS ON INNOCENT FAMILIES, ASSET FORFEITURE WITH OUT CHARGES, POLICE DOG FALSE ALERTS 90% WHEN TESTED, STEALING DRUGS FROM EVIDENCE LOCKERS, STEALING GUNS FROM EVIDENCE LOCKERS, RAMPANT SEXUAL ABUSE OF BOTH FEMALE AND MALE PRISONERS & EMPLOYEES, DENIAL OF LIFE SAVING MEDICAL TREATMENTS FOR PRISONERS THAT END IN DEATH... ETC ETC ETC...
THEN THERE'S THE HORRIBLE STUFF THEY DO TO THEIR WIVES, GIRLFRIENDS AND KIDS WHEN OFF DUTY... AND ALL THE DRUGS THEY DO (THAT THEIR BROTHERS IN BLUE LET SLIDE MOST OF THE TIME)...
Changing cannabis laws is great, but I see that those laws are just one part of the problem. We dont need "legal" anything as much as we NEED to eliminate the current police culture and start over with a fresh slate. Institutional corruption this deep can never be repaired, and must be destroyed.
I'M DEDICATING MYSELF TO BATTLE AGAINST THE POLICE STATE.

Hillary Clinton to Sign Her New Book Hard Choices at Tattered Cover Book Store (on Colfax)

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Monday, June 23, 11:30 am
Tattered Cover Colfax Avenue,
2526 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80206, 303-322-7727

Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the US Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, and Senator. She is the author of several bestselling books, including her memoir, Living History, and her groundbreaking work on children, It Takes a Village. Secretary Clinton will sign her new book Hard Choices ($35.00 Simon & Schuster), an inside account of the crises, choices, and challenges she faced during her four years as America's 67th Secretary of State, and how those experiences drive her view of the future.

This event is a booksigning only. Free numbered tickets for a place in the signing line are available with the purchase of Hard Choices at any Tattered Cover location. Each ticket is good for one person to get one book signed. No personalizations or posed photographs.

Notes from the New Drug War by Jessica LeRoux - June 15, 2014

He [Hickenlooper] explained that his office has been in contact with a professor from Stanford, who is experimenting with water that works as an atomic signature for marijuana, allowing law enforcement to tell if it’s legal or not.
The goal, he said, is to make it possible that “if you pick up marijuana, you can tell if someone paid taxes or if it was contraband.”
^THIS FREAKS ME THE FUCK OUT. engineered nano water is not my idea of natural... furthermore it is in the costitution that citizens can grow, cook, share & transport their very own weed, are we gonna have to buy a specially taxed state mandated legal "grow water" now?

http://www.aspentimes.com/news/11808830-113/marijuana-hickenlooper-colorado-governor

Cool Jazz

CRIME ALERT -18TH and MARKET

HICKENLOOPER AND HANCOCK ARE DRUG KINGPINS: ATTY ROB CORRY

Attorney Rob Corry has outdone himself with his latest court filing. Always pushing the envelope, this time he has ripped through the entire package. Turning the tables on Hickenlooper and Hancock as drug kingpins, the COMPLAINT AND APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTIVE AND DECLARATORY RELIEF, REFUND OF ILLEGALLY-COLLECTED TAXES AND DAMAGES, AND REQUEST FOR TRIAL BY JURY states:

"Defendant John Hickenlooper is sued in his official capacity as the Governor of Colorado, the chief executive of the State. In this capacity, Governor Hickenlooper is located in the City and County of Denver, and is enriched and knowingly heads a “continuing criminal enterprise,” as defined under the U.S. Code, that receives tax monies from the illegal sale of marijuana, and launders said illegal drug proceeds through a banking institution."
"Defendant Michael Hancock is sued in his official capacity as the Mayor of Denver, Colorado, the chief executive of the City and County of Denver. In this capacity, Mayor Hancock is located in the City and County of Denver, and is enriched and knowingly heads a “continuing criminal enterprise,” as defined under the U.S. Code, that receives tax monies from the illegal sale of marijuana, and launders said illegal drug proceeds through a banking institution."

The uncertainty created by Obama's "we've got bigger fish to fry" off-hand comment followed by AG Holder's continuing and confusing statements, has left the entire country in a limbo between States rights and Federal supremacy with respect to marijuana. Further compounded by ridiculous DEA statements and raids, no one knows what constitutes reality.
It is the consensus of the people that this should change. That change should start with the removal of cannabis from Schedule 1 where it is erroneous categorized. The President has the power to do this, and needs to get it done.
And thanks to Rob Corry for throwing a gigantic monkey-wrench into the works. Well done, sir. Let the fun begin.
(To read the complaint go here, and also see here for more.)

Lawsuit claims marijuana taxes violate Fifth Amendment - Attorney accuses Governor and Mayor of "Kingpin" violations

{Denver} -- Attorney Robert J. Corry, Jr. filed a lawsuit on June 9, 2014 in Denver District Court seeking to permanently end Colorado's marijuana taxes, on the grounds that payment of the taxes violates a citizen's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, since marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Corry also accuses Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock of violating the federal "Kingpin" statute (aka, the federal law against operating a "continuing criminal enterprise") for collecting taxes and laundering money on a federally illegal substance.

The complaint was filed on behalf of an unnamed licensed medical and retail marijuana center, the "No Over Taxation" issue committee (which campaigned against Proposition AA, the marijuana tax issue approved by Colorado voters in 2013) and several individuals, including Kathleen Chippi, Larisa Bolivar, Miguel Lopez and William Chengelis.

Corry is seeking unspecified damages and a refund of all tax monies collected by the state.

Read more »

Gov Hickenlooper vetoes bill requiring legislative oversight of road deals

Under 50 private contract

On Weds June 5, Gov. John Hickenlooper vetoed SB 14-197 “Transportation Enterprise Transparency Act”. The bill sponsored by Senator Matt Jones of Louisville and Rep Mike Foote of Lafayette required legislative approval for key terms in future PPP negotiations during privatization of Colorado highways.

Help fight back against the onslaught of 50 year Colorado highway privatization contracts that create private sector windfall profits at the expense of taxpayers.

• Gov Hickelooper’s veto tells lawmakers and the public that the interests of contractors and Plenary come first. The DSI lawsuit is Colorado’s last hope to retain control of public highways.

• For the next 50 years, round trip tolling on US 36 in rush hour in the toll lane will start at $9 to $12 and rise to $28 or more, indexed with inflation. The public was illegally shut out of the decision making process.

• Did you know four new toll lanes will soon be added to I-70 in downtown Denver in a $1.1 billion dollar project overseen by Australia’s Macquarie Capital?

• For only $20 million in public financing the state could have avoided granting a 50 year blank check written by taxpayers to the US 36 toll road developer Plenary.

• HPTE is in the process of writing 8 more blank checks. Did you know that I-70 in the mountains, I-25 north to Ft Collins and C-470 wrapping around the sw of Denver are being privatized and tolled following the same blank check model? In downtown Denver, 4 new toll lanes are being added to I-70.

• CDOT makes the false claim that toll road developers will bear all the financial risk of these deals. At virtually every turn of the contract, the public will pay whenever tolls are disrupted.

• For instance, if an emergency, like flooding, closes Highway 36 for more than 12 hours in a year, all taxpayers will be required to pay uncollected tolls to Plenary. In the southern US, toll road developers force state governments to pay tolls during hurricane evacuations.

Now Colorado’s last hope to retain financial and policy control of highways is a legal challenge by Boulder’s Drive SunShine Institute (DSI) - a non-profit, clean energy organization.

The heavy lifting on the initial stages of the legal action has been done. Now we need your help to file an immediate injunction.

Laws violated include the Administrative Procedure Act, Colorado Open Record Act, and the SunShine laws.

How is privatization of Colorado highways happening without approval from the public?

Only the courts can enforce our public rights. Only with your help can Drive SunShine Institute fight for Colorado public highways.

You can make a difference. Thank you for your generous support.

Click here to give $20, $200 or $500 or other amount to fight back for Colorado public highways!
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=HVLQ52UPVVDB8
(donate via the safe and secure Paypal system. DSI is a 501(c)(3) educational organization and donations are tax deductible)

With your help the DSI injunction will:

1. stop the illegal tolling on the newly constructed portion of US 36 by Plenary and

2. prevent two person vehicles from being forced to pay tolls in the HOV lane on US 36 and I-25.

3. stop 50-year deal making by CDOT and toll road developers that hides important financial and transportation details on eight other projects from the public.

Proper public input to protect Colorado public highways must be allowed.

Enforce your rights. Click here to donate generously now.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=HVLQ52UPVVDB8

Together we can force CDOT and HPTE to respect the public interest and follow the law.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
For prompt direct updates please join Drive SunShine Institute email list by clicking this link
http://eepurl.com/WuhDj

Wagner, after heart attack and bypass surgery, fights back with a win in Appeals Court

Gerald Trumbule

I received this email from Vern Wagner's wife, Veyon, on May 9:

 Vern is doing well and will be removed from the ICU sometime today and taken down to the lower floor.  They took a couple of tubes out this morning.  He is at the Veteran's Hospital in Denver recovering from a Triple by-pass surgery on the 6th for the information to you who I have not yet contacted.
       BUT, the great news is Amanda Hunter called today, (She and Dan Zettler were Vern's criminal attorneys in the cattle abuse criminal case.)  She stated the Court of Appeals came back that Vern is not guilty of anything. So he is completely acquitted.  This came at a great time as today is his birthday.
       Love you all, take care.   Veyon Wagner 

The VA hospital is just a mile from where I live so I called and went to see Vern the next day.
He showed us the new zipper he had had installed on his chest to accommodate the triple-bypass heart surgery. He seemed in good spirits and was very pleased that the court had ruled, once again, in his favor. Now that he was completely stripped of his ranch, leases, and cattle, he had won in the courts once again.
If you are not familiar with what I call "The Saga of Vern Wagner", please search on this blog for all of the gruesome details of how Park County destroyed Wagner because his legal grazing association plan was costing them over $1 million a year.
Here's the story in the Wagner's own words:


TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Wagner during trial while he is being vilified with false testimony.

       In early 2000 I leased two properties in Park County, Colorado which were drastically misrepresented by parties claiming to own or control a total of 90,000 acres.  Upon finding out these parties only owned or controlled a small fraction of what they claimed.  I formed two separate grazing associations to provide feed for the livestock I had moved here from Meeker, Colorado; believing these parties actually controlled what they claimed. (I moved the whole family, my wife of 55 years, my son and daughter-in-law and 5 grandchildren, 3 grand sons 21-31 years old, 2 granddaughters 17-19 yrs. old.)  
       I also leased Thousand Peaks Grazing Association and later on Tomahawk and the Salt Works Ranch which totaled 130,000 acres. While most of the 8,000 land owners were happy that I could qualify them for Ag. Taxes and maintain good management of their land there was another group who resented cattle grazing.  There were also people who had simply grazing for nothing with no benefit to the land owners whatsoever and with a disregard for the welfare of the land.

Read more »

Notes from the New Drug War by Jessica LeRoux

Ed. note: The words of Jessica LeRoux are posted here without editorial interference, just as received . If you are easily offended, read with caution.

Dear Drug Pig Fucks, 

Today you should just stop doing any work, go home, and polish up your resume... You made a bad career choice and its time to start planning your next move. You arent any different than the rest of the folks working at walmart and no more entitled to a job. We are changing the laws state by state & nationwide and pulling the rug right out from under your smug bullying asses. And if you havent moved on and mended your ways by the time the last gig is up, well we might just have some retribution to hand over.

and regarding Maureen Dowd's recent experience:

The state couldn't protect Maureen Dowd, because the MED doesn't enforce their own current retail packaging rules... the CDPHE couldn't save her either, because she never even gave a cursory glance at their million dollar plus educational website... *
Media blames the industry, nobody asks where reading up on the facts came into this "journalist's" research process...
* im just glad the Hick is getting such a great return for our state with the money he is allocating for enforcement & education, it would be a real shame if there was negative publicity based on mis-steps on that front.

copy of my letter to the editor of the NYTimes:
Why isn't so called journalist Maureen Down including any information in this story about the culpability of the Colorado cannabis enforcement agency, the MED? MED retail cannabis rules have been published at their website since October 2013… research of the rules clearly state that there were problems with the packaging Ms Dowd purchased, so why are all the sins being heaped on the manufacturer if in fact neither the enforcement agency nor the seller have inspected the products being offered in CO licensed shops? We are 155 days into this process, and the state has a mere 40 or so licensed manufacturers of edibles, we have twice that many enforcement employees yet not ONE inspection of labeling has been preformed. If consumers are reliant on packaging to inform them of safe practices, it would seem negligence on the part of LEO is at least as worrisome as the lack of packaging.
Here is a link to the entire set of Rules, http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata... (please note these are just the retail rules, there is a different 120 or so pages for Medical rules)
it would be nice if you could have an NYT Intern read them and spew them back, second hand even, to some of your so called stars before they write on this topic in the future…

and I've included a screen shot of the relevant portion of the rules for edibles packaging… you will note that the only item HIGHLIGHTED in these rules is the dosage information…

So how bout a story that details the "F" the MED received in 2013 in their state audit, or more tellingly the fact that the Audit for 2014 that was mandated in 2013 to be preformed before the 2014 legislative session ended was never ever preformed. The fact is the cannabis business licensees are often more on the up and up than the enforcers, with 4 top agents leaving for million dollar cannabis consulting gigs before retirement in the past 2 years…


Jessica LeRoux,
Grant CO