by Editorial Board | Aug 23, 2024 | Editorials
Editorial —
Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer
Philip Anschutz
Governor Jared Polis
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has called another special session to address the problems with extraordinarily high property taxes caused by the elimination of the Gallagher Amendment to the State Constitution in 2020. The Gallagher Amendment was originally adopted in 1982 and froze the homeowner real property tax rate at 7.15%.
The repeal of the Gallagher Amendment was backed by chambers of commerce, business groups, and Colorado Concern, a consortium of wealthy businessmen. The repeal was passed by a 58% to 42% margin. Then came the sticker shock to homeowners.
Polis, afraid of political backlash, called a special season of the state legislature in 2023 to address the issue. But the session granted only short-term minimal relief to homeowners while robbing taxpayers of state Tabor refunds to benefit low-income taxpayers. Republicans like State Senator (and moral reprobate) Barbara Kirkmeyer celebrated that con job on homeowners along with Democrat legislators.
This is one of the times the business class is in sync with the governmental entities which have become bloated with tax revenues as a result of the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment.
Advance Colorado, a political advocacy group funded by Phil Anschutz, proposed, to control the anger of the homeowners, two ballot issues that would address the problem, but that is little more than a ruse to make sure the business and governmental classes control the process.
The governor has now called a second special session for August 26 which has been preceded by a negotiation between the different sides. With Advance Colorado on the side of homeowners and Colorado Concern on the side of businesses.
But it is really a negotiation between Phil Anschutz and Phil Anschutz. The billionaire is a prominent member of Colorado Concern and the main donor of Advance Colorado.
By the time you read this editorial the special session will be over, and you will be able to assess how screwed over the average homeowner was. Of course, it could be that that problem has been solved and homeowners having prevailed with a fair solution. It could happen even if it has almost never happened in Colorado history in similar circumstances. There is always a first time! We wait with bated breath.
— Editorial Board
by Peter Boyles | Aug 23, 2024 | Blasting with Boyles
OPINION
Peter Fonda — “Easy Rider”
The very first time I ever rode a motorcycle was when some kid brought one into the neighborhood that everyone said was stolen. It was a Harley-Davidson; I think they called them hummers; they were small little bikes. I rode it for the first time and my whole life changed.
I’ve been in love with motorcycles since I was in the first part of my teens. I have a running gag there are only two kinds of motorcyclists in the world. People admit they own a Honda, and people that lie about it. Then came me and Harley-Davidson.
Ask yourself, can you name another corporate logo that people get tattooed on their body. You ever seen anyone with Kleenex or Chevrolet tattooed on their body? I know dozens of people that have the bar and shield of Harley-Davidson tattooed on their body. That’s product loyalty. Harley-Davidson is iconic, it’s a way of life. It’s part of the strength of our country.
Last year was the 83rd Sturgis, and along with a number of my outlaw friends, we were there. And, of course, that was the great boycott of Bud Light. Bud Light as you probably know went woke. It was a Bud Light promotion conducted with an actress and Tik Tok personality, a transgender woman. Allegedly the desire was to address Bud Light’s decline and attract younger audiences. Well, shazam, not only did they not attract, they lost. I remember being on the street in Sturgis in the summer of 2023 and the Bud Light long booth bar was empty. I’ve read reports that the product is now down 10% and hasn’t been able to make a comeback. That happened in Sturgis. Knowing that no one learns anything from anything, now Harley-Davidson has gone woke.
The company’s CEO Jochen Zeitz, from Germany and former head of Puma, who took over as CEO in May of 2020, spoke about the great product of Harley-Davidson. At a speech at Zermatt Summit in Switzerland and referring to himself he said, “So I became the Taliban in a substantial way. I decided to share and create a sustainability committee I’m chairing today to change long time Harley-Davidson policies.”
Now for the uninformed, the Taliban is a condemned terrorist group that runs Afghanistan. It killed 3,000 Americans in 9/11 and injured 6,000 more, and another 2,500 U.S. service members were killed going after the Taliban in Afghanistan. In the words of my father, what the hell are you thinking?
The Taliban. How do you compare Harley-Davidson to an international terrorist organization, and believing that your principal demographic is male, veteran, pro Trump Republicans are going to jump with glee, oh boy.
The motorcycle is a huge part of my life and lifestyle, the heart and soul of the machine I love so much, that’s been so much a part of my life. Does it now rest in the caves of Tora Bora?
What did they not understand about going woke and watching Bud Light?
The CEO supports hard line policies on trans care for kids, critical race theory, diversity equity, and inclusion efforts on all levels of the company. Employees are fearful they’re going to lose their jobs after production has been moved to Thailand. There’s a revolt inside of the more than 200 Harley-Davidson dealers to oust the current CEO.
When news breaks out, we break in…. it’s just been announced that Harley-Davidson sees the light. Attempting to avoid a boycott which has its traditions in the Irish land wars where the British hired a rent collector named Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott. The Irish would “boycott” him and not pay their rents. That’s where the term comes from.
Boycotting worked for Cesar Chavez and the grapes, Anheuser Busch was not smart enough to figure out what a boycott was about, but Harley-Davidson to its credit understood the power of its own consumers and quickly withdrew its wokeness. In my reading similar things have happened to John Deere and Tractor Supply. They both went woke then pulled back. Does anyone want to guess when public education and the media will follow suit?
You can see how boycott is working. Fewer people watch mainstream news. More people are putting their kids in private schools or home schools. This is boycotting; Harley-Davidson woke up and smelled the coffee and got the hell out of politically correct Dodge.
There’s a whole lot of Harley-Davidson riders breathing a sigh of relief and patting themselves on the back with pride. The boycott that never got off the ground worked.
Live to ride, ride to live.
— Peter Boyles
by Ashe in America | Aug 23, 2024 | Feature Story Bottom Left
The much-anticipated trial of Tina Peters took place in Mesa County earlier this month. As of press time, the trial is underway. The prosecution has brought various Mesa County employees to testify about the events of May 2021, when the “Trusted Build” took place in the county, as well as about events of August 2021, when the Secretary of State descended upon then Clerk Tina Peters’ office.
While the reader will likely know the outcome of the jury trial prior to reading this, it’s still valuable to explore the context of the “The People’s” charges in this case. Like many other Colorado cases, it is a novel legal endeavor and deserves critical examination.
Tina Peters is charged with attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, identity theft, first degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failure to comply with requirements of the Secretary of State, for the actions she took in May 2021 to preserve election records and system log files of Mesa’s 2020 election.
Peters maintains that her actions were part of her official duties, while the state and local authorities claim she broke the law.
Which laws she allegedly broke is a controversial matter.
By the third day of witness examination in the trial, it became clear that the criminal charges against Peters were dubious. Witness after witness admitted that, at best, Peters violated Covid-19 policies and unwritten office standards and practices.
Both the prosecution and the defense established that Peters believed the Trusted Build would wipe election records, and that she took steps to preserve them in accordance with her sworn duties as an elected official.
Further, both the prosecution and the defense established that Peters did not trust the messaging coming out from the Secretary of State about the Trusted Build. As the duly elected official with elections oversight in Mesa County, Peters had a statutory duty to preserve election records for 22 months, federally, and 24 months in Colorado.
This intent is important, particularly because the criminality of the charges against Peters are novel.
The case against Peters comes down to two major factors: (1) Who had statutory authority over elections in Mesa County in May 2021, and (2) Did Tina Peters “steal” the identity of Gerald Wood?
This is where it gets interesting. During the 2022 legislative session, at the behest of Secretary of State Jena Griswold, the General Assembly passed the “Colorado Election Security Act,” or Senate Bill 22-153.
At the time, conservative Representative Ron Hanks said of the legislation, “Every one of my colleagues needs to admit that this piece of legislation effectively nullifies local oversight of elections. County Officials are elected, just like the Secretary of State, but this law subjugates them to her. It removes local governance and control in one of the most important areas of American government — our elections.”
The bill passed, and Secretary Griswold centralized power.
In the Trial of Tina Peters, “The People” attempted to prosecute Peters under this Act, even attempting to mention the law in front of the jury before the judge sustained objections from the Defense.
They passed a law in response to Peters’ actions, and then they tried to prosecute her under the new law. Thus, Tina Peters actions, at the time they happened, were lawful. This fact alone should dismiss all but the “identity theft” charge against Peters.
On the identify theft, Wood, testifying in exchange for immunity, claimed to be an innocent party in the plan to image election machines. But in a dramatic moment during his cross examination, Wood was confronted with messages from Signal, an encrypted messaging app, showing that he was quite cozy with Peters and her team, and ostensibly that he was aware of their plans.
If Wood was aware of the plan, then his identity wasn’t stolen. These messages certainly cast reasonable doubt on Peters’ identity theft charge.
Once again, in Colorado courts, we are left with novel legal efforts to punish the political opposition of the State’s triple political majority —– for otherwise lawful activity.
At the time I write this, the trial is underway. Regardless of how the jury comes down, the evidence is weak, and the expansive actions of state and local officials to pursue such a weak case is concerning.
If it weren’t for the political angles of this case, the matter would likely have resulted in a conversation or, at the very worst, civil penalties. Court is not the place for political disputes, and government officials should know that better than most.
May justice prevail.
Ashe in America is a writer and activist. Find all her work at linktree.com/asheinamerica.
by Valley Gadfly | Aug 23, 2024 | Valley Gadfly
September is a time of change: It’s still summer, but days are getting shorter. Fall is on the horizon. It still gets pretty warm, but the sweltering afternoons of July and August are past.
This is a month of transformation, as leaves begin to fall. A time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It’s also a time to reminisce, as we anticipate the upcoming holidays.
To get you set for the serene fall season, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment, to let the dog days of summer melt into the smooth, groovier, funk, and soul of fall:
Experience the art of autumn in the daytime, then let your mind glow at night during Bright Nights at Four Mile Park. Event ending Sept. 29th is Wed., Thurs., and Sun. 7-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Information: 720-865-0800.
For a cool twilight, catch the Colorado Symphony Brass playing pops & classical favorites at McGregor Square Sept. 4, 7 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
Don’t miss the Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Denver Food + Wine Festival at Auraria’s Tivoli Quad Sept. 4-7, various times. Information: 303-830-2972.
Swing dance festival Lindy On the Rocks has music, classes, competitions, and social dancing at the Ellie Sept. 13-15, 7 p.m. Information: reese@cmdance.org.
For a September to remember, see the stunning gold rush of Colorado Aspens on Georgetown Loop Railroad’s “Fall Colors Trains” running Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29. Located off I-70, 45 miles west of Denver. Information: 888-456-6777.
Comrade Brewing’s taproom is now serving Rocky Mountain Pizzas to go with their award-winning IPAs. Big, spacious, relaxed, and open to the outdoors, it’s the friendliness here that makes visits memorable. Information: 720-748-0700.
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Symphony play Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony at Boettcher Hall Sept. 13-15, 7:30 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. Information: 303-523-7876.
Join the Full Moon Party atop Denver’s highest open-air rooftop bar in the Le Meridian Hotel Sept. 17, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Information: 720-996-1558.
Lowry Speaker Series to hear Dr. Claire Garcia explain the democracy-historical link in the Eisenhower Chapel Sept. 18, 7 p.m. Information: 303-344-0481.
Take tours of Mile High City’s unique historical structures and contemporary builds during Doors Open Denver, Sept. 26-29. Information: 303-390-1653.
For a classy night and a great time, attend the Black & White Gala at the Tivoli Turnhalle Sept. 14, 5 to 9 p.m. Dress in your best black-and-white attire with a pop of color, for an evening of mingling and fundraising to support Rocky Mountain Family Therapy. Attendees at first gala will enjoy a silent auction, dinner, comedy, and music. An opportunity to meet new people, have a memorable time, while supporting a great cause. Information: 303-520-5798.
Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September. “Hey, hey, hey, ba-dee-ya: Do you remember, never was a cloudy day?”
A return to “normality” from summer’s craziness. September once meant harvest time to the English. Yet it’s easy for modern urbanites to lose touch with the changes of the seasons.
My Morning Jacket’s Old September Blues tunes us to the pleasures of hunkering down as weather cools. If money really did grow on trees, fall would be everyone’s favorite season.
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com
