by Charles Bonniwell | May 20, 2022 | Main Articles
But Is It Really?
by Charles C. Bonniwell
Who’s The Real King? The Denver Post insinuated that Glendale is the Car Theft Capital of the U.S. in order to hide the fact that Denver by almost all metrics is the title holder.
Glendale brands itself as “Rugbytown USA,” the capital of rugby in the United States. Forty years ago, a book by Jack E. and Patricia A. Fletcher about Glendale was titled “Colorado’s Cowtown.” Today, thanks to a front-page article on “How did Colorado become one of the worst states for vehicle theft?” by John Aguilar, featuring a picture of Glendale City Hall which went national on MSN, Glendale is being called the auto theft capital of America.
How did a town which has relatively few auto thefts from its residents and even fewer cars stolen by its residents become the auto theft capital of America? Easy, stats. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Colorado is the top state for per capita auto thefts with more than 500 vehicles per 100,000 residents. Glendale, in turn, has more auto thefts per resident than any other city in Colorado.
But Glendale, over the last four months through April, 2022, only had 79 auto thefts total which is not even a good night of auto thefts in metro Denver, which according to the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Taskforce (C-MATT) the Denver metro area has on average nearly 100 vehicles stolen every day.
The article does sheepishly admit that the “unenviable designation is somewhat misleading given Glendale’s daytime influx of office workers and shoppers versus its residential population of approximately 5,200.”
“Somewhat misleading?” Glendale has a massive office and retail base compared to a small population. Pre COVID-19 pandemic, over 80,000 to 100,000 people per day came to Glendale according to Glendale city officials. The car thieves come overwhelmingly from metro Denver and steal cars of residents of metro Denver. As a practical matter since Glendale has only two single family homes, a large number of its residents take public transportation or ride shares and don’t even own cars to steal.
Why then stigmatize Glendale? Denver itself is, in fact, the auto theft capital of the United States by most metrics, but The Denver Post does not want to highlight that fact. It, in fact, can’t since it depends on the City and County government for subsidies to keep it profitable. Thus, talk about Glendale and its 79 car thefts in four months and skip over the thousands in Denver over the same period of time.
“It’s nothing new,” said Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon. “The Denver Post and other media have at times, for decades, used Glendale as the punching bag to paper over any problems Denver is having.”
The mayor went on to state: “It’s not that we are unconcerned about the increase in auto thefts in Glendale and across the metro Denver area, but relatively speaking, car theft in Glendale happens far less than once per day on average. The changes in the state laws have resulted in car theft being viewed almost like jaywalking by some. Until the state rectifies what it has done, the problem will get worse. In Glendale and elsewhere if you are a person of modest means, having your car stolen means possibly losing your job, and making it hard to find a new job. I wish the State legislature and the justice system would care just a little bit more about the victims of car theft.”
Skyrocketing Thefts: Metro Denver saw a 107% spike in stolen vehicles from 2019 to last year.
Commander Mike Greenwald of C-MATT indicated that “97% of the people who have been arrested in the past three years for auto theft have multiple arrests for auto theft.” Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen told The Denver Gazette that: “We arrested one person six times for auto theft in 2021.” He pointed that Denver judges often release habitual car thieves to “personal recognizance” bonds, meaning they have to put up no funds and they just go back on the street and steal more cars.
An analysis of the “Colorado Crime Wave” by the Common Sense Institute in December of 2021, indicates that in Denver alone, personal recognizance bonds increased by 61% over the last two years and $0, $1 or $2 bonds by an incredible 1,879%.
Moreover, legal analyst Scott Robinson told 9News that “judges are reluctant to send car thieves to prison. Unless it’s fourth or fifth time unsuccessfully stealing cars.”
Glendale Police Captain Mike Gross indicates in Arapahoe County the backlog in the criminal system is so overwhelming that prosecutors will simply dismiss auto theft charges stati
Vehicle Theft Rate: Each of the 12 counties reviewed experienced an increase in their motor vehicle theft rate, although the range varied widely. While the motor vehicle theft rate only increased by 1% in Mesa County, it grew by more than 30% in six counties, including 46% in Pueblo, and 51% in Denver. Information obtained from the Common Sense Institute (commonsenseinstituteco.org)
ng they have more serious crimes to attend to.
Moreover, Captain Gross notes that Glendale, like almost every jurisdiction in metro Denver, has a “non-pursuit” policy where the police will not engage in a car chase for auto theft, so car thieves simply leave in the stolen car at top speed.
The Denver Post while acknowledging the complaints of law enforcement, gives strong support to the claims of so-called “reformers” such as Director of Advocacy for the ACLU Taylor Pendergrass, and State Representative Leslie Herod under the heading “Problem runs deeper.”
They blame the world-wide pandemic and problems that run deep in society. Herod stated that, “These things need to be addressed at their root cause.”
Mayor Dunafon laughed saying, “If we wait to address the car theft crisis in Denver and Colorado until we have solved all of the societal problems in the world as suggested by the Post we might just as well hand our cars over to the thieves. It would be so much easier and efficient.”
by Charles Bonniwell | May 20, 2022 | Editorials
June 28 is fast approaching which is primary day for both Democrats and Republicans. For Democrats it is no big deal. A few races with more progressives versus less progressives’ candidates, but very little controversy or heartburn. For the Republican Party it is the seismic clash between two wings of the party that has been going on for decades, and may spell the end of the Republican Party as a viable political force in the state, assuming it still is one.
Across the country, the establishment of the Republican Party personified by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former President George W. Bush, are battling in primaries with former President Donald Trump advocates who believe the 2020 election was stolen. While today’s battle in Republican circles in Colorado has some of the same battle lines, the war is far deeper. The Colorado Republican Party has been controlled for over 50 years, if not longer, behind the scenes by businessmen like billionaire Phil Anschutz. They have always looked down their noses at the grassroots of the party who do almost all of the volunteer hard work for the party but have little money. They view them as crude and unsophisticated but then need them to till the fields like serfs in imperial Russia. To keep them in line, the Colorado Republican establishment uses a small army of consultants to whom no amount of viciousness and corruption is too much. They are always the overseers of the Colorado Republican plantation with bull whips in hand.
Pursuant to the Republican Bylaws, as re-written by the establishment, the party chair is almost all powerful over the state party organization and thus the establishment feels it must control that position. The grassroots have successfully elected the party chair in 2015 with Steve House and 2021 with Kristi Burton Brown over establishment candidates only to find the establishment was able to turn their candidates against them. In 2017 the grassroots appeared to be on the cusp of electing State Representative Susan Beckman as chair so the establishment, in a panic, went to Washington and rushed in Republican Congressman Ken Buck to be party chair. The fight for party chair was a truly dirty one by the establishment in which the grassroots believed the overseers consultants corrupted the proxy voting process and then destroyed dirty work evidence right after the election.
The Republican Party has a hybrid nomination process. You can get on the ballot if 30% or more of the delegates to the applicable assembly vote for you. Alternatively, you can pay a signature gatherer firm to get enough Republican signatures vis a vis a petition to get on the nomination ballot. It’s costly but establishment candidates far prefer it rather than having to talk and convince lowly delegates for their votes. In their view it is so much more civilized.
In this primary season, grassroots candidates won overwhelmingly in the respective congressional and state assemblies, with establishment candidates by and large gaining access to the ballot by petition. Because of a statewide referendum supported by establishment Republicans, unaffiliated voters get both a Republican and a Democrat ballot and can vote either one but not both, and the unaffiliated voters by numbers dwarf the number of Republican voters. Establishment candidates who have all the money hope by a dent of advertising dollars to overwhelm the grassroots with non-Republican voters to win the Republican nominations. If they don’t win a contest, they will refuse to contribute to any grassroots candidates in the general election and when they lose claim they were unelectable anyway in a general election.
The grassroots have indicated they have had enough and if establishment candidates win the positions, they will not do any of the grunt work to get them elected, thereby also dooming their chances in a general election. Phil Anschutz and the establishment are willing to call what they see as a bluff by the grassroots. Thus, even though with President Joe Biden having an approval rating in the 30s in Colorado, and the Republicans having their best chance in a long time, it may not make a difference. Set forth below are the key races in the Republican primary on June 28 with the leading grassroots candidates listed first in italics and the leading establishment ones in regular font so you can see on election night who prevails if you so desire.
Governor: Greg Lopez – Heidi Ganahl
U.S. Senator: Ron Hanks – Joe O’Dae
Secretary of State: Tina Peters – Pam Anderson
U.S. Rep (C.D. 3): Lauren Boebert – Don Coram
U.S. Rep (C.D. 5): Dave Williams – Doug Lamborn
U.S. Rep (C.D. 7): Laurel Imer – Erik Aadland
U.S. Rep (C.D. 8): Lori Saine – Barb Kirkmeyer
U.S. Rep (C.D. 5): Bob Lewis – Ken Buck
— Editorial Board
by Valley Gadfly | May 20, 2022 | Valley Gadfly
Fresh and alive, June is bustin’ out all over: To paraphrase the lyrics to Rogers’ and Hammerstein’s song: “You can see it in the ground, hear it in the trees, smell it in the breeze.”
For sure a cloud of doubtin’ Thomas’s is likely again predictin’ that this year summer will never come. But it’s coming: “You can feel it in your heart. Look around! Look around.”
To lift you into the blue sky, here are our choices for shopping, dining, and entertainment, so great white clouds keep floating by to bring you joy and happiness because it’s June:
3 Start June’s magic at the Lowry Beer Garden Benefit June 9, 5 to 9 p.m. You’ll enjoy food, libations, and ice cream at the Beer Garden and adjacent Rocket Ice Cream while supporting the Lowry Foundation. Information: 303-366-0144.
3 Dance into June at Secret Garden themed Storybook Ball at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The Ronald McDonald fundraiser is June 3. Information: 720-382-7203.
3 Select produce, flowers, products, and cuisine on Saturdays at Cherry Creek Fresh Market at 1st & University, June 4-24, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information: 303-442-1837.
3 Annie Booth, Dawn Clement, and Carmen Sandim perform solo Piano Conversations at Dazzle@Baur’s June 14, 6 p.m. Information: 303-839-1500.
3 Hungry for fresh baked French-European breads, pastries, and sweets? Detour Bakery at 1479 S. Holly St. has yummiest treats in a cheery atmosphere. Popular spot also has delicious quiche and sandwiches. Information: 303-756-2020.
3 Get the home financing you need, when you need it with ChoiceLine from Bellco Credit Union. You can lock in up to three fixed-rate advances. Upshot: You can use the money as you need it. Apply on line. Information: 1-800-BELLCO-1.
3 It’s June, Denver Greek Festival time on the Greek Orthodox Cathedral campus, June 17-19. Enjoy Greek food, music, and dancing. Information: 303-388-9314.
3 The Dumm Friends League Band and the movie Happy Gilmore play Infinity Park June 24, gates open at 6 p.m. Information: infinityparkatglendale.com.
3 The former L’Chaim2Life confab returns as the Kavod on the Road Conference, June 9-10, 9 a.m. to noon. Day one is a kickoff concert with The Klez Dispensers and a resource fair at BMH-BJ on Monaco Parkway. Day two is at Temple Emanuel with keynote speaker Rabbi Laura Geller, author of Getting Good at Getting Older, speaking from 9 to 10 a.m. She is followed by a choice of three workshops from 10:15 to 11 a.m. Information:303-399-1146.
Half the year is gone, but hey, welcome June. Start by simply taking it easy and don’t rush things! As June begins to roll in you have to fall in love with summertime all over again.
A little bit of summer is what the whole year is about. Moreover, the warm days and cool nights common to the Cherry Creek Valley’s June climate are unmatched anywhere.
Everybody has something worthy to grow and celebrate, forget and forgive, rediscover, and appreciate this month. “Just because it’s June, June, June!”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Ashe in America | May 20, 2022 | Feature Story Bottom Left
ASHE IN AMERICA
In April, the NY Times published another bit of fiction, “A Crusade to Challenge the 2020 Election, Blessed by Church Leaders.” The piece highlights Colorado’s election integrity activists and offers as a premise: “Some evangelical pastors are hosting events dedicated to Trump’s election falsehoods and promoting the cause to their congregations.”
Charles Homans, an activist in disguise based on his body of work, reached out to me in April for comment on this piece. He wanted to talk about Colorado churches and the election integrity movement. After reviewing his work, I ignored his four emails.
A Unified Media, Attacking The Church And The People
The Times’ piece demonizes Colorado pastors, who’ve provided their facilities for use by grassroots activists, often for a fee. He conflates this normal business practice of churches everywhere with some sort of apostasy, even claiming, “In the 17 months since the presidential election, pastors at these churches have preached about fraudulent votes and vague claims of election meddling.” (emphasis added)
I’ve been to and spoken at many of these meetings. At no time have we made “vague claims of election meddling.” Rather, we delivered detailed analysis, forensic evidence, expert-generated and peer-reviewed reports that describe in exquisite detail exactly how the fraud is architected and executed, in Colorado and nationally.
Further, since election day in 2020, I have been writing about all this nerdy/technical/detailed evidence to make it consumable and understandable for non-technical audiences. I have been called many things, but vague would be new. I try to paint a vivid picture for my readers, and I always provide receipts. Homans should go read up at asheinamerica.com.
In early May, The Denver Post — never one to rely on original reporting — picked up the Times piece, and further explored the space. Krista Kafer wrote, “Zealous Trump supporters…hope that miraculous proof will surface to support their speculations.”
“Zealous Trump supporters” is a false premise that assumes our efforts are about Trump. Everything after use of this wording can be discarded. She revealed her bias — and so early in the piece!
Homans ascends pretense. His bias is on full display in everything he writes.
Nationally, election integrity activists expect The New York Times to slander and defame their efforts. Those of us in Colorado certainly expect the same from The Denver Post and their family of local leftist mockingbirds. These published opinions aren’t truth. They’re bought and paid for narratives, brought to you by the political establishment. They’re basically ads.
While the Times and the Post focus on attacking Colorado churches and their pastors, both outlets — and the majority of other “news” outlets — are ignoring the real story.
For Jena, Unity Means Unity Colorado’s
Three Government Branches
The passage of Griswold’s “Colorado Election Security Act” (SB22-153) transfers election oversight from the local counties to the state, with the original draft aiming to criminalize criticism of the doe-eyed Secretary.
Over in the Judiciary, Griswold neutralized the threat of Elbert County Clerk Dallas Schroeder, an honest public servant who complied with a court order to hand over the Elbert County 2020 forensic images of the Dominion machines. She now holds all the cards from Elbert County, though she continues to press for the names of those involved. No loose ends can be tolerated.
On Tuesday, May 10, a Mesa County Court Judge ruled to remove Clerk Tina Peters as the Designated Election Official for Mesa County. Peters has been repeatedly vindicated by multiple peer-reviewed reports, including three Mesa Forensic Reports, the Antrim Audit Report (December 2020), the Maricopa Audit Report and, most recently, the preliminary findings from Otero, NM.
Yet, despite overwhelming evidence that Griswold is guilty of election crimes (at best) and is engaged in a coverup, Clerk Peters is spun as the villain.
Before you blame Democrats for the “balance of powers” achieving mythological status in Colorado, remember that SB22-153 was cosponsored by Republican Senator and Massive Disappointment Kevin Priola. Priola is known for using his taxpayer funded time and resources to draft pillow-related election amendments.
The rest of the Party has been silent on the lawfare, despite the involvement of multiple duly-elected Republicans.
Kind of makes you wonder what Republicans mean by unity.
Ashe Epp is a writer and election integrity activist. Read her work at asheinamerica.com and follow her on Telegram and other socials @asheinamerica.
