GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

December 25, 2008

From the Left: Blagojevich saga continues

The Illinois state legislature officially launched an impeachment inquiry into the shenanigans of Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich this week. Several weeks of hearings into Blagojevich’s pay-to-play schemes and other questionable acts are set to take place, perhaps leading to a full scale impeachment trial that may remove him from office. It is not, however, an open-and-shut case, which may explain why Blagojevich has no intention of stepping down quietly from his post. In fact, he has been reporting for duty as if nothing has changed, even signing into law a bill involving the same casino and horse-racing industries that he allegedly used to squeeze campaign contributions in exchange for his signature.

It turns out that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was not able to catch the sale of Obama’s Senate seat on tape, which would have greatly solidified his case. He was rushed into arresting Blagojevich because the Chicago Tribune was no longer interested in holding onto the story without publishing it. Great moments in American journalism, indeed.

Whether Blagojevich walks or pays the price for his corruption remains to be seen, but right now, all eyes are on Obama’s Senate seat. Illinois Democrats want Blagojevich out the door, but they are not interested in stripping him of his power to appoint Obama’s replacement. Still, Blagojevich’s lawyer says the governor will not make an appointment. Such a move would likely lead to a special election for the Senate seat that a Republican could win if the voters make Chicago’s crooked Democrat Party pay for playing. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed that the nation’s senators will not welcome a Blagojevich appointment to Washington. But if that appointment came from Illinois’s Democrat Lt. Governor? Well, that’s a different story.

Meanwhile, Team Obama has officially cleared itself of any wrongdoing in the scandal by releasing the following statement: “At the direction of the president-elect, a review of transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. senator.” Let’s move on folks, nothing to see here.

Ponzi scheme benefits Democrats

Speaking of corruption, Bernard Madoff, founder of Manhattan-based Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, was arrested and charged with securities fraud this week in what may be history’s largest Ponzi scheme. Investors in Madoff’s hedge funds may have lost anywhere from $17 billion to $50 billion. Investment details aside, Madoff was a major player in Washington politics — for the Democrats. Since 1993, the Madoff clan has donated more than $380,000 to individual politicians and political action committees, including $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In particular, DSCC head Sen. Chuck Schumer (the other senator from New York) received money from Madoff — $39,000 for his 1998 and 2004 races. One will search in vain for such details in Leftmedia stories about Madoff, however. Apparently, it isn’t worth a mention.

Hope ‘n’ Change: Obama’s education secretary

At first glance, Arne Duncan, Chicago’s top public school official, appeared to be a safe pick as Obama’s education secretary. Naturally, however, Duncan’s record doesn’t seem to merit his elevation. In America’s third-largest school district, Duncan did manage to improve graduation rates, but other statistics are disturbing, such as the fact that only 17 percent of eighth graders can read at grade level, and only 25 percent of all Chicago students scored above the national average in math. Duncan was also instrumental in the proposal of a homosexual high school in Chicago. Furthermore, Duncan is tied to the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Bill Ayers’ brainchild for radicalizing, rather than educating, Chicago’s youth. Now Bill Ayers can influence all publicly educated American children. Finally, we find it curious that Obama thinks Duncan is worthy to be education secretary for his work in Chicago, even while the Obamas didn’t dare put their children into the public school system Duncan oversees.

In other Obama news, the president-elect has asked Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration on 20 January, a move that has created more anger on the Angry Left, if such a thing is possible. Obamaphiles are upset mainly because Warren led conservative support for California’s Proposition 8, which sought to re-ban same-sex marriage. Kevin Naff, editor of the homosexual rag the Washington Blade, called the choice a “slap in the faces” of homosexual voters. “We have just endured eight years of endless assaults on our dignity and equality from a president beholden to bigoted conservative Christians. The election was supposed to have ended that era. It appears otherwise.” On the other hand, we’re not convinced Obama has truly seen the light.

Clinton reveals donors

Bill Clinton released the list of 205,000 donors to the Clinton Foundation Thursday as part of the deal with Barack Obama for Hillary Clinton’s spot in the cabinet as secretary of state. The donors include members of the Saudi royal family and other Middle Eastern leaders, and total foreign donations total more than $140 million. Though Clinton released donation amounts only in ranges and not exact amounts, we now know that Saudi Arabia gave at least $10 million and the ruling Zayed family of the United Arab Emirates donated between $1 million and $5 million. The governments of Oman, Qatar and Kuwait gave more than $1 million each, as did those of Australia, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Brunei and Taiwan. To put it mildly, considering U.S. interests around the world and in the Middle East in particular, these donations create an interesting dilemma for Hillary. The Clintons’ practices, which show how small time Gov. Blagojevich really was, should also provide some fodder for Republican senators interested in challenging her nomination.

News from the Swamp: Federal deficit skyrockets

Federal spending grew 25 percent in 2008 according to a joint White House-Treasury Department report released this week. Taxpayers will end up more than $1 trillion in the hole thanks to this steep rise, which is accounted for mostly by significant growth in veterans’ benefits and tax revenues that have remained static due to a yearlong recession. The scary part is that this trillion-dollar red mark comes before Uncle Sam’s bailout escapades are taken into account. President-elect Obama’s plan for another stimulus package early next year will only increase the federal deficit, which went from $162.8 billion in fiscal 2008 to $454.8 billion just one year later. But never fear, members of Congress are set to receive a pay raise of $4,700 a year beginning in January.

This “damn-the-torpedoes” strategy of not worrying about the deficit during times of economic strain will one day sink the American economy. This year, the federal government will spend $450 billion on just the interest on the national debt. That interest payment ranks fourth in total government outlays, behind Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense. In 30 years, the government’s current tax revenue will cover only half of what it owes. We’re soon going to be looking for change, all right.

GOP House cleaning

After their devastating defeat in the November elections, Republicans are cleaning House in an attempt to reinvent the party and regain voter confidence. For starters, they have followed the scent of pork to the state of Alaska, where Rep. Don Young is the latest casualty in a purge that took down former Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski in 2006 and, more recently, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens. But unlike Murkowski, who was given the heave-ho by voters in favor of Sarah Palin, and Stevens, who was found guilty of accepting improper gifts, Young is being booted by Republican leadership in an effort to avoid another full-blown scandal.

Already associated with the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere,” Young is now rumored to be under criminal investigation for allegedly earmarking funds for a Florida freeway interchange (yes, 5,000 miles from home) that would have enriched a friend. At the time, Young was serving as chairman of the Transportation Committee.

Young’s descent began with his recent removal from the Republican Steering Committee, and his effective exclusion thereafter from party decision-making in Alaska, from having a role in setting the GOP agenda; it continued last week, when House Republican leader John Boehner informed Young that he will no longer be the Republican top dog of the Natural Resources Committee. Young has held a seat on the committee for many years, and served as its chair in the 1990s.

Still, Young will retain his office, his seniority, and his committee memberships, including the Natural Resources Committee. He continues to deny any wrongdoing and has expressed his confidence that he will be vindicated and will regain his post.

Vol. 08 No. 51
19 December 2008

Patriot Post

Posted in Economics, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Law, Local Politics Colorado, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Colorado DOW adds new easement

December 25, 2008

The Colorado Division of Wildlife secured one really great present for everyone a few days ago. I cannot think of anything that has been acquired on a scale like this since the acquisition of the Forrest of the Bear, Bosque del Oso SWA.

NEW DOW EASEMENT PROVIDES HUNTER, ANGLER ACCESS


GUNNISON – Hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers will soon have access to an additional 4,800 acres of terrain in Saguache County in south central Colorado thanks to a new conservation easement. The easement, which includes public access, was purchased by the Colorado Division of Wildlife with money from the Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp program and in cooperation with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO).

Combined with a previous easement at this site, the public will have access to 7,100 acres, including 8 miles of cold-water stream that provides excellent fishing.

After two years of negotiations, the DOW closed Dec. 18 on the deal which will provide permanent protection from development for significant big game winter range habitat, Gunnison Sage-grouse habitat, more than 4 miles of cold-water stream and riparian habitat along Cochetopa Creek, and public access. The land is located about 35 miles south of Gunnison, with easy access from Colorado Highway 114.

“This is a tremendous addition to the conservation of overall wildlife resources for the people of Colorado,” said J Wenum, area wildlife manager for the DOW in Gunnison. “This property provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, and includes a great trout stream and riparian areas. The easement also provides public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.”

On three sides, the property adjoins BLM and U.S. Forest Service lands, and the Dome Lakes State Wildlife Area. The proximity guarantees that migration corridors for wildlife will remain in perpetuity. The newly acquired property also adjoins the existing Cochetopa State Wildlife area, a pre-existing easement that totals 2,300 acres and includes 4 miles of cold-water stream. The two easements are now combined and total 7,100 acres and 8 miles of stream. The original easement, set up in the 1970s on what was the Coleman Ranch, was the first of its kind acquired by the DOW. That ranch was later purchased by Terry and Joanne Snyder of Norwood who have owned the entire Snyder Ranch for more than twenty years.

“The Snyder Ranch acquisitions will insure that important big game, small game, Gunnison Sage-grouse and fishery habitats are protected in perpetuity,” said Tom Spezze, southwest regional manager for the DOW. “It will also provide the public with some very significant and quality hunting and fishing opportunities for future generations to enjoy. This important acquisition exemplifies what the intent of the Habitat Stamp set out to accomplish for wildlife, hunters and anglers. I have known and worked with the Snyders since the 1980s. I am very proud and appreciative that we have established this long-term ranching and wildlife partnership between the DOW and the Snyder family.”

Much of the property is irrigated hay meadows and riparian areas which provide excellent winter range and migration corridors for elk, year-around range for pronghorn and habitat for numerous other wildlife species. The livestock operation will continue. The Snyder family will continue to manage grazing activities so that pastures remain in good shape. Because of the large pasture configurations on the property, wildlife can move easily through the ranch.

“The property has been well taken care of and the family understands the value of wildlife,” Wenum said.

Public access areas will be established and the DOW plans to have the area ready for the public by the summer of 2009.

“This was a complicated transaction but it was well worth the extra effort. We greatly appreciate the cooperation of the Snyder Family,” Wenum said.

The Colorado Habitat Stamp Program was started by the DOW in 2006 after approval by the Colorado State Legislature. Since then the DOW has collected more than $10 million, leveraged that money for an additional $38 million in grants and partnerships, and has protected more than 40,000 acres of land in Colorado.

Great Outdoors Colorado continues to provide critical matching dollars for Habitat Stamp projects. GOCO receives approximately $53 million annually from the Colorado Lottery. The GOCO program was enacted by Colorado voters in 1992 to help local governments, land trusts, DOW and Colorado State Parks protect and enhance the state’s park, wildlife, trails and open space heritage.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

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Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas to one and all! Enjoy yourselves; feast; drink, and be merry!

Others are not doing nearly so well, and I hope and pray that at some point in the festivities one and all thinks back about those people.

Think about the Soldiers, Marines, Coast guardsmen, and Air Force, and Navy people. Men, and women, that stand guard while we sleep in relative comfort. Think about those that have been imprisoned for doing so; Compean and Ramos come to my immediate mind, and, they are not the only ones.


Think about the Paramedics, the Firefighters, and the Police personnel that are standing duty away from their homes and families so that you can be safe.


Alright, that was pretty general and would suffice in a general way. At least for most people.

I am not an ordinary sort of person though. Yes, I have a special place in my heart. Although I sit in the middle of Al Gore’s promise of global warming, with a local high temperature of something in the low to mid teens I still have something deep inside to  people that are, in fact, always on my mind.

  • Saint Anthony Hospital Paramedics.
  • Broomfield Paramedic’s and EMT’s.
  • North Metro Firefighters (not firemen!)
  • Commerce City, Colorado Police.
  • Northglenn Ambulance Alumni.
  • Arvada, Colorado Jaycee’s.
  • Clear Creek County Ambulance.

Then, there are those that are, for whatever reason are more than special in my heart.

  • Those that go into harms way from the Fifth Special Forces Group; You know who you are, and why I think of you.
  • The ” Tiger Teams” of Seventh Special Forces; You also know who you are, and why.
  • Rangers, all of you. But especially two Mike’s, and a John, from Third Rangers. You know why guys. OOORAH! AIRBORNE!
  • Second Marine Division.
  • First Marine Division. (5th, my father died wearing your colors in Korea. Special thanks to you Men. Carry on…)
  • The Coast Guard along the entire western coast of the United States. I was auxiliary based out of Oceanside. Would that I could have been one of you!

The message?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

God Bless each and every one of you!

My name is Patrick Dennis Sperry. I love all of you, and, I stand with, in front of, or behind you as the need demands.


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Africa the enigma.

December 24, 2008

Africa the enigma. The seat of humanity, and the oldest cultures ever established by humans according to some is also the seat of continuing controversy. Not to mention brutality of a monumental scale on a pretty regular basis.

Of course there is always finger pointing at who did this, or caused that. Of some bogyman or other that is the root cause of bloodshed seen only on occasion in other places in the world. I am not at all dissing the Jewish Holocaust, the Armenian Outrage, the diabolical slaughter of the Red Khmer’s, or any of the other examples of mans stellar works of killing his own kind.

Africa though, never seems to get over the same sort of thing. Often it is based upon centuries old tribal conflict. Then, there is the religion of peace, and how it’s followers have civilized the parts of Africa controlled by Islam.

Most often though it is some thug. It is that simple really, and today isn’t any different than years gone by, at least when it comes to Africa. Just who is today’s  hero of the people?

Robert Mugabe of course!

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Men's Issues, Military Science, News, Politics, War, Warfare, Wordpress Political Blogs | 4 Comments »

The most exclusive club in the world

December 24, 2008

This years Democrat avalanche in the election comes with a few loose strings. This is unfortunate because what is at stake is no less than the American way of life. I may be no big fan of team Obama, not in the least, yet I hold that there are things that are more important than what might be termed micro-politics.

Those things that go beyond all the petty differences are the very things that set the United States apart from the rest of the world. We live in America by rule of law. Not by personality, or the will of the mob. We are a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. We have a Bill of Rights that protects individuals from the whims of government as well as from the mob.

Now, what is all that leading too? In a single word, it is that our system, is based upon integrity. Without that single attribute all the good intentions in the world will not make for good government. The lack of integrity in elected, and appointed people causes fundamental problems that the rest of society has to live, or die, with. There are plenty of examples where the lack of integrity has caused problems. From judicial activism to corruption in elected and appointed officials the lack of personal and professional integrity has caused little but problems.

Now that the smoke has settled there remain two seats in the worlds most exclusive club that have a cloud hanging over them. Which way will the wind blow? Will it blow toward the Constitution and Bill of Rights? Or will it blow in the direction of personality worship?

The disputed U.S. Senate race in Minnesota and the politically toxic appointment of a replacement to the Illinois seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama have left open the possibility that the legislative body could reject two would-be lawmakers.

While the scenario seems far-fetched, Article I, Section 5 of Constitution holds that “Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members.”

In other words, if Minnesota certifies either Norm Coleman or Al Franken the winner, a bloc of senators could object on the Senate floor to seating him. The same could happen if embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appoints a “tainted” successor to Obama.

The new Congress starts Jan. 6, and the potential for havoc is immense.

Either scenario could prompt special investigative committees or even floor votes on whether to seat a candidate if their election certification remain.

Full Story here

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Posted in Editorial, Opinion, Education, Law, Local Politics Colorado, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 1 Comment »

Hidden Damage

December 22, 2008

While surfing the web today, I chanced across an old story from Westword Magazine. It was about a young woman that I not only had worked with, but whose case I testified at a few years ago.

Since then, I have also had a few problems with State Farm Insurance of my own. I can’t help but wonder if my testimony isn’t related to those, and a few other things that have happened.


In any case, read, and enjoy…

Sunserea McClelland

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What Is the DEA Smoking?

December 22, 2008

The Drug Enforcement Administration is in an optimistic mood. A new DEA report insists that the antidrug campaigns Washington has undertaken with Colombia and Mexico in recent years have dramatically slowed the flow of cocaine into the United States. The DEA’s principal piece of evidence is that average street prices for the drug have soared over the past twenty-one months from $96.61 per gram to $182.73, which suggests “that we are placing significant stress on the drug delivery system.” There’s just one problem with the DEA’s proclamation of success. We’ve heard it all before. Many, many times before.

For example, in November 2005, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy asserted that a 19 percent increase in cocaine prices since February indicated a growing retail shortage, thus validating Washington’s multibillion dollar Plan Colombia, designed to stanch the torrent of drugs coming from the Andean region of South America. “These numbers confirm that the levels of interdiction, the levels of eradication, have reduced the availability of cocaine in the United States,” White House drug czar John P. Walters boasted. “The policy is working.”

And what was the sky-high street price of cocaine that justified such optimism? $170 per gram. Adjusted for inflation, that price was actually higher than the latest price spike to just under $183. Yet clearly that earlier alleged supply-side victory in the drug war was short lived. According to the DEA’s own statistics in the December 2008 report, cocaine prices had declined to a mere $96 per gram by January 2007.

The reality is that street prices for illegal drugs act like the famous observation about prices in the stock market: they will vary. Over the past fifteen years, the retail price of cocaine has moved in a range between roughly $90 and $200 per gram. The latest spike is nothing abnormal, just as the plunge in prices from November 2005 to January 2007 was not unusual. Indeed, if one examines price trends over a longer period, any cause for optimism evaporates. During the early 1980s cocaine sometimes sold for more than $500 per gram. Obviously, that did not herald a lasting victory in the drug war.

Moreover, if the DEA had issued its 2008 report just three months earlier, there would have been even less evidence of supposed progress. For the previous five quarters, the street price had hovered around $120. The agency is simply grasping at straws to “prove” that the nearly four-decades-old effort to shut off the supply of illegal drugs is finally working.

cont.

This article simply points out what I have been saying for years; If you are for the drug war, you are for making thugs into wealthy men.

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MICHIGAN MAN FINED $15,000 FOR POACHING MOUNTAIN GOAT

December 22, 2008

Thieves at the public trough again.

SALIDA, Colo. – A Michigan man was fined $15,000 after being convicted of three charges related to killing a Colorado mountain goat without a license.

Burt Vincent, 60, of Jackson, Mich., also faces a potential lifetime suspension of his hunting and fishing privileges in Colorado, Michigan and 28 other states.

Vincent pleaded “no contest” in Chaffee County Court on Dec. 10 to illegal possession of a mountain goat, illegally killing a trophy animal in Colorado and hunting a mountain goat without a license.

Two others, Jack and Susan Derr of Florissant, Colo., also pleaded guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges related to Vincent’s case and other wildlife crimes discovered during the investigation. The Derrs were ordered to pay $10,000 to the Colorado Operation Game Thief Fund.

The convictions marked an end to a two-year investigation into multiple poaching incidents.

“This case demonstrates how effectively law enforcement professionals from multiple agencies work together,” said Shaun Deeney, an area manager with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) in Colorado Springs

Investigators in Colorado and Michigan began working on the case in 2006 after an informant said that Vincent was in possession of a mountain goat from Colorado. However, there was no record in Colorado showing that Vincent was ever issued a mountain goat hunting license.

Based on the original tip, an undercover officer contacted Vincent at his place of work in Michigan. Vincent told the undercover agent that he had killed a mountain goat, adding that he had also killed a bighorn ram and a bighorn ewe in Colorado over the past several years.

The undercover officer had hoped Vincent would talk about the mountain goat, but didn’t expect to hear about the two bighorn sheep.

“Bighorn sheep and mountain goats are majestic symbols of Colorado’s high country,” said Deeney. “Sheep and goat tags are among the most highly prized hunting licenses in Colorado. Every year, thousands of applicants vie for a just a handful of tags. Vincent and his codefendants literally cheated law-abiding hunters out of a chance for the hunt of a lifetime.”

MOUNTING EVIDENCE

Wildlife investigators followed a trail that led them Vincent’s hunting partner Jack Derr.  DOW records showed that Derr bought a mountain goat license in 2006.  The DOW license database also showed that Jack’s wife, Susan Derr, bought bighorn sheep licenses in 2000 and 2003.  This matched Vincent’s claim that he killed a bighorn ram and ewe.

Armed with several key pieces of information, two DOW officers interviewed the Derrs at their home in Florissant, Colo., and executed a search warrant on the residence. Meanwhile, Vincent was questioned by Conservation Officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and special investigators with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Michigan.

In tape-recorded interviews, Susan Derr admitted that she let Vincent use her bighorn ram license in 2003 and her bighorn ewe license in 2000.  She stated that she did not kill those animals but that Vincent did.  Jack Derr also admitted that he gave Vincent his 2006 license to tag a mountain goat that Vincent killed.

During the investigation, Vincent admitted that his rifle was used to kill the mountain goat, but claimed Jack Derr did the shooting.  He further claimed that Derr gave him the mountain goat to take back to Michigan because Derr didn’t want it.

“The officers who conducted this investigation should be complimented on their thoroughness,” said Deeney.  “All of the officers involved acted professionally and courteously throughout the entire investigation despite accusations of impropriety by the defendants.”

In addition to the mountain goat violation, investigators also discovered a case involving an illegal elk killed by Vincent in 2005 in Archuleta County.  Vincent was found guilty in that case last August.  He was fined $2,800 for that crime.

Deeney expressed his gratitude to the investigators with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and prosecutors from the district attorneys’ offices in Chaffee, Fremont, Teller, Archuleta, and Larimer counties for their help getting the convictions.

Colorado and Michigan are members of an Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which includes 30 states that offer some of the very best hunting and fishing hunting and fishing opportunities in the country. The compact includes provisions that establish reciprocal license privilege suspension by member states.  Anyone who loses hunting and fishing privileges in one state is also suspended in the others. Colorado was a charter state in 1991 along with Nevada and Oregon.

Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact Member States:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

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DOW USING SOLAR POWER FOR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

December 22, 2008

HINSDALE COUNTY, Colo. – Small-scale electric solar power is providing the Colorado Division of Wildlife a unique tool for a variety of wildlife management tasks.

In southwest Colorado, two water aeration systems powered by photovoltaic panels are helping to keep trout alive at a reservoir. At other isolated locations, solar facilities are being used to operate well pumps to provide water for species of concern. By using photovoltaic solar panels the DOW can deliver power to remote areas where electricity is unavailable or very expensive.

At Road Canyon Reservoir in eastern Hinsdale County, two aeration systems powered by photovoltaic panels were installed in mid-November. The reservoir is quite shallow and can become stagnant after water stops flowing into the impoundment in the fall. When oxygen runs low, the fish in the reservoir die.

Since the 1960s the DOW has used an aeration machine powered from an electric line to stir up the water in the reservoir that’s located off U.S. Forest Service Road 520. But recently electricity costs spiked to $8,000 per year, so the DOW cast about for a less expensive solution.

Mineral County officials wanted to keep the aerator running because the reservoir is a popular spot for tourists. At the encouragement of the DOW, county officials applied for a “Fishing is Fun” grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The DOW contacted a North Dakota company, SolarBee International, which builds specialized solar pump equipment.

The equipment and installation cost $80,800. The grant from the federal government totaled $57,000, and Mineral County matched it with $23,800.

The two floating solar-powered machines can move 10,000 gallons of water per minute, explained Brent Woodward, district wildlife manager in the Creede area.

“Theses pumps do a much better job of aeration than the old pump and they don’t need power from the electric grid,” Woodward said.

The floating pumps, each powered by three photovoltaic panels, pull low-oxygen water from the bottom of the reservoir to mix with water at the surface that is high in oxygen. Each pump impacts an area of about 35 surface acres on the 160-acre reservoir. Because the water is pulled from the bottom there is no surface disturbance. The machines also are equipped with batteries that enable operations to continue for 72 hours without sunshine.

During winter, ice could form near the machines but it will be thin. Ice fishers are warned to stay well away from the floats. During the summer, boaters also are asked to stay at least 50 yards from the machines.

In three other remote areas in southwest Colorado where electricity is unavailable, solar-powered water pumps are pulling water from wells and helping with the effort to bolster the populations of Gunnison Sage-grouse. DOW biologists in Gunnison, San Miguel and Dolores counties developed these small well projects where natural sources of surface water are lacking. By putting water on the ground in sage grouse habitat, small wet meadows are formed.

For the hardy sage grouse, a little water goes a long way. While grouse spend much of their time in sagebrush, they need access to moist meadows that provide rich sources of fresh vegetation and insects. These meadows, even those small in size, are especially important to young birds because they must start eating within 18 hours of hatching.

The wet meadows also are utilized by a wide variety of other wildlife species, from big game to song birds to amphibians.

On Bureau of Land Management property in western San Miguel County, the DOW is working in cooperation with a local rancher to provide water to desert bighorn sheep. After a windmill pump fell into disrepair, the DOW shared costs with the rancher to install a solar-powered pump at the location.

“These photovoltaic systems are very helpful and low cost,” said Jim Garner, a wildlife conservation biologist from Montrose. “There’s no way we could afford to get regular sources of electricity to these sites.”

#   #   #

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs of the solar installations can be downloaded from these links. Cutline information is below each link.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/apps/ImageDB/ImageDownload.aspx?ImageId=24372&ImageSize=Print&ImageType=jpg

This floating, solar-power aerator is located at Road Canyon Reservoir in Hinsdale County. The photovoltaic panels provide electricity to the aerators which stir up the water, keeping it oxygenated for fish. These types of solar-power panels allow electricity to be delivered to remote locations. The Division of Wildlife uses solar power at remote locations throughout the state to provide water to wildlife. This photo was taken in December 2008.

http://wildlife.state.co.us/apps/ImageDB/ImageDownload.aspx?ImageId=24373&ImageSize=Print&ImageType=jpg
This photovoltaic solar panel is located at the Dry Creek Basin State Wildlife Area in western Colorado. The panel supplies electricity to a well pump that enables Colorado Division of Wildlife to provide water in this remote area to help sustain the Gunnison Sage-grouse. This photo was taken in December 2008.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

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Misandry and the Supreme Court

December 18, 2008

Misandry as expressed by in the various laws passed by people like Patricia Schroeder exhibit the pure hatred that some people have for the Constitution.

One more than significant part of that hatred was the love affair with things like ex post facto law as an inextricable portion of the notorious Lautenberg Domestic Violence Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968.

True to form this abomination of Anglo American Law was passed without a vote by sneaking it into a completely different budget vote without any debate.

This is poor law, it was poorly written, then  re-written by regulatory fiat via the rogue agency BATFE. It uses ex post facto penalties. It takes inalienable rights away for less than felony behaviors. It does so for life.


Finally, the Supreme Court is taking up at least part of this assault on common sense and the Constitution. The question however is not one of law, it is one of whether they will bow to political correctness.

READ HERE

This is a long read, and filled with terminology that only Lawyers could love…

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Posted in Domestic Violence, Editorial, Opinion, Education, Gun Control, Law, Local Politics Colorado, Men's Issues, News, Politics, Wordpress Political Blogs | 4 Comments »

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