LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO BLOG

Cops stop thousands of people in order to catch 17 drunk drivers

Seventeen drivers on South Powers Boulevard were cited for DUI at the checkpoint that's part of the State of Colorado's 100 Days of Heat.

That's 17, out of 2,787 cars stopped in the 400 block of South Powers Boulevard.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/drivers-57937-overnight-dui.html

I am sure the police would call this is win for them, after all they nabbed 17 “bad guys”. However, for thousands of innocent people this was definitely a lose. Not just those who were inconvenienced by the stop, but also all of the taxpayers who had to pay for the wasteful police action. This was on a holiday weekend, so I am sure holiday pay and overtime were in abundance.

Colorado gambling becomes less restrictive

As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, thanks to events sparked by voter approval of Amendment 50, gamblers could wager $100 instead of $5 and play craps and roulette instead of just poker, blackjack and slots. They can play all night long, instead of stopping between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/money/19921576/detail.html

I think this is a good move to expand personal liberties in Colorado. I know that the ballot initiative was pushed through using extra revenue to the state as driving reason for passing, but just like with drugs and prostitution I would rather see them legal and taxed than illegal and surrounded by the violence that comes from prohibition. I would prefer gambling to be legal and untaxed, but at this point that was not an option on the table. In the end it is better to have people not be prevented by the force of the state from doing non violent things with their own time and money, whether you and I personally approve of their choices or not.

Tune in to the The Common Sense Show, with host Bo Shaffer

Sent in from Bo:

The Common Sense Show, with host Bo Shaffer, has Bob Glass as a guest this week. Tune in to see what this staunch libertarian has been up to and what his views are on current events.

Show times will be Th@7pm (live taping first week), Fr@6pm Sa@4pm, Su@6pm and Mo@8am for all of July.
Viewing is on CCTV54 Comcast Cable Channel 54 in Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and Erie.....
Also Real Time Streaming of the Station can be found at www.cctv54.org along with the full schedule....this is accessible 24/7 worldwide.

Tune in!The Common Sense Show, with host Bo Shaffer, has Bob Glass as a guest this week. Tune in to see what this staunch libertarian has been up to and what his views are on current events.

Showtimes will be Th@7pm (live taping first week), Fr@6pm Sa@4pm, Su@6pm and Mo@8am for all of July.
Viewing is on CCTV54 Comcast Cable Channel 54 in Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and Erie.....
Also Real Time Streaming of the Station can be found at www.cctv54.org along with the full schedule....this is accessible 24/7 worldwide.

Tune in!

Do any bureaucrats read the bills they vote on?

Freshman U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey claims to read bills prior to voting in Congress, but it's unlikely she had the time to do so before voting for federal "cap and trade" energy legislation Friday.

http://facethestate.com/buzz/17113-markey-says-she-reads-bills-voting-how-could-she

Of course she doesn’t read the bills before she votes for them, but the fact is that none of these bureaucrats in Washington read the bills they vote on. I am sure that the republicans will try and score points with this, but they are as guilty as the democrats. It seems like the worse the bill is, the more costly, the more full of pork, the less likely it is that the people voting on it will read the bill.

Some cities couldn't steal enough money from taxpayers to pay for fireworks

Lack of bucks means less bang this July Fourth for many cash-strapped cities.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/fireworks-57621-year-cities.html

I like fireworks as much as the next guy, but I am not sad to see these coercively funded displays go away. It is really not fair for those who enjoy firework displays to force those who do not like such spectacles to pay for an event they will not be enjoying.

You can stop hiding the rain barrels now

It's no longer illegal in Colorado to collect rain water:

It will be legal for homeowners to use rainwater for fire protection, animals, irrigation and household use. It's a touchy issue in the state, which does not import water from other states or regions and is forced by law to send it on to other states downstream.

"People are shocked that some developer or water provider owns the water that falls out of the sky," said Rep. Marsha Looper, a Republican from rural Calhan, southeast of Denver, who sponsored the legislation.

"Every drop of water that hits the ground belongs to someone," said Kevin Bommer, a lobbyist for the Colorado Municipal League, which opposed past attempts to ease the rules.

This should come as a big relief to those of us who were furtively redirecting the water pouring from our gutters (and there has been plenty o' that lately) into cisterns and flowerbeds, looking over our shoulders for the arrival of the SWAT team to drag us away for this heinous crime.

OK, maybe not.  It's not like anyone was prosecuted for "stealing" rainwater.  That such a ban even existed is indicative of the Byzantine water rights plaguing the state.  The concept that a gift of nature falling on someone's property could belong to someone else by government decree is one of the more twisted examples of forced redistribution I've come across.

Still, as laws go, this one is far more benign than the other new laws mentioned briefly in the story: a hike on hospital fees (so the state can feed more deeply at the Federal Medicaid trough) and on vehicle registration fees to pay for highway and bridge work.  Apparently the state thinks money flows like, uh, water.

Texting Ban Unenforceable

House Bill 1094, which bans texting while driving, is set to go into effect December 1, 2009. But local sheriffs across the state are skeptical of the bill's impact, saying it will be "extremely difficult" to enforce.

http://facethestate.com/articles/17082-sheriffs-say-ban-texting-while-driving-will-be-tough-enforce

Of course it will be hard to enforce, but you know what is not hard to enforce, driving recklessly. This bill should have never been written or passed. If someone is driving dangerously it is easy to spot and a police officer certainly can pull them over for that. If someone is placing other drivers in danger, does it really matter what that reckless driver is doing at that time?

This type of law also contributes to the general dumbing down of people. When you have a broad law like “don’t drive recklessly”, it forces people to evaluate everything they do and they must ask themselves if what they are doing is causing them to drive recklessly, but when the government starts making more specific laws like “don’t text while driving” then some people will simply not text, but will engage in other reckless behavior and justify it in their minds as “if this were dangerous it would be illegal, just like texting”.

Humans seem to have a certain tolerance for danger and will generally gravitate to the level of danger they are comfortable with. So as roads and cars have become safer, drivers have generally become less safe. New technology has made driving easier and this has increased the likelihood of people trying to do other things while driving. Think about the difficulty of trying to text and drive if you are driving a car with a manual transmission, it would be nearly impossible except under very specific circumstances. However, if you are driving a car with an automatic transmission the idea of texting while driving might not seem so daunting. 

Health Care Mandates

"76% of Americans want a "public option." That's a mandate, and our lawmakers should start listening to them rather than health insurance lobbyists."

 

by Hunter , Daily Kos

 

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/140767/note_to_the_gop%3A_without_a_public_option%2C_it%27s_not_really_%22reform%22_/

 

As a side note; there are alternate claims that it is 76% opposed to 'public option'. But that's quite a byline!

 

A Public Mandate is a Request.

A Government Mandate is a Requirement.

 

Who works for who?

 

Why would the public request to be forced, even against public opinion, to have government requirements? That is the historic principle of leftism that classic liberals oppose. I advocate the end (benevolence) but oppose the means (brute force). The problems with health care were caused or worsened by government mandates. The left aims to solve the problem by empowering those who caused the problem.

 

"You can't take the effect and make it the cause."

-Jack White"

 

The right is no better and no worse. The social conservative wing of the right coupled with the empire wing... it's not free market if you kill it altogether. A third wing of the right... classic liberals, liberty advocates, libertarians, entrepreneurs. Maximum Liberty, Maximum Justice. Free trade that benefits all. If it's not voluntary, it's not free.

 

On principle for a libertarian, there is 50% to agree with Democrats and 33% to agree with Republicans. Why would a libertarian join either and why does public opinion put libertarians on the right?

 

The first thing to understand is that lobbyists are corporatists, not free market advocates. The insurance company's have been mandated (by government, not public sentiment) to lobby and monopolize or face failure. Only government can provide a monopoly. Nationalization is failure because it kills all competition and choice. Nationalization picks a winner and crushes all competition. It is the same troops who seize other countries resources who seize ours. A double edged sword that cuts both ways; The left wants troops to force people to be fair. The right wants troops to force a secure, international empire but they are shocked when the troops necessarily take the same rights here that they are supposed to be defending and advancing abroad on our behalf.

 

"Those who trade liberty for security receive neither."

-Ben Franklin

 

Those who take others rights end up with theirs taken too.

 

Cap-and-trade is government speak for tax-and-spend

Legislation before Congress could drive up electricity bills by as much as 47 percent, Grand Valley Power is telling customers in a letter.

Grand Valley Power sent the letter as a part of a national effort by electrical associations around the state and country to alert their ratepayers to the potential costs of cap-and-trade legislation, which is due for a vote in the House of Representatives.

http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/06/17/061809_1a_Grand_Valley_Power.html

I can see the news stories now once this cap-and-trade thing goes through. Be prepared to see stories with headlines like “30% increase in number of people who froze to death after cap-and-trade bill designed to prevent global warming passed”. Then the story will on to explain that poor people unable to afford the increase in heating costs have froze to death in increasingly high numbers.  

Cap-and-trade is government speak for tax-and-spend. 

Recession is proving that government is more about extorting money than about “safety” or “services”

In Denver, government officials are collecting more from parking tickets and might charge more to adopt a pet. In other cities and counties, residents can expect to see fees hiked for everything from bags to business licenses.

The budget gaps resulting from the recession have forced cities and counties across Colorado to look for creative ways to increase revenue without running afoul of tax-raising restrictions.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12652543

Obviously to a libertarian instead of becoming more odious and oppressive in the name of revenue collection during a down economy the politicians should instead look towards budget cuts as a way to balance their budgets. If you are suffering from the recession, the last thing you need is a parking ticket. Politicians don't care if you have to choose between eating and paying a parking ticket, to them the answer is clear and paying the parking ticket is more important than eating. 

Denver Police officer pull gun for slow service at McDonald's

A Denver police officer has been suspended after allegedly brandishing his gun at a McDonald's restaurant in Aurora after his order took too long to fill.

http://cbs4denver.com/investigates/denver.police.suspension.2.1049330.html

These cops must really think they are special if they think a badge can guarantee good customer service at a restaurant. We have all had slow service, even at a “fast food” place, only these guys think they are too important for such trivial things as having to wait for food to be cooked. Here is a secret about fast food places, what makes them fast is that most of the food is already cooked, but if you show up during a slow time you might have to wait while they cook something to order. 

This cop is stationed at DIA, I wonder what he would do if someone thought the "service" provided by the TSA and the other bureaucrats was too slow and so they pulled a gun out to get their point across. 

DIA gets $500,000 in farm subsidies

Over the course of 12 consecutive years beginning in 1995, Denver International Airport has managed to rake-in just under half-a-million dollars in commodity subsidies from the U.S. Federal farm program.

http://www.i2i.org/main/page.php?page_id=261

Big brother is watching, but not very closely

DENVER -- Inside the Denver Police Department, the HALO Command Control Center records video 24-7 from almost 70 cameras across the city.

...

But last year, for the Democratic National Convention, police received $1 million in federal funds to buy an additional 50 cameras, mostly stationed in downtown Denver.

...

Denver police said there haven’t been any studies to show whether the HALO program has reduced crime, but that in the last year, video from the cameras has been used in about 20 criminal cases.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19731255/detail.html

Whether this is big brother activity or not, it does not seem to be very effective for the type of money spent on it. 20 cases in a year for a program that cost almost 2 million in tax money, once you combine the cost for the first 20 cameras, the next fifty that they got for the DNC and the cost of the bureaucrats they pay to watch these cameras and run the system. 

The article doesn’t say how many bureaucrats work in the “halo” department, but anyone who has ever ran a 24/7 operation will attest to the fact that you normally need at least 6 employees plus one supervisor for full coverage. At an average of $40,000 a year that would be a yearly expense of $280,000. Not very cost effective for solving 20 cases a year, and there is no indication that these are serious crimes either. The only crime talked about in the article is street level drug dealing, which is not a real crime in the first place, and even if it were, it is very petty. Big deals are not going down on the street, nobody is walking up to a neighborhood dealer who hangs around outside and buys 1000 kilos of cocaine, they may be buying a $20 dollar bag of marijuana or a single hit of crack, but is that enough to justify the expense to the tax payers?

Corrections officer rapes woman gets 60 days in jail

A female inmate sexually assaulted by a Colorado Department of Corrections sergeant was awarded $1.3 million Wednesday by a federal judge who said he hoped the damages would be a deterrent to other correctional officers.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12565561

I know what you guys are thinking, your thinking that the bureaucrat who committed the rape is seeing some serious time, after all he raped an inmate in his care, and most likely this was not his only victim, even if it is the only victim we know of. So what did he get? ...60 days in Jail.

I guess the judge agreed and is punishing him via the heavy financial penalty. 

The information I found on the internet indicates that the average sentence for rape is 117 months, and average actual time served is 65 months, this guy got 2 months. 

Speaking of two months in jail, liberty activist Sam Dotson who I blogged about recently, was finally released after two months in jail. For story click here.

Boulder Police threaten naked bikers

BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner today warned that police will ticket bike riders if they expose their genitals during the World Naked Bike Ride, which is planned for Saturday.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jun/11/police-warning-naked-bikers-will-be-ticketed/

I think the police should not concern themselves with some naked people. It seems that in Boulder the police get all upset by naked people. The naked pumpkin run resulted in some arrests. This will probably result in some arrests. It may seem out of the social norm to bike naked, but it really harms no one. Social ostracism is a more humane way of dealing with people wearing or in this case, not wearing, clothes you find offensive. 

Bag tax back in the news, this time as a local "issue"

AURORA | Carrying groceries out in a plastic bag may become a more expensive prospect in the city.

City leaders will begin discussions about regulating the use of plastic bags in the city through a fee during the Management and Finance Committee meeting on June 10. The committee will examine precedents set forth in Colorado Senate Bill 156, a draft bill that proposed a fee of about 12 cents for every plastic bag distributed by a retailer. The fee would be split between the retailer and the state treasurer.

http://www.aurorasentinel.com/articles/2009/06/10/news/metro_aurora/doc4a2f3e025ce12922930818.txt

The statewide bill was just defeated last year. Now this, even if Aurora does not pass this bill, it is likely to start popping up all over the place. At least this is not being presented as any sort of "sin tax", and is being presented in the more honest "we want more of your money", by the bureaucrats.

Warmonger touts economic "benefits" of Piñon Canyon expansion project

DENVER — Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn is asking Colorado's senators, both Democrats, to help save the Army's plan to expand a training site in the southeast corner of the state.

Lamborn said Friday that Colorado could lose the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site expansion project because of opposition from ranchers and some elected officials.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12481584

This is not a money maker for the people of Colorado, no matter what the government claims. Raising cattle for food is actually a useful and productive. Letting the land go to waste so a bunch of bureaucrats can blow things up, does nothing to improve the wealth of the nation or improve the standard of living for most people. The thing that we have to remember whenever someone from the government is making claims of economic benefits from this government program or that government program is that the government has no money of their own, so any economic benefits we may see comes only at the expense of people elsewhere. Besides the government already owns 36.6% of Colorado and more in other western states, why do they think they need more? If anything we need the federal government to own less of Colorado, so the people of the state can make productive use of those lands.

Here is a great map that shows how much land the governmet owns or is in control of in each state. 

http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/map-owns_the_west.jpg

12 year old arrested at DIA for having a so called “incendiary device”

DENVER -- A 12-year-old boy was caught Wednesday morning trying to take an incendiary device through security screening at Denver International Airport, police said.

Jackson said the device was similar to a flare and was homemade.

The juvenile was arrested and will be charged with possession of an incendiary device, police said.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19579880/detail.html

I am not exactly sure what is going on here or how dangerous this “incendiary device” actually was, but I can tell you that making homemade fireworks and whatnot is fairly common for young boys to dabble in. I don’t expect that he was intending any harm, and I believe this situation could have been handled in a much better fashion. I expect that taking the thing away from the kid and giving him a stern talking to, would have been as or more effective than arresting him was. 

Fees and state tyranny over county clerks office, set to increase on Monday

Larimer County will join the 63 other Colorado counties in implementing a new state law, passed to raise money for highway maintenance across the state.

Currently, residents are subject to a $10 late fee if they do not renew their registration within 30 days of the due date, register new vehicles within 60 days of purchase, or register vehicles within 90 days of moving to the state.

Monday, that fee increases to $25 per month with a maximum of $100.

Counties are required by state law to implement the fee, said Scott Doyle, Larimer County clerk and recorder.

And unlike the current $10 fee, the county has no authority to waive the late fee.

http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=23298

Besides the fact that the government seemingly wants people to be late in registering their vehicles, it also appears that the state has decided to increase their tyrannical rule just slightly more. They have came in and told the counties that the counties are responsible for collecting these fees and enforcing these rules, but are not given any leeway to waive or reduce the fee as the situation warrants. 

Colorado Statesman article on new LPCO leadership

Colorado’s Libertarian Party, long considered a political stepchild by the major political parties in the state, is trying to revamp its image — and it doesn’t stop with the addition of four new leaders elected a week ago. Former Libertarian Party legislative director David K. Williams, the new state chairman, plans to build the party and recruit unaffiliated voters frustrated with the current Republican or Democratic platforms. He also wants to hammer down and strengthen the vision of the Libertarians.

http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/991035-colorado-libertarians-elect-new-leadership

CU forces people to join Alumni Association, whether or not they want to to be members

The University of Colorado at Boulder has adopted a new "Forever Buffs" fee. The one time $70 charge goes directly to the alumni association and grants all undergraduate students membership status. 

Nathan Jeffries is a recent CU graduate and expressed no desire to be a member of the association.

"If they are going to take $70 from each student, they should invest it making the academic environment better, not a membership fee to an organization that students cannot opt-out of."

http://www.facethestate.com/articles/16334-cu-fee-make-tony-soprano-proud

The school is claiming that being a member of the alumni gives you all kinds of great benefits, if that were really true they would not have to force people to pay for it. If the benefits really did outweigh the costs, then it would make sense to voluntarily join and pay dues. 

TSA Blows 36 Million on Puffers!

DENVER -- Those "puffer" airport security screening machines being used at 37 airports, including Denver International Airport, are now going to be scrapped because they've been proven ineffective, according to a report Thursday.

...

The program cost $36 million, but USA Today is reporting the program is being scuttled because the machines proved unreliable at airports.

TSA bought 207 puffers for $30 million starting in 2004. Ninety-four were installed in 37 airports. The other 113 machines stayed in storage.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19527891/detail.html

If this were to happen to a company that over purchased some crappy machines, they might take a hit in profits and the shareholders who thought that buying these machines was a good idea might lose a few cents per share in a dividend or stock price, for sure the person who recommended the machines would be fired or at the least demoted. However, in this case it is the tax payers who have lost, even those who do not fly! The bureaucrat who purchased these machines is unlikely to suffer any consequences. 

Tom Tancredo says it is time to consider legalizing drugs

DENVER -- Admitting that it may be "political suicide" former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo said its time to consider legalizing drugs.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/19519306/detail.html

Welcome to the fold Tom. Too bad you didn’t understand that the drug war is a failure back when you might have had more influence over the matter. Still I guess it is better to have a former congressman on our side, than still fighting against us. 

LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP

At its 2009 State Convention last Saturday, the Libertarian Party of Colorado elected new leadership to the Board of Directors. Outgoing chair, Travis Nicks, was replaced by David K. Williams, Jr., who was serving as the legislative director.

Other new board members include Justin Longo as the Legislative Liaison, Kate Melvin as the Media Director, Debbie Schum as the Western Slope Outreach Director and Deni Cates as the Fundraising Director.

With the change in leadership also comes a new focus for the party. Under Williams' direction, the party will build on the momentum of the Tea Party movement and hopes to capture the attention of unaffiliated voters and those who are frustrated with the current two party system.

"Right now, the country is in the throws of a school-girl infatuation with Obama and in a torrid love affair with the government," said Williams. "Both will end, and when the promises of prosperity via government debt and taxation are broken, America will once again return to its only true and lasting love: freedom."

A complete list of board members can be found on the state party Web site (http://lpcolorado.org/board.aspx)

Free Sam Dodson

As most of my readers know I try to keep posts here related to Colorado in at least a tentative way, however I am beginning to really fear for a distant activist named Sam Dodson, and want to spread his story a bit further.

Sam lives in New Hampshire, he moved there from Texas as part of the free state project and has been part of several great activist projects including Kopbusters, where a small group of people lead by Barry Cooper did a drug raid sting on the cops and got the whole thing on film. He is also a once a week co-host on my favorite radio program/podcast free talk live. 

Sam was arrested a month ago for a non-crime, he was filming in a courthouse lobby (legal in NH) and was ordered to stop. Sam knew he was not committing any crime and told the officers as much. This infuriated the officers and they hauled him off to jail in handcuffs. Because Sam was right, he has not been charged with any crime related to his initial offense (filming at a courthouse). Instead he has been charged with several offenses for actions that took place after the arrest (resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and refusing to be processed). A real criminal is arrested and charged for a crime and then sometimes has charges like those Sam has tacked on (i.e. bank robbery + resisting arrest). Sam on the other hand has not been charged with any initial offense, and only for supposed offenses that happened after the cops arrested him. 

After Sam was arrested he decided to exercise his right to remain silent in the most extreme fashion, he refused to identify himself. The judge ordered he remain in jail until such time as he identified himself. That was over a month ago. The police know who he is and what his name is, they have fingerprinted Sam and he can receive mail at the jail under his name, however they continue to hold him without a trial because he has never voluntarily stated his name. At this point there is no reason to delay charging him and moving through the process. 

The reason I am becoming very worried about this man is that he has been fasting since he was arrested and at first he would drink milk mixed with 1/3rd of an instant breakfast mix, but now he has switched to only drinking water. He was extremely thin to begin with and does not have a lot of reserves to burn through. I am extremely scared he is going to harm himself by sticking to his guns, and not even accomplish his main goal, which is to shed light on the violence that surrounds the government, and the fact that they just make stuff up and call it a law, and then by the time they realize they were wrong the damage is already done to the victim of the abusive state. 

Most will say that Sam is not acting in a reasonable fashion and I have heard him being accused of acting immaturely, but at this point I believe the Judge who is keeping him locked up without trial for an indefinite amount of time is the one who is acting immaturely and unreasonably. There is no reason to let this continue, they know who Sam is and there is no reason not to charge him and set a court date and bail. Judge Burke and Sam are at a standoff at this point, and if the Judge has any compassion he will not let more harm to come to Sam and will back down from his initial order to hold Sam without trial until he voluntarily gives up his name. This is not about the law, but about power and submission and needs to end right now, Judge Burke needs to act like a man of the law and ensure that the punishment fits the crime, and in this case the punishment has far exceeded any “crimes” Sam has committed. 

Here is a video about the incident, when it was made Sam was still drinking Milk.