LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO BLOG

VA set to waste taxpayer money, and provide crappy medical care...

The Department of Veterans Affairs could spend an extra $1.2 billion of taxpayer money over the next 15 years by insisting upon a new stand-alone hospital at or near the Fitzsimons campus in Aurora, a study indicates.

But if the VA builds a hospital adjacent to University of Colorado Hospital at Fitzsimons, where facilities, expertise and equipment could be shared, it could cut its operating budget by tens of millions of dollars per year, up to $160 million annually, according to a study prepared four years ago for the VA and CU by Kurt Salmon Associates.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3507455,00.html

Light rail collides with ambulance; 7 injured

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3508519,00.html

Denver LP goes to quarterly meetings

From Chris L of the DLP:

It has been decided to conduct quarterly meetings instead of meeting every month.  Our goal is a heavy agenda and a guest speaker at each meeting with high participation.  The board is working hard to produce an interesting and entertaining format, and your presence is highly appreciated.  Our next affiliate meeting will be April 19th. 

This is not a retreat, rather a restructuring so that we can focus on outreach and other civic activity like attending Jumpstart Denver type events.  We are working on another LP movie night, but right now our sites are set on participating in the Denver People’s Fair June 4th and 5th.  I challenge each of you to pitch in to set up or staff our outreach booth for a couple of hours or to help us raise the entry fee.  In the past the People’s fair has been our greatest draw for LP voter registrations.  They are out there looking for us.  They can’t find us unless we are out there looking for them!  Please help with this low effort/ highly productive outreach event.

City council: Public Art at a jail is more important than 3.8 million of tax money

I was reading an article in the post about the proposed new justice center. The line that struck me was this one:

“Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz proposed exempting the justice center from the city's requirement that 1 percent of the cost be spent on public art. Several other council members nixed the idea.”

So on a 378 million dollar project and under what the city claims are “tight budgets” the city council still thinks it should spend 3.8 million on “public art” at a JAIL! Now jails are not normally supposed to be pretty or places to relax and take in some art. I think that decision by the unnamed “other council members” is just typical and disgusting.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E2675958,00.html

Blake: The Sunday booze brawl

Peter Blakes column on the blue laws is worth a read:

...But laws should be drafted to permit the most free and efficient trade, not to protect jobs created by an artificial environment.

The fear that distributorships and many small retail stores would go under someday just because some of them might open on Sundays "is preposterous on its face," said Durham. "Having the right to open on Sunday isn't likely to cause the demise of any business."

Oh, did I mention even the auto dealers are lobbying against Veiga's bill? The reason: They don't want to be the last group standing as beneficiaries of blue laws.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_3497788,00.html

Take that bumper sticker off or I'll find you and arrest you!

By Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News
January 25, 2005
A Denver police sergeant is under investigation for allegedly threatening to arrest a woman Monday for displaying on her truck a derogatory bumper sticker about President Bush.

For full story:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3495709,00.html

LPBC is looking for outreach help at the Boulder Creek Festival

From Paul Tiger:

Greetings All,

Once again the Libertarian Party of Boulder County will have its outreach booth at the Boulder Creek Festival on May 25th. This is our premier event for outreach, especially in a non-partisan election year.

How about 'spreading more freedom' in the USA?

LP Press release:

WASHINGTON, DC -- If President Bush really wants to "spread freedom around the world," as he said in his inaugural address, he should start by setting an example right here in the United States, Libertarians say.

"Freedom, like charity, begins at home," said Joseph Seehusen, executive director of the Libertarian Party.

"Unfortunately George Bush has given America a lot more government -- and a lot less freedom -- over the past four years. We're challenging him to change course in his second term and set Americans free."

Boycott the Census

Does the government have any business knowing what race your are? What income bracket you are in? or if you have memory problems? The national LP says no.

For more information:

http://www.lp.org/action/censusboycott.html

Occasionally, we win one

Submitted by Norm:

For more than a year now, the City of Northglenn, or I should say the politicians in office in Northglenn have been planning to build a $32 million recreation center.  Among other incredibly dumb features, the new center would include two, not just one, but two, NHL (National Hockey League) sized ice skating rinks.  The city, whose population is about 37,000, hired several development professionals (?) and retained several consulting firms to sell the project to the citizenry.

On October 28, at a long and loud City Council meeting, the city fathers(?) conceded to a referendum so that the citizens of Northglenn could express their opinion on the proposal.  That referendum was held yesterday, January 18, 2005.

Of the 22,677 registered voters who reside in Northglenn, 2,511 actually made it to the polls; that's about an 11% turnout.  This large turnout carried the day for the average citizen, as 1,262 of those voting opposed the new center versus the 1,249 who favored it.  Thus, by 13 votes, which is 6 one hundredths of one percent of the registered voters, the citizens of Northglenn will be spared the $300 per household annual property tax burden required for debt service, and who knows how much additional tax burden required for annual operating subsidies.

Those who actively opposed this measure must congratulate themselves.  However, we must not languish in the sunshine for long; as there are many more battles out there that need to be fought.  It is just nice to know that winning is possible; but only as long as we keep fighting.