The Greeley Tribune had some reader editorials on Scott Renfroe, Angie Paccione and Dale Hall.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, except for one comment.  What does it say about a person if the only qualification they have worth talking about is experience?

In a widely UNDER REPORTED story Colorado lawmakers latest attempts to make seat belt laws a primary offense didn’t make it through the state house.

Personally, I’m against this law and any laws of this nature. Wearing seat belts is a fine idea, and most of us do it most of the time. This law is just a thinly veiled attempt to move us closer to a Papers Please society where law enforcement can harrass anyone for anything. The US government spends millions if not billions every year on seat belt enforcement with programs like Click it or Ticket, money which would be much better spent attempting to alleviate traffic problems and finding alternative, safer ways of transportation. Instead of doing something constructive the government seems much more intent on intimidation and bullying it’s citizens.

Fortunately this is one step towards totalitarianism that we didn’t take (yet)

ColoradoPols has a list of election dates
that I will republish here for local readers.

2006 Election: Key Dates

• Jan. 23: Last day to affiliate
  with a political party in order to vote in the precinct caucus.
• March 21: Precinct Caucus Day.
• March 27: First day to begin circulating candidate petitions for Primary Election.
• April 1-20: County Assemblies (click for Democrat or Republican)
• Mid-May: Congressional District Assemblies.
• May 20: State Assembly (both parties).
• May 25: Last day to file candidate petitions for Primary Election.
• July 10: Last day to register to vote for the primary election.
• July 28: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary election if the ballot is to be mailed.
• July 29: Early voting begins for the primary election.
• Aug. 4: Last day for early voting; last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary election if the ballot is not to be mailed.
• Aug. 8: Primary Election Day.
• Oct. 10: Last day to register to vote for the General Election.
• Oct. 23: Early voting begins
• Oct. 27: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the General Election if mailed.
• Nov. 3: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the General Election if not mailed.
• Nov. 3: Last day for early voting.
• Nov. 7: Election Day.

Two southern Colorado Democrats are attempting to pass a new law. This law will restrict protests at funerals. This appears to be in direct response to an incident here in Greeley at the funeral of a local soldier, Pfc Tyler MacKenzie. There is a ‘Christian’ faction, followers of a man named Fred Phelps (I won’t like directly to his site - I don’t want to send him any more traffic. If you want to see his rhetoric, Google it.) who are adamantly anti-gay and believe the war in Iraq is somehow related to the current tolerance of homosexuality in the United States. Representatives of these people attempted to stage a protest at the funeral of Private MacKenzie back in Februray.

While I find any protest at a funeral morally reprehensible and extremely discourteous to any family, passing a law further eroding 1st Amendment rights is NOT the answer. It boggles the mind how both sides of the political spectrum (Republicans and Democrats) are both supporting the continued limiting of our civil rights. It makes me wonder what kind of laws would be on the books if the current political oppression was in place during the Vietnam war. It’s sad that some Americans have so little respect for the men and women that would stand up for their rights and protect their country that they would choose to protest during a funeral. It is even sadder that our political climate would let these men and women die in vain by removing the very rights they fight for. The sad fact is that to protect our freedoms we have to embrace the rights of protesters like these, not silence them.

The whole issue is best summed up in this quote by Tyler’s grandfather Emmett MacKenzie when he learned protesters would be at the funeral: “You know, they have that right. That’s why Tyler gave his life.”

Last Friday, the Colorado legislature passed a ban on smoking in most buildings open to the public. While this isn’t really a local issue anymore, I wanted to make a few comments.

While I personally feel that smoking is an unhealthy, smelly habit, and admit that I prefer a non-smoking environment to a smoking environment, I’m not sure how I feel about this law. On one hand it makes for a nicer environment, on the other it tells business owners how to run their business and interferes with the free market. Tobacco has been on the government and public hit lists for some time, with good reason. I anticipate in the next 5 - 10 years it will become completely illegal. Although this is probably a good thing for the health of american citizens, where will it stop? How long before fried foods are outlawed? How long before riding a motorcycle is too dangerous? How long before we have legislation forcing us to get 8 hours of sleep a night?

The most interesting thing I find about the smoking ban issue is that it’s so non-partisan. This bill was actually introduced by a republican. I would think that the democrats would fight it just to cause problems, perhaps standing up for individual rights. All of the news reports I’ve read and seen don’t list any dissenting voices. Even the ACLU is quiet. They will stand up for gay marriage because it’s popular, but not a peep is heard to defend business owner’s rights when states start passing restrictive legislation. Hypocrites.

One of our local state representatives, Jim Riesberg, who represents District 50 will have a community forum on Retirement and Aging issues on Saturday, March 18 2006

Community Forum on Retirement and Aging Issues

Saturday, March 18, 2006

9-10:30 am

Location: Garden Square at Westlake, 3151 20th Street, Greeley

Topics discussed at this forum will include PERA and the Senior Homestead Exemption, in addition to other retirement and aging issues.

Unfortunately, being a Saturday morning when the weather may actually be nice, I probably won’t attend.

For those of you (who may be like me) that aren’t in the know here is some background on the issues.

From the Boulder County Website

Colorado’s Senior Homestead Exemption Program is designed to provide property tax relief for seniors who have owned and lived in their homes for ten years. Due to the current State budget crisis, funding for this program has been suspended for 2003 through 2006. Qualifying seniors will not receive property tax relief from this program in those years. We do encourage eligible seniors to apply for the program.

PERA is the Public Employees Retirement Association

PERA provides retirement and other benefits to the employees of more than 390 government agencies and public entities in the state of Colorado. PERA is the 23rd largest public pension plan in the United States. (Ranking provided by Pension and Investments Magazine, reported in January 2003.)

Unfortunately I had to Google this information up for myself. Would seem like representative Riesberg’s site could offer more information about some of the issues… we’ll get back to that later.