On the heels of The Denver Post naming Erie Rising, an anti-fracking group formed by local concerned mothers, among its “Top Thinkers of 2012,” the mayor of Erie apparently thought it would be a good idea to throw these forward-minded community leaders under the bus.
Nice career move.
Erie Mayor Joe Wilson wrote a Feb. 5 editorial for the Post about why Erie Rising, one of the groups that was on the leading edge of questioning the possible negative health and safety impacts of hydraulic fracturing, is just dead wrong.
While we agree with his claim that the standards for research and reporting at the state’s biggest newspaper have naturally waned in the wake of the 2009 death of its competitor, the Rocky Mountain News, we can’t abide the rest of his guest editorial, which flies in the face of the direction the rest of us are going when it comes to fracking.
Granted, the misguided actions of a few activists in harassing oil and gas employees after a 2012 Boulder County commissioners’ meeting were ill-advised. But sometimes, when elected leaders won’t listen to the people, stronger methods are required.
We understand it is mildly annoying to our public representatives when citizens don’t adhere to the strict three-minute public comment rules and take to the streets or, God forbid, wield signs and exercise their rights to protest and assemble, but Joe and other elected officials need to wake up and smell the methane.
The people are demanding answers and action, and when government officials decline to respond, top thinkers take matters into their own hands.
ROMANOFF COCKTAIL
We took special notice of the fact that former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff has launched a bid for Congress, filing as a candidate from the 6th Congressional District.
As we reported in February 2010, when Romanoff was running against Michael Bennet for the U.S. Senate, it was an uphill battle. Bennet was the anointed one, the favored son when it came to Washington connections and donations from the Democratic Party and corporate interests. He was perceived as the chosen candidate when President Barack Obama came to Colorado to stump on his behalf at an event co-sponsored by the Colorado Democratic Party, even though that organization is supposed to remain neutral in a contested primary.
Sure enough, despite the fact that Romanoff seemed to have more grassroots support among the people of Colorado, Bennet won. We perceived it as yet another example of big money winning out.
So now Romanoff is hoping to win the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, who was just re-elected to a second term last fall.
We wish him the best of luck. It is one of the wealthiest districts in the country, but it has reportedly become less of a GOP stronghold after the redistricting prompted by the 2010 Census.
Here’s to Romanoff overcoming the big-money interests this time around.
FLOATING A CONCERT IDEA
For all of those stoners who listened to the band Yes in the 1970s and 1980s, high as a kite in a tent in the woods or at one of the group’s concerts, times have changed.
We got a press release announcing that the band has, um, changed its approach.
The group is going to kick off a new tour by performing three of its classic albums live on a cruise ship. Yes, a cruise ship.
Apparently the generation of Yes followers has sobered up and gotten richer.
The maritime gig, dubbed “Cruise to the Edge” in an apparent nod to one of the albums the band will be performing — Close to the Edge, is slated for March 25-30.
The other two albums that will be performed live? We forget because reading the press release gave us a trippy flashback. Those of you who still have enough brain cells left can Google it.
Maybe the members of Rush will be inspired to compete by launching a tour via spaceship.
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