ProgressNow Daily News Digest

Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

More stories in National/Military | Colorado/Military

TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

More stories in National/Military | Colorado/Military

TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

More stories in National/Military | Colorado/Military

TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

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TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

More stories in National/Military | Colorado/Military

TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

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CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f005a6d068236221960.txt Stan Garnett, the district attorney for Boulder County, has been eying the office of Colorado Attorney General for a few years. But what really pushed him to make a run for the position, he said, was watching incumbent John Suthers engage in what to Garnett amounted to partisan politics. “He gets sidetracked into lots of partisan battles,” Garnett said. “I think that’s a misuse of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.” As attorney general, Suthers supported a Nebraska law that would have banned gay marriage and joined a case involving the Pledge of Allegiance at schools in Virginia. Then, this spring, Suthers joined a case brought in Florida to challenge federal health care reform — calling it unconstitutional.

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909990/1001 The Eagle River Fire Protection District board of directors unanimously signed a resolution in opposition to three ballot issues that will go before voters in the November election. The district board is calling on Eagle County voters to vote “no” on all three issues. “If any or all of these ill-framed measures pass voter approval on Nov. 2, our district will suffer substantial revenue reductions, and our ability to function effectively and provide a basic level of service will be impaired,” said district manager Charlie Moore. “Amendment 60 alone would mean a loss of $1.4 million. If that were to happen, the public should expect the closure of at least two fire stations; that amount pays for about 20 firefighters in our district.” Amendment 60 seeks to change the laws related to property taxes. Amendment 61 prohibits state government entities from borrowing capital. Proposition 101 reduces vehicle ownership taxes and caps 911 fees. The proposals target all units of government, but locally funded special districts would especially be impacted, district officials say.

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Tax_activists_cry_foul_over_Blue_Book/ The backers of three anti-tax ballot initiatives accused the Legislature's staff of bias Wednesday over the official information book that voters will receive in the mail. State legislators approved the book, known as the Blue Book, in a special hearing Wednesday. It will be printed and mailed to voters this month. The Blue Book is important because voters often use it as an impartial guide to the election. Courts also refer to the Blue Book as evidence in lawsuits over voter-approved laws. Proponents of a trio of tax-cutting measures said it was unfair for the Legislature's staff to include predictions on the combined effect of all three if they pass. The analysis also shows that if all three measures pass, almost all of the state general fund would have to be dedicated to education, leaving nothing for prisons, colleges and health care. The ballot questions, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, cut various taxes and fees and prohibit most government borrowing.

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/moffat-county-school-board-wary-ballot-initiatives/ The Moffat County School Board declared unanimous opposition on Aug. 26 to three ballot initiatives. The three proposed measures, Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101, are aimed at cutting taxes and fees, and eliminating state borrowing. They will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot throughout the state. Opponents — which now include the school board — say the initiatives, if passed, could jeopardize Colorado’s per-pupil funding and hinder schools’ ability to purchase big-ticket items, such as computers. If passed, Amendment 60 would cut school district mill levies in half. The amendment would also allow voters to revisit, and perhaps roll back, voter approvals of tax increases from previous elections.

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909960/1051 It's Round Three in the government's battle to have a Colorado Springs activist answer questions about his role getting tax-slashing measures onto state ballots. Douglas Bruce has a hearing Thursday morning in a contempt-of-court case. The government wants to compel Bruce to talk about whether he helped some tax opponents shepherd three tax-cutting proposals onto ballots this fall. Bruce engineered the campaign to pass Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which limits government spending. Bruce has said he had no involvement in the ballot initiatives and wasn't trying to avoid subpoenas. That lawsuit is pending on appeal.

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/council_moves_to_ban_pot_retai Grand Junction city council members have signaled their desire to do away with medical marijuana dispensaries. After taking public testimony about the dispensaries, council members decided on Aug. 18 that they — and not the voters — would decide the fate of the shops. That fate now appears be to shuttering the businesses within city limits, according to council members at a workshop Wednesday night. Centers that grow medical marijuana and cook edible medical marijuana products may also perish under the axe. City Attorney John Shaver said city staff would recommend that if council members banned pot shops, it would only make sense to ban the commercial supply chain. While the seven members did not vote on either of those issues Wednesday night, a majority of council members said they would support banning medical marijuana shops and directed city staff to draft a resolution to that end. The council will vote on that resolution during a mid-September meeting.

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

http://telluridenews.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7effff0d857898153756.txt New legislation regulating Colorado’s budding medical marijuana industry is leaving local dispensary owners and county officials in a grey area, as dispensaries try to meet a new requirement that they cultivate at least 70 percent of their cannabis on site or at an “optional premises cultivation operation.” A number of Telluride dispensaries are turning to unincorporated county land to set up these operations, which leaves the county grappling with how to regulate grow operations. Jeff Barnes owns Kokopelli Wellness Center on Colorado Avenue. He recently started two grow operations in unincorporated San Miguel County to meet the requirement that went into effect this week. “These facilities cost tens of thousands of dollars,” he said during a county work session on Wednesday. “I have millions of dollars on the edge of being ready to harvest.”

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909994/1001 One Carbondale town trustee suggests a confidential special review committee to consider where commercial-scale medical marijuana grows can be located and how they should operate. “If we have multiple sites, each one is going to be different,” Trustee John Foulkrod said during continued discussion Tuesday night about various zoning amendments intended to regulate medical marijuana facilities in Carbondale. “That would allow all of the issues to be discussed, and allow the process to be confidential,” Foulkrod said, suggesting a committee made up of key town staff, including the police chief and building official, and maybe one or two elected trustees.

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15962955 The National Guard supplied two helicopters -- a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a Bell OH-58 Kiowa -- to airlift the plants from the discovered marijuana fields using cargo nets. It took the pilots 10 trips to move all the marijuana plants and irrigation equipment from the growing operations, near the towns of Riverside and Raymond, to a loading area near Colo. 7 and Colo. 72, said sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough. From there, he said, authorities planned to load the marijuana into a dump truck and drive it to an undisclosed location to be burned. SWAT officers with Boulder County and Longmont police reported finding 3,500 marijuana plants worth $500,000 on Monday and an even larger stretch of 4,000 marijuana plants covering about five acres on Tuesday. After a hiker stumbled upon some of the plants last week, officers found the marijuana fields and launched a massive search for man, believed to be heavily armed, who was suspected of being involved in the illegal growing operations, Brough said.

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23273 About 30 law enforcement and U.S. Forest Service personnel took two days to completely harvest and clean out the largest illegal marijuana growing operation in Boulder County history. On Wednesday morning, a Colorado National Guard helicopter hauled out load after load of tarps packed to the brim with the harvested plants from the sophisticated operation. The helicopter dropped the loads in an open area near Colo. Highway 7 and Colo. Highway 72, the Peak-to-Peak Highway. The force of wind from the helicopter’s blades sent grit and the unmistakable odor of the plants wafting through the air. Drug officers — some masked — hefted the tarps into a Boulder County Road Maintenance dump truck, which took the plants to an undisclosed location to be incinerated, said Cmdr. Rick Brough, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/disability-coalition-rips-candidate-over-ada-remark/14228/ The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition today ripped a legislative candidate who said that after he remodeled his restaurant bathroom to comply with federal law he would think “you better use my d*** bathroom!” when customers in wheelchairs “rolled in.” Don Beezley is the Republican candidate in House District 33. “It amazes me that a business owner would publicly show his resentment against any segment of the population, particularly one that tends to have disposable income and spent $35 billion in restaurants nationally in 2003,” said Joe Beaver, president of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition and a retired accountant. The Spot reported yesterday that Broomfield Democrats had launched a website to call attention to what they considered “bizarre” comments by Bailey. Included was his criticism of the Americans with Disabilities Act .

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968474 Maria Teresa "Terry" Fox was appointed to the Colorado Court of Appeals on Wednesday by Gov. Bill Ritter. Fox, of Wheat Ridge, has been an assistant U.S. attorney since 2004 working on civil litigation specializing in the environment and constitutional cases. Fox is replacing appeals Judge Sean Connelly, who is returning to private practice in Washington, D.C. The appointment is effective Jan. 11 for a provisional term of two years. After that, her retention depends on voters.

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15965083 Broomfield County Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a Web site listing what they call "the bizarre views" of Don Beezley, the Republican running against state Rep. Dianne Primavera. Beezley is opposing the two-term Democratic incumbent in House District 33, which covers Broomfield and parts of southeast Boulder County. The site, BizarreBeezley.com, quotes extensively from comments Beezley posted to a blog sponsored by the Ludwig von Mises Institute, a think tank devoted to advancing libertarian economic and political policy. Democrats say the quotes show Beezley holds extreme views he is trying to hide while campaigning. Beezley counters that the attacks show Democrats are desperate. "It shows the Democrats think they are going to lose the election, and they're right, so they're lashing out in radical, immature ways," he said.

Colorado says Arapahoe County not following law on mail-in ballots - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968559 The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday sought an injunction to force officials in Arapahoe County to follow a new law requiring mail-in ballots to be accepted at every polling location. The injunction was filed in Arapahoe County District Court on behalf of the Colorado secretary of state. Legislation passed in 2009 requires that counties provide a way for people to drop off mail-in ballots at all polling places. Secretary of State Bernie Buescher said Arapahoe County is the only county in Colorado refusing to do so. "Sixty-three of our counties are fine with this," Buescher said. "We've worked with them to come up with ways to minimize their costs."

Panel: Ritter administration job searches don’t violate Amend. 41 - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15966112 A state ethics commission has informed lame-duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches.

Ritter staff’s job searches raise issue that riles critic of ethics law - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_15968558 A state ethics commission has informed lame- duck Gov. Bill Ritter and his staff that prospective employers can pick up their travel expenses during job searches but to exercise caution. The Independent Ethics Commission suggested the governor and his staffers seek permission on a case-by-case basis in those situations where there is a concern the expenses would violate an ethics ban voters approved in 2006. Ritter, a Denver Democrat who opted against seeking a second term, leaves office in January. He asked whether he and his staff could accept "travel, meals and lodging" offered during job searches. Former state Sen. Andy McElhany, a critic of the Amendment 41 ethics law approved by voters in 2006 , said it was ludicrous that a term-limited official and his staff have to get permission from a state agency when looking for new jobs.

Colorado ed board weighs disclosure of criminal allegations against teachers - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968471 Colorado's parents are among the last to know when a local educator is in trouble with the law, the chairman of the State Board of Education said Wednesday. Bob Schaffer said a number of factors are often preventing parents from being informed of the alleged criminal activity of a teacher. Those include privacy statutes that prevent the Colorado Department of Education and local school districts from disclosing criminal allegations. The avalanche of reports every school district gets from the state each week about possible crimes committed by educators — many of which are minor in scope — is also often too huge to sift through, Schaffer said.

Colorado officials describe maze of complexitities behind teacher arrest notifications | coloradoan.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020365/Colorado-officials-describe-maze-of-complexitities-behind-teacher-arrest-notifications State Board of Education members spent 3½ hours Wednesday hearing about the complex maze that must be managed before parents and community members can be told about the arrests of licensed teachers in Colorado and the existing loopholes that could allow some arrests and convictions of licensed educators to go unnoticed altogether. "What I've learned is a little bit shocking," said Bruce Caughey, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives. "We have a very complex, many-layered system that would never have been designed the way it played out in real life." The state board called the special study session after the Coloradoan discovered this summer that education officials were largely ignoring a 2008 law requiring them to alert school districts and charter schools whenever licensed educators were arrested. Caughey was among those representing about half a dozen organizations that attended the special study session, including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Public Schools and the Colorado Press Association.

News : Never again - or yet again? (Montrose, CO)

http://montrosepress.com/articles/2010/09/02/news/doc4c7f0edb4683c099937933.txt Montrose is far removed from atrocities occurring in Sudan and - by the passage of time - from the wholesale murder of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and others in Nazi Germany. But Montrose shouldn’t be removed from addressing the global problem of genocide, says Roz Duman, who brought her “Ride Against Genocide” campaign here Wednesday.

Broomfield hosting 9/11 ceremony on ninth anniversary of attacks - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/broomfield-news/ci_15964914 Broomfield will host a 9/11 memorial ceremony next weekend, on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Wasthington, D.C. The 20-minute ceremony will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 11 at the 9/11 Memorial, next to Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road. Hosted by the Broomfield Police Department, North Metro Fire Rescue District and the City and County of Broomfield, it will also feature the North Metro and Broomfield police Honor Guards, bagpipers and a bugler.

Holy Cross seeks boost in renewable energy | AspenTimes.com

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909975/1001 The power company that serves a large portion of the Roaring Fork Valley is trying to significantly boost the amount of renewables in its power mix by enlisting help from entrepreneurs. Holy Cross Energy issued a request for proposals this week for up to 10 megawatts of generation from renewable sources. It wants proposals submitted by Jan. 31, 2011. The power sources must be located within the Holy Cross service area, which includes the Roaring Fork and Eagle valleys and the Interstate 70 corridor west of Glenwood Springs. Realistically, any proposals will likely be for solar farms, biomass plants and hydro-electric projects, said Del Worley, Holy Cross CEO. A wind farm of significant size probably isn't feasible in the area at this time, he said.

Craig Daily Press / Oil and gas company sentenced for bird deaths

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2010/sep/02/oil-and-gas-company-sentenced-bird-deaths/ EnCana Oil and Gas Inc., a company based in Denver, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Aug. 26 for two misdemeanor violations regarding the deaths of about 55 federally protected migratory birds in Colorado and Wyoming. The company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the deaths of the birds, including waterfowl and owls, in natural gas well reserve pits and wastewater storage facilities, according to a news release. The court sentenced the company to pay a total of $200,000 in fines and community service payments for the violations, which occurred in the past four years, after reaching a plea agreement, according to the release. The violations occurred at facilities in Colorado’s Piceance Basin, located south of Moffat County, and the Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln Counties of Wyoming.

Group sues feds over lesser prairie chicken | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909959/1051 A conservation group is suing to try to win federal protection for the lesser prairie chicken, a bird about the same size as domestic chickens found in the grasslands of Colorado and neighboring states. A lawsuit filed by WildEarth Guardians Wednesday in federal court in Denver is challenging the Interior Department's decision last year that the bird's listing on the endangered species list is warranted but is a lower priority than other species. The group says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office responsible for the region where the prairie chicken is found hasn't listed any species since 2005. Besides Colorado, the birds are found in grasslands in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas. Biologists estimate there are about 40,000 breeding birds left.

County receives funding from severance tax payouts | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909969/1051 Weld County received about $765,000 and Weld towns got another $940,000 from the annual state Severance Tax and Mineral Lease District Distribution payments announced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Wednesday. Susan Kirkpatrick, executive director of DOLA, said $37 million is being distributed to 506 Colorado counties, municipalities and school districts. The distribution comes from revenue from the Local Government Severance Tax Fund and Federal Mineral Lease Fund. Weld school districts got about $91,500. Monica Mika, Weld finance director, said those funds were not among the latest budget cuts announced last month by the state. Only specialized grant money were frozen by the latest round of cuts.

Interim rules expected on modified sugar beets. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967704 The Department of Agriculture plans to have interim rules governing genetically modified sugar beets in place by the end of the year after a judge revoked the government's approval of the plants last month. The USDA also said it is giving priority to completion of a study on Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready sugar-beet seeds for potential reapproval within two years. A federal judge in August threw out the approval of the crop for commercial planting, saying the department hadn't properly considered potential environmental impacts.

Should Colorado ski areas require helmets on kids? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968389 California and New Jersey are poised to adopt the nation's first-ever laws requiring all kids under 18 years old to wear helmets while skiing. Could Colorado, the nation's ski capital, be next? No legislation is under consideration here, but helmets already are virtually ubiquitous on the state's younger skiers. "To me, this is the law catching up to where people already are. Very few kids don't have helmets these days," said Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, which supported the California bill and operates the Heavenly ski area in the state. His company, with four ski areas in Colorado, would support similar rules here.

Survey shows growth slowed in Colo. in aug. - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15967701 A survey of supply managers shows the pace of growth may be slowing in the state, according to the August Colorado Business Conditions Index from Creighton University. The August index dipped to 53, down from 56.2 in July and 68.4 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below indicates contracting conditions. "Colorado is not benefiting as much from the energy-industry expansion as Utah and Wyoming. Computer and electronic-component manufacturers in the state continue to lose jobs even with a slight uptick in new orders. Manufacturers in the state are expanding output without any new hiring as a result of productivity growth," said Creighton economist Ernie Goss.

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Durango Herald News, Internet proposal creates divide

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Internet_proposal_creates_divide/ A $27 million stimulus grant sought by a new company that hopes to improve Internet access speeds for residents in Durango and many rural areas in Southwest Colorado could either be the best or worst thing that has happened to the region in some time, depending on whom you ask. The company, Southwest Colorado Broadband, and its Denver-based principals, Michael McHale and Tom French, hope to bring high-speed Internet access to some of the area's more rural residents, who can surf the Web using only slow dial-up connections or satellite service. Residents and businesses in the more densely populated areas, such as Durango, also would see faster connection speeds through the fiber optics-based broadband Internet service infrastructure the company hopes to build. But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about making that happen is controversial. "This didn't come from the community," Phil Bryson, founder of local Internet service provider Brainstorm, said of Southwest Colorado Broadband's grant application. "It kills me to see there's a potential that this money could hurt instead of help this community."

Bombing brings week’s Carson toll to 7 | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldiers-103949-sgt-staff.html The Pentagon said that five Fort Carson soldiers were killed Monday by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, and two other deaths have been confirmed by family members. The five died Monday when their unit was attacked while on patrol in the Arghandab River Valley, near Kandahar. They were identified as Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, of White, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas; Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio; and Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind., of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis., of the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. Two other deaths confirmed by family members haven't been announced by the Pentagon. Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak died in Afghan combat Monday, his father, Ed Grochowiak, confirmed Wednesday.

More stories in National/Military | Colorado/Military

TOWN SQUARE: (TO APPEAR THURSDAY) | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/guide-103925-ballot-online.html Colorado Springs City Council will hold a special formal session today at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. to vote on whether to put three questions on the November ballot. In question is whether voters want to let the city keep about $600,000 in revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded under TABOR; whether money collected under the Trails, Open Space and Parks Tax (TOPS) can be used for maintenance on all city parks and trails; and whether the city should change its governing structure to create a strong mayor.

Community kicks off push for school mill levy ballot question | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909990/1001 To kick off a campaign to extend a portion of a property tax mill levy benefiting the Summit School District, numerous community members and officials — even a student or two — gathered Tuesday at the Summit County Community and Senior Center. The Summit Board of Education recently voted unanimously to go to local voters with a school funding measure in November. Due to cuts, declines in revenue and new initiatives on the ballot that could further affect school funding, the school district is now asking voters to help make up the difference with a $2.1 million mill levy. The annual cost to a property owner with a $400,000 home would be $34.50. “So much depends on what happens in November,” said board member Margaret Carlson at the Tuesday meeting. According to Citizens for Strong Summit Schools chairperson Sue Wilcox, the mill levy could go to maintain or to back-fill the school district's budget depending on a plethora of issues.

Complaint filed against Alderden | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020366/Election-violation-charge-filed-against-Larimer-Sheriff-Alderden The chairman of the Larimer County Democratic Party has filed a formal complaint with state elections officials alleging that Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has misused taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the man he wants to replace him. Alderden strongly rejected the complaint, saying he has "scrupulously" avoided blurring the lines. William Russell of Fort Collins said in his complaint to the secretary of state that Alderden sent multiple e-mails from his county account to the three men running to replace him, discussing arrangements for a debate he was planning to moderate next week.

Sheriff’s race: Dalessandri and Winters team up | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20100902/VALLEYNEWS/100909997/1001 Garfield County sheriff candidate Tom Dalessandri announced on Wednesday that he has picked former Republican candidate Doug Winters to be undersheriff if Dalessandri wins the November election. In announcing the choice, Dalessandri described Winters as his “running mate” in the campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Sheriff Lou Vallario, who defeated Winters in the Aug. 10 Republican party primary by the narrow margin of 2,308 for Vallario and 2,230 for Winters. Dalessandri is a Democrat and former two-term holder of the sheriff's job, from 1994 to 2002. The last time Dalessandri and Vallario met in an election, Vallario took the job from Dalessandri after a hard-fought campaign. Vallario won by a margin of 7,567 to 6,067, or 56 to 44 percent.

Treasurer sees spike in Eagle County delinquent taxes | VailDaily.com

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100901/NEWS/100909989/1001 The Eagle County Treasurer's Office is seeing a large increase in the number of delinquent mobile home and personal property taxes compared to last year. The office is working to make property owners aware of the collection process in order to save them from additional fees on past-due accounts. All property taxes unpaid as of June 15 are considered delinquent and are accruing monthly interest penalties. Delinquent tax notices were mailed the first week of July, with follow-up notices mailed the first week of August. Any mobile home or personal property taxes that were still delinquent Aug. 20 were advertised in the newspaper, which added a fee of $10 to each account. Mobile homes will be advertised a second time in October, adding another $10 to the amount owed.

County close to inking deal for new building | Colorado Springs Gazette, CO

http://www.gazette.com/articles/county-103981-sellers-million.html After getting concessions from the sellers, El Paso County officials are scheduled to sign a $25 million contract at the end of the month to purchase several buildings and a parking garage on the former Intel campus on Garden of the Gods Road. Among other issues, the sellers of the campus have agreed to give the county a $2.52 million credit against the purchase price to help with the cost of converting the chip manufacturer’s complex electrical system. The sellers also will give the county a $350,000 credit to repair the roof and have agreed to dismantle a pedestrian bridge connecting the administration building with a chip fabrication facility. The county will pay for the purchase with the sale of bonds and other securities.

Summer shaping up to be one of hottest on record | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020364/Summer-shaping-up-to-be-one-of-hottest-on-record With sunny skies and highs in the 90s expected in Fort Collins on Saturday and Sunday, Labor Day weekend will put a toasty bookend on what has been the fifth-hottest summer in the city's history. The top five hottest summers on record in Fort Collins all have occurred in the last decade, according Colorado Climate Center data. The hottest summer season - June, July and August - on record was 2006, with an average temperature of 72.8 degrees, followed closely by 2002, 2007, 2001 and 2010. The average temperature this summer was 71.3 degrees. Colorado State Climatologist Nolan Doesken said he is still pondering the meaning of these statistics. He said it remains unclear what's behind the warming trend in Fort Collins. Part of it is likely all the urban development that has grown up around CSU's weather station since it was installed 122 years ago, creating a "heat island" at the university.

Fairgrounds turn gray and white - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_71bc4294-b654-11df-946f-001cc4c002e0.html A sea of gray and white hair filled the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Wednesday as free admission to anyone 60-and-older helped push up attendance at the Fair’s midpoint. Entertainment began on the Pepsi Stage early in the morning as the Fountain Valley Harmonizers from the Fountain Valley Senior Center performed and the day climaxed with a concert by 72-year-old Charley Pride in the Events Center. Sandy Franklin, 67, of Fountain said the singing group, composed of 26 members at full force, has performed at the Fair for 15 years, the past five years on senior day. The group started off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner and other patriotic tunes, then went on to country songs, donning Willie Nelson-style braids for effect.

More stories in National/Economy | Colorado/Economy

CU chosen to help with study on climate change and wildfires - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966192 Researchers from the University of Colorado will partner with colleagues at other schools to study fire and climate change in forests in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. A $3.85 million grant from the National Science Foundation is funding the project. CU-Boulder geography professor Thomas Veblen and his group will examine tree-ring records of past fire frequency and severity, as well as forest regeneration after fire. "In Colorado, if we get good regeneration of aspens following a fire, that tends to reduce fire spread in the future," Veblen said.

CU-Boulder researchers receive $2M grant to develop ‘living wall’ - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_15966583 In the not-too-distant future, a building could slash its traditional energy consumption by up to 95 percent by installing high-tech walls that essentially breathe to control the inside temperature, according to a proposal by a team of researchers at the University of Colorado. Officials with the National Science Foundation announced Wednesday that CU was chosen to receive a $1.97 million grant to develop technology for a "living wall." The wall, as the CU team of engineers and architects proposes, would use channels of advanced polymers to naturally heat or cool homes similar to how the human body regulates its temperature. "What we are envisioning is actually having a wall that has a vascular network inside," said Kurt Maute, an associate professor with CU's aerospace engineering sciences department.

CMHIP patient death case can go forward - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_59e5ca9c-b653-11df-8d64-001cc4c002e0.html A district judge on Wednesday authorized that evidence be collected for the recent in-custody death of a patient at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. Judge David Crockenberg signed a search warrant allowing the Pueblo District Attorney's office to collect evidence in the Aug. 10, death of Troy Allen Geske, 41. According to the court document, Geske was in treatment at the state hospital and had to be restrained. He was allegedly put in a "four-point restraint" or a "prone restraint" where "the hands are restrained behind the subject's back and the subject's feet are restrained and attached to the subject's hands."

Prosecutor gets seat on court bench | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/NEWS01/9020350/Prosecutor-gets-seat-on-court-bench Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday appointed prosecutor Tom Lynch to the Larimer County court bench. Lynch, of Fort Collins, will replace retiring Larimer County Court Judge Cynthia M. Hartman effective Nov. 30. Lynch is currently a deputy district attorney in the 8th Judicial District, which serves Larimer and Jackson counties. Prior to that, he was an executive with Snowfly Inc., district director for former Congressman Bob Schaffer, president of JurisDATA Inc. and corporate services executive for Aspen Tree Software. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Wyoming, according to the governor's office.

The Longmont Times-Call - Governor appoints new county judge

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=23274 Gov. Bill Ritter’s Office announced Wednesday that a Boulder District magistrate will replace Boulder County Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen. Norma Sierra was among four judges the governor appointed to the bench Wednesday. The appointment is effective Jan. 11, and Sierra will draw an initial salary of $123,067. Sierra will serve a two-year provisional term before facing a countywide retention vote for a four-year term, if she chooses to pursue it. Sierra was among three candidates the 20th Judicial District Nominating Commission presented to the governor. The other two nominees were former Boulder County prosecutor Ingrid Bakke and Boulder County Magistrate Kristina B. Hansson.

Ritter appoints Thompson district court judge | SummitDaily.com

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909983/1001 Gov. Bill Ritter on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mark Duncan Thompson of Breckenridge as Fifth District Court judge, according to a press release from Ritter's office. Thompson, who's a shareholder of Breckenridge law firm West, Brown, Huntley and Thompson, was selected among three finalists to fill the seat Judge Terry Ruckriegle vacated Aug. 31. Thompson has been with the firm since 1999 and his practice has consisted of construction litigation, property litigation and general civil litigation. He is the co-author of Chapter 27 of the Practitioner's Guide to Colorado Construction Law, according to Law Week Colorado at http://www.lawweekonline.com.

Next Honor Flight ready to take off | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909966/1051 World War II, historians have recorded, was “the most catastrophic war in history.” From the period 1939-45, an estimated 60 million civilians and members of the military were killed. The war came to an official end on Victory over Japan Day, Aug. 14, 1945. Honor Flight Northern Colorado, which takes WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., to see their memorial, will conduct its fifth flight exactly 65 years and one month after VJ Day, Sept. 12-13. A send-off reception for the flight will be conducted from 7-8:15 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Embassy Suites Convention Center, Interstate 25 and Crossroads Boulevard in Loveland. “Though the Aug. 14 date was not widely mentioned around the country, most of the passengers on Honor Flight remember it vividly,” Stan Cass said in a news release. Cass, of Eaton, is a retired Army colonel and a board member of Honor Flight Northern Colorado.

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West Nile cases in county now total 6 this year | GJSentinel.com

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/west_nile_cases_in_county_now Four more people have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the county total this year to six cases, according to the Mesa County Health Department. The one woman and five men who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51. One has meningitis, while the other five have West Nile fever, the Health Department said. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

In Metro State’s 45th year, president cites challenges, progress - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968234 Metropolitan State College of Denver president Stephen Jordan kicked off the school's 45th anniversary celebration Wednesday with a speech touting its growth and predicting continued financial challenges. The school, which opened with 1,189 students in 1965, today educates one-fifth of all enrolled undergraduate resident Coloradans and has an enrollment of 24,059 and 2,400 faculty, staff and administrators, he said. The state has slashed its contribution to higher education over the past two budget years as it wrestled with a $2 billion shortfall. Higher education has been hit hard, and Metro State has lost $10 million in state funding since July 1, 2008. During the same period, Metro State saw a 9.5 percent increase in enrollment. Jordan predicted an additional 15 percent to 25 percent decrease in state funding next year.

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Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105756.html At a State Department ceremony, Clinton evoked a history of failed efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that this round of negotiations will be no easier. But she encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who flanked her at the head of a large U-shaped table, to work through the "sabotage" and other challenges that will likely batter the talks in the year ahead. "By being here today, you each have taken an important step of freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity only you can create," Clinton said. "So thank you - thank you for your courage and commitment." Clinton's remarks began what is planned to be a year-long negotiation to resolve the conflict's most vexing issues, including the status of Jerusalem, the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes inside Israel and the future Palestinian state's final borders.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02israel.html?ref=politics As Mr. Netanyahu joins Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the State Department on Thursday to start direct peace negotiations, Mr. Rubinger’s theory — and it is not his alone — will be tested. Will the Israeli leader who built a career opposing a Palestinian state be the one to help bring it into being? In some fashion, that is Mr. Netanyahu’s own claim — that only someone like himself, with hawkish credentials, can and will produce lasting peace because only such a leader can bring his people with him. “I intend to confound the critics and the skeptics,” Mr. Netanyahu said in July at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. At age 60 and in his second tour as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, who grew up partly outside Philadelphia and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says he did not return to power for the pleasure of it. It is not that pleasurable, he notes, and he aims to get something important done. Even more than his own aides, Mr. Netanyahu seems to believe that a deal can be reached under his guidance. He does not want to hand the negotiations over to committees of experts but to meet personally with Mr. Abbas every two weeks.

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100045/hillary-clinton-launches-israeli.html Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday opened their first direct peace negotiations in 20 months, a long-shot attempt to end the conflict that host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged is burdened by history and bitter disputes. "We've been here before, and we know how difficult the road ahead will be," Clinton said, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the State Department's ornate Benjamin Franklin Room. The two men and President Barack Obama have set a highly ambitious one-year timetable to solve long-intractable disputes over the borders of a Palestinian state, Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the fate of Palestinian refugees and other issues. The talks face a potential crisis point in little more than three weeks, when Netanyahu's moratorium on new settlement construction expires. Abbas, backed by Arab nations, says he'll abandon the talks if Israel resumes settlement construction.

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-mideast-talks-20100902,0,4902632.story President Obama began a new effort Wednesday to coax Israelis and Palestinians toward peace, telling Middle East leaders on the eve of renewed negotiations that with sustained American help, a comprehensive deal can be sealed within a year. Obama, who presided over a day of meetings at the White House, acknowledged obstacles to the talks and widespread pessimism after decades of failure. But the president and his team also pointed to signs of progress and reasons for optimism. "This is a moment of opportunity that must be seized," Obama said in a Rose Garden appearance following separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. "They cannot afford to let it slip away."

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/middleeast/02diplo.html?ref=politics President Obama began his Middle East peace initiative on Wednesday, as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to work to end the conflict that has endured for six decades. In a remarkable tableau at the White House, Mr. Obama, flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and the only two Arab states with whom Israel has made peace, vowed to do everything within his power in the next year to achieve the comprehensive agreement that has eluded negotiators since Israel was established. “We are but five men,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday night. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” He spoke of Anwar el-Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Egyptian and Israeli leaders who lost their lives because they pursued peace; of Jordan’s King Hussein and Israel’s Menachem Begin — “statesmen,” Mr. Obama said, “who imagined the world as it should be.”

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/01/100008/west-bank-settlers-threaten-to.html As President Barack Obama launched top level Middle East peace talks in Washington, Jewish settlers across the West Bank, enraged by the killing of four West Bank settlers, Wednesday held up signs, declaring: "Peace or no peace, we will build" and began breaking an official construction freeze that is essential to the talks. Even before the Arab-Israeli summit began, the issue of expanding Jewish settlements in the mostly Palestinian territory was poised to be the most contentious element in the talks, with West Bank Palestinians threatening to quit them if the government freeze is lifted.

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/03commission.html?ref=business The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to close the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system. “If the crisis has a single lesson, it is that the too-big-to-fail problem must be solved,” Mr. Bernanke said Thursday while testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Mr. Bernanke also said in his testimony that it had been impossible for the Fed to rescue Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy in 2008 because the Wall Street firm lacked sufficient collateral to secure a loan. Lehman’s former chief executive told the panel on Wednesday that the firm could have been saved, but regulators refused to provide help. The Fed chief was presenting his analysis of the crisis and views on potential systemwide risks as the panel approaches the end of its yearlong investigation into the Wall Street meltdown.

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy/2010/09/warren_fuels_speculation_by_dr.html When fall classes began Wednesday at Harvard Law School, Elizabeth Warren was scheduled to be teaching contract law to first-year students. But something happened on the way to the chalkboard. "I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," law school dean Martha Minow wrote to students on Tuesday, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last minute change." Last-minute change? Cue up another round of speculation about whether President Obama is about to tap Warren to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02voting.html?ref=politics Home foreclosures, the epidemic spawned by the crash of the real estate market, are once again a potential election-year bugaboo. With midterm elections nearing, advocacy groups and election officials around the country are concerned that homeowners and renters affected by foreclosure will face complications at the polls, if not ignore the election altogether. They fear the problem may be more prevalent than in 2008 because the number of property foreclosures this year is expected to be more than three million — 30 percent greater than two years ago, according to RealtyTrac, an online foreclosure database. By law, voters must register in the county in which they reside, meaning eligibility is tied to a home address. Foreclosure proceedings, however, can make figuring out which address to use confusing. Some people continue to live in foreclosed homes. Some move out, but maintain a right of redemption on the property. Still others live in temporary housing or move from place to place.

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03rig.html?ref=business The production platform, which was operated by the Houston-based Mariner Energy, was positioned in relatively shallow waters — 340 feet deep — and to the west of where a drilling rig leased by BP blew up and sank this spring, killing 11 people and touching off an environmental calamity. All 13 members of the work crew on board Thursday were accounted for, the Coast Guard said, though the injured worker’s condition was not immediately known. The crew were pulled from the water by a civilian boat that had been in the area, the Crystal Clear, and taken to a nearby rig, Coast Guard officials said. Rescuers, who arrived about an hour after receiving reports of the explosion, took the crew to Terrebone General Medical Center in Houma, La. It was unclear whether the platform was in danger of foundering, or whether the explosion had set off any oil leaks.

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/education/02duncan.html?ref=politics A chartered bus adorned with slogans about “Hope” and “Dreams” was rumbling through this part of the country this week, carrying a public servant who made regular stops to greet mayors and local television cameras. No, Education Secretary Arne Duncan is not a candidate for office. But yes, his bus tour through Maine, New Hampshire and other Northeast states had all the trappings of a political campaign. Mr. Duncan’s tour, coinciding with back-to-school season, was billed as a way to honor teachers. But the road trip also felt like a victory lap after last week’s announcement that nine states and the District of Columbia had won the Race to the Top, the Obama administration’s most prized education initiative. The competition was the rarest of rarities: a government grant program that became a household phrase, and brought arcane education policy onto morning television shows.

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business Back-to-school season started off on sale, with retailers receiving new merchandise in August, and then marking it down to get it out the door. That led to a decent 3.3 percent increase in revenue at retail stores open at least a year, according to a summary of 27 retailers by Thomson Reuters, above the 2.5 percent increase that analysts expected. A 3 percent increase and above “represents a healthy U.S. consumer,” said Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research for Thomson Reuters. The August increase is also being compared with a month a year ago in which sales declined 2.8 percent. All of the discounting was a troubling sign for the fall and holiday seasons. To make it through the worst of the recession, retailers cut prices aggressively, which hurt their profits. They say they have learned their lesson and are trying to retrain consumers to buy at full price by having fewer items available, hoping shoppers will buy that brown turtleneck immediately rather than risk not getting it.

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U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090101126.html The U.S. military's war is officially over in Iraq, even as the future of the country remains undecided. The signs of the end were everywhere Wednesday, despite the presence of about 49,000 American troops who remain mostly sequestered on large U.S. bases. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates touched down in the morning at al-Asad Air Base, which was once home to 22,000 Marines and now serves primarily as a takeoff point for planes ferrying troops home from Iraq. He took questions from troops who pressed him with queries about their retirement and health benefits and barely mentioned the war. By afternoon, Gates and Vice President Biden were presiding over what will likely be the war's last four-star change of command. The events served to amplify President Obama's message Tuesday that it was time for the United States to "turn the page" in Iraq.

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-bombings-20100902,0,2681369.story The attacks occur during a march by the religious minority through the streets of Lahore in a traditional mourning ceremony honoring a holy figure. Sunni Muslim groups have frequently targeted Pakistan's Shiites.

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/asia/02talib.html?ref=politics The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December. The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven Americans were killed by the suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in C.I.A. history. Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali ur-Rehman, as “specially designated global terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support to them or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets linked to them.

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03afghan.html?ref=world Airstrikes by NATO forces that killed 12 people on Thursday in northern Afghanistan have produced sharply conflicting accounts as to whether the attacks hit a team of election campaign workers, including the parliamentary candidate himself, or a group connected with an Uzbek terrorist network. Officials in Kabul and in Takhar Province, where the deaths occurred, said two NATO jets fired twice on a convoy of campaign workers. The candidate, Abdul Wahid Khurasani, was among three wounded. “What reaction can I have?,” said Mr. Khurasani by telephone from his hospital bed in Kabul. where he was being treated for minor injuries. “NATO came in, killed my supporters and my campaigners. They are powerful, what can I do? I cannot do anything.” But in a contrasting assessment of the dead, international forces said the airstrike singled out a group connected to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, including a senior leader who is believed to be the deputy shadow government in Takhar.

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Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090107140.html A swarm of customers at the headquarters of Kabul Bank in the Afghan capital on Wednesday raised the prospect of a full-scale bank run that would further alienate dispirited Afghans from their government and imperil American efforts to contain the insurgency. On Thursday morning, scores of Afghans again flooded the Kabul Bank offices to withdraw their savings. The scene was crowded but orderly. At one branch, where government employees were trying to cash their paychecks, the bank staff declared a limit of $1,000 per customer. Later in the day, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement declaring that all government employees would be able to cash their checks from Kabul Bank, which the ministry called "a reliable bank."

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/technology/02fcc.html?ref=politics On the Internet, data moves at the speed of light. The Federal Communications Commission, not so fast. After months spent gathering comments about preserving an open and competitive Internet, the F.C.C. requested more feedback on Wednesday about whether regulations should apply to wireless Internet service. The agency is also asking for comments about one of the most hotly debated Internet regulatory issues: special services that offer to prioritize certain digital traffic for a fee. Those two issues were at the center of a recent proposal by Verizon and Google that generated widespread debate in the telecommunications and Internet communities. Last month, Google and Verizon proposed a framework that would offer some consumer protections for an open Internet but would allow broadband service providers the freedom to speed the delivery of some digital content for a fee.

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/africa/02pirates.html?ref=world With the Shabab militant group sweeping across Somalia and the American-backed central government teetering on life support, Mr. Noor stood on a beach flanked by dozens of pirate gunmen, two hijacked ships over his shoulder, and announced, “From now on we’ll be working together.” He hugged several well-known pirate bosses and called them “brother” and later explained that while he saw the pirates as criminals and eventually wanted to rehabilitate them, right now the Shabab were a much graver threat. “Squished between the two, we have to become friends with the pirates,” Mr. Noor said. “Actually, this is a great opportunity.”

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-senate-20100902,0,5476053.story Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican opponent Carly Fiorina met in a contentious first debate Wednesday that seethed with disputes over their records and covered a broad range of issues from the economy to climate change to abortion rights. For much of the hourlong debate, Boxer kept her opponent on the defensive by steering her answers into scathing critiques of Fiorina's record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, where she fired more than 30,000 workers before she was dismissed in 2005. Asked if, after her three terms in the Senate, it was time to give someone else a turn, Boxer said voters would decide whether to give her another shot "or elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now."

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/morning-fix/-1-2-3-5.html In a report issued this morning, University of Virginia political handicapper Larry Sabato estimated that Republicans will pick up 47 seats in the House on Nov. 2, more than enough to restore the party to majority status at the start of the 112th Congress. "Conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer," writes Sabato. "The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low." He adds: "To most voters--fair or not--it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered." Sabato's prediction comes amid increasingly pessimistic assessments of Democratic chances in the fall from the political prognosticator class.

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100009/gop-will-take-over-house-political.html The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, a top political analyst says in a new forecast Thursday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also says that the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in the Senate, eight governors' offices and 300 to 500 seats in state legislatures. "The numbers are eye-catching. Republicans are dramatically gaining in all categories," Sabato said in an interview. "It's generated by a rotten economy and a strong conservative reaction against President (Barack) Obama." The analysis marks the first time this year that Sabato and the University's Center for Politics have predicted a Republican takeover of the House.

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/politics/02alaska.html?_r=1 The message might have seemed gracious, on its face. “Thank you for your service, Sen. Murkowski,” Sarah Palin wrote on her Twitter account on Tuesday night after Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded to Joe Miller, the political novice Ms. Palin had endorsed in Alaska’s Republican primary. Yet in the same message, Ms. Palin had reveled in Mr. Miller’s stunning upset, writing, “Do you believe in miracles?” It took Sarah Palin just four years to help dismantle the political empire the Murkowski family took three decades to build. In 2006, she ousted Gov. Frank H. Murkowski from the governor’s office, embarrassing him by 30 points in a Republican primary. But the strange tango of tension between Ms. Palin and Ms. Murkowski, two very different women who proved unable to share the small stage that is Alaskan politics, predated even that defeat.

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/joe-miller-obama-moving-americ.html Traditionally, when a candidate wins a party primary by appealing to the base, he or she frequently "runs to the center" in the general election campaign in attempt to draw support from moderates. Alaska GOP Senate candidate Joe Miller, fresh off a stunning upset of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), is apparently not a traditional candidate. In an interview Wednesday with CNN's John King, Miller didn't mince words when asked to describe President Obama in one sentence. "Bad for America," Miller responded without missing a beat. He added that Obama is "one of the major forces moving this country toward socialism."

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-vote-20100902,0,3175717.story The defeat of incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska's Republican primary is another notch in the belt for the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express, a project of Republican consultant Sal Russo. The group is behind a string of major Republican primary surprises this year, including the Senate nominations of Sharron Angle in Nevada and Mike Lee in Utah, who beat incumbent Robert F. Bennett. No other group has so been so ambitious in targeting high-profile races and pulling off primary victories. The Tea Party Express' success has come the old-fashioned way: with hundreds of thousands of dollars in political attack ads. That strategy has made it a divisive player within a movement that some believe should represent a new people-powered politics. But it's also made Tea Party Express a considerable opponent for establishment politicians.

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106940.html The number of illegal immigrants entering the United States plunged by almost two-thirds between 2005 and 2009, a dramatic shift after years of growth in the population, according to the report. In the first half of the decade, an average of 850,000 people a year entered the United States without authorization, according to the report, released Wednesday. As the economy plunged into recession between 2007 and 2009, that number fell to 300,000. The drop has contributed to an 8 percent decrease in the estimated number of illegal immigrants living in the United States, from a peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009, the report said. Of the 11.1 million, 60 percent came from Mexico, 20 percent from other parts of Latin America, 11 percent from Asia, and 8 percent from Africa, Europe, Canada and elsewhere. The new figures come amid a heated national debate over efforts by Arizona and other jurisdictions to identify people who are here illegally and push to have them deported.

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/02/100016/prop-8-supports-press-schwarzenegger.html Proposition 8 supporters are ramping up political — and legal — pressure on Attorney General Jerry Brown and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to defend California's same-sex marriage ban in federal appeals court. The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative law group, petitioned the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Monday to compel Brown and the governor to defend the voter-approved measure. On Wednesday, all 27 Republican state Assembly members released a letter they sent to the governor making similar arguments that Brown has a constitutional duty to defend the measure. If Brown won't act, the lawmakers said, Schwarzenegger should appeal a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090103891.html First, let's get past the risqué cover of Meghan McCain's campaign memoir, "Dirty Sexy Politics." In front and back photos, the daughter of Sen. John McCain is, shall we say, fully engaged with an elephant. On the book's front, the blue-jeaned, barefoot author sits on the pachyderm's trunk as it curls up and locks around her thighs. The photo raises the question: Who's in charge here? That brute symbol of the Republican Party or the free-thinking college grad who brought scandal to her father's 2008 presidential campaign? Flip the book over and you get your answer. On the back, daughter McCain is free of the trunk; now she's dressed in tight black pants and knee-high boots, looking like a seductive animal tamer who has just had the wrestle of her life. The elephant, for his part, is slumped on his belly, staring straight ahead dazed and defeated. Feisty young McCain, apparently, has taught the party a thing or two.

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html?ref=opinion “Dwell time” is military shorthand for the precious home-front visits back to family life that soldiers enjoy between the multiple deployments of modern warfare. The need for enough dwell time — and for a fairer, less stressful distribution of repeat deployments — is a keystone finding in a study of the alarming rise in suicides afflicting the military as it soldiers on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other factors stand out, including the continuing stigmatization of troubled warriors who dare to step forward for help. And, most surprising, perhaps, the lack of a top-level Pentagon office and prevention policy for the hundreds of antisuicide programs now pursued separately by the services. The ambitious, yearlong study by military and civilian experts was ordered by Congress in facing the fact that the suicide tally has been increasing despite intensified prevention programs. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the military killed themselves, with the highest tolls among Army soldiers and Marines carrying the burden on the battlefronts.

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Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/opinion/02thu1.html?ref=opinion New Orleans is rebounding well from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and could conceivably end up on a stronger economic footing than before the storm — if the city redevelops in the right way. For that to happen, federal, state and local authorities must step up the effort to restore flood-damaged neighborhoods, some of which are heavily blighted and still have less than half their prestorm populations.

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Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-informe-20100902,0,5735105.story Fresh off this week's capture of a notorious drug lord, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared Wednesday that his sustained assault on organized crime and efforts to clean up the police were paying off. In the president's annual state of the nation report, delivered in writing to Congress, Calderon cited a string of drug kingpins arrested or killed during the last year as evidence of success in his nearly 4-year-old offensive against the cartels. Although not mentioned specifically in the president's report, the arrest Monday of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, an accused trafficker and hit man known as " Barbie," was another big one.

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090102869.html Obama's Oval Office speech was resolutely nonpolitical in form but profoundly political in its implications. To rescue his party, Obama had to begin rebuilding his popularity, offer hope in a time of economic despair and restore confidence in the course on which he has set the nation. It was an almost impossibly difficult combination of goals, and he tried to achieve them in just 18 minutes. He spoke about war and foreign policy to a country exhausted by combat abroad and focused intensely on economic problems at home. Obama had to present himself as a commander in chief, not as the leader of the Democratic Party, yet the speech could be heard only in the context of an election that is just two months away. The result was a series of balancing acts that, while a bit ungainly, held the promise of lifting Obama's standing with middle-of-the-road voters who may have begun to lose faith.

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Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?ref=world He was warned the journey north would be hard, so Gilmar Morales beefed up on eggs and sausage, bought some ham sandwiches from the bodega across the street, told his mother he loved her and set off with two other relatives on a path well-traveled by young people here in one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Then, a few weeks later his mother, watching a television news show, looked hard at a picture of the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants killed last week in northeast Mexico near the Texas border. Was that Gilmar, the one with the familiar yellow-and-white striped T-shirt, his blue pants? “They told us they are sending his body this week,” said Mr. Morales’s father in the small cinder-block family home here, next to an altar of flowers and candles in honor of Mr. Morales, 22, and his companions headed north, later confirmed as victims of the massacre.

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-gonzalez-judge-sexuality-20100902,0,5501609.story The Times is establishing a dangerous precedent by reporting Judge Vaughn Walker's sexual orientation in its coverage of the Proposition 8 federal trial.

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Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090105713.html ENDANGERED Democrats beseech President Obama to focus on the problems at home. Republicans smelling blood attack him if he talks about anything but the recession. His own aides promise, from time to time, that his mission will consist of "jobs, jobs, jobs." In fact, no president can focus exclusively on just one thing, and in any case there's not all that much Mr. Obama can do right now about "jobs, jobs, jobs." So we sympathize with the dilemma that gave birth to the mixed-message presidential address from the Oval Office on Tuesday night. But we worry about it, too.

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Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-allen-20100902,0,1881106.story Paul Allen became a billionaire by co-founding Microsoft, whose software dominates the personal computer industry. Now Allen is seeking to expand that fortune by suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies. The lawsuit by Allen's Interval Licensing is based on four patents obtained since 2000 by Interval Research, a defunct research and development shop that Allen set up with David Liddle in 1992. The complaint doesn't say exactly what the 11 defendants have done to violate the patents, which cover key aspects of e-commerce, online search and information aggregation. But the patents' claims are so astoundingly broad that they encompass such common features of the Web as news feeds and product recommendations.

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David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090104810.html The images for ending America's war in Iraq were appropriately tentative rather than triumphal: The president spoke in Washington of turning a page; the vice president talked here of starting a new chapter; the defense secretary said it was too early even to judge whether the war was worth it. But the politicians and generals who gathered here Wednesday for a transition ceremony agreed on the fact that matters most to the Iraqi and American people, which is that the U.S. combat phase of the war is indeed over -- after more than seven years of fighting, a trillion dollars and more than 4,000 American combat deaths. An invasion that began in 2003 with a false rationale ended with a shrug of uncertainty. The guarded language used to mark the end of combat was appropriate, for Iraq is in many ways an unfinished war. Its ultimate success or failure won't be clear for some years, when we can see whether Iraq has sustained its new democracy or plunged back into sectarian strife and political chaos. Defense Secretary Bob Gates offered a conditional response when he was asked whether the war justified its cost: "I think that it really requires a historian's perspective in terms of what happens here in the long run."

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Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/norton-says-a-few-words-on-bucks-behalf-then-bolts/14189/ Former GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton shared the stage with Ken Buck today — but only for a minute. The former GOP Senate hopeful thanked her supporters and endorsed Buck for the U.S. Senate at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club. But the unity event — the first time the two primary foes appeared together since Aug. 10 — didn’t last long. She spoke for less than a minute and then bolted before the breakfast was over. The Men’s Club, held weekly at Cool River Cafe, is Norton’s home turf since the former Lt. Gov. lives in the county. Her husband, Michael, was a long-time attendee and member. Buck said the media has created a “myth” that the Republicans aren’t united.

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968562 "I'm not the one in Washington, D.C., with a $13 trillion debt. . . . That's extreme, and he continues to vote in that direction," Buck told a rowdy room of Arapahoe County Republicans. "Then he has the gall to come back to Colorado and say we're getting nothing for our money?" Bennet's latest "Buck is too extreme for Colorado" ad shows the Weld County district attorney at various points on the long primary campaign trail talking about positions on Social Security, the 17th Amendment and abortion. Buck said he repeatedly clarified his position on the stump about keeping the 17th Amendment intact. Last summer, he told a group he wanted to repeal the amendment — which could return to state legislatures the power to appoint U.S. senators — but had reconsidered his position. Buck called the ad untruthful.

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100902/NEWS/100909958/1051 Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is wrapping up his series of town halls Thursday in Summit County. Bennet is at a senior center in Frisco to talk to folks about the economy and education. Bennet has spent his summer recess holding similar events across Colorado. Bennet faces Republican Ken Buck in November. The two debate for the first time in about a week and a half in Grand Junction.

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15968475 "It's a very strong statement from both rating agencies that demonstrates the financial strength and stability of the district and should put to rest the political mudslinging we have been seeing in the Senate campaign and the erroneous information contained in last month's New York Times article," Boasberg said. The New York Times published a front-page article Aug. 6 about the district's financing of $750 million in pension debt using a complex financial instrument that carries a lower interest rate, which fluctuates with economic changes. In 2009, former Superintendent Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate and is now running for election. Bennet opponents have suggested that the financial transaction put the district on the brink of bankruptcy, which was not alleged in the Times article and is not true.

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20100902/UPDATES01/309020011/ Republican Cory Gardner has an 11-point lead over Democratic incumbent Betsy Markey as the fall congressional campaign gets underway, a new poll by a GOP-affiliated group shows. Gardner, a state representative from Yuma, leads Markey 50-39 percent, according to a poll of 400 likely 4th Congressional District voters conducted Aug. 23-26 and 28 for the American Action Forum, which is headed by former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. Margin of error for the survey is listed at plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Colorado’s 4th Congressional District was among 10 western districts polled by the group, which earlier had released results from Eastern and Midwestern districts. The latest results were released late Wednesday. “It is clear that voters in West Coast polling believe our nation is on the wrong track. It is important to understand why there is such discontent and in order to develop policies based on center-right principles to give confidence to the American people that our nation can be put back on track,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the president of the American Action Forum and Sen. John McCain’s chief economic adviser in the 2008 campaign.

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

http://coloradoindependent.com/60890/‘young-gun’-gardner-part-of-campaign-touting-mocked-ryan-roadmap Colorado GOP candidate for Congress Cory Gardner was selected one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “Young Gun” candidates in July. The NRCC program provides fundraising and strategy assistance. It will also now be tied to that highly touted innovative and bold but really flim-flamming sham of a plan called the “Roadmap for America’s Future” presented by Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan because, as Steve Benan pointed out yesterday, Ryan’s bad idea has been included in the new paperback manifesto called “Young Guns” authored by Ryan as well as Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Chief Deputy Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The book includes Ryan’s Roadmap along with other of the main GOP ideas promoted over the last year and it is being published by Cantor’s political action committee. In other words, it is time to put the question point blank to Republicans in Congress or running for Congress like Cory Gardner: Is the Ryan Roadmap the official position of the Republican Conference? It’s a yes or no question, the answer to which should be met with a calculator.

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/2010/09/02/Salazar_touts_tuition_bill/ It is only fair that the federal government pay the Native American tuition waiver for out-of-state students attending Fort Lewis College, U.S. Rep. John Salazar said Wednesday. He spoke at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the college's new Student Union building. "It's fairness," Salazar, D-Manassa, said. "The state should not be responsible for out-of-state tuition." Salazar introduced legislation this summer that would direct the federal government to pick up the tab for out-of-state Native American students, while the state of Colorado will continue to pay the tuition for in-state students. As it is now, Colorado is responsible for paying the tuition for all Native American students attending the college.

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/hot-words-over-a-south-carolina-candidate/14187/ The Arapahoe County Men’s Republican Breakfast rarely disappoints in way of fireworks. Breakfast wasn’t even over today and Republican stalwart Mort Marks told a room of 100 or so Arapahoe County party loyalists that he didn’t understand why an African-American Congressional candidate from South Carolina needed to help Ryan Frazier’s campaign, a Republican vying against Ed Perlmutter for Congress. “I don’t understand why we need people from South Carolina … here in Colorado,” Marks said. South Carolina Congressional candidate Tim Scott will campaign with Frazier this Friday.

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

http://coloradoindependent.com/60823/polis-touts-carbon-neutral-boulder-home-pushes-for-more-retrofits Boulder County has been ratcheting up energy retrofit programs after the U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded a $25 million Better Buildings grant to three counties in Colorado – Boulder, Denver and Garfield. Under the federal grant, local energy retrofit programs will help property owners gain access to rebates and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrade projects. Although mentioning the environmental benefits, Congressman Polis and many other speakers framed the county programs in primarily economic terms. “We are getting Boulder County back to work by strengthening the construction industry that has been hit so hard in the recent years,” Polis said. “Although we’ve lost a lot of jobs on net basis in recent years, one of the few sectors that has seen growth is in renewable energy.” Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor said the new grant will allow the county to “reach the next level of energy efficiency programs. We are going from getting audits to actually getting retrofits off the ground.”

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_37758702-b655-11df-b36a-001cc4c002e0.html Tom Tancredo doesn't look like a one-man wrecking crew. The 64-year-old former Republican was sitting outside the Palace of Agriculture at the Colorado State Fair on Wednesday, looking serene and enjoying the shade after having shaken a few dozen hands in his admittedly long-shot candidacy to win the governor's office. "If I took the time to comment on Dan Maes' problems with veracity, I'd be commenting every day," the former Littleton congressman said. Tancredo was being asked about news stories Wednesday that Maes didn't tell the truth in claiming he'd worked undercover with state investigators in exposing corruption in Liberal, Kan., during his brief career as a police officer there in the early 1980s. Maes has said he was fired for uncovering corruption.

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/9-12-group-to-maes-we-have-questions/14211/ Members of the 10,000-strong 9.12 groups in Colorado say they have serious questions for GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes about the way he’s handling himself on the campaign trail. Lu Busse, leader of the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, said she’s heard from about half of the 27 9.12 chapters across the state with concerns about Maes. The 9.12 groups have asked for an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week. Maes is under fire for personal and campaign finance problems that bogged his campaign even before his Aug. 10 primary victory.

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/former-sen-brown-withdraws-maes-endorsement-in-gop-guvs-race/14200/ Former U.S. Senator and University of Colorado president Hank Brown, one of the most respected Republicans in the state, said today he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and is “looking around” for a new candidate. “I’m concerned about the revelations. I’m withdrawing my endorsement,” said Brown, referring to a Denver Post story today that Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. “I’m beginning to find that (Maes’) explanations are not adequate.” Nate Strauch, spokesman for Maes said: “Hank Brown is the very definition of a statesman, and Dan has been very grateful for his support. Regardless of whether he has Senator Brown’s formal endorsement going forward, Dan Maes will continue to hold him in the highest regard and look to his example of how one can lead through solid conservative principles.”

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15968390 Hank Brown, the former U.S. senator and former University of Colorado president, on Wednesday said he is no longer backing GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes and is "looking around" for a new candidate. Additionally, part of Maes' grassroots base, the 9.12 Project Colorado Coalition, has requested an in-person meeting with Maes before the end of the week to discuss concerns about how he's running his campaign, according to group leader Lu Busse. Brown said he had serious reservations about recurring credibility issues surrounding Maes, including Wednesday's Denver Post story saying Maes embellished details about his law enforcement background. "I'm concerned about the revelations. I'm withdrawing my endorsement," Brown said. "I'm beginning to find that his explanations are not adequate." He said he wouldn't vote for Maes.

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/01/bob-beauprez-calls-on-dan-maes-to-drop-out/14217/ Former congressman Bob Beauprez today became the latest Republican to call for Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race. “If Dan really is committed to doing the best for Colorado, as well as for the GOP, he ought to take serious inventory and see if this isn’t the time to do the noble thing,” Beauprez said. “He can live to fight another day.” Maes has repeatedly said he won’t get out of the race. He could not be reached Wednesday because he was meeting with the Republican Governor’s Association in Washington, D.C. The Post previously reported that the RGA had decided not to bankroll television and other ads supporting Maes.

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

http://coloradoindependent.com/60903/water-analysts-refute-maes-claim-its-our-water If elected governor in November, Republican Dan Maes said that he might be inclined to turn his back on a century of water law. He told the Colorado Water Congress Saturday, speaking of water rights, “If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water.” What he may mot know is that in Colorado, water is property and it is divvied up based on what is called “prior appropriation.” It doesn’t matter where water falls, or where snow melts because it probably belongs to someone else. You could own land on both sides of the Colorado River for miles on end, for instance, and not have the right to take a single drop from the river — unless you owned the water rights to do so. In theory those rights could be owned by a city 50 miles from the river and a thousand miles downstream. Essentially, water belongs to whoever claimed it first. One water attorney, who asked not to be named, said that what Maes apparently wants to do “amounts to a taking of private property.”

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15969416 Colorado gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes` murky past in law enforcement in neighboring Kansas has become the latest distraction in his gaffe-ridden campaign. Maes has claimed he was fired by the police department in Liberal in the 1980s because police and politicians were corrupt, and he told supporters that he worked undercover for state investigators gathering information on a local bookmaking ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them, and Liberal`s police department won`t talk about Maes. His shadowy law enforcement resume is the latest distraction in a race in which Maes was fined for campaign finance violations and drew criticism over remarks that he would fire thousands of state workers.

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

http://coloradoindependent.com/60944/political-science-prof-uncovers-mo-behind-maes-undercover-cop-claims How to explain GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes’ now-suspect claims that he was an undercover officer with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the 1980s? It’s really pretty simple, according to Colorado College political science professor Bob Loevy: “I think we have to keep in mind that in order to get elected, candidates have to do things that are notable, and they have to plead their case.” “When people don’t have much of a record, they tend to inflate it,” he said. “Usually there is a grain of truth to what they are saying. They take a minor event and turn it into a major event. Then, their candidacy takes off or they win a major nomination and people start going through their record and asking questions. Did he really do this? “That’s what happened here. You take an inexperienced person, someone never elected to office before, and you put them in this position and this is almost what you would expect. Someone who is more experienced is going to know that everything they say and do is going to be checked for accuracy,” Loevy said.

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Daily News Digest for 9/2/2010

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National News

Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

Colorado News

Clinton urges patience, leadership as Mideast peace talks begin - washingtonpost.com

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu’s Shoulders - NYTimes.com

Hillary Clinton launches Israeli-Palestinian peace talks | McClatchy

President Obama says time ripe for Middle East peace accord - latimes.com

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin - NYTimes.com

West Bank settlers threaten to break construction freeze | McClatchy

Bernanke Tells F.C.I.C. Size of Banks Can Pose a Threat - NYTimes.com

Political Economy - Elizabeth Warren fuels speculation by dropping Harvard class

Foreclosures Pose Potential Trouble on Election Day - NYTimes.com

Offshore Oil Platform in the Gulf of Mexico Explodes - NYTimes.com

A Celebratory Road Trip for Education Secretary - NYTimes.com

U.S. Retailers Depended on Discounts in August - NYTimes.com

U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq

Pakistan attacks: Pakistan explosions kill 28 - latimes.com

U.S. Adds Legal Pressure on Pakistani Taliban - NYTimes.com

Clash Over Deaths in NATO Airstrike on Afghans - NYTimes.com

Worried Afghans withdraw Kabul Bank deposits

F.C.C. Weighs Possible Rules for Wireless Internet Service - NYTimes.com

In Somali Civil War, Both Sides Embrace Pirates - NYTimes.com

Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina battle hard in first Senate debate - latimes.com

The Fix - Larry Sabato predicts a Republican House majority

Sabato: For Dems, November will be worse than feared | McClatchy

In Alaska, Feud Fueled by Palin Claims Senator Murkowski - NYTimes.com

44 - Joe Miller: Obama moving America ‘toward socialism’

‘Tea party’ group behind defeat of GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska - latimes.com

Number of illegal immigrants in U.S. drops, report says

Prop 8 supporters press Schwarzenegger, Brown to defend measure in court | McClatchy

Review of ‘Dirty Sexy Politics,’ by Meghan McCain

Editorial - When Warriors Hurt Themselves - NYTimes.com

Editorial - Katrina, Five Years Later - NYTimes.com

Mexico: President Calderon says crackdown on organized crime is working - latimes.com

E.J. Dionne Jr. - A speech’s tall order

Grief Across Latin America for Migrant Killings - NYTimes.com

Arturo J. González - A gay judge’s sexuality isn’t news - latimes.com

Shouldn’t winning the war be Mr. Obama’s top mission?

Technology, courts, Silicon Valley: Controlling patent lawsuits - latimes.com

David Ignatius - At the Iraq war’s end, a shrug of uncertainty

Jane Norton and Ken Buck share a stage—but only for a minute. | The Spot

Buck takes swipe at Bennet’s latest negative ad - The Denver Post

Bennet wraps up town hall series | Greeley Tribune

DPS earns high ratings on pension debt - The Denver Post

Cory Gardner leads Betsy Markey by 11 points, poll says | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

‘Young Gun’ Gardner part of campaign touting mocked Ryan Roadmap « Colorado Indepen

Durango Herald News, Salazar touts tuition bill

Hot words over S.C. candidate campaigning in CO for Frazier | The Spot

Polis touts ‘carbon neutral’ Boulder home, pushes for more retrofits « Colorado Ind

Tancredo: Conservatives’ candidate of ‘last resort’ - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local

Tea Party group questions GOP gubernatorial hopeful Dan Maes | The Spot

Hank Brown withdraws endorsement of GOP gubernatoral candidate Dan Maes | The Spot

Former Sen. Brown withdraws endorsement for Dan Maes - The Denver Post

Bob Beauprez calls on Dan Maes to drop out of the governor’s race | The Spot

Water analysts refute Maes’ claim: ‘If it starts in Colorado, it’s our water&#8217

Maes` resume new distraction in gubernatorial race - Boulder Daily Camera

Political science prof uncovers MO behind Maes’ undercover cop claims « Colorado Independ

Telluride Daily Planet - Putting the people before the party

Eagle River fire district opposes ballot issues | VailDaily.com

Durango Herald News, Tax activists cry foul over Blue Book

Craig Daily Press / Moffat County School Board wary of ballot initiatives

Doug Bruce faces Round 3 in contempt battle | Greeley Tribune

Council moves to ban pot retailers | GJSentinel.com

Telluride Daily Planet - Cannabis catch-22

Special review committee suggested for Carbondale medical marijuana grows | PostIndependent.com

Helicopters remove $1M worth of marijuana from Boulder County in 10 loads - Boulder Daily Camera

The Longmont Times-Call - Up in smoke

Disability coalition rips candidate over ADA remark | The Spot

Terry Fox appointed to state Court of Appeals. - The Denver Post

Broomfield Democrats launch BizarreBeezley.com - Boulder Daily Camera