en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/668625 Comments by yesiyam http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28832940/ruth-blackmore-ballot-issues-give-you-voice#IDComment995684777 In a nutshell, in a mixed capitalist/socialist economic environment such as ours the free enterprise sector frequently works hand in glove with socialistic government entities. That's because capitalism runs on the profit motive and that usually overrides ideological concerns or even long range societal consequences. There are also plenty of socialists (think George Soros, Boulder City Government, etc.) who finance their "progressive" anti-capitalist quests with money extracted from the free market system. The intersection of socialism and capitalism here is not a matter of black and white absolutes as you view it. It's a symbiotic dance full of paradox and irony which hopefully you are now better able to grasp. P.S. While Boulder has always been a desirable place to live, there is not now nor has there even been a "soaring free market demand" for ultra "high density residential districts" (to use the socialist Will Toors terminology) as you mistakenly assert. Ultra high density city planning and zoning is a tenet of socialist ideology and was only recently and disastrously introduced here by the socialist Boulder city government because of the tax revenue maximization it provides vs. low and medium density development, just as I explained in my previous post above. So, bottom line: in Boulder, as happens everywhere that socialist governments fester, they will eventually kill the goose that laid the golden egg. Fri, 18 Sep 2015 19:46:07 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28832940/ruth-blackmore-ballot-issues-give-you-voice#IDComment995684777 http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28832940/ruth-blackmore-ballot-issues-give-you-voice#IDComment995581095 Thank you Ruth for your very well-presented and effective take-down of the fanatical dark and dishonest cabals out to finish off their DESTRUCTION OF BOULDER'S LONG CHERISHED LOW/MEDIUM DENSITY CLASSIC AMERICAN SINGLE FAMILY HOME LIFESTYLE(!) VIA THE UNWANTED MANIACAL NEIGHBORHOOD-KILLING IMPOSITION OF INHUMAN ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SPIRITUALLY TOXIC HIGH DENSITY BUILDING DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILITY KILLING TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK ATROCITIES. Whether it's Schultheiss and his OBLITERATE BOULDER crazies, Toor and his BATTER BOULDER robots, Tayer's BOULDER CHAMBER OF HORRORS, or their CITY TROUNCIL puppets and fellow travelers, the goal is to wipe the human scale soul-satisfying room-to-live-and-breathe Boulder high quality of life lifestyle we have known and loved off the map and replace it with the socialist wet-dream of an ugly over-urbanized overcrowded dystopian soul-killing sardine can urban hell hole. KNOW THIS: There is one and only one motivation behind the Schultheiss/Toor/Tayer/City Trouncil high density holocaust being wrought on OUR city: HIGH DENSITY OVER-URBANIIZATION YIELDS MAXIMUM TAX RECEIPTS PER UNIT OF PROPERTY AREA TO FEED, ENRICH, AND AGGRANDIZE THE OUT-OF-CONTROL ALL CONTROLLING SOCIALIST BOULDER CITY GOVERNMENT. This is the "sine qua non" (look it up) of anti-social socialists everywhere and at all times. And of course, this is also the SINGLE motivation and holy grail of Boulder's socialists and the Boulder socialist government's Hugo Chavez inspired attempted, but pray-to-God failed, hostile seizure of that evil capitalist private Xcel corporation' s local assets, customer base, and REVENUE STREAM. Muni, schmuni; it's another socialist heist of private property. None of this is a secret. HONEST local SOCIALISTS, or "PROGRESSIVES" as they prefer to call themselves, will proudly own up to how much they detest America's system of private enterprise and the American Dream single family home on a decent sized private lot LIFESTYLEl (for everyone but THEMSELVES, that is) and how well the local "progress" is advancing toward wiping them out. Schultheiss, Toor, and Tayer's dishonesty is nicely complimtented by their classic socialist hypocrisy. Each of these fine men wouldn't think of having THEIR families reside anywhere except in very choice very low density "suburban" style single-family-home neighborhoods. Yet they feverishly and fiendishly go all out to make sure as many other lesser Boulder citizens as possible are being rounded up, elbow-to-elbow, into overcrowded concretized exhaust-fume-saturated high density urban GHETTOS. Fri, 18 Sep 2015 04:08:10 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28832940/ruth-blackmore-ballot-issues-give-you-voice#IDComment995581095 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_28819697/u-s-rep-jared-polis-d-boulder-i#IDComment995357376 Mr. Jared Wears-Ties-With-Polo-Shirts-On-The-Floor-of-The-U.S.House of Representatives Polis again (this time permanently) confirms his status as the poster boy for Donald Trump's characterization of the current political class as stupid and incompetent. Wed, 16 Sep 2015 16:41:24 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_28819697/u-s-rep-jared-polis-d-boulder-i#IDComment995357376 http://www.dailycamera.com/local-election-news/ci_28771588/23k-raised-so-far-boulder-growth-and-development#IDComment994006969 Earlier this year at a PLAN Boulder soiree, Will Toor "proclaimed that the biggest challenge of the future will be the redevelopment of “auto-dominated, suburban-style” areas in Boulder and other Boulder County cities into dense, but “livable,” residential districts." Media reported, "Toor predicted that the major, remaining land-use battles in Boulder County will occur within neighborhoods. He remarked that much of the eastern part of the City of Boulder “looks like Oklahoma City,” and, while the western part of the city (where he happens to live) contains old, established neighborhoods which probably should not be disturbed, the eastern areas are ripe for redevelopment. Toor expressed support for transforming “auto-dominated, suburban-style areas” into dense, but livable, residential environments. Will "Sling Blade" Toor and his minions have declared jihad against the preferred and predominant American low-density single-family-home-with-a-private-yard LIFESTYLE which they DETEST (for everyone except themselves!!!). Their fanatical socialist and wacko environmental lunacies call for the DESTRUCTION of low and medium density Boulder living and its' transformation into an overcrowded, congested, over-urbanized, no breathing room, sardine can atrocity- for everyone except themselves, of course. Great long-standing classic American residental neighborhoods where people choose and love to live transformed into gruesomely overcrowded 30th and Pearl trainless "train-oriented" and Peletonesque "dense residential 'districts'"? This is both pure insanity and yes, pure dark evil. Along with the Cowles relocating out of Boulder, one of the best things that could ever happen here would be for Mr. Toor to seek a new place of residence in one of the already existing high-density dystopian hell holes he loves so much- hopefully one that's as far from Boulder as possible. Mon, 7 Sep 2015 17:11:06 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/local-election-news/ci_28771588/23k-raised-so-far-boulder-growth-and-development#IDComment994006969 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28763424/steve-pomerance-boulder-initiatives-whats-so-and-whats#IDComment993928178 Earlier this year at a PLAN Boulder soiree, Will Toor "proclaimed that the biggest challenge of the future will be the redevelopment of “auto-dominated, suburban-style” areas in Boulder and other Boulder County cities into dense, but “livable,” residential districts." Media reports, "Toor predicted that the major, remaining land-use battles in Boulder County will occur within neighborhoods. He remarked that much of the eastern part of the City of Boulder “looks like Oklahoma City,” and, while the western part of the city (where he happens to live) contains old, established neighborhoods which probably should not be disturbed, the eastern areas are ripe for redevelopment. Toor expressed support for transforming “auto-dominated, suburban-style areas” into dense, but livable, residential environments. Toor and his minions have declared jihad against the preferred and predominant American low-density single family home LIFESTYLE. Their fanatical socialist and wacko environmental lunacies want to transform Boulder into an overcrowded, congested, over-urbanized, no breathing room, sardine can atrocity- for everyone except themselves, of course. This is both pure insanity and yes, pure evil. Along with the Cowles relocating out of Boulder, one of the best things that could happen here would be for Mr. Toor to seek a new place of residence in one of the already existing high-density hell holes he loves so much- hopefully as far from Boulder as possible. Mon, 7 Sep 2015 06:59:29 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28763424/steve-pomerance-boulder-initiatives-whats-so-and-whats#IDComment993928178 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28708376/donald-dick-end-debacle#IDComment992287749 The reality of LANEGATE is that for the city council (with one exception), the council's' transportation advisory board puppets, and the city's transportation/congestion-creation department bureaucrats, it is neither an "experiment" or a "failure." LANEGATE is nothing more than an AUTOMOBILE DRIVER PUNISHMENT PROGRAM. For the three entities named above and the local delusional anti-car crazies/fascists, letters of complaint like Mr. Dick's are proof positive of the success of LANEGATE and cause for celebration. I can assure you there are high fives all around on the success LANEGATE is having abusing and punishing car drivers. Not to mention the city "leaders'" continuous hysterical laughter at citizen's trying to put forth rational objections based upon the city's phony hide-the-ball diversions like planning, data, communication, and traffic delay times. Thu, 27 Aug 2015 02:42:18 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28708376/donald-dick-end-debacle#IDComment992287749 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979453898 I heard something about it being Romanians. Sat, 20 Jun 2015 00:46:13 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979453898 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979430699 Wider bike lanes and poles do not constitute physical space SEPARATION. Bikes and cars are still adjacent to each other on the SAME fast, loud, engine fume choked busy road surface. I trust you know what a fully separated multi-use path looks like and that's not what they're doing on Iris. You're smart to ride on the sidewalk where there is SEPARATION. Stay there. Fri, 19 Jun 2015 21:45:36 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979430699 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979270624 Iris also has had wide on-street bike lanes AND nice virtually pedestrian-free sidewalks in both directions forever. I drive both directions on Iris regularly and have for many years. Biking on Iris is virtually non-existent. It always has been and always will be until a designated bike-friendly multi-use path is built that TOTALLY AND SAFELY SEPARATES bikes from the same road surface that carries the imminent threat of annihilation by loud, fast-moving, ever-increasing-due-to-high-density-building-madness, multi-ton, often-distracted motorized vehicle traffic. Even if that were to happen (which it won't because the LANEGATE policy is that drivers MUST be punished, not that truly safe and bike-friendly paths THAT SEPARATE BIKES FROM CARS be added), there are already better options to bike from Broadway to Folsom. No waiting is needed to see the LANEGATE driver abuse scheme for what it is. Fri, 19 Jun 2015 03:47:20 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979270624 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979264192 No, how about let's not wait and see. Fanatical anti-car lunacy, along with anti-free enterprise ideology and other hard left articles of faith, is ingrained in the city government bureaucracy and city council. Orwellian-titled "right sizing" is a cynical and twisted LANE CLOSURE SCHEME whose purpose is to kick the long-standing policy of antagonizing drivers with unnecessarily unsafe and congested roadways up another few notches. The purpose of lane closures and the obvious-even-to-small-children increased congestion and delays these closures will cause (especially on Iris which is headed for complete driving chaos) is to inflict PUNISHMENT on Boulder's drivers for failing to hop to the city's detached-from-reality decree of mass abandonment of car travel. As even Councilperson Morzel stated, this whip-the-drivers lane reduction lunacy should not be "rammed down our throats" (Of course, in typical Morzelian style, she then immediately voted to ram it down our throats.) If you've spoken with people about this or read the opposing commentary in the DC and elsewhere, you may have noticed that "wait and see" is a rather unique reaction to the city's next little roadway atrocity-in-waiting, aka LANEGATE. Fri, 19 Jun 2015 03:00:19 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/columnists/ci_28339389/ron-laughery-will-right-sizing-work#IDComment979264192 http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28339312/jennifer-peters-johnson-boulders-belief-system-leaves-me#IDComment979255509 Very wise and true words. You speak for many,many of us. It's unfortunate that the exercise of common sense and a grasp of the real life needs of Boulder residents, much less wisdom, is so often so far beyond the capabilities of Boulder's "leaders". Fri, 19 Jun 2015 02:03:16 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_28339312/jennifer-peters-johnson-boulders-belief-system-leaves-me#IDComment979255509 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28325661/keith-anderson-civil-engineer-these-impacts-look-ridiculous?source=most_viewed#IDComment978974686 Thank you for confirming what even us non-engineers can quickly see; that every premise and claim by the city regarding lane closures is ludicrous and dishonest. Wed, 17 Jun 2015 22:47:13 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28325661/keith-anderson-civil-engineer-these-impacts-look-ridiculous?source=most_viewed#IDComment978974686 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28320655/alan-bloom-raise-boulder-city-council-really?source=most_viewed#IDComment978972884 Very well stated. Amen. Wed, 17 Jun 2015 22:36:30 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/letters/ci_28320655/alan-bloom-raise-boulder-city-council-really?source=most_viewed#IDComment978972884 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978946606 Boulder used to be a pretty special room-for-all-types town before the influx of east and west coast leftists. This invasion wrought a one-party local political machine that decreed Boulder become a hi-density, over-urbanized, sardine-can-lifestyle, no-breathing-room mess. Because that's how greedy money-hungry city bureaucracies can collect the maximum tax revenue per acre of land. Livability, quality of life, and community character be damned. Simple as that. This wrought city government-mandated antagonization and now punishment of drivers with unnecessarily unsafe and overly-congested-soon-to-be-gridlocked roads. With a no-Fastracks-train-that-we-promised for you, just keep paying the taxes for everybody else's trains Boulder suckers, cherry on top. Which wrought, with all due respect, certain "my way or the highway" creeps slithering among us. Wed, 17 Jun 2015 20:12:03 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978946606 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978901860 Hey DUD- You have the same mentality as the vermin who murdered the satire writers at Charlie Hebdo. Fortunately, you won't do more than a little PC whining and yearn for Erica. If Mr. Krieger were to write a satirical take-down of car drivers or conservatives you'd be the first to sing his praises. Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:13:15 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978901860 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978801433 sat·ire saˌtī(ə)r/ noun The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary politics. Synonyms: mockery, ridicule, derision, scorn, caricature; Marvelous LANEGATE satire, Mr. Krieger. Certainly the appropriate vehicle, so to speak, for commentary regarding the brilliance of our anti-car/punish-the-drivers city council majority, THE LANEGATE 7. Thanks. Wed, 17 Jun 2015 06:54:32 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_28325209/editorial-ban-cars-boulder#IDComment978801433 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28320818/right-sizing-debate-hits-boulder-council#IDComment978715269 (How about if I help you out a little bit with this DC): It Begins. BOULDER CITY COUNCIL DECLARES JIHAD AGAINST IT"S OWN CAR DRIVING RESIDENTS! Cheap, safe, quick and effective plan to simply upgrade existing wide sidewalk on north side of Iris to a multi-use path that actually safely separates bikes from cars on a major thoroughfare while preserving needed four-lane roadway rejected! Council formally implements insane radical anti-car ideology that law-abiding tax- paying motorists MUST BE PUNISHED!!! Councilperson Morzel reiterates her long-standing status as the city's pre-eminent political hypocrite by stating lane closures should not be "rammed down people's throats" then immediately votes to ram lane closures down people's throats! (You can't make this stuff up.)* Opposition by Councilmen Applebaum and Karekehian to council's obvious "assault on common sense" broadly applauded. YESIYAM officially declares situation the BOULDER LANEGATE SCANDAL and the 7 now-notorious council members who passed this atrocity against Boulder drivers the LANEGATE 7. It is ON. *In 2013, during the battle over a family-oriented North Boulder neighborhood's strong and well-founded opposition to construction of the 1125 Lee Hill derelict "wet house" project in their midsts, Ms. Morzel called for a building moratorium that would delay/stop the project rather than "ram it down" the neighborhood's throat. She then immediately voted to ram the project down the neighborhood's throat. Tue, 16 Jun 2015 22:41:28 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28320818/right-sizing-debate-hits-boulder-council#IDComment978715269 http://www.dailycamera.com/business-columnists/ci_28300676/sean-maher-concerns-questions-about-boulders-bike-lane#IDComment978033527 I have many years of daily experience driving both directions from 28th to Broadway on Iris and I'd be very surprised if there are 200 bikes PER WEEK on that route. And you are right, if 200 people per hour started biking that route the existing 99.9%-of-the-time-empty- path on the north side (not to mention the sidewalk on the south side and the bike lanes on the road in both directions) is more than adequate. Sun, 14 Jun 2015 03:36:55 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/business-columnists/ci_28300676/sean-maher-concerns-questions-about-boulders-bike-lane#IDComment978033527 http://www.dailycamera.com/business-columnists/ci_28300676/sean-maher-concerns-questions-about-boulders-bike-lane#IDComment978013702 Bottom Line: 1. Cars and bikes do not mix. 2. Cars and pedestrians do not mix. 3. Car don't even mix well with other cars (see fatality reports, emergency room vists, body shop statistics, insurance costs, etc. etc.) But cars, for the vast majority of people here, ESPECIALLY FAMILIES WITH KIDS, are and will continue to be a necessity of life. Rules my kids and I ride our bikes by: 1. NEVER ride in a bike lane that is directly adjacent to cars under ANY circumstances on any main street in Boulder (e.g. Iris, Folsom, North Broadway, etc.) 2. Always ride on bike paths and side street bike routes. If you absolutely have to travel a short distance on a main street, RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK. We have done this for decades and have never inconvenienced a single person walking on a sidewalk (it's pretty rare to even encounter many walkers outside of the city center.) In fact, every sidewalk in Boulder, outside of downtown and the Hill, should simply be designated a multi-use path. The sidewalks going south on Broadway from Baseline are the perfect example of how simple this is and how perfectly it works. And just by converting sidewalks to multi-use paths, the problem (too frequently tragic) of trying to mix cars and bikes is solved safely, effectively, with minimal expense, and once and for all. Bikes and cars, as I said, do not, never can, and never will mix. THEY MUST BE SEPARATED. 3. NEVER, under any circumstances, cross any street in a mid-block blinking light killing zone whether on a bike or on foot. Proceed to the nearest intersection and even there do not set foot onto the street until you are sure the last rampant red light running car has passed through. Closing lanes on already congested streets, which are getting more so by the week due to the city government's tax greed driven ultra high density development atrocity/disaster, is insane. Unless the goal is to punish people for driving. Then it makes perfect sense. Punishing drivers is hardly an original idea. See: The "Bridgegate" scandal as recently inflicted on drivers by Gov. Christie of New Jersey. And by the way, it is not the job of city bureaucrats and their council lackeys to tell anyone how much they should be driving, riding, walking, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL ACTIVITY. The public backlash and adverse "real world" consequences from Boulder's coming "LANEGATE" scandal will hopefully quickly teach delusional vindictive city bureaucrats and politicians it's not a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you. At any rate, fine piece Mr. Maher. Sun, 14 Jun 2015 01:16:45 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/business-columnists/ci_28300676/sean-maher-concerns-questions-about-boulders-bike-lane#IDComment978013702 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28231972/make-room-bikes-boulder-test-fewer-lanes#IDComment975592757 This is even more idiotic than that big red YES! sign that the schmendrick city bureaucrats were going to install at the library last year. Just like with the sign fiasco, this driver punishment LUNACY needs to be cancelled immediately. In the interest of public safety, it might also be a good idea to take a certain "Senior Transportation Planner" in on a 72 hour hold for psychiatric evaluation. Tue, 2 Jun 2015 16:56:26 +0000 http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_28231972/make-room-bikes-boulder-test-fewer-lanes#IDComment975592757