Wrongmont

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, Wrongmont signs off

2009-11-06T19:43:00.001-07:00

With the recent 2009 Longmont election season coming to an end, so to will Wrongmont. The point of the site as I said back in late August when I resuscitated it was to be a news and opinion aggregator for all things related to the election. It served its purpose, and then some. While the Wrongmont name had been around since 2002 (and basically just morphed into Longmont Advocate in 2008), I

Longmont Dems: "Pray for locusts"

2009-11-06T10:40:00.003-07:00

These gracious words come as no surprise to me, it's pretty much what I've been saying all along. Thought you might like to know about the people who thought they controlled this city for the last 2 years. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. -------------------------------------LAD (Longmont Area Democrats) member Shari Malloy has some very important words to share with you: "The

Ward 2 Election analysis

2009-11-05T22:29:00.003-07:00

Of all the races in the 2009 Longmont election, Ward 2 was the most contentious and hardest fought. People outside the city were making comments like "Longmont is Ground Zero" when describing how this election could be a bellwether for state and national elections next year. I contend that Ward 2 was more specifically Ground Zero within Ground Zero. It lived up to its reputation for a knock

Election coverage from around the area

2009-11-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

Conservative 'wipeout' in Longmont election ‘READY FOR A CHANGE’: Baum, Witt, Santos and Sammoury win races Challenger takes decisive lead in bitter battle for Longmont council Longmont Shifts Gears Longmont changes course, elects new mayor New mayor, Witt triumph in Longmont City Council race

Election results send message

2009-11-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

There will be plenty of time in the upcoming days, weeks, and months to do the proper autopsy of what occurred today in the Longmont election. As I expected, this election was a continuation of the 2008 Special Election - people were engaged and not asleep at the wheel as they were in the 2007 election that brought us one of the worst city councils in a long, long time. Turnout appears to be

24 reasons why Benker is Wrong for Longmont

2009-11-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

The endless stream of lies, distractions, and half-truths from the Karen Benker campaign over the last few months is enough to make any normal head explode. It's really an amazing thing to watch; the spinning, bobbing, and weaving from Ms. Benker herself, and from her team of antagonizers who throw anything against the wall to see if it will stick. The saddest are the ones who comment in the

Your vote is your voice

2009-11-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

If you haven't mailed in your ballot yet, it's probably too late. Luckily, there is a quick and easy way to drop off your completed ballot at the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Office. It is located at 529 Coffman St, Longmont. Below is a map of the area: They will have a "drive by/drop off" on Monday Nov 2 from 8am - 5pm, and again on Election Day, Tuesday Nov 3 from 7am - 7pm. If

And even MORE free advertising

2009-11-01T07:12:00.002-07:00

The "Defend Queen Bee Benker" Brigade are really pulling in overtime with their howling in the Times-Call and Boulder Weekly (see previous post)! One guy, who I've never even heard of, and you probably haven't either, said I called him a bigot! Go ahead, read away on this site, see where I said that. I'll wait...... Didn't find it did you? Nope, these people are desperate. And last I

When they have nothing else, they lie

2009-10-30T21:56:00.001-06:00

Well, seems that a contributor and donor of in-kind contributions for the Karen Benker campaign has just libeled me on the Boulder Weekly website. I keep being reminded since I'm a public figure, I just have to get used to crap hurled at me from all directions regardless if it's true or not. Usually it's the Times-Call who will run some half-baked letter from an equally half-baked Longmont

Benker's support melting away

2009-10-29T10:30:00.002-06:00

The last campaign reports before Election Day were turned in Wednesday, and it isn't looking good for Karen Benker. Her financial support, which says a lot about her overall support in the community, continues to dry up. She only raised $325 between 10/18 - 10/25. By comparison, her opponent Katie Witt raised $1,555 in the same time frame. Ms. Benker's funds on hand with a week left in the

2007 Progressive experiment has failed

2009-10-28T14:44:00.000-06:00

Here is my Guest editorial that ran in the Tuesday October 27, 2009 Times-Call. I didn't title this piece, but they did: ------------------------------------------ Vote Out The Progressives The “2007 Progressive Experiment” in Longmont has failed. At least it’s been entertaining to watch and write about, but to the detriment of the city as a whole. We can’t say we didn’t give it a try, but

Benker calls for even higher fees?!

2009-10-27T22:41:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wonder if Karen Benker wants to lose this election. Maybe she has plans for running for some other office in 2010. Because with still a lot of ballots not yet sent in, a week to go before Election Day, and with a financially struggling constituency, why would anyone in their right mind propose a tax increase? A significant one at that. Oh, I know, it's not a tax, but a fee.

Benker's complaint costs city hundreds

2009-10-27T00:31:00.002-06:00

At the October 26 Election Committee meeting, one of the many complaints that Karen Benker has brought forward was found to be a violation, with a fine of $600. This was in reference to Longmont Leadership Committee for filing a report of an Independent Expenditure 3 days beyond the 72 hour requirement. (UPDATED AND MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION BELOW) So in the first completed action by this

Firestone's noose tightening around Longmont

2009-10-26T10:33:00.003-06:00

Firestone finds way to Union Mayor says move could void litigation Times-Call October 23, 2009 Firestone moves closer to developing Union parcel in Longmont Denver Post October 26, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ People can't say they weren't warned about this. The Benker Bloc and their allies running for Council (

Campaign finance complaints filed against Fissinger

2009-10-25T20:36:00.000-06:00

I had forwarded to me two complaints (with multiple possible infractions) filed against Longmont City Council at-large candidate Kaye Fissinger. Apparently, the City Clerk will present these to the Election Committee on Monday Oct. 26 for them to do their Preliminary Findings one way or the other. I wrote about the first possible violation, but didn't file a complaint as I figured the Election

Unethical Shaffer endorses unethical Benker

2009-10-24T16:46:00.002-06:00

Color me skeptical, but I found the endorsement of Longmont City Council member Karen Benker by Colorado State Senator Brandon Shaffer fairly ironic - and pretty pointless. Make no mistake, this was tactical as Mr. Shaffer ran against Ms. Benker's opponent Katie Witt for State Senate last year. People can point out that Mr. Shaffer beat Ms. Witt, but he isn't on the ballot this year. His

Van Dusen wrong about point of lawsuit

2009-10-22T00:05:00.001-06:00

Longmont City Council candidate Bill Van Dusen wrote a guest opinion in the October 18, 2009 Longmont Times-Call entitled "More transparent campaigns make for more informed voters". Some of his positions were just shot down by a federal judge in the Preliminary Injunction that was just handed down in the case of Western Tradition Partnership, et al v. The City of Longmont (full disclosure, I'm

Why Karen Benker should lose

2009-10-21T12:20:00.001-06:00

I'm sure the title "Why Karen Benker should lose" was instantly assumed to be some kind of political philosophy or opinionated piece, but that's not really the intent. This is all about the numbers. Vote breakdown, by the numbers First, a little history. Karen Benker (pictured at left) was appointed (selected, not elected) to City Council in early 2005 due to a vacancy in the Ward 2 seat.

Benker's Freudian slip?

2009-10-20T23:46:00.000-06:00

Saw this on Best of Longmont today. -------------------------------------------------------- Very interesting. This isn't the first time, accidental or not, that Karen Benker has asked us to forget things we observe. Remember her saying we should not pay attention to what we currently see at the Twin Peaks Mall. It is a little tough to try to "forget" her "results" because she's constantly

Benker decries robo-calls, then engages in them

2009-10-18T18:30:00.001-06:00

Yet another case of the pot calling the kettle black. Longmont City Council member Karen Benker has filed a complaint with the Elections Committee about a robo-call that went out recently. And yet, she just interrupted people's Sunday with this robo-call herself. I guess for someone who basically lead an anti-LifeBridge, anti-church, anti-religious movement, it's your problem if you have

Benker SPAMS Prospect

2009-10-18T18:00:00.000-06:00

Seems Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker sent out some SPAM emails to her neighbors in the Prospect neighborhood. Here it is below (in black) with some additional made-up lines thrown in (in red) to make it more interesting. Enjoy. ------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, Yes, it's that time of year again...football, falling leaves in Prospect, and

Fissinger's Friday night document drop

2009-10-18T17:30:00.000-06:00

It appears Longmont City Council at-large candidate Kaye Fissinger has learned a trick from her fellow travelers in the White House: dump bad news late on Friday to avoid the news cycle. Nice try, but no such luck. It appears that Ms. Fissinger, or whoever is filing her reports, made a few boo-boos on their initial campaign report on October 13th (you can see it here). In what basically was

Fissinger lied about Benker's anti-LifeBridge involvement

2009-10-18T17:00:00.002-06:00

No one likes a liar. I know, we almost expect it from politicians, but still. Back on June 25, 2009 in a Times-Call op-ed, City Council at-large candidate Kaye Fissinger said this: "No council member organized, directed or actively participated in this effort." The effort she speaks of is the petition drive in 2007 to overturn the annexation of the LifeBridge/Union property east of Longmont.

Voters should be Benker's judge and jury

2009-10-18T16:30:00.000-06:00

Voters in Longmont by now have received their mail-in ballots for city council candidates and various other races and issues. But this year you should consider yourselves not just voters, but judge and jury. We have a council member and candidate who has skirted Colorado’s Sunshine Laws for two decades and so far has gotten away with it. This time around you, the voter, can deliver much needed

Boulder County D.A. letter over Benker's Open Records issues

2009-10-18T16:00:00.001-06:00

Below you will see the correspondence I sent to the Boulder Assistant District Attorney in regards to the alleged Open Records violations of Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker. This was sent September 29, 2009. Below this communication there are updates to the ongoing situation. Even if the DA's office wont pursue this, citizens and voters need to be aware of it. ------------------------

Benkers Clover Basin mistruth proven

2009-10-17T17:28:00.000-06:00

If you've seen Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker's website and flier, or have heard her speak at forums, you've probably read or heard this repeated mistruth of hers that she "ended the unfair Clover Basin Fire tax". You even see some of her miscreant followers screech this in the Times-Call comment section, probably at the same time covering their ears and yelling "la la la" as the

More free advertising!

2009-10-14T12:27:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Wrongmont! A little slice of heaven right here in Longmont. I had a feeling the posting of Times-Call endorsements couldn't possibly be the thing driving all this recent traffic here, and sure enough the site got mentioned again in the paper. I don't know who these people are as they don't contact me, but I'm starting to think they are fake names of actual Wrongmont fans trying to

Times-Call endorsements

2009-10-13T13:31:00.002-06:00

Cast ballot for Bryan Baum for mayor Elect Santos, Sammoury for at-large seats Katie Witt for Ward 2 on Longmont City Council Vote for Lammers, Schmidt, Smith and Van Lone for school board

Councilmembers, candidates, and citizens who stalk others

2009-10-13T00:55:00.003-06:00

It's become painfully clear after the October 12th Election Committee Special Meeting that Longmont Councilmember Karen Benker and her loyal mouthpieces intend to use this committee as their own little political hit squad. Ms. Benker has now filed 5 complaints to get done what she wants done - and her 5 complaints are the ONLY complaints filed so far. Call the wahh-mbulance. Until tonight

Benker's achilles heel: The Twin Peaks Mall

2009-10-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

If you are on the fence on whether or not Longmont Councilmember Karen Benker deserves another chance at being the Ward 2 representative, you only need to consider one thing: The current state of the Twin Peaks Mall. Actually, there are several other things (some quite nasty) but to keep it simple, this one issue should be enough to eliminate her from serious consideration at returning

Here comes the astroturfing

2009-10-10T16:10:00.000-06:00

Citizens of Longmont, prepare. You're about to be astroturfed! (If you need a definition of astroturfing, here's the definition according to Wikipedia) I'm sure you've heard of grassroots efforts. Well, the opposite of that, the manufactured kind of fake support is fake grass, aka astroturf. The Obama-bots and their arm Organizing For America are the Houston Astros of astroturfing, fakery

Traffic from strange places

2009-10-08T22:24:00.000-06:00

A site I've looked at before, but never assumed I'd get any serious traffic from is Colorado Pols. They had a story called "Never a dull moment in Longmont" that apparently in the comment section someone linked to Wrongmont. Nope, it wasn't me, nor do I need to go around and promote this site, it does fairly well on its own and has for several years. But thanks for all the hits anyway! I

Nattering Nabobs

2009-10-08T22:06:00.000-06:00

Just a minor correction and the often required housekeeping... Someone you've probably never heard of, with an equaling compelling point of view referred to this site as "nothing but a niggling nest of nattering negativism", hacking up a line from the late William Safire, doesn't matter if it was a feeble attempt at paraphrasing or not. The actual term is: "nattering nabobs of negativism" -

Complaints filed over political call, flier

2009-10-08T21:15:00.002-06:00

Vote poll rankles Benker

2009-10-08T21:14:00.002-06:00

Transparency a problem for Benker's hero Ritter, too

2009-10-07T13:45:00.000-06:00

You'll notice on Karen Benker's website under "Experience" a photo of her with Colorado governor Bill Ritter. Well, birds of a feather, etc... In the October 6, 2009 Denver Post a story of some of his own transparency issues. Ritter issues new order after staff skirts disclosures Does it just run in the blood of these people to be dishonest and devious?

Benker outwitted by Witt in Chamber debate

2009-10-06T14:56:00.002-06:00

Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce Candidates Forum and Debate / September 30, 2009 Ward 2 candidate portion featuring Karen Benker & Katie Witt Below are some observations of the recent debate you won't find anywhere else. While there were video cameras present, so far no videos of this debate has surfaced anywhere. I have a full audio recording of this event and have made comments based on

Benker decries, then engages in dirty politics

2009-10-04T16:26:00.000-06:00

You would think Longmont Council member Karen Benker was the Saint of All Things Clean when it comes to campaigning, that is if you were living under a rock. In a Denver Post story (which apparently it's left arm the Boulder Daily Camera re-posted) Ms. Benker, presumably with a straight face, said "It's unfortunate that a few people are just so angry that they play dirty politics." She would

Dueling in the Times-Call Open Forum

2009-10-01T10:59:00.002-06:00

For my non-Longmont readers, or those Longmont residents that don't get the Times-Call (and if not, why not?), there was an interesting exchange today between myself and sitting Longmont City Council member Karen Benker. There is so much behind the scenes buried within our statements that it would help if I do a little running commentary through this exchange. Enjoy. ---------------------------

Longmont mayoral, council candidates differ on budget-balancing approaches

2009-09-30T16:02:00.001-06:00

Campaign sign warfare: Day 1

2009-09-29T21:47:00.000-06:00

I had heard that all of a sudden, a slew of Karen Benker campaign signs were popping up in strange places. I called the City Clerk to verify what I heard about sign placement. During the candidate orientation (which Karen Benker skipped), it was made pretty clear where you can and can't place campaign signs. She or her volunteers have decided to ignore that advice. Signs are being placed in

More misdirected blame by Sean McCoy

2009-09-27T21:45:00.002-06:00

During the September 26, 2009 Coffee with Council, Council member Sean McCoy couldn't hold back his disdain for previous administrations. An attendee asked a question about the airport issue in regards to the prairie dogs "Which is more important to Longmont? People, safety, or short tailed furry rats?" Of course Mr. McCoy couldn't have any of that as he answered "let me straighten that out

Profiles in incivility: Karen Benker

2009-09-25T19:17:00.004-06:00

Since civility in campaigning seems to be the topic of the month, I thought the residents of Ward 2 would like a peek into their representative who is running for reelection - Councilmember Karen Benker. On the surface, the statement on her website "My opposition raised an issue about my volunteer work for HOPE..." seems benign enough. Her opposition could mean anyone, including an opponent

Secret meetings nothing new for Benker

2009-09-21T17:25:00.001-06:00

I'm sure it's all a coincidence. After Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker get's fellow travelers to join her and form a new majority (bloc) on council, we have record numbers of secret Executive Session meetings (incorrect statements to the contrary from stumbling councilmembers and his dad not withstanding). Oddly enough, Ms. Benker has a history of this sort of problem. Again,

Fine line between stupid and clever

2009-09-18T19:45:00.001-06:00

The 1984 movie "This Is Spinal Tap" had one great quote after another. One of my favorites was from Michael McKean (as David St. Hubbins) that I thought applied to something I read in the paper today, and it goes like this: "It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever." How often to you hear or read someone apologize in this way: "I'm sorry if I offended you"? When in all reality this

Benker taking credit where none is due

2009-09-16T12:35:00.000-06:00

Councilmember Karen Benker, based on her actions at the Longmont City Council meeting of July 21, 2009, is no friend to the citizens of Clover Basin. But you wouldn't think that if you saw this on her campaign brochure and website: FACT: As of September 15, 2009 the Longmont City Council has not even been presented a Resolution to vote on to dissolve the Clover Basin Fire District Tax (

My guest editorial in the Times-Call

2009-09-07T12:04:00.003-06:00

Some of you may not live in the Longmont area, or don't subscribe to the local paper, the Times-Call, so below is the guest editorial they ran on Sunday September 6, 2009. They don't post these on their website. It was based on my earlier "Shifting blame for incompetence and failure", and was shortened slightly for space and the title had "to others" added to it. All in all I'm pretty happy

Shifting blame for incompetence and failure

2009-09-02T11:45:00.008-06:00

It was with great amusement as I watched Longmont City Councilman Sean McCoy go on the attack at the September 1, 2009 Longmont City Council meeting. I will only speak for my part of his tirade, LIFT and Longmont Report can speak on their own behalf. I will point out that LIFT's blog hasn't had any entries on it for over a year, and Longmont Report hasn't had any activity since last February.

It's Showtime!

2009-09-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

I guess I should thank Longmont City Councilman Sean McCoy for directing all of you to my various websites. Since you're probably here based on his tirade of September 1, 2009, here is the video and a transcript: "I want to throw my sincere support towards Richard Judays civility movement. I’m concerned with the actions of radical, negative bloggers that write on YourHub and call in to the TC

Pot, meet kettle Pt. 1

2009-09-01T01:00:00.001-06:00

You know, contrary to what some may think, I get along with just about anybody. Even those I vehemently disagree with, poke fun at, or campaign vigorously against it's nothing personal, until they make it personal. Case in point: this week was three busy days of being out and about at various activities here in Longmont. We (we being my wife and I) met a lot of people, shook a lot of hands,

Do-gooders who do no good

2009-08-29T18:20:00.002-06:00

While posting over at Longmont Foreclosures I thought this weeks entry was relevant to the upcoming election. Not only do we have a councilmember (Karen Benker - and she's not alone) who wears her "helping the homeless" badge a little too prominently, and the possibly unethical political influence with the whole HOPE situation, but also a candidate (Kaye Fissinger) who benefited from the

Large majority against Firestone litigation

2009-08-29T00:08:00.000-06:00

The Longmont Times-Call recently did a poll with the question "Should the city continue its lawsuits against Firestone regarding annexations?" The results are in, and it's pretty lopsided: With 537 total votes Yes 134 (24.95%) No 403 (75.05%) In addition there's an online petition for Longmont to drop the lawsuits and appeals against the Town of Firestone. It shot up to over 120 names and

Reminder of 2007 election results

2009-08-26T23:37:00.001-06:00

The 2009 Longmont municipal election is coming up, I thought this would be a good time to look back at the election of 2007 that brought us what has been called the "Eastern Bloc", the "Benker bloc", the "Bloc of 4" etc. Total votes cast 40,051 Votes for Benker, McCoy, Levison, and Hansen (aka the "Bloc of 4") 18,453 46.1% Votes for opposing candidates

‘Scams’ prompt Thompson’s mayoral bid

2009-08-26T13:52:00.002-06:00

Benker kneecaps public speakers

2009-08-26T00:25:00.000-06:00

I'm sure it was just an oversight, but there's little excuse for Councilmember Karen Benker (in her recurring role as Mayor ProTem as Mayor Roger Lange was absent) to cut off Public Invited To Be Heard at the August 18, 2009 Longmont City Council meeting. She's been at enough meetings (and chaired enough) to know that at Study Sessions there is only one opportunity for the public to speak to

Thompson in mayoral race; Benavidez out

2009-08-25T22:35:00.001-06:00

2007 Benker Q&A

2009-08-24T00:18:00.003-06:00

Here are some highlights from the Daily Camera Q&A with Karen Benker prior to the 2007 election. What will you do to increase public access and participation in Longmont city government? We could use our public access TV station to produce talk shows about city issues and happenings...(nope) What is the most important issue Longmont will face in 2008, and what are your plans to deal with it? We

Longmont group part of White House screwup

2009-08-18T11:43:00.004-06:00

Sometimes guilt by association is a necessary part of politics. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I'm no fan of hero worship when it comes to politicians. All one has to do is look to past examples where this has gone really, really bad. I'm also not a fan of jumping on political bandwagons and avoid it as much as possible, even if it's a cause, position, or person I may personally agree with

Primer for upcoming Longmont elections

2009-08-17T01:38:00.001-06:00

I get asked all the time things like "how do we get rid of these losers"? and "I want to recall councilmember X", and "when's the next chance to vote them all out"? So, in an ongoing series I'll try to break down the current makeup of Longmont City Council and who's up for re-election and who's not. The recall issue, that's a little more complicated, but I'll get to that later. First off,

Transparency and honesty tough for some

2009-08-11T22:04:00.009-06:00

It's always amusing for me to take a national topic and apply it to things right here in Longmont. Today I'm going to do the opposite. Of course we all know by now some members of Longmont City Council have a real problem with open government and transparency. For those with short memories, there was a block of candidates back in 2007 who made no attempt to hide they were indeed a, well, block

Neighborhood liars, thugs, and brownshirts

2009-08-09T01:40:00.001-06:00

Woah, now that's a title, right? Well, bear with me and see how what you've seen in the news in the last week over the healthcare issue is playing out right here in Longmont. As you've no doubt heard by now, if one of President Obama's little minions even gets the whiff of someone writing anything negative about his healthcare plan, they should turn you in, using a special email address at the

Longmont breaks rules for Councilwoman Karen Benker's non-profit

2009-08-07T22:10:00.001-06:00

City rules are city rules...but sometimes suspicious exceptions are made. The city of Longmont supposedly has strict application deadlines each year for non-profits seeking city funds. But on rare occasions the rules are waived. Longmont city staff made one of these suspicious adjustments two years ago when it let a several-month-old non-profit called Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement (

Boulder DA okays politics in city contracting

2009-08-06T22:13:00.002-06:00

Before I launch into explaining what I think Boulder County District Attorney Stanley Garnett and Councilwoman Karen Benker did wrong, let me start out by saying something nice. I think it's impressive that Benker volunteers helping Longmont's homeless as a volunteer with Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement (HOPE). Handing out blankets and other supplies to these people where they live on

Political influence used for Longmont non-profit

2009-08-05T22:15:00.003-06:00

I originally published this story last week on the Facethestate.com political news website. This version of the story is a bit longer and the order of the article is a bit different, but the facts are the same. I gave the information I discovered about Council member Karen Benker to Boulder District Attorney Stanley Garnett, but he decided not to investigate. I will include his office's response

Citizens speak out over Firestone legal actions

2009-08-05T01:49:00.000-06:00

At the August 4, 2009 Longmont City Council meeting, several speakers came to the podium during Public Invited To Be Heard to voice their opinion about the ongoing legal battle with the Town of Firestone. It was something to behold, and most of these people should be proud of themselves. A couple of others should hang their head in shame, along with some councilmembers. What was impressive was

Benker's irresponsible "dying mall" comment

2009-08-03T22:18:00.004-06:00

If you do a search on this blog with "Benker" as the search term, you can see all the twists and turns and flip-flops Councilmember Karen Benker has made in regards to the Twin Peaks Mall (especially the "Mall-itics" series). Like other things, I don't just write this stuff around election time, but it is useful to go back and see what occurred and be reminded of such when you are considering

Benker will run for re-election

2009-08-02T22:36:00.002-06:00

Van Dusen joins city council race

2009-08-01T22:38:00.000-06:00

Longmont council member fought for city grant to her non-profit

2009-07-29T00:14:00.001-06:00

Longmont city council member Karen Benker worked to influence the awarding of a $10,000 contract to a non-profit of which she was board member, despite concerns over the organization's safety record. The Boulder District Attorney's office is researching whether Benker's actions might be in violation of state law prohibiting elected officials from trying to influence a public decision involving a

Fissinger will run for council spot

2009-07-25T22:37:00.001-06:00

Refresher: How the BMX track was driven out of Longmont

2009-07-18T22:21:00.002-06:00

In the July 14, 2009 Longmont City Council meeting, the issue of the former BMX track came up. It used to be over by Union Reservoir, but is now gone. Councilmember Mary Blue was asked about it at Rhythm on the River recently, and the constituent eluded to a fee hike as the reason they are gone. Well, they were partially right. It was an attempted fee hike by Councilmember Sarah Levison, and

Longmont city councilmember pledges whopping $66 to furloughed city employees

2009-07-01T22:26:00.002-06:00

A lifetime of being a government bureaucrat sure gives someone a warped sense of scale. Longmont City Councilmember Karen Benker, who as a career politician never stops campaigning, made the grand gesture to forego her city council stipend for the 2 days the city is furloughing city employees. These furloughs will save the city around $140,000, give or take. Her "sacrifice" will save the city

Longmont's secret meeting addiction

2009-07-01T22:24:00.002-06:00

Since it changes almost weekly, I don't have the exact number of Executive Sessions the current Longmont City Council has held in the last couple of years. It's probably around 26, which means the council that's been in office since November 2007 has held 1.4 Executive Sessions per month since they've been here. That's just ridiculous. For those that don't know, an Executive Session is a

Pratt to Fissinger: Analyze this!

2009-06-26T22:28:00.004-06:00

(The following is a guest opinion from Longmont resident Nicolle Pratt) Opening the Times-Call Thursday, June 25, to find yet another Kaye Fissinger opinion piece attempting to justify the increasingly indefensible antics of some of the current city council members shouldn't have surprised me the way that it did. I should be accustomed by now to her tireless assaults on LIFT, a local

Council being dishonest about emails

2009-06-15T22:31:00.005-06:00

On Sunday June 14, 2009 the Longmont Times-Call did a fairly large piece on emails and Open Records. It sounded sort of familiar as I've written about it over the last year, did my own Open Records request for these emails, and my wife has discussed this with council members. Something I want you to keep in mind when you read these stories and the editorial that came out the same day: when you

Longmont foreclosures show no sign of slowing

2009-06-13T22:34:00.001-06:00

It was a "good news/bad news" kind of week for foreclosures in Longmont. The good news, if you want to call it that, was that there were fewer total foreclosures in the paper - but that's probably only because the 6 that dropped off ran their 8-week publishing requirement in the paper, they're probably still in foreclosure. The other good news, for councilmembers who are mostly staying quiet on

Longmont City Council vs. Longmont Times-Call

2009-06-08T22:35:00.003-06:00

The last two Longmont City Council meetings featured something you don’t see very often: the editor and president of the local paper, Dean Lehman of the Times-Call, spoke each night at Public Invited To Be Heard. The topic? The possibility that the city may stop using them for legal notices, advertising, and other services. Mr. Lehman had to be guarded in his choice of words, and the council

City of Longmont may move lucrative ad buys from local paper

2009-06-08T00:28:00.001-06:00

The City of Longmont is closely evaluating its contracts with the city's largest newspaper, the Daily Times-Call, and could move some or all of its advertising to another venue. While both the city and the newspaper's publisher say no action is imminent, at least two members of city council have inquired about the current contract, prompting staff research on the city's options in the arena. ...

Longmont's "Bloc of 4" get public tongue lashing

2009-05-26T01:17:00.002-06:00

In the May 26, 2009 Longmont City Council meeting, a speaker (Mayoral candidate Jeff Thompson) gives it to four members of council he usually sides with. The issue is the flip-flop on the killing of prairie dogs at the Longmont Vance Brand Airport using aluminum phosphide.

Longmont Airport prairie dogs could cost city federal funding

2009-05-19T11:05:00.001-06:00

Benker requests amnesty for chicken owners

2009-05-18T01:32:00.001-06:00

Longmont foreclosures - the hits keep on coming

2009-05-17T22:37:00.002-06:00

The hits (to the local housing market) just keep coming. This week there were 9 new entries into the list of foreclosures, more than one every day. There were actually more new foreclosures, but they were in Boulder, Lafayette, and Louisville. In case you were wondering how they broke down by Ward, with an election coming up this November, here it is: Ward 1=39 (Councilmember: Brian Hansen)

Longmont’s Mall theater solution: Netflix!

2009-05-02T22:42:00.005-06:00

Contrary to what some, or even many, people may think, I don’t go out of my way to try to make some members of Longmont City Council look bad. They usually do it all by themselves. Problem is, most people in this city have no idea what kinds of things come out of their mouths, and if they did they would occasionally be appalled – or at least entertained. On Saturday May 2nd, three

Amateurism from the top down

2009-03-07T22:44:00.001-07:00

It’s a new day in America, or so we’re told. More like that ghastly movie “Day After Tomorrow” if you’re one of the millions who have seen your job go away or a good portion of your retirement account. We kept hearing that “the adults are in charge now”, funny, we haven’t heard that lately. Buffoonery is in full bloom from Washington all the way down to little old Longmont. Let’s start at the

Kaye Fissinger progressively boils over

2009-02-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

ProgressNow leftist Kaye Fissinger seeths in rage at city council meeting over her imagined evils in Longmont--even making a "lies" accusation straight out of Third Reich propaganda. (PITBH; 2-17-09).

“Would You Please Recall The Mayor?”

2008-12-17T23:00:00.003-07:00