Occupy This

Really? Hey, we're all mad the big bankers and wall street types got bailouts from the government and are now making record profits. Fine. But to start protesting in city parks around the nation isn't the answer. I mean, when, as a protester, do you call the protest off? What has to happen for the occupiers to say, "Okay, we won." Whats the end game? I heard of one guy who actually QUIT HIS JOB to go protest. Really? How stupid are you people? The world doesn't care, other than those who have shops near those city parks. The rest of us hope you freeze your ass off with winter coming on. Go get a job, make a ton of money, and quit blaming EVERYBODY for your problems. There, that's your solution. IDIOTS.

October

Amanda Knox has won her appeal on murder charges in Italy and is heading home. The authorities have a man in jail for the murder of her roommate. However, there's is still a small part of me that believes she was involved somehow. But a "feeling" and "evidence" are two different things......Everybody all of a sudden is on the Chris Christie bandwagon, wanting the New Jersey Governor to run for President. Is he really that much better than the other 9 announced candidates? In what way? I do like his "take charge" approach to things. He reportedly will make his decision by the end of the week..... If you missed it, YouTube the Texas Rangers Baseball Playoff game, where a young boy, whose father died at the stadium earlier this year, throws out the first pitch to Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton. Hamilton had thrown a ball into the stands and the dad leaned over the railing to catch it for his son, and fell and later died. The Rangers have raised several hundred thousand dollars for the boy and his family. Say what you want about professional athletes and yes there are jerks in all groups. But there are also wonderful people who give from the heart and ask nothing in return.

Fri 9-23-11

Its the New Normal. That where we are today with the economy. I am a pessimist when it comes to this country creating new jobs. Cut through all the crap about the President and republicans and democrats-its really simple. Those of us who are working are more productive now than ever, which means companies are getting more out of us without having to hire more employees. I don't care how many tax breaks you give to employers. They don't want to get burned like they did in 2008. They have the money to hire new people but won't because you and I are getting more done. Its that simple......Next week on Kvor you will be hearing from some of the newest class of the Mayors 100 Teens. This is a terrific program in the Springs, recognizing 100 young men and women throughout the region, and Kvor is proud to be a sponsor of it......In the days to come we will have details on a huge effort we are undertaking at Cumulus Broadcasting and Kvor. We need all of the help of our listeners on a big project. More to come next week.

Really

Congress leaves Washington and can't find the time to fix the funding problem with the Federal Aviation Administration? Really? So we have to furlough some 75 thousand FAA and construction workers. Really? I am not a big fan of politicians, but wow, after seeing this I could run for office and be successful. Forrest Gump had a saying for this-"Stupid is as Stupid Does.".......Former Mayor Lionel Riverea's claim he should have dug deeper because money was available to keep the parks watered and street lights on came as a bit of a surprise to me. Really? Who was telling him we didn't have the money? And is that person still at City Hall working for Steve Bach?.......It bothers me when I drive around town and I see someone down and out on their luck standing at a light with a sign that says help. Look, I feel bad for them too, but there are part time jobs out there and full time if you look hard enough. You can't find ANY jobs sitting on the corner eying every driver waiting for the light to change. At least get a part time job. You'll have to shave and clean up, but it gets you in the work mode, and the adage of "its easier to find a job when you have a job" still holds true. A little money is better than none at all. Current has a banner along Woodmen that says they are hiring. Next time I see someone looking for help I am going to tell them about Current and see what their reaction is.

So What Your Telling me Is.......

So lets see if I have this straight. Transportation Security Administration officials stop a 95 year old woman with a terminal illness, wearing an adult diaper, from flying-yet a Nigerian man with false Id and an outdated boarding pass with a false name on the ticket, is allowed to fly. Whats wrong with this picture? Now-to be fair, I have had no trouble with TSA people and I fly a lot. They are there to protect us. However, my problem is two fold-common sense, or lack thereof. I don't believe these people are trained in real-world situations. This woman was wheel chair bound, had a soiled adult diaper, that showed something unusual on x-rays. Her travelling companion offered to remove the diaper and let them inspect it, only because she wanted to get this thing over with as fast as possible. No TSA person has common sense to say, 'Okay, wait-hold on, lets let this poor lady through?" But the same organization allows this Nigerian creep to fly around the country with a handful of false identities with a boarding pass that is a day old and does not even have his correct name on it? How did this guy slip through, especially when they check EVERYONE and EVERY boarding pass. I'm sorry, but they need to do a better job of profiling customers who would seem to have more potential of being a bad guy. And yes, that means racial profiling. Sorry kids-you don't like, don't fly. And that's the second point, somebody in the Administration needs to stand up, grow a pair and declare this is the method that needs to be used to better protect everyone when flying.

Dougie, Dougie, Dougie

So Mr. Doug Bruce has been charged with tax evasion for failing to report interest that he allegedly deposited interest into an account for Active Citizens Together. I admire Doug for his intelligence. But that's all. I am not a fan. Look, I don't want my taxes to be any higher than they need to be. However we can't operate like its the dark ages. Its bad enough we have half the streetlights off in the city. How attractive is that to potential new employers? When people hear the city Colorado Springs, many of them think of Doug Bruce. Do you want that to be the first impression people get when talking about the city? Thought so.............Steve Bach is the new Mayor of Colorado Springs. Steve, a piece of advice. 3 words...JOBS JOBS JOBS-get those, and everything else takes care of itself.......

Got Em

I will not forget where I was when it was announced the United States had taken down Osama Bin Laden. It was a nearly ten year chase that had faded at times from our consciousness. But all the while our fine men and women in the military and in our intelligence services continued to dig and piece together scant clues that turned into a focus on a house in Pakistan. And what does this so called defiant leader of terrorism do when we show up? He flees. He hires minnions to fly planes into building and kills innocent Americans, yet runs when he's face to face with us. Watching and listening to news coverage after the Presidents announcement brought home once again the emotions of September 11th 2001. And in the days that follow listening to so many people ask, should he have been taken alive, did we do the right thing, and all these secondary issues, one thing remains clear: The Bastard is dead, and thats good enough for me.

Odds N Ends

In the slideshow at KVOR.com there is a story about yet another conspiracy tied to the death of John Kennedy. Whether you believe it or not its a fascinating read and it will make you pause and think......So Doug Bruce is in trouble with the Colorado Attorney General. He is accused of not filing income taxes for a 3 year period. John Suthers is the Attorney General, as solid a man as you will meet. I wouldn't bet against him......Many of you won't like this-the story of the foster parents who will be tried for allegedly accepting money from the county to raise two young boys who have since disappeared really bothers me. In the past, and again in this case I am all for torture. These two boys didn't simply walk away on their own. One has been missing since 2001, the other since 2003 and we know these two adults know where the children are and if they are dead or alive. I'm sorry. If I had my way I would use "creative" ways to get them to tell authorities what happened to these kids. Before you start nailing me with emails, think about if your child is missing. If authorities had people in custody connected to the crime you would do the same thing.

Oh Happy Days

I was thrilled when I heard on KVOR that all 5 Reform Party members failed to win any seat on City Council. I admire the intelligence of their leader Doug Bruce. However I think his ideas are simply bad for the city. The 4 other candidates that joined him meant well I'm sure. But the city will be better off with the winners of those at-large seats. I have been in town over 20 years, and thankfully, slowly, but surely the landscape has changed to a population that understands yes, we need to be cautious on our spending. However, we better know when we are slicing into the bone. The Reform Party Candidates, in my opinion did not grasp that part of it. We need aggresive marketers and thinkers for this city so we can grow sales tax revenue. All I heard from the reform party and like-minded followers was cut, cut cut. Small thinking for a town of about 400 thousand. And, as we move into the age of a Strong Mayor with either Richard Skorman or Steve Bach, its nice to finally see Colorado Springs kick the training wheels off and look to the future.

Down The Stretch They Come

Closing in on Election Day. We have a poll at KVOR.com on our Mayoral Slide. Its unscientific, however it should give us a picture of how Colorado Springs is feeling about our next Mayor. And by the way-Gotta hand it to Lionel Rivera. I thought he did an amazing job given the current limitations of that office. He represented the city with class and dignity and always had Colorado Springs best interests at heart......The Battle for Libya has repercussions that could reach all of us in this country. Should rebels take over the country, what kind of government will they install? And how will the ongoing conflict affect oil, and thus gasoline prices? Some experts are saying we could see 5 dollars a gallon gas by this summer. What really exacerbates the situation is we are entering spring and summer and the demand for fuel is going to go up, and with it, prices.......Congratulations to Richmond and former Air Force Basketball Coach Chris Mooney. His team made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and he has been rewarded with a 10 year contract extension. Got to spend some time with him in Denver where his team was playing in the regionals. He has not changed at all. Humble, unassuming, laughs easy, a great great guy. A lot of basketball head coaches are not fun to be around. He is the exception.

Timing

So the United States, Frances, Canada, and other countries bomb the military forces of Moammar Gadhafi over the weekend, and also begin enforcing a no fly zone. This as Libya struggles with uprisings that threaten to overthrow Gadhafi. However, in my opinion, the move came too late. It should have been done two weeks ago. It seems the immediate goal was to cripple Gadahfi's army and give rebel forces a bit more of a level playing field to oust the Libyan leader. Sounds like we don't want the blood of Gadhafi on our hands, however, we don't mind the helping the rebels who would love to see Gadhafi out of power, or worse, dead.......The Springs mayoral race still has 7 candidates. What I am hearing is we may have a runoff because the race is expected to be so tight. So things may not get decided on April 5th. Continuing election coverage can be found on KVOR and KVOR.com..........Had a great visit over the weekend with High School Basketball Officials at their annual banquet here in town. The men and women who worked high school basketball games don't get enough credit. They don't do it for a paycheck, but for the love of the game and working with children.

Me-Sick

I never get sick....Well I do, but rarely, and usually I don't let it affect me. But I am sick and I just hate it. I really believe you can talk yourself out of being sick. I have done so for years, But for once I didn't listen to myself. So I present my notes-Under the Weather......I watched the horror, like you, on TV last week during the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami. No words describe what flashed across the TV, and what the Japanese people are experiencing. If you would like to help, please go to KVOR.com and click on our Japanese Relief slide in conjunction with the American Red Cross....And now they are battling to control their nuclear reactors. Does it make you worry about California, and all the predictions we have had for years of a major quake?....Speaking of KVOR.com, we have a great slide up on the Mayors Race. You can listen to interviews conducted by Jackie Craddock and Jeff Crank, and give us your thoughts on who the next mayor will be. That person will have a lot of pressure. They need to figure out how to create jobs and get the damn street lights back on in town....The Group of 5 running for City Council led by Doug Bruce-it will be fascinating to watch how well they do. To me, they represent old Colorado Springs when I first arrived in 1989. There is a portion of this population that doesn't want to see any spending at all. They will clash with the more modern populace that has arrived in town over the last 10-15 years who understand you just can't keep cutting and cutting. Old Blood vs New-who wins out?

Wow

What a mess in the Middle East. Now, I call it a mess, but what's really happening is people are sick and tired of being mistreated, having low paying jobs, being held down by dictators and oppressive governments. Sadly, the uprisings come with the loss of life. There are a lot of brave people in those countries fighting for freedom and we will only know of their deaths. The Global Financial Markets are very jittery. Oil, and thus, fuel, could skyrocket. Its already hit 3 dollars a gallon the springs, and we're lucky because its 17 cents less than the national average.....And how bout enough already with these damn Somali pirates. These punks kill 4 Americans on a yacht the Somali's hijacked. Do you realize they still hold 29 ships and more than 650 people? The United States along with a few other countries need to team up, go in, and put an end to this craziness.......Carmelo Anthony will never win an NBA title no matter what team he is with. Why does he want to play in New York? So he can become an international celebrity, with music deals, commercial endorsements and the like. He is too selfish a player, and he plays defense like I do. T-E-A-M is a word he may have a time time spelling.

Trying to stay warm....

What's happening in the Middle East is worrisome. Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan are all seeing political upheaval, with crowds and mobs in Yemen and Egypt demanding the resignations of their presidents. Some are saying its the tip of the iceberg and more countries may experience the same thing. I believe that, and I don't think there's much we could, or should do. What I mean by that is these countries have to settle their own internal strife. We must keep an eye on things certainly however, we must be cautious on trying to influence any outcome......I know its been on before, but I just got around to watching it-the documentary Restrepo, as filmmakers follow American troops into the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. It is sobering, scary, and sad. This is what our troops are doing overseas everyday. It is a must watch.............My new Favorites are the Alaska Reality Shows-the guys mining for gold and the guy that owns a fleet of planes that fly supplies to remote towns in Alaska. You know who isn't happy about all these reality shows? Professional writers. Fewer shows for them to write.

60 Seconds with Me

So the Gazette refuses to turn over the registration information of one of their readers who wrote on their city desk blog that Mike Gallagher, City Councilman would quote, "Be better off Dead." Really? This is what we get from a respected city media outlet? Don't give me the free speech argument. Listen, I deal with that everyday on KVOR. With free speech comes responsibility. So its more important to the Gazette to get page views on their website than help the police investigate a death threat? And you wonder why Gazette readership is down? That's poor leadership from the Editor from the Gazette....And the comments from an Arizona Sheriff that "Talking Heads" on radio and TV led to the shooting in Arizona is pure nonsense. Can we tone down the talk at times? No question. To say this nut job listened to radio and TV commentators and then decided to shoot people is irresponsible.....I like the idea of Republicans and Democrats sitting side by side listening to the Presidents State Of The Union Address. Hey, we have to start somewhere to get politicians agreeing on something, because when they don't its you and I that suffer.

2011

So the republicans now control congress. One word- GRDILOCK. Get used to it. Could be a long year in Washington......So just as we slowly slowly start to see an improving economy comes word we could see 4 dollar a gallon gas later this year. Timing is everything.....On KVOR we are working with Shell Fuel and Ski Free for a cool promotion. Buy 10 gallons of Shell gas and get a Ski Free voucher which you can redeem for a free ski lift ticket when you buy an adult ticket at Copper Mountain, Crested Butte. Monarch. Loveland and Winter Park. Good Stuff. Love to ski but probably won't get up there until February....Don't be mad, but I love the snow and cold. Its winter-the weather should be lousy.