[From Colorado Luis, a tale that should be of interest to us all.]

One side

Director’s Update

The Super Slab was sold as a tax-free way to solve our transportation woes. A private — and secret — group of investors would fund the project. It would be a Super Highway stretching from Pueblo to Fort Collins. …

[T]he ?200 affected? landowners turned out to be more like 75,000 and they were outraged that a for-profit entity could condemn their land without any governmental oversight or citizen input. These people were the true heroes. They were farmers and ranchers, people who wanted to get away from the city, people who owned land they were deeding to open space and others. They organized county groups spontaneously. They organized meetings of 1000 people, list serves, and brought over 1000 people to the capital to testify against the bill. According to the state police, this was the largest group of people to show up and testify on a bill ever.

Some pundits have dismissed these folks as just NIMBY?s ? Not In My Back Yard ? and there is some of that (who would want a superhighway in their backyard?) but there was also a lot of thoughtful concern about turning so much power over to a private for profit company.

The fact remains, the people in the highway zone spoke loudly and clearly ? they did not want the Super Slab ? and the legislature listened.

The other side

TRn: Colorado Senate committee defers action on Front Range Toll Road bill

But a major campaign of opposition to the project developed out of a poisonous and unscrupulous website with hysterical public meetings, letterwriting, overblown newspaper reportage, vilification of supporters, culminating in a demonstration at the Capitol of 600 to 800 people. …

Under [the 1882] statute – details of which are something of a mystery – companies filing a claim for an easement apparently have the right to install utilities such as waterpipes, telephone lines, electric transmission lines, gas lines… and tollroads. The early statutes permitted hundreds of private tollroads to be built, only one of which survives – Pikes Peak Toll Road to the top of a mountain. …

Most important the noisies must be told: you have your rights, and they will be respected, but you won’t decide this matter. The mob doesn’t rule here.

Somebody wants to use that old law that is continually used to steal public resources (OK, buy for cheap or condemn), to build a privately owned toll road as an alternative to a publicly owned Interstate. Free Market Madness.

While the project is on hold, remember to be eternally vigilant. Every single day someone is looking around and saying, “hey, I can make some money here.” And they are looking in our backyards, at our public lands and our sacred spaces, for a quick profit before they move on to destroy something else. mjh

ABQjournal: Vocal Protesters Object To Bush Social Security Plan
By Miguel Navrot, Journal Staff Writers

Demonstrators riled over a proposed Social Security overhaul gathered to chant and yell Tuesday morning as President Bush made his pitch to Albuquerque.

Authorities reported no arrests, and the demonstrations remained peaceful.

“Worst. President. Ev-errrr,” chanted dozens on Civic Plaza [mjh: my source said there were about 50 protesters], walking in a circle. Uniformed officers and sheriff’s deputies, plus civilian-dressed security, stood by, only asking protesters to stay behind the yellow tape. …

Tuesday’s protest began on the sidewalk of the U.S. District Courthouse on Lomas NW, where motorists were urged to honk in favor of their opposition. Across Lomas, a smaller, pseudo-counter demonstration group gave their approval of Bush.

“Well, we just think that Bush is doing a wonderful job by privatizing Social Security,” said a woman who identified herself as “Iona Millions” of the irony-steeped group Billionaires for Bush. Studded in rhinestones, Millions and fellow Bush backer “Mr. Warbucks” said Bush’s proposal would go far in “supporting our Wall Street brokers.”

“Our stocks in Halliburton, Bechtel and General Electric have done wonderfully,” Millions said. “So what if a few people had to die in the process?”

From the federal courthouse, the demonstration moved to Civic Plaza for an hour more of high-decibel Bush denunciation.
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Headline on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal:
Bush Makes His Case

Headline writers have a lot of power. Many people skim the paper, noticing photos and headlines more than reading the paper. So, it isn’t just semantics to quarrel with “Bush MAKES His Case.” Not so — he presents his case, he tries to make his case (and, apparently, succeeds with the headline editor). Put that headline in a huge font under an inspiring photo of Bush and you tell a different story.

Inside, on the editorial page, cartoonist Trever marries Schiavo to Social Security to suggest the Democrats are brain-dead on the later. Hmmm. So far, Bush has put ONE SINGLE idea forward repeatedly: personal, private, individual accounts. Even the White House admits those will do NOTHING to shore up Social Security. Bush said at a press conference that he wasn’t going to put any ideas forward because the first idea is always shot down. That’s Leadership: rouse the rabble, frighten the masses, offer a sham. Worst. President. Ever. mjh