SOME OBSERVATIONS ON CURRENT NEWS COVERAGE

The Denver Post, going all-out to reinstate former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill and line his attorney’s pockets, ran today (3/25/09) a front-page story by reporter Kevin Vaughan that could easily have been juxtaposed with leftist-liberal columnist Mike Littwin’s views, on page two. Not until we reach page 13B or 29 pages later do we get a different look at this issue in an opinion column by Vincent Carroll. Also, we all know that Bibles are nixed in the courtroom, yet Churchill was able to display a sacred symbol (feather and red cloth) at will. In my opinion, this inconsistency, along with the generous amount of hearsay evidence allowed in this case have been ignored by the media.

The Times-Call (3/25/09) ran a front-page story on the as-expected discovery of blight around the Twin Peaks Mall. This finding, of course, means that the city fully intends to partner financially with the mall company that owns both of Longmont’s shopping malls by diverting tax revenue into the Twin Peaks project through Tax Increment Financing, otherwise this expansion study would not have been needed. Unclear in this story: “The expanded area would bring in an additional $11.8 million in property tax value and $1.6 million in sales tax revenue for a total of more than $32 million.” How’s that again?

The Denver Post, now that the Rocky Mountain News is defunct, is having a field day promoting big government. In a 3/25/09 story headlined “Health care plan gains,” the Post breathlessly tells of a Democratic bill just passed by the Colorado House designed to snatch away $600 million a year from hospitals to pay for government-mandated health insurance. (Where in the Constitution does it provide for that?) Do the Post and these politicians really think that most hospitals are going to surrender that kind of cash meekly and not try to replace it through increased fees placed on all patients? Welcome to the land of make believe –- and price controls.