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Blog Entry 65 of 86 Wrongmont
These are the Longmont stories you may have missed in the local paper, if they ran them at all. I will expand on what was either glossed over or totally ignored - but still may be of interest to you. I encourage citizens to be aware of their local, state, and federal government and to speak up and hold their representatives accountable for their actions - good, bad, or otherwise.

Which “Agitators and Aggressors”?


Atthe 3/25/08 Longmont City Council meeting, Sean McCoy, in his recurring role as appointed insulter, took aim this time at a website. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNslIi6DAM4

He called them " surrogate agitators and aggressors", and thanked the Longmont Police for showing up to the meeting, apparently for " his and his family's protection." Would this be the same Longmont Police that Mr. McCoy accepted a $1,000 donation and Times-Call advertisement from, and are now pushing to make it so they can never donate to a campaign in Longmont again? Might they have been there because of reports of a regular attendee carrying a good size knife on him at council meetings? Did this genius know that? I'm betting not.

But since Mr. McCoy is accusing people exercising their Freedom Of Speech, which include phone or "robo-calls", with terms like this, and feels the need for police protection for these robo-calls, I'd like to ask him for some consistency.

There were emails sent out that said a similar thing as these robo-calls, " you need to come to tonight's meeting". These were sent by members of Progress Now Action, and while it clearly has an anti-Lifebridge tone, here's the most hilarious part: Some were sent to current Lifebridge members! In some cases multiple emails sent to separate accounts of the same member! Talk about utter stupidity.

And here it is...
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Subject: FW: Your support is needed at a critical time for Longmont
Date: 3/25/2008 1:29:55 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time
From: info@progressnowaction.org
Reply To: jen@progressnowaction.org

XXXX,
Kaye Fissinger, a ProgressNow member in Longmont, asked me to forward you an urgent update on the LifeBridge/4C Development. I've forwarded her email below.

To: Jen Caltrider
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
From: Kaye Fissinger
Subject: URGENT - We need Longmont residents to attend the City Council meeting TONIGHT

Fellow Longmont Residents,

Earlier this year Longmont residents banded together to prevent a proposed annexation by the LifeBridge/4C Development Corporation. The proposed annexation would have cost Longmont residents thousands in taxpayer dollars every year.

Now, LifeBridge is at it again. This time they're trying to get the land for their development annexed through the City of Firestone.

The Longmont City Council is poised to vote for annexation of three pieces of open space on our Weld County border for use as open space. If Longmont annexes this open space land, we will effectively prevent Firestone from annexing the LifeBridge development and protect wildlife habitat.

I want to invite other Longmont residents to join me at the LongmontCity Council meeting tonight to make sure the City Council knows that Longmont residents want this open space annexed.

The City Council meeting starts at 7:00 pm at City Hall, 350 Kimbark Street in Longmont.

Last night, Longmont residents were subjected to robo calls designed to further LifeBridge's cause. The message urged residents to keep the City Council from annexing the property in question. So, we expect LifeBridge supporters to turn out in force and we need to make sure that Longmont City Council hears our voices as well.

Thanks again. I look forward to seeing everyone tonight at the City Council meeting.
Kaye Fissinger
Longmont Resident
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Well, now, as the SNL Church Lady would say, isn't that special? Of all the people who got up and spoke at this meeting, I don't remember seeing a single Lifebridge supporter. It was a cacophony of the usual anti-Lifebridge crowd. Using Mr. McCoy's logic and his worrying that the robo-calls would bring out people that meant him harm, in reality, it was the above email that appeared to have more impact based on who showed up and who spoke. " Lifebridge is at it again"? "...w e will prevent Firestone from annexing the Lifebridge development"? "...make sure the City Council knows..." ? That sounds pretty accusatory, negative, aggressive, and agitating, possibly more so than the robo-calls.

Why do I get the feeling Mr. McCoy won't chastise them in the same manner?

Mr. McCoy, who were you meaning when you said " and others" during your accusations? Did you mean Progress Now Action? If you meant them or someone else you should say it. I'm sure you don't want to appear to be inconsistent or partisan. Cherry picking can be a dangerous and embarrassing thing if you, a) either don't have all the facts, or b) don't know what you're talking about.

©2008 Chris Rodriguez/Wrongmont.Com

(Chris Rodriguez is a Longmont resident, and the editor and publisher of Wrongmont.Com, a community website that raises local issues to increase public awareness and interest)

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Showing 1-10 of 17 comments

ROFL Ralph, you don't think SPAM or JUNK MAIL is annoying? Whether it's an expensive mailer through the postal service, or a free spamload of email (worse than spam to the Lifebridge members who got this), it's all good cuz' you may agree with the message, is that the 'difference'? Is it really that complicated? Apparently so, I'll talk slower next time.

if you don't know the difference between an annoying, invasive robo-call and an email ... well, you might just be Chris Rodriguez.

Wow! Great job of Blog journalism! I learn what I though watching the show on TV something was too organized, too pat with just about the same innuendos in every one of the 20 or so people egging Council on to hurt Weld County citizens for thinking and acting differently than the political machine behind City Council. THANK YOU for exposing the truth behind the smoke and mirrors reasons given for Police presence at last Tuesday’s Council meeting.

f there was not a perceived conflict of interest on somebody's part there would be nothing to talk about.

Speaking about any group to which my comment applies. Someone at the Firestone meeting asked "What if it was a strip joint or a porn shop? I bet it would be built by now." Anyway. We aren't allowed to strike, no change. How many other unions out there can't strike? Not many I'd guess.

I was talking more about the groups people voluntarily join (ahem, like activist groups), where they may think it's 'strength in numbers', and feel good being part of something bigger than themselves individually (which says something in itself). I prefer individuality and independent thinkers who don't need the safety net of the 'group', and the inevitable group-think. Unions? The ones you are forced to join, yeah, I've got a problem with those. Mine isnt though (that's right, I didnt have to join) and it's just a case of putting my money where my (big) mouth is, and with this union it's a considerable amount of money.

Maybe if I knew what this whole Dominion thing was I might know where they hang out. But I don't, so I don't, and it doesn't sound like something I'd really care about learning more about. Like I've said, I'm not into being part of groups or clubs (I'm shocked I'm a union member actually). I guess some people have the need to feel they 'belong' to something, not I.

I dont know how much robo-calls cost, never been involved with one, or mass mailings. This appears to be a mass mailing to Firestone residents (like the Juday one in January?), that can't be cheap. I'm sorry, but this stinks to high heaven. What's VA and who's this Ryan Clark?

Hmm, just got a copy of this piece of mail from a Firestone resident, sent March 12, that would be BEFORE the robo-calls. In the name of Ryan Clark(?) and WhatsInItForLongmont. Again, how is this okay (and the mass emails) and the robo-calls aren't? Was McCoy aware of this, too?

REQUEST: Firestone residents who said on the Times-Call website that you got "hate mail" last week about this issue - send it my way, I'd like to see it. Thanks.
Showing 1-10 of 17 comments
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