http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest blog posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5The 2009 Longmont Election had four council seats up for grabs, including the office of Mayor. Running for re-election was long time councilmember and one term mayor, Roger Lange . There was some chatter that he couldn't run for mayor due to term limits, but it didn't get much traction, I ne...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~684497.aspx11/10/2009 12:41:22 PMChris RodriguezIn the Sunday November 8, 2009 Longmont Ledger , sore loser candidate Kaye Fissinger went back to the usual ranting and raving Longmont is so accustomed to - and probably the reason they relegated her to the political basement when they decided who to vote for. Her latest screed is...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~683467.aspx11/9/2009 10:23:47 AMChris RodriguezOf 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 th...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~682762.aspx11/6/2009 12:01:52 AMChris RodriguezIf 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 . Here is a link to a map of the area They wi...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~680508.aspx11/1/2009 4:56:17 PMChris RodriguezWell, 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 t...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~680506.aspx11/1/2009 4:49:54 PMChris RodriguezHere 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 w...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~678756.aspx10/28/2009 8:39:30 PMChris RodriguezAt 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 t...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~678157.aspx10/27/2009 6:08:39 PMChris RodriguezI 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 o...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~676814.aspx10/25/2009 8:47:47 PMChris RodriguezColor 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 S...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~676600.aspx10/24/2009 5:01:36 PMChris RodriguezLongmont 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 tha...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~674768.aspx10/22/2009 12:22:57 AMChris RodriguezYet 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 ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~672571.aspx10/18/2009 7:43:25 PMChris RodriguezNo 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 s...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~672531.aspx10/18/2009 5:29:11 PMChris RodriguezBelow 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 situa...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~672522.aspx10/18/2009 5:07:38 PMChris RodriguezIt'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 ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~668371.aspx10/13/2009 1:26:02 AMChris RodriguezCitizens 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, ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~666755.aspx10/10/2009 4:23:24 PMChris RodriguezYou 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 straigh...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~662511.aspx10/4/2009 4:40:25 PMChris RodriguezI'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 hi...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~658139.aspx9/21/2009 5:40:18 PMChris RodriguezI 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: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxqfd5n15i8 "I want to throw my sincere s...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~652024.aspx9/1/2009 11:58:14 PMChris RodriguezWhile 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 politi...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~651097.aspx8/29/2009 10:14:44 PMChris RodriguezThe 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 p...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~650976.aspx8/29/2009 12:17:09 AMChris RodriguezThe 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 Han...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~650367.aspx8/26/2009 11:49:27 PMChris RodriguezJust when you thought it was safe to surf the internet... My much praised and maligned website Wrongmont is BACK for the upcoming 2009 Longmont municipal election! For those unfamiliar with Wrongmont's history: It's a website I started back in 2002 and was instantly noticed by the ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Politics/Local-State-Politics/Blog~649837.aspx8/26/2009 1:12:43 AMChris Rodriguez4/1/08 - As of today, I'm ending Wrongmont. It's far from an end though, in many ways it's a beginning, and quite a beginning on the horizon. As some of you may have seen, I recently started a Voter Registration Drive effort called Vote Longmont . It came from my years of trying to get...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~450018.aspx4/1/2008 5:19:00 PMChris RodriguezAtthe 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 L...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~447347.aspx3/26/2008 11:43:14 PMChris Rodriguezshort-sight-ed -adjective 1. unable to see far; nearsighted; myopic 2. lacking in foresight: a shortsighted plan . -Synonyms: unthinking, heedless, careless, improvident. If you're lucky enough to live in a community that isn't in total decline , like say, parts of Michigan , you...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~446300.aspx3/25/2008 2:15:00 AMChris RodriguezVIEWER WARNING : This piece is bound to really irritate some people. I'm well aware of the anger this will illicit, and your expected complaints have been considered. I try to be constructive when I criticize, but sometimes it's nearly impossible. This is such a case. In the interest of comp...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~445606.aspx3/22/2008 5:37:49 PMChris RodriguezIn the previous story, I ran Firestone's Mayor Simone's comments he made in the 3/17/08 Firestone Trustee Board meeting. There were more comments by other trustee's as well. You might recall that this meeting was rescheduled from the previous Thursday as not enough board members...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~444863.aspx3/20/2008 11:08:54 PMChris RodriguezI was fortunate to have been one of only a couple people who attended both the 3/17/08 Firestone Trustee Board meeting and the 3/18/08 Longmont City Council meeting. Both were very interesting and will take a few parts to cover it all. First up, the Firestone meeting. Ma...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~444208.aspx3/19/2008 7:42:52 PMChris Rodriguez" What we've got here is failure to communicate " from " Cool Hand Luke " (1967 Warner Bros). I don't talk much here about my day job (not at all yet) where communicating effectively can be the difference, literally, between life and death. I've been on both sides of that: fro...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~441095.aspx3/13/2008 12:22:38 AMChris RodriguezI know, and you know, there is a contingent here in Longmont that wants to be Boulder Jr . Some of these seem to feel Boulder can do no wrong and that they walk on water. We also have a councilmember who works for the Boulder Valley School District who tells us we shouldn't spea...http://denver.yourhub.com/Longmont/Blogs/Archive/Blog~438770.aspx3/7/2008 6:22:56 PMChris Rodriguez