Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Hickenlooper Tap Dances - Cole Finegan Whines

In the earliest hour of the morning on Mother's Day, May 8th, two Denver Police officers were working off-duty and in-uniform at a baptismal celebration in Southwest Denver. The two officers had earlier, apparently, not allowed a group of men, including the father of the newly-baptized infant, back into the party after the men had left the premises. It is reported that the father of the infant tried to force his way through the two officers and back into the celebration, but one of the officers restrained him, allegedly around the neck, from reentering.

In the earliest hour of the morning on Mother's Day, May 8th, Raul Garcia-Gomez -- the father of the newly-baptized infant -- once again returned to the celebration and assassinated one of the officers, Detective Donald Young (at least one bullet to the brain) and attempted to assassinate the other officer, John bishop, who had worn his "bulletproof" vest that night.


**

Denver's Mayor, John Hickenlooper -- restauranteur and beer brewer estraordinaire -- who campaigned to be Denver's mayor on a quirky, nerdy platform which emphasized disgust with the bureaucracy and parking meter rates (the director of Parking Management was involved in a little imbroglio himself, at the time) -- and who captured overwhelming support amongst Denver's voters -- go figure! -- has, lately slipslided his skinny ass into a little, ah, controversy, shall we say for propriety sake (a major fuckup for everybody else's sake!).

Forgive me, but I've always thought this guy, Hick, is a huckster of immense proportions; that he thrives on self-agrandizement and would, as I've said before, sell his mother into white slavery if it meant a photo op for Hizzoner.

Anyway, Raul Garcia-Gomez -- after assassinating Detective Donny Young and shooting Detective John Bishop -- put in a full shift the next day as a dishwasher at one of Mayor Hickenlooper's restaurants, the Cherry Cricket. Garcia-Gomez had worked for the Mayor's restaurant for ten months. Thirty days before the shootings, the Cherry Cricket management had been informed by the Feds that the Social Security number being used by Garcia-Gomez was bogus. And, it was reported that within Mayor Hickenlooper's seven restaurants, at least one-hundred employees had presented bogus documentation of their citizenship status.

What did the Hickenlooper "blind trust" (when he became Mayor he placed his holdings into a "blind trust") do about all these undocumented folks who pulled a paycheck from the Hick's restaurants? Apparently nothing. Absolutely nothing. And, it is reported that the Mayor -- even before he became Mayor -- had been hiring illegal aliens for years. Read: cheap labor.

Wait, it gets better.

The Denver Police Department has acknowledged that Raul Garcia-Gomez, the assassin, had been stopped or interviewed three times for traffic-related offenses or incidents. It's reported that he did not produce a valid Colorado driver's license or proof of insurance each time on the three occasions when he interacted with the Denver Police Department. Even though, it is reported, that Garcia-Gomez was without question an illegal alien, the Denver Police Department, nor the Denver County Court judge before whom Garcia-Gomez appeared briefly, questioned his citizenship status. And, there's a reason.

The Denver Police Department has what is referred to as a "don't ask, don't tell," policy with regard to suspected illegal immigrants which, of course, as a practical matter creates a two-tiered reaction to those stopped for traffic offenses. If you're stopped for a traffic offense in Denver and you happen to be a citizen without a valid driver's license or proof of insurance, it's a good bet you're going to jail; if you're suspected of being an illegal alien, chances are you're going on your merry way. Why?

Ever heard of a "Sanctuary City?"

A Denver Police Department Directive, included in the Denver Police Manual reads, in part:

"Generally, officers will not detain, arrest, or take enforcement action against a person solely because he/she is suspected of being an undocumented immigrant. If enforcement action is deemed necessary under these circumstances, the approval of an on duty supervisor or commander is required."

Okay, so what's up with this Denver Police Department directive?

Well, seems as though Denver, through it's many decades of Democratic mayors, has established what is referred to as a "Sanctuary City" for illegal aliens. Under Denver's former mayor, Wellington Webb, Executive Order No. 116, amongst other things, welcomed and saluted immigrants; asserted that federal policy was unfairly applied to alien children, senior citizens and disabled aliens; opposed the federal distinction between legal and illegal immigrants.

Now, considering Executive Order No. 116 and the Denver Police Department policy with regard to suspected illegals, would you kinda' think that maybe Denver is a "Sanctuary City?"

The Hick and his City Attorney, Cole Finegan say, nope, not so, no way.

Hickenlooper argued on a local radio talk show hosted by Peter Boyles that the "buck" of this whole issue did not stop with him, the chief executive officer of the City and County of Denver. He said ,"...the buck stops with, with the, ah, alleged person who shot the police officer..." He went on to cite Federal law in support of his argument that the City and County of Denver is precluded from doing anything with regard to illegal immigrants utilizing city services and being slip-slided through the legal infrastructure of the city, including traffic stops by Denver Police officers. The Hick went on for ten minutes to hide behind the Federal government with regard to illegal immigration policy.

Cole Finegan, Hickenlooper's City Attorney, appeared on Peter Boyles' radio program and immediately commenced whining about the whole affair by announcing that he actually had to get up early to run in order to "...get his stress out..." before appearing on the Boyles' show. He then went on to suggest that Colorado U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo is actually impeding the investigation of the assassination of Donny Young by interjecting himself into the "Sanctuary City" issue. Finegan went on to stir the molasses of what is apparently the Hickenlooper "circle the wagons" knee jerk reaction to not only the assassination of Donny Young, but also the "Sanctuary City" issue.

Finegan went on to whine about Congressman Tancredo's (and former Governor Dick Lamm's) assertions that Denver is "Sanctuary City."

**
Now, as progressive as I find myself to be these days, I am concerned about the implications of the "Sanctuary City" concept. I am concerned about the reported four to five-thousand Mexican nationals -- most likely including the assassin in this case, Raul Garcia-Gomez -- who have recrossed the border after having committed homicides in the United States. I am concerned about the fact that 80% of the children born at Denver's tax-supported Denver Health Medical Center are from undocumented aliens. I am concerned that Cole Finegan (the City Attorney of Denver) is characterizing Congressman Tom Tancredo's immigration crusade as an impediment to the investigation of the Donny Young assassination. And, I am concerned about Denver's Mayor John Hickenlooper's passing the buck to the Feds with regard to this serious, serious issue which plagues all major American cities.
Shouldn't the Hick and his best bud, Cole, be a wee bit more proactive on this issue than the reactive bullshit they've been spewing for two weeks now? Do they really feel like they need to be circling the wagons to protect Hizzoner? And, if so, why?

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