Denver City Council - Kumbaya

Denver's City Council, indubitably to a person bend-over-backward imbued with the litany and ideology best described as liberalistic multicultural humanism (with the possible exception of Jeanne Faatz), emerged from their annual retreat defining "outcomes" they have set for themselves over the next year. That's fine. To be expected.

Two points emphasized in their "outcome" document read: First: "...Parks, the heart of the city, will become a focal point for Council in their efforts towards the development of a parks preservation plan to protect the City's green infrastructure." Second: "Recognizing the unique demographics of their citizenry, Council will also work towards policies that will serve to integrate all populations into the City and further develop their relationships with the Denver Public Schools, in recognition of the interdependence of the two entities in the development of a healthy, vibrant city."

I'll make this short.

Humbly I entreat, Denver's 4,000 acres of parks and parkways do not need another PLAN coming from a City Council which has yet to aggressively push for a means of funding for the implementation of the plethora of specific park Master Plans already extant. Those Master Plans have already been developed, have been placed on that top shelf--in some cases for years and years--where the dust weighs heavy. Hey, how's this for novel idea: There's really no need for another study, another plan. We've already got the studies and the plans. IMPLEMENT THE EXISTING MASTER PLANS BY INITIATING A MEANS TO FUND THOSE MASTER PLANS! Yes, I know, you, City Council, and your Mayor, John Hickenlooper, have chosen to submit to the voters this November a ballot issue that will impose a sales tax increase to fund pre-school education initiatives. No, there are no general obligation bond measures on the ballot that would fund the remediation of the disgraceful negligence of Denver's park's infrastructure, much less to fund park Master Plan initiatives. Instead, the Kumbaya mentality between Mayor/Council, has placed on the ballot a measure that is wholly outside the legal, codified responsibility of the entity, the City and County of Denver. Excuse me, but the Denver School Board--to which a substantial portion of Denver's property owner's property taxes are siphoned--is responsible for education initiatives in this city, not the Mayor, not the City Council--regardless of where, yes, your liberalistic multicultural humanistic (politically correct) leanings tend to lead. Excuse me but, SAVE WHAT YOU CALL THE "HEART" OF THE CITY BY PUSHING, FUNDING, SUPPORTING THE ALREADY EXISTING PARK MASTER PLANS!

Now, for the second issue: "Recognizing the unique demographics of their citizenry, Council will also work towards policies that will serve to integrate all populations into the City and further develop their relationships with the Denver Public Schools, in recognition of the interdependence of the two entities in the development of a healthy, vibrant city."

Okay, granted, a "...healthy, vibrant city..." depends, in part, on the quality of and citizen support for the city's education system. Resolutions from Denver's City Council supporting the Denver School Board and wunderkind, Superintendent Michael Bennett, is fine, appropriate, great stuff guys, Kumbaya for all. But, with the particular makeup of this Council, the words, "...further develop their [the Council's] relationships with the Denver Public Schools..." wreaks of the stuff that will see a ballot issue to increase Denver's sales tax to fund pre-school education. And, what else will be forthcoming from this Council which doesn't appear to understand their responsibilities under the Charter and Revised Municipal Code of the City and County of Denver? How much of Denver's General Fund will be earmarked for education initiatives that are indisputably solely within the purview of the Denver School Board?

Finally, the Council's intent to "...work towards policies that will serve to integrate all populations into the City..." is, for me, a winky-wink intent to (dare I mention this particular bugaboo) to further advance, support, probably fund the notion of SANCTUARY in this city. Having said this, and understanding the soulful, feel-good mantra of Kumbaya from this particular Council, I absolutely suspect the Denver City Council to create an additional seat in their august body for Denver's Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput. Who better to articulate the specifics of what a SANCTUARY CITY (for illegal immigrants) should be? Of course, with Chaput on the Council, Kumbaya may be compromised in the area of a woman's right to control her own body and, oh my goodness, what about them pesky queers suggesting the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution should also apply to them.