NewSpin
Christian Piatt
Originally published in PULP Magazine
In the spirit of April Fools Day, we are encouraged to write something out of character. For me, in this column, that would require me to write something complementary about local politics.
I feel the same way about this as I used to feel when my mom tried to get me to eat green beans. Maybe Ill just hide my column under the table and hope the dog eats it.
Seriously, I am pretty stoked about the prospectswhich I think are actually very real and achievableof
We greenies, on the other hand, were excited for a whole different reason. The idea that the very ethos upon which our community has subsisted for decades could change in the very near future is such a big concept that Im dumbfounded more people arent talking about it.
Add to this that there is news afloat that we may also be the beneficiaries of one of the largest solar energy arrays ever builtenough to power every home in Pueblo county and then somepushes us even closer. The fact that President Obama signed his new energy bill in Colorado speaks to our prospects as a Green state.
Leaning upon the steel industry to keep us afloat has yielded mixed results, but there are several benefits to retooling now, while we have the chance. First, our nations thirst for energy does not drop at nearly the rate that the demand for steel does when times are hard. Second, unlike steel, wind and solar are renewable, meaning they can continue producing indefinitely. Finally, theres a good deal of money in the stimulus bill for infrastructure to encourage Green development like this, which means we might be able to get our workforce newly trained on the Feds dollar.
The possibility that
Okay, enough positivity. On to Pueblo City Schools Superintendent Covington. If theres any validity to the myth that Pueblo has a self-esteem issue, its reinforced by opportunists like
Never mind that hes set a multi-year plan into motion that he has no intention of seeing through. And never mind that would have left us holding the tab for a budget deficit in the millions. Whats worse is the message it sends to our children, which is to get what you can, when and where you can, and that long-term commitment takes a back seat to personal gain.
Though he has removed his name from consideration in