Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Aren’t Richard Heene’s 15 minutes of fame up yet? Just this past week, the father of the “balloon boy” was on “Larry King Live” and NBC’s “Today” show blabbering something about how the incident, in which he reported his son had floated off in a large helium balloon, wasn’t a hoax. It was all a plot by Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden to get him, he now says. Uh huh. Heene, who got a 90-day sentence for his part in the plot, begins serving time Monday. Perhaps he’ll pick up a hobby while incarcerated, one that will keep him away from microphones. And balloons.
Still no crocodile tears for Ritter? Sometimes free speech has its price. Rep. Ed Casso, D-Commerce City, learned that lesson when he was stripped of his committee vice chairmanship for taking a swipe at the governor. After Bill Ritter announced he wasn’t running for re-election, Casso offered a stinging criticism. “I hope my crocodile tears don’t flow too much, or you might actually think I will miss the governor,” Casso said in a release. “As with most of his decisions in the last four years, the governor is a day late, a dollar short and without regard except for his own well-being and interests.”
House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, promptly took away Casso’s leadership role on the business affairs committee.
Guess that big tent Democrats always talk about isn’t always so roomy.
Smile, taxpayers! Speaking of Ritter, he may have bowed out of the governor’s race, but at least he’ll have some lovely photos and videos to remember his time in office. The Associated Press recently reported that the governor has spent more than $200,000 in taxpayer money since June 2008 to hire outside contractors for photographs, videos and TV ads to promote his accomplishments. That’s what campaign funds are for, governor. And since you’ll have a little extra, consider reimbursing taxpayers for some of that expense.
Share the rules. The rules of the road got a few extra teeth in Fort Collins this past week as the city council decided to increase fines for cyclists who violate traffic laws. Hopefully cyclists will think twice before blowing through red lights or riding the wrong way on roads. The city will add a $35 surcharge to tickets issued to cyclists, but only on those offenses considered a 1-point or more moving violation had they been given to a motorist. If you want to share the road, you ought to share the responsibility to be a good citizen, too.
Get lost. Fans of the serial drama “Lost” really, truly, must get a life.
There were reports last week that a group of fans were petitioning the White House to prevent President Obama from giving his State of the Union speech on Feb. 2. That’s the date of the season premiere of the television show that depicts a group of plane crash survivors trapped on an island.
The only thing worse than having the season premiere of “Lost” delayed for an hour, or even a day, would be getting trapped on an island with people who would petition the White House, during a time of war and recession, over such a frivolous matter.
