Whitman Park Closed for Two Years
Two years ago the City of Grand Junction suddenly closed Whitman Park, with no notice or public process. Whitman Park had long been associated with the unhoused, who found community, mutual aid, and public bathrooms there. Numerous organizations and private citizens utilized this gathering place to serve food to the hungry and provide mutual aid and charity. The public outcry against the park’s closure forced the city to rush forward the now shuttered Community Resource Center to serve the unhoused. The Center was plagued by bureaucracy, NIMBYS and an authoritarian rules based model that never met the needs of the unhoused as well as they did for themselves in Whitman.
Now the City’s own website states that “The design project for Whitman Park is currently paused.”
When the park was first closed the City said that Whitman Park would be available to reserve for private functions; two poorly organized city events were held there, but since then it has sat unused for 22 months. Now the link to reserve Whitman Park has been removed from the city website. It now sits as an overgrown homage to municipal cruelty.
Venezuelans Take Up Arms Against American Imperialism
Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have enlisted in civilian militias to defend the gains of the Chavez revolution against a build-up of U.S. naval power off their coast. Washington has recently placed a fifty-million-dollar bounty on President Maduro’s head. Marking a decisive escalation of this long simmering conflict. The real issue is that Venezuela sits on a shit-ton of oil, and the people continue to vote for left-wing governments that have increased education and health access to millions of poor Venezuelans. Since the 1990s, the U.S. empire has attempted numerous coups against the Chavista movement, funded the opposition media and parties, and imposed crippling sanctions all because they dared to make the wealth of Venezuela work for Venezuelans.
State Patrol Trooper Arrested for DV
Trooper Brandon Stevens was arrested by the Alamosa Police Department on August 9th. Stevens has been placed on leave. He faces a felony charge of Second-Degree Assault as well as suspicion of Domestic Violence.
Trump Makes Flag Burning Cool Again
Trump’s executive order making it a crime to burn a flag has given this out of date and cliche method of protest a new life. Jay Carey, a veteran, was arrested outside the White House for burning a flag days after the executive order. Liberals learned that talking about his little hands gets under his skin, like 9 years ago, and still haven’t dropped it. Maybe they will start burning their American flags. One can only hope.
GJ Mayor Attacks Press, Blocks Citizens, Cancels Coffee
Recently Mayor Cody Kennedy lashed out at Daily Sentinel reporter Sam Klomhaus for daring to ask hard questions. In a Facebook comment he states “I will not be interviewing with Sam again, and I’ll encourage everyone I know to not grant him interviews as well.” Kennedy is not a fan of tough questions, or accountability, and has long blocked citizens from his ‘Cody for GJ’ Facebook page. Additionally, Kennedy has canceled five of his weekly ‘Coffee with Cody’ outreach events since July.
Vail Settles Lawsuit with SeeWalker
“Vail cancelled Ms. SeeWalker’s artist in residency because of the viewpoint of her speech. This action follows a long pattern of suppressing and censoring the voices of Native American people, but Ms. SeeWalker bravely said ‘not this time; and this settlement shows that individuals pushing back can make a difference,” said Tim McDonald, Legal Director of the Colorado ACLU. Vail agreed to fund a new art program for marginalized people, host a powwow organized by SeeWalker free of fees for the next five years, sponsor a forum on Palestine, and provide cultural sensitivity training for the Arts and Public Places Department. SeeWalker had her residency cancled for art that linked Gaza and our genocide of Native Americans. (See issue #6 of the Rev).
Polis Balances Budget on the Poor
It seems that the rich paying more is never an option, it’s always the poor that can do without. Colorado Governor and multi-millionaire tech-bro, Jared Polis called a special session of the Colorado Legislation to address an 800 million dollar short fall. He also snuck in some legislation protecting AI companies from accountability. The effects of the cuts are going to be brutal, people’s lives will be shortened, homelessness will increase, and the wealthy second homeowners and trophy ranch buyers could easily afford it.
The big picture is that last year Polis called a special session on the behest of anonymous billionaires through a dark money fund, and they lowered property taxes to the tune of a billion dollars a year. Polis DOGE’d our state budget before DOGE was even a thing. Capitalists are going to capitalist.
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