The ethics of commuting a sentence, what do you think? Of boiling frogs and gas stoves. And my letter to the editor of the Post re. Polis' recent Op Ed.
The articles below raise some interesting ethical questions re. commuting an offender’s sentence. What do you think?
This raises some interesting questions.
The articles below came out at about the same time: one day between as I recall. It is an interesting story and worth reading through.
I'm not going to provide my thoughts on the questions I pose below. Trust me when I say I have plenty of them, but I thought it through and think this post is better done as one to get us all thinking.
Thus, I will leave it to you to come to your own conclusions (though I would recommend reading through both articles carefully before looking at the questions below or saying anything). If you feel strongly about any of them, please feel free to add to the comments.
1. Should clemency or parole be offered anyone? If so, what conditions would/should be attached? Should it be only for certain offenses or anything (short of life in prison)?
2. If you think clemency and/or parole should be granted how much weight should be given to the victims and/or their families?
3. How much transparency are we owed by the governor who makes a decision to offer clemency? How much is owed to the family? There are often official letters written, but should anyone get to see any part of the deliberations?
4. The defendant in this case was charged with felony murder (a charge that can turn any murder, even when not done by one particular individual who happened to be in on a coincident felony) because she was committing a burglary at the time she murdered the defendant. A 2021 law (see third link below) changed the rules around which felony murder can be charged and this was given as one of the rationales for the clemency cited by Polis in his official letter. Should there be this change? Is felony murder a "fair" crime?
5. Can you think of any other questions this raises for you?
https://www.cpr.org/2023/01/20/robin-farris-parole-clemency/
https://www.cpr.org/2023/01/21/family-of-woman-murdered-in-aurora-say-they-plan-to-fight-her-killers-parole/
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-124
When they come for your gas stoves, for your furnace, when they come to limit your choices in life, they won't come through the front door.
That is, they won't do it directly.
The three links below (one's a bill being proposed for this session, one details new building codes in Aspen, and one is a blog post about natural gas piping and the recent rulings by the PUC), all share one thematic element: the push is on to force you into doing things the way environmentalists in this state think you ought to do them.
I say this too, without any need to resort to any grand, overarching conspiracy. You have to remember that they are all pulling in the same direction, and politics is the art of the possible. They all know where they want to end up, but they also know that if they push too far too fast, people will howl.
So, you get the boiling frog syndrome (see screenshot).
They slowly narrow the window on your choices, getting what progress they can, until you wake up one day and find that you no longer have any choice but to do things their way.
The solution is to fight every step of the way. Fight the little fights now, speak up against the small, seemingly inconsequential changes.
To that end, if you look at the second screenshot, you'll see when the bill below is scheduled for its (House) committee hearing.
I encourage you to share information with others, to show up either in person or via email at Assembly and PUC meetings, I encourage you to notice the heating water before we're all cooked.
https://leg.colorado.gov//bills/hb23-1161
https://coloradosun.com/2023/01/30/aspen-adopts-strict-residential-building-codes/
https://themaverickobserver.com/fossil-fuels-environmentalists-saturating-natural-gas-mainlines/
A letter to the editor of the Denver Post in response to Gov. Polis' recent op ed about natural gas prices.
The below was submitted earlier in the week to the Post after I read Polis' op ed about natural gas prices (see link below).
Remember that one thing you can do the state to contribute is to write letters to the editor. Look for opportunities and take them.
If I can be helpful in some way, please ask!
Governor Polis, I recently read your February 6th Denver Post op ed on natural gas. II had some questions for you.
You have by now appointed all three members of the PUC. They've been a rubberstamp for Xcel for a while now, and have made no secret of their rulings. Why only now do you speak up?
In July 2021, you signed SB21-103 divided the priority of our consumer advocate in front of the PUC. They used to solely consider prices but must now also divide their attention and consider environmental concerns. Why dilute consumer protections in that way?
I agree that demand can be one driver of prices, but why did you leave supply concerns out of your column? Surely someone as business savvy as you recognizes that pinching supply down (here in the States) drives prices up.
Lastly, moving to renewables is fine, but your characterization of them as "reliable" is not accurate in all situations. The reality is, as recent cold snaps and cloudy days have shown, we're decades away from renewables being anywhere near a meaningful percentage of our grid and energy consumption. Why not acknowledge that?
Gosh, a more cynical man might think that you were doing exactly what we'd expect from a career politician: ignoring your contributions to the problem and only acting when it would be advantageous to you politically.
https://www.denverpost.com/2023/02/06/xcel-energy-natural-gas-prices-polis-calls-for-help/