Your chance to speak up on big game hunting license changes, Your chance to speak up to the PUC about gas prices, Moses had horns??
Big Game Hunter? Know one? A change to licenses is coming and you can weigh in.
CPW is considering a change to big game hunting licenses.
Big game hunter? Do you know one?
If you are, CPW is considering a change to how tags are allocated and you have a chance to speak up about it.
Details are at the link below (an article in which you'll find the link to how to share your thoughts with CPW).
Deadline is 2/20/23, so don't wait too long!
https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2023/01/24/cpw-is-considering-changes-to-big-game-hunting-licenses/
Tired of high natural gas prices? Speak up to the PUC (and, let’s not forget who appoints the PUC).
Had enough with high natural gas prices?
You're not alone. I went to the physical therapist shortly after seeing my Xcel bill (to get some electrical treatment for tendonitis) and told the assistant to hook the electrical stim machine to my heart to restart it.
The first article linked below details a public hearing held by the PUC on gas prices. Let's just say they didn't hear nice things from angry customers. I'm glad. They need to. The commissioners have been far too permissive with Xcel in my opinion.
We also have a change over the last couple years to the Office of Consumer Counsel--the advocate that should be speaking up for consumers--based on a 2021 law (see the second link below, and screenshot 1 attached). The office now goes by the name Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA).
The UCA is no longer solely focused on keeping prices low, you understand. Now they're tied more to Polis (type 1 to type 2 transfer) and they are also charged with advocating for climate goals. See the red parts boxed in the screenshot from the bill's fiscal note.
So, we have a permissive board and an advocate who isn't just worried about prices. Not all of the problems can be laid at the feet of the PUC, but their decisions have certainly not helped matters and they continue to rubber stamp expense after expense after expense.
What can you do about it?.
You may or may not have heard about Americans for Prosperity--Colorado's petition to the PUC on rate increases. That is one option. You can go to the third link below and find the petition, sign, and it'll be sent to the PUC.
Be aware, however, that doing this is as much about getting people on AFP--CO's mailing list as anything. They will send the petition, you can argue whether or not it will mean anything to the PUC, but one of the purposes here is to build a list for AFP--CO to send information to.
Not a bad thing, it's not nothing, but just be aware of what you're getting.
The second option is to send comment to the above-mentioned UCA. They may not be solely focused on prices now, but they do still have some duty to protect consumers and will speak up to the PUC.
A good analogy here is to think of the PUC hearings like court--the PUC commissioners are the judge/jury, Xcel one party to a dispute, and the UCA is another party, though unlike a court there are more than 2 parties to a dispute here. Another way to speak up without joining a mailing list OR contending with the horribly confusing and involved process to send comment directly to the PUC. They are the fourth link below, and the place to click on their site is circled in the attached screenshot.
One last thing I'd like to remind you about because I'm not hearing it much in the news.
Take a look at the picture of Polis I made attached to this post.
Ultimately, we have him to thank. He's the head of the Executive Branch and he appointed two of the three members to the PUC.
Be sure to include him in any thank you emails you send.
https://denvergazette.com/news/business/irate-customers-take-colorado-s-energy-regulators-to-the-woodshed-you-shouldnt-be-looking-out/article_3dc05b58-a1ea-11ed-883a-b7523cfb4207.html
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-103
https://americansforprosperity.org/afp-co-to-puc-no-more-rate-increases/
https://uca.colorado.gov/
Moses had horns? The answer’s not as simple as you may have heard.
Last one of the day and you know what that means!
Something for fun, an interesting curiosity that is not related to politics.
It also means a day off for me since I'll be away from my computer tomorrow (Sat). Back at it on Sunday, however.
I was watching a series about cathedrals recently and more than once the lecturer mentioned that medieval people believed that Moses had horns. He would point repeatedly to statuary in the cathedrals and said you could always tell Moses because of the horns. Yes, literal horns (see the picture).
This was, according to the lecturer, the result of a mistranslation in the Bible. The word in question apparently had two translations: "horn" or "ray of light" and the people in the middle ages thought it was horns and not rays of light emanating from Moses' head.
I shook my head and thought, "how silly" and was tempted to post it as-is (or to just leave it as one of a thousand quirks I see in the world and don't remark on publicly).
I couldn't not do some digging though, and, if the gentleman whose blog post on the topic is to be believed, there is evidence that it wasn't a mistake but an intentional translation to the "horn" meaning. At the very least, scholars are divided on the subject; there is no the unanimity of thought that I picked up on from the cathedral guy.
I'll leave it to you to read up on the topic and come to your own conclusions. Half of me says horns are ridiculous and the other half says God does what God wants.
Have a good Friday!
https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2018-03-27/ty-article/why-even-some-jews-once-believed-moses-had-horns/0000017f-da78-dea8-a77f-de7a90fe0000