COMMENTARY THE DAILY SENTINEL ■ 4A TUESDAY MARCH 9, 2010 EDITORIALS LETTERS Bombs and purple fingers The Sentinel appears inconsistent on law I raq remains a dangerous country, especially around election time. But its people refuse to be intimidated. Despite the lobbing of hand grenades by Islamic terrorists, T hanks to The Daily Sentinel’s edito- the firing of rockets and mortars and the bombing of one polling place Sunday, not to mention repeated violence in the days lead- rial board for choosing to opine ing up to Sunday’s national election, an estimated 62 percent of further on the recent acquittal of eligible Iraqis turned out to vote. former Grand Junction police officer Many emerged from polling booths waving purple-stained fin- Courtney Crooks on harassment charges gers, the unabashed symbol of Iraqi democracy that stems from that led to his resignation from the de- the first national election in 2005. partment last year. The following passage Some made a point of voting even though they lost loved ones stood out the most for me: in the pre-election violence. And turnout was high among Sunnis, and Kurds, not just the majority Shiites. “We hold police officers to higher are incar- Furthermore, unlike five years ago, when only the names of par- standards than most people because cerated to ties were listed on the ballot to protect individual candidates from they must enforce the laws, as well a for-profit to the people of Battlement Mesa. potential assassination, this year candidates campaigned enthusi- as abide by them. But like all others private company? If you share our concerns please astically. There were female and male candidates, and many who accused of crimes in the United States, If this is such a grand idea, why not get involved, stay informed. Don’t they must be presumed innocent until take it a step further? Privatize the sit idly by, thinking there is nothing sought to cross the Sunni-Shiite divide, rather than seeking sup- proved guilty. Courtney Crooks was state police, privatize the judges. Why you can do. Join with the Battlement port only from those who shared their religious beliefs. Campaign found not guilty by a jury of his peers, not privatize the whole legal system? posters were displayed prominently throughout the country. Concerned Citizens, and together we and that is the only judgment that In my opinion this is maybe taking can be effective in keeping Battlement The results of the voting remain undetermined, something that should matter in this country.” the first steps to that very destination. Mesa a desirable place to live. is unprecedented in and of itself. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki If those managing the Sentinel truly My hope is he will change his mind. RON GALTERIO, Co-Chair and his State of Law Coalition are expected to maintain the largest believe in the above statements, then PEGGY BARRON Battlement Concerned Citizens bloc of seats in the country’s Parliament. But he will likely have to I am tempted to ask how this opinion Grand Junction Battlement Mesa form partnerships with other groups to forge a new government. affects the Sentinel’s “Blotter” feature, There’s no question, however, about the average Iraqi’s commit- in which the paper prints the names of adult citizens who are arrested or Battlement Mesa group Why would police officers ment to democracy. In the United States, we often take our voting rights for granted. cited for criminal offenses in our area, aims to assist residents strip and move a corpse? So it is inspiring to see people who have suffered greatly, first un- and are thus presumed innocent until What does the future hold for Battle- Regarding the police shooting of they get their day in court. der Saddam Hussein, then during years of war and terrorism, who ment Mesa? Do you care? The Battle- Brent Ingram at the Timbers Motel It’s true that Mr. Crooks received a are willing to risk their very lives to participate in the most funda- good deal more media attention than ment Concerned Citizens care. on Feb. 28: It’s difficult to believe it is mental right and responsibility of a democratic society. The BCC is a grassroots group of standard police procedure to move and the average person accused of the people working hard on behalf of all strip the corpse of a dead person be- same offense. However, if “all others residents of Battlement Mesa to ad- fore an investigation has been started. The discrimination fix accused … must be presumed innocent until proven guilty” and “that is the only judgment that should matter in this country,” then perhaps everyone dress the many adverse impacts that oil and gas development in our com- munity may pose for our lives. Something stinks in the Grand Junction Police Department. GLEN MOLLICK Presently, we are focused on the M ost employers, we believe, are conscientious about trying whose name appears in the “Blotter” Fruita to prevent discrimination against workers on the basis of proposed Antero drilling plan for 200 should have the disposition of the natural gas wells in Battlement Mesa, race, religion, gender or physical capabilities. But it would charges against them published when Recreation center and how to mitigate the impacts to the be foolish to believe discrimination never occurs. that disposition occurs. When it does, workers ought to have a legitimate legal remedy. At the very least, some form of the community if it goes forward. needed in this city We have made significant progress The law should assess real penalties against employers who inten- Sentinel’s own words above should When will the city stop wasting our regarding health and safety issues, tionally discriminate, not allow them to get off by simply reimburs- appear in each future edition of the tax money and put it to good use? with Garfield County agreeing to per- ing discrimination victims for back pay and interest. “Blotter” as a disclaimer. We will soon be into another sum- form a health impact assessment and JOHN L. LINKO mer with no place for our children House Bill 1269, by Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder, appears to be a subsequent health study in coopera- Grand Junction and grandchildren to spend time. We solid step toward providing that remedy. tion with the Colorado School of Pub- Levy’s bill allows workers who believe they are victims of dis- lic Health, the Colorado Department need a recreation center here for the crimination to seek compensatory and punitive damages in state Don’t turn over prisons of Public Health and Environment families, or a YMCA. and the Grand River Hospital District. I have counted at least eight round- court — with monetary limits based on the size of the employer — to private companies The HIA will be a valuable tool for use abouts that probably cost us enough not just back pay. That would put some teeth in state law and make money to have built a rec center. None I have recently learned that the state by all regulatory agencies involved in employers think twice about violating anti-discrimination law. of those roundabouts is necessary. A senator who is supposed to represent the permitting process of oil and gas It’s no surprise that business groups are worried about the bill. me at the state Capitol, Josh Penry, has development in residential areas. four-way stop sign would have been But the greatest fear is not having to pay the damages. Rather, it submitted a bill (House Bill 1219) that The natural gas industry is hazard- just as good, if not better, for the cost is the attorney fees that may accumulate in trying to fend off such would authorize the executive director ous, and our community deserves of the signs and labor to put them in. lawsuits, and the possibility plaintiffs’ lawyers will try to use those of the Department of Corrections to additional levels of protection if What do we have to do to get our accumulating fees to force big settlements. sell by competitive bid the correctional multiple wells are to be developed money spent on our real needs and not One way to remedy that is to adopt the “English rule,” in which facilities owned by his department, here. The BCC is taking a leadership what the city wants? We should have the losing side must pay the fees of the prevailing side. That would regardless of the security level. role in protecting the health, safety, had a recreation center years ago. discourage plaintiffs from filing cases with little merit. I do not understand why? Didn’t we, welfare and property values of the Maybe if all School District 51 Levy’s bill allows a judge to assess attorney fees against the los- as a state, learn from the costly riots residents of Battlement Mesa. We are students would write a letter and send that happened at the privately run involved, on an ongoing basis, with it to our representatives, we would ing side, but that provision should be made mandatory, not left to Crowley County facility? various local, state and federal govern- get the rec center. I doubt if anything the discretion of a judge. Then HB 1269 could be passed and provide short of that will get it. more protection to workers, along with protection for employers Why would a politician who is sup- ment agencies, to promote responsible posed to look after our rights want to development of oil and gas in our area LINDA PINKERTON against frivolous lawsuits. Grand Junction turn over the rights of citizens who and to hold the industry accountable Policemen suffer from shooting, too Clean coal is a ‘possible’ dream T he thing I love most about emissions go into the atmosphere. M ost of us don’t know what The two, who have not been America is that there’s al- If this can scale, it would eliminate exactly happened in Room identified per police department ways somebody who doesn’t the need for expensive carbon-seques- 18 at the Timbers Motel on policy, are on administrative get the word — somebody who tration facilities planned for coal-fired North Avenue on Sunday, Feb. 28. leave pending the outcome of an doesn’t understand that in a Great power plants — and it might actually Only three people know, and one internal investigation into the Recession you’re supposed to hun- make the heretofore specious notion of of them is dead. The three were in shooting. If they were at fault, ker down, downsize and just hold “clean coal” a possibility. the room. Two of them were Grand then they will have to deal with on for dear life. I have a couple of A source says the huge Peabody Coal Junction police officers and one was 39-year-old Brent Ingram, who the consequences. Police Chief John Camper, in his short tenure friends who fit that bill, who think THOMAS FRIEDMAN Company will announce an investment died that day after being shot twice DENNY HERZOG in Grand Junction, has made a recession is a dandy time to try to discover better and cheaper in Calera next week. “If this works,” said Khosla, “coal-fired power would in the chest by police. it abundantly clear that he will ways to do things. They both happen to be In- become more than 100 percent clean. Not only Let’s be clear: Ingram was no saint. preside over nothing less than a squeaky dian-Americans — one a son of the Himalayas, would it not emit any CO2, but by producing His criminal resume may not have been the clean police department. We can be confident who came to America on a scholarship and went clean water and cement as a byproduct it would stuff that’s sends people to hard time, but he that any investigation into his officers’ actions to work for NASA to try to find a way to Mars; also be taking all of the CO2 that goes into mak- wasn’t likely to be named Father and Hus- will be thorough and it will be fair. the other a son of New Delhi, who came here ing those products out of the atmosphere.” band of the Year any time soon. There is much we don’t know, and the out- and found the Sun — Sun Microsystems. Both Sridhar’s company is Bloom Energy. Several He was serving a two-year probation after come of the internal investigation may turn are serial innovators. Both are now shepherding months ago Sridhar took me into the parking lot pleading guilty last spring to domestic vio- out otherwise, but it appears from what we do clean-tech startups that have the potential to be behind Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters and lence. But he wasn’t living up to his end of the know that the police were simply doing what disruptive game changers. They don’t know to showed me the inside of one of his Bloom Boxes, deal. A warrant was issued for his arrest last we pay them to do. Their actions that Sunday hunker down. They just didn’t get the word. the size of a small shipping container. Inside month after he failed to show up for a meeting afternoon may have been tragic, but they also As a result, one has produced a fuel cell that were stacks of solid oxide fuel cells, stored in with his probation officer and didn’t pay $235 made this community a little safer place for can turn natural gas or natural grass into elec- cylinders, and all kinds of whiz-bang parts that I in fines and court costs. Nor did he attend the the rest of us. Let’s thank them for that. tricity; the other has a technology that might did not understand. required domestic violence classes. He also Assuming their actions are deemed jus- make coal the cleanest, cheapest energy source What I did understand, though, was that had a drinking and driving problem. tifiable — I admit that I hope that is the case — by turning its carbon-dioxide emissions into Google was already getting part of its clean Back to the afternoon of Feb. 28. then let’s be at least as sympathetic for them bricks to build your next house. energy from these fuel cells — and Wal-Mart, Police went to the motel after they had been as we are for Mrs. Ingram. Police Department Though our country may be flagging, it’s eBay, FedEx and Coca-Cola just announced called by an employee who said Ingram was policy forbids the two from seeking their 15 because of innovators like these that you should that they are doing the same. Sridhar, Bloom’s drunk. The matter may have ended there had minutes of fame in the media. That doesn’t never — ever — write us off. Let me introduce co-founder and CEO, said his fuel cells, which police not done some research and discovered mean they aren’t dealing with the trauma Vinod Khosla and K.R. Sridhar. can run on natural gas or biogas, can generate outstanding warrants for his arrest. every bit as much as anyone else involved in Khosla, the co-founder of Sun, set out several electricity at 8 to 10 cents a kilowatt hour, with Two officers went into his room, where they the incident. years ago to fund energy startups. His favorite today’s subsidies. “We know we can bring the met Ingram brandishing a knife. Officers who have had to kill someone in the right now is a company called Calera, which was price down further,” he said, “so Bloom power I don’t know what the protocol is for police line of duty report sleep problems, night- begun with the Stanford professor Brent Con- will be affordable in every energy-poor country” when they encounter someone threatening mares, flashbacks, depression and feelings of stantz, who was studying how corals use CO2 to — Sridhar’s real dream. them with a weapon. But the eventual out- helplessness. In some cases they are unable to produce their calcium carbonate “bones.” These technologies still have to prove that come that day was Ingram’s death. return to work. In others, it can lead to mari- If you combine CO2 with seawater, or any they are reliable, durable and scalable. If you Two days later comes Mr. Ingram’s widow, tal and family problems. kind of briny water, you produce CaCO3, Google both, you will find studies saying they complaining that they didn’t have to kill her Many of those problems can be alleviated calcium carbonate. That is not only the stuff are and studies that are skeptical. All I know is husband. They could have shot him in the leg, with professional help and peer and commu- of corals. It is also the same white, pasty goop this: If we put a simple price on carbon, these instead. Or the arm. Or fired a warning shot. nity support. I assume the Grand Junction that appears on your shower head from hard new technologies would have a chance to blos- Or talked him out of the knife. There was no Police Department is equipped to provide (calcium-rich) water. At its demonstration plant som, and thousands more would come out of reason for the police to overreact as they did, that level of support for the two officers who near Santa Cruz, Calif., Calera has developed a innovators’ garages. she said. They shouldn’t have killed her knife- answered the call to the Timbers Motel on process that takes CO2 emissions from a coal- or Our politics has gotten so impossible lately, wielding husband. What is she to do now? Feb. 28. gas-fired power plant and sprays seawater into too many Americans have stopped dreaming. Ingram certainly has her own problems. We’ll owe them that, at the very least. it and naturally converts most of the CO2 into Not these two. They just never got the word. Missing in this story is what two Grand calcium carbonate, which is then spray-dried As Sridhar says: “We came to America for the Junction police officers are dealing with. I Denny Herzog is the retired executive into cement or shaped into little pellets that American dream — to do good and to make think we should worry more about them than editor of The Daily Sentinel. E-mail him at can be used as concrete aggregates for building good.” about the Ingram family. gjherzogs@gmail.com. walls or highways — instead of letting the CO2 The New York Times Editorial Board LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Sentinel, P.O. Box 668, JAY SEATON/Publisher BOB SILBERNAGEL/Editorial Page Editor Advertising Director We prefer letters be e-mailed to Grand Junction, CO, 81502 BUD WINSLOW/Operations Director TRACY GETTMAN/Circulation Director letters@gjsentinel.com or submitted via or faxed to 244-8578. 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