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The W - Current Events & Politics - Denver to vote on Anti-Stress Initiative
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Grimis
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Since: 11.7.02
From: MD

Since last post: 4704 days
Last activity: 3158 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.29
The weird stuff you can't make up...

Denver grinds teeth on initiative for less stress
By Valerie Richardson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

DENVER — Peace will get a chance here in November when voters decide whether to approve a ballot initiative requiring city officials to reduce tension and promote "peacefulness."

So far, however, the measure has done little except raise the stress level on the Denver City Council. The council agreed reluctantly Monday night to place the initiative on the Nov. 4 city ballot after activists collected enough signatures to force a citywide vote.

But they were hardly at peace with it. Councilman Charlie Brown called the measure "absurd," while Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez quipped, "I'm getting stressed out over this bill."

The initiative asks voters whether the city should "ensure public safety by increasing peacefulness — that is, by defusing political, religious and ethnic tension both locally and globally — through the identification and implementation of any systematic, stress-reducing techniques or programs."

How? Its supporters recommend raising consciousness through Transcendental Meditation, as well as "wholesome food and herbal medicines, natural healthcare and exercise, holistic education and specific types of meditation and music, etc."

Proponents of the measure collected 2,462 signatures, or 5 percent of the votes cast in the last mayoral election. City rules require the council to bring before the voters any initiative with enough valid signatures, although two members voted against it as a symbolic protest.

"The bottom line is that once the measure was approved by the elections committee, we were obligated by law to put it on the ballot no matter how we feel about it personally," said Council President Elbra Wedgeworth.

Even so, Mr. Brown predicted yesterday that the initiative would be laid to rest at the hands of voters. "I can assure you that I'm at peace knowing that the people of Denver will vote this down," he said.

Leading the peaceniks is Jeff Peckman, a member of the Natural Law Party who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Republican, in 1998. A product of the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, he heads Safety Through Peace, the committee that put the question on the ballot.

The committee argues that the root cause of war, violence and terrorism is social stress. "To reduce social violence, therefore — to reduce crime, warfare and terrorism, social stress and tension must be reduced," the group says on its Web site.

In Denver, that could mean replacing the city's office Muzak with the melodies of Maharishi Gandharva-Ved, whose music has been found to "neutralize stress and disharmony in the environment, and gently restore our biological rhythms by mirroring the cycles of nature that underlie each hour of the day and each season of the year," the committee said.

At the same time, any stress-reducing strategies would need scientific foundations. The initiative states that the technologies must be "scientifically shown to reduce society-wide stress, as measured by reduced crime, accidents, warfare and terrorism."

"People in government are in most instances in a crisis-management mode and don't recognize strategies that will reduce stress and save the city money, especially scientifically validated strategies," Mr. Peckman said. "We wanted the extra force of a ballot initiative to put this forward."

It's a nice idea, said Mrs. Wedgeworth, but implementing such strategies would be an administrative nightmare.

"I'm all for peace, but this is too broad and too vague," she said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions, from staffing to costs. Nobody knows what the financial impact would be on the city."

What's more, one man's peacekeeping strategy could be another man's declaration of war.

"There are 1,700 people working in the Wellington E. Webb Office Building," Mr. Brown said. "Who's going to choose the music? Personally, I like Hank Williams — that would relax me."

There is also the matter of the measure turning Denver into a laughingstock. "Can you imagine coming to the city of Denver to apply for a sewer permit and hearing all this chanting?" Mr. Brown said.

Even before the vote, the initiative has raised consciousness on the potential for abuse in Denver's election laws. City officials need to consider raising the number of signatures required for ballot measures, Mr. Brown said.

"We've got serious ballot issues to deal with this year, like school bonds and legalized gambling," the councilman said. "We don't want to turn into California."



"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess from the public treasury.”
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redsoxnation
Scrapple








Since: 24.7.02

Since last post: 3914 days
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#2 Posted on
OK, now I can understand why Kobe would want to get his trial moved to Denver. If he can get any of the 2,462 'interesting' people who signed this petition on his jury, he'll walk without a problem. Perhaps the mile high air is really starting to wreak havoc with some people's minds.



Ok, so Ted Williams is decapitated now? What will his son do next, sell him to the Japanese dog food company that bought former Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand?
David Adams
Kishke








Since: 2.1.02
From: NJ

Since last post: 1015 days
Last activity: 147 days
#3 Posted on

    Originally posted by Grimis

    Councilman Charlie Brown called the measure "absurd,"



I'm surprised that his initial reaction wasn't "Good Grief."
CRZ
Big Brother
Administrator








Since: 9.12.01
From: ミãƒã‚¢ãƒãƒªã‚¹

Since last post: 17 days
Last activity: 8 days
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#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 8.65

    Originally posted by Grimis
    "We've got serious ballot issues to deal with this year, like school bonds and legalized gambling," the councilman said. "We don't want to turn into California."
Hey Denver, UP YOURS!



©CRZ™
Davros
Blutwurst








Since: 22.8.02
From: Between thought and Reality, TZ

Since last post: 6093 days
Last activity: 6088 days
#5 Posted on
I live in shitty Denver (Aurora actually), and believe me when I tell you, if this place was a little more like Cali, then Denver would be truly the "awesome place to live" that the stupid tourism dept in the state has been trying to convince the world of. Everyone here is so uptight and stressed out, you want to pull your own hair out. But that's what we get for having a hard right conservative governor.



Welcome to Wienerboard, the board where intelligence is required, often not used, but where trolls are destroyed at the stroke of a key. I know, I've been banned for numerous reasons. So don't be a troll, enjoy your stay, enjoy a fresh delicious Subway sammich and watch Raw. Wienerboard...read fresh.
ScreamingHeadGuy
Frankfurter








Since: 1.2.02
From: Appleton, WI

Since last post: 4183 days
Last activity: 4183 days
#6 Posted on
THIS is the kind of thing that kills my faith in humankind, bit by bit. True, it's probably done with the best of intentions, but that c'mon.



Fashion Reporter Extraordinare

Eric tries kicking a sheild held by Time Keeper Dan, but Time Keeper Dan is +3 with Sheilds and the Sheild carries a 2 Armor Rating with +4 v. Crappy Kicks, so it doesn’t go well. Anybody who has played the WWE Backstage RPG would know better. Just ask Scott Stiener.
-Excalibur05's Raw Satire for 8-4-03

Nate The Snake
Liverwurst








Since: 9.1.02
From: Wichita, Ks

Since last post: 7183 days
Last activity: 6652 days
#7 Posted on

    Originally posted by CRZ

      Originally posted by Grimis
      "We've got serious ballot issues to deal with this year, like school bonds and legalized gambling," the councilman said. "We don't want to turn into California."
    Hey Denver, UP YOURS!


Arnold's new campaign slogan, right here!



Kansas-born and deeply ashamed
The last living La Parka Marka

"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
Big Bad
Scrapple








Since: 4.1.02
From: Dorchester, Ontario

Since last post: 1917 days
Last activity: 1486 days
#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.54
Denver would be a lot better off if their running backs stopped getting hurt, and their baseball and basketball teams didn't suck. Only Paul Kariya can help the city's shattered psyche.




Colin Mochrie


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The Thrill
Banger








Since: 16.4.02
From: Green Bay, WI

Since last post: 3624 days
Last activity: 223 days
#9 Posted on
As a Packer fan still bitter over Terrell Davis taking away our rightful Super Bowl XXXII championship :-), I'm gonna sit back and laaaaaaaauuuugh at Denver for this one.

I'm reminded of a quote from the "mayor" of New York in Ghostbusters II: "What am I supposed to do...go on television and tell 10 million people they have to be nice to each other? Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker's God-given right! Your 2 minutes are up; good night, gentlemen."

Wrong city, right sentiment. Buncha yahoos.



Star wipe, and...we're out.
Thrillin' ain't easy.



THE THRILL
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McCain is definitely the undisputed frontrunner at this point. What will be interesting though is how many delegates he takes next Tuesday.
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