Denver Politics

Somebody Call 9-1-1

/ bperica / Leave a comment

The following is an incomplete list of events I forgot to add to our real estate listing last spring when we sold our Denver house and bounced way north to our new landing spot, Fort Collins.

Halloween 2016…maybe – Hooligans decide to throw a large block through the glass rear dear of a neighbor’s house. I remember speaking to a DPD officer that night about a security system, asking him, is it worth having one? Does it work? He bluntly said, No. These people out here who are going to actually break into a home do not stop at a security system. They know what to do. They are fast and a siren isn’t going to change that. I took that to heart. We didn’t have one at the time (never did), although we still had the ADT sign in the front yard and the stickers in the window from the previous owner. We left those there. Note: Every other neighbor had a security system.

Kids watch as the criminals' truck is towed away.
Kids watch the truck involved in a crime get towed away after three months on

Late Summer 2020 – This is when things really pick up. People are bored. We’ve spent a lot of time indoors. They made us wear masks! (Cry more!) People needed to get out and do some major crime as evidenced by the moderate-sized moving truck that appears in front of the house. It is illegally parked, but at least on the far side of the street. In December of 2020, it is finally moved after I called the police, sheriff, and my city councilwoman. I did examine the truck at some point. It was empty and unlocked. The steering column had been torn up so the truck could be hot-wired, just like in the movies! Cool!

One night I woke up to some talking outside my bedroom window. I looked outside and spotted a man with a sign standing at the bottom of the stairs to our front door. He kept talking for a while and I kept watching from the window, but after thirty minutes or so he started walking up our stairs. That’s when I got a bit worried and made my way downstairs. Right before I made it to the front door he very violently tried to open it. We were fine, it was locked, but I yelled at him that he needed to stop and leave the property. The police were called and they showed up in 15 minutes. This incident did motivate me to get a Nest doorbell.

My Nest doorbell was awesome! It worked way better than the Ring doorbell and accompanying app that we have at our Fort Collins house. One of the first things our Nest doorbell caught was a man crouching on our front patio. It looked like he was trying to hide behind the planter and large pine tree that was on the NE corner of the front yard.

Initially, the neighbor’s car was shoved up onto their yard. The police put it back on the street.

During the warm, but not the warmest months, we slept with our window open, facing the front of the street, and our busy corner of Denver. We heard and saw a lot of interesting things from that window, but nothing louder than a car speeding at approximately 60mph from the east, crossing Dayton, and slamming into a parked car two houses west of us. The first car that was hit wound up in the neighbor’s yard. The other cars hit got stacked up on one another. I was at the window in a split second to see police already approaching the crash scene with lights off and guns drawn. I found out later, they were responding to a robbery at a weed shop about a mile east of us in Aurora. This was a car chase that ended in front of our house! The perp threw a gun into my neighbor’s front yard and was able to evade police.

Neighbor’s car that took the brunt of the 60mph impact.

Around this same time, a stolen car was crashed into the apartment complex in front of the house. It didn’t go through the fence, it went under it, the fence swinging upward like an old school garage door, letting the stolen vehicle neatly crash into a parking spot. The perp ran. The perp got away.

Stolen car. Driver ran away, north on Dayton.

Late one morning, a car sped down Dayton, crashing into multiple parked cars and came to a stop in the middle of the road. The owner of one vehicle came out of the apartment buildings along Dayton and began yelling at the driver, You hit my car! You hit my car! The driver of the car was standing next to his broken ride and didn’t say anything. After a long moment, he ran. The car, broken as it was, stayed there for another 12 hours before someone decided to report it. Snitches get stitches in this neighborhood. It was almost certainly a stolen car. The perp, as far as I know, got away.

A driver decides to do a u-turn in front of the house. Street not wide enough? Ah, that’s okay, I’ll just run over your new tree.

Look kids, a murder scene. I didn’t know at the time. I probably wouldn’t have walked them over there.

Most alarming was the time I noticed about a dozen cop cars three houses west of the house. They were Aurora police, which means they followed criminal activity from east of Dayton into my neighborhood, which is in the City of Denver. I went to take a look by myself and then took the kids over there. There was no sign of an ongoing threat, but just to make sure I asked an officer and he said, there’s nothing to worry about. Well, great. Time for a photo op. I found out later that night that someone had been shot on the corner three houses west of us. He was in his car. And, after being shot, he was driven eastward into Aurora a couple blocks and died. It was truly tragic. This murder remains unsolved. Since it took place, there’s a small memorial to the victim. I cleaned it up a few times before we moved away.

There was that one time we were having a nice family dinner and I was beginning to move around, do some dishes, and clean up, when I noticed a red 4Runner park right in front of the house. The two guys in the front arranged lines of coke on a pocket mirror, snorted them, and drove off. Sorry, no picture! They were so fast!

Last, but not least because this couple was fighting for years, we have this nice image of a lady on top of a moving car. She was on the phone and also yelling at the driver. I took several videos of this fight and others, certain I would catch something of interest to the police if anything seriously bad happened. Luckily, no such video exists, but these people would fight in front of our house, mostly at night, on and off for about two years. Their dialogue, much of it recorded by yours truly, can not be repeated here.

Fast forward a few months and we are spending the first night at our new house in Fort Collins. The home has a huge covered deck out back where we were enjoying the remnants of our drinks. I was thinking of the corner we left behind, the very urban setting. It’s not like we moved to the country, there are about 170,000 people living in FoCo, but still, I told Kate, “It feels like we are camping.”

The Fork In The Road – Edited for Clarity

/ bperica / 1 Comment

During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the President required that employees return to in-person work, restored accountability LOYALTY for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed WHITEWASHED the federal hiring process to focus on merit NEPOTISM. As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant.

The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars:

  1. Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices…
  2. Performance Culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence LOYALTY at every level – our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations SERVITUDE and address in a fair PREJUDICE and open OPAQUE way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand BEND THE KNEE.
  3. More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases (BECAUSE SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS PROFIT FROM WAR) in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to WILL include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will (MEANING WE CAN FIRE YOUR ASS AT ANY MOMENT) status for a substantial number of federal employees.
  4. Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal (THEY ACTUALLY PUT LOYAL IN, NOT MY EDIT), trustworthy, and who strive for excellence FOLLOWING ORDERS in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability LOYALTY and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation JAIL TIME and discipline, including termination LOSS OF FINGERNAILS.

Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance with applicable law (AS BEST WE UNDERSTAND THOSE PESKY LAWS), consistent with your agency’s policies, and to the extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.

If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus LOYALTY TO THE PRESIDENT EVEN THOUGH FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE LOYAL TO THE CONSTITUTION… we look forward to working together as part of an improved WHITER, BLANDER, DUMBER, federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity AS WE QUICKLY REBRAND YOUR OFFICE AND ELIMINATE YOUR CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. (DOGE NEEDS THE LIVING SPACE).

If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified FUCKED OVER…utilizing a deferred resignation program…

Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America, BUT IT’S A NEW WORLD NOW. THE CONSTITUTION IS OUT. THERE IS ONE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. SERVE ACCORDINGLY.

The Fork In The Road Email

/ bperica / Leave a comment

Just in case you have not read the now infamous email sent to federal employees over a week ago I have included it in this post. As a reminder, Elon Musk sent an email to Twitter employees in 2022 similarly titled. Ultimately, he fired 80% of Twitter employees. The email to federal employees reads as follows:

(No Salutation)

During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the President required that employees return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit. As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant.

The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars:

  1. Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers.
  2. Performance Culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level – our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand.
  3. More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees.
  4. Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.

Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance with applicable law, consistent with your agency’s policies, and to the extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.

If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.

If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program. This program begins effective January 28 and is available to all federal employees until February 6. If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason). The details of this separation plan can be found below.

Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America.

******************************************************

Upon review of the below deferred resignation letter, if you wish to resign:

  1. Select “Reply” to this email. You must reply from your government account. A reply from an account other than your government account will not be accepted.
  2. Type the word “Resign” into the body of this replay email. Hit “Send”.

THE LAST DAY TO ACCEPT THE DEFERRED RESIGNATION PROGRAM IS FEBRUARY 6, 2025.

Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and those in any other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency.

DEFERRED RESIGNATION LETTER

January 28, 2025

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from employment with my employing agency, effective September 30, 2025. I understand that I have the right to accelerate, but not extend, my resignation date if I wish to take advantage of the deferred resignation program. I also understand that if I am (or become) eligible for early or normal retirement before my resignation date, that I retain the right to elect early or normal retirement (once eligible) at any point prior to my resignation date.

Given my impending resignation, I understand I will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements pursuant to recent directives and that I will maintain my current compensation and retain all existing benefits (including but not limited to retirement accruals) until my final resignation date.

I am certain of my decision to resign and my choice to resign is fully voluntary. I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/or placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date.

I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency. Accordingly, I will assist my employing agency with completing reasonable and customary tasks and processes to facilitate my departure.

I understand that my acceptance of this offer will be sent to the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) which will then share it with my agency employer. I hereby consent to OPM receiving, reviewing, and forwarding my acceptance.

*********************************************************************************************************

*************

Upon submission of your resignation, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your email. Any replies to this email shall be for the exclusive use of accepting the deferred resignation letter. Any other replies to this email will not be reviewed, forwarded, or retained other than as required by applicable federal records laws.

Once your resignation is validly sent and received, the human resources department of your employing agency will contact you to complete additional documentation, if any.

END OF EMAIL.

I will post again next week and include my comments to several of these disturbingly-worded sentences. Have a good weekend.

A Drive Up Dayton

/ bperica / 1 Comment

As I drive Dayton Street north to take my kids to school the city boundaries are so zig-zagged that I may be in Denver one block and in Aurora the next, never really quite knowing which city I am in from the moment I turn onto the street until I turn off of it in the Central Park neighborhood of Denver.

My house borders Dayton in southeast Denver, so I start the drive there, but I am quickly surrounded by the western edge of Aurora, the city that Trump claims has been taken over by a Venezuelan gang. I even drive within one block of the Edge at Lowry apartments, which made national headlines in the late summer/early fall when a ring doorbell camera recorded armed gang members knocking on an apartment door. Further north I drive by Vintage Theater, a staple among theater venues in the greater Denver area.

When Dayton approaches and crosses Colfax is when things get interesting. Colfax is bustling any time of day, but in the morning it’s full of pedestrians and bus riders going to and from school and work. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to how pedestrians cross the street here or how drivers navigate the madness.

Once north of Colfax, Dayton is lined with day laborers who have congregated there for over two decades. They line the sidewalks with their lunches (if they are lucky enough to have them) and wave at any car that drives by, hoping the driver is looking to hire them for a project. When they wave at me, I don’t wave back, out of not wanting to give them some false hope. When a car does pull over though, it is surrounded and overwhelmed by people willing to work on just about any project I imagine. Regardless of the weather or time of year, Dayton Street from Colfax to 16th Ave is lined with those willing to work. I have seen a hundred workers on this block of Dayton.

Naturally, I have been interested in how Trump’s policies would affect this block of Dayton, especially since it is in Aurora and Trump stated that immigration raids would start in this city. Well, he’s a bit late, so he lied again, but they did start yesterday. Even prior to the raids, the number of day laborers drastically decreased. This morning, I counted five of them on the street, still friendly, still waving, still eager to do the work no one else is going to do.

Where have the rest gone? Well, that is a good question and I think in the days, weeks, and months ahead we might get answers or we might not, but for starters here is a fact (remember those?): based on the promised mass deportation, “Gross domestic product (GDP) would be reduced by 1.4 percent in the first year, and cumulative GDP would be reduced by $4.7 trillion over 10 years.” It is not a stretch to conclude either that day laborers who used to get regular work by lining the sidewalks of Dayton have been forced into a cat and mouse game with ICE agents, in which the immigrants might become more and more desperate to make a living here in Aurora or Denver. Surely, that will be the case for some immigrants. Where do they look for work now? Pushing them off the streets into the dark recesses of an Aurora apartment complex for the entire day can’t be good. They are looking for decent pay and constructive work in the daytime. When forced onto the streets at nighttime, the same might not be said. This would be a very unfortunate result of ICE raids here in Denver and elsewhere, but do keep in mind this is a population that respects the rule of law here in the US more than US-born Americans. So, they have that going for them, even though the strongest and most capable government in the world is not willing to help them anymore.