Herding musicians is like herding cats, or chiropractors. It isn't easily done. A few weeks ago during the first terrible cold snap Bryant Jones(Manitou Spring's keyboard wizard) and Jess Roberts (UCCS teacher and blues lover) began discussing a musical benefit for the homeless in Colorado Springs. They contacted a few people in the scene (yours truly being one) and, lo, we did the benefit. The notice was short. The press was sketchy. The musicians were fabulous and plentiful. (I'm afraid I didn't even get around to publicizing it to much of my fan base. Sorry about that. It was, literally, only days in the planning.)
The event brought to mind something I've been thinking about a lot of late and something my wife and I have discussed at length which is this: what if we all just ramped up our own personal efforts to solve the problems of our local communities and stopped expecting government (local,state and especially federal) to do anything for us? What if we took the lead and started buying products from local vendors, working on local farms, reaching out to neighbors in need, creating health care systems with no bureacracy, working with local banks instead of national banks, just shrinking our mind set to our local areas. (BTW, there are people doing great work in all the areas I've mentioned: Michelle Mukatis (Peak to Plains Alliance), Commonwheel Arts Coop, Venetucci Farms, Mission Medical Clinic, Bank of the Broadmoor, to name a few.) The homeless issue in Colorado Springs has proven to me to be a fascinating lesson in the possibilities of engaging regular people in marvelous efforts.
For those of you in other parts of the country, Colorado Springs has blossomed a "tent city" along the major interstate that runs north/south through our city. The city government has, for the time being, opted to allow the public land to be used by these down and out citizens (hundreds of them) despite the obvious seedy look and public health issues. (Kudos to conservatives on the council who've spearheaded this.) Driving I-25 past tents and reading the incredible Gazette (google "Colorado Springs Gazette - Wayne Laugeson") editorial pieces has increased local awareness and people by the hundreds have responded: some with church groups, some in singular giving efforts, and some (like our musical benefit) in oddly collected groups of good hearted people interacting with those less fortunate. What is happening is inspirational. More than that it eclipses the banal divisions of Democrat and Republican, Christian and Humanist, and even (woah) blues lover and blues hater. (Yes friends there are such people, frightening as it may seem.) One of the most recent efforts I found out about just last night when my friend Patrick Ayers called me to tell me that his non-profit, CS-Hope, has acquired a building capable of sheltering 400 homeless and is now looking for funding to help outfit the space. (Electrical and sprinkler systems are the only problems left right now. ayerspatrick@hotmail.com) Furthermore, they are looking to create this space with NO government funds. That is what I'm talking about.
These kinds of efforts change community. These kinds of efforts forge friendships. These kinds of efforts increase the threads of connection that allow us to use our personal gifts to create a tapestry of works which we all benefit from. These kind of efforts bypass bureaucracy. Most importantly, these efforts help us reclaim from government our power to do good in the world. Why do I say this?
I started this letter talking about the benefit concert for the homeless. I want to ask whether you think that effort would have happenned if Issue 2c had passed? (For you in other parts of the country, Issue 2c was a city wide real estate tax which would have raised many millions of dollars for local government (in perpetuity) and. . . as a former NY state resident I can attest to this . . . depressed housing and real estate values for property owners.) I understand many of you voted for this measure. I did not. (I have friends who have lost their jobs because this measure did not pass. Sorry, Pam. As much as I love them, I'm still glad it didn't pass.) I'm telling you this because I know that if the measure had passed, 30 musicians (and 500 listeners including the homeless) would not have come together to create a magical 16 hour concert. Hundreds of personal humanitarian gestures would not have manifested all around this city. Why? Because if we'd voted this tax into place, we would all have sat back and waited for the local government to help the homeless. I know, because I, personally, would not have done this benefit. I'd have thought to myself "Hell, I'm paying another $400 a year in taxes. That should give government plenty of funding for this "problem". Instead I, like everyone else who lives here, can see that our local government is surviving on a relative shoestring. It cannot deal with this problem; so I, like hundreds of others, want to do something good with my money and time by creating something special and interacting personally with "the problem".
If you couldn't tell already, I've become radicalized, and I'm not alone. Even many of my Democrat friends (thanks Susan) have joined me in despair over a Federal Health Care Bill which has little or nothing to do with health care and everything to do with bureaucratic power. Let us join together in a revolution that simply does to Washington what we've done here in Colorado. Say NO to funding. Sure, call your Senators and Representatives (I have many times of late, to no avail I might add) but more importantly, shrink your taxable income. Trade for service. Vote in legislators who believe, as I do, that though government is a necessary evil, small government is inherently less evil. We the people (like the ants in "A Bug's Life") are infinitely more powerful and creative than our increasingly tyrannical "thug grasshopper" government. This issue is truly one of liberty. The less choice we have as citizens, the less liberty we possess as Americans and the farther we have wandered from the brilliant idea upon which this country was founded: that you are free to make your life as magnificent or maligned as you desire, provided you don't infringe on the right of others to do the same. (I understand the system isn't perfect. I was a left winger in my younger days. . . smile.)
After my first wave of emails last night, I got back some great rebuttals from my brilliant and progressive friends Linda G. and Kevin J. both of whom made good points. It isn't an either/or. It is a both/and. Government can be part of the solution, it's true. (See the National Park System for exhibit A. OK, I'll give them that.) If, however, government is corrupted (See Nanci Pelosi spending $5 Million taxpayer dollars a year just flying back and forth to California on her 100 person jet - Exhibit B - or Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.) prostituting his office for his constituency - Exhibit C ) then any good the gov't. might do can only happen at the expense of other good people. Stop. Read that again. Any good the government might do can only happen at the expense of other good people. The government is taking money from good people (I like to believe everyone on my mailing list is good) and giving it to other people. How does this happen?
Cash for Clunkers. Good idea, right? Wrong. Think about how many thousands of people traded their gas guzzlers for fuel efficient cars in the year prior to Cash for Clunkers? (Let's call those people group "G" for Good.) People in group G not only paid market price for their fuel efficient car, they then were told they had to fund the purchase of other people's fuel efficient purchase through the Cash for Clunkers program. (Let's call that second group "B", for bad. Infantile, I know.) How were they told this? The government took tax money from Group G and gave it to group B. Yes, my friends, the government is not acting with it's money. The government is taking your money and using it as it sees fit. The same thing will happen with this Health Care Bill. One group of people, the Good, will be forced to fund another group's actions, the Bad. I don't care if Group B's actions are good! It is still intrinsically wrong to force one group of citizens to fund another group of citizen's good behavior. (Of course, since FDR's time we've been doing this to a small extent.)
I'm afraid I've wandered a bit. If you've been wondering about how to "freely" help out the homeless please please email Patrick Ayers at the email address mentioned above or make out a check to "Westside Cares: Attention Homeless Assistance Fund". Many thanks to Steve Brown and Westside Cares for creating a special fund dedicated to homeless issues. Last note: the concert was held at the Piano Warehouse, 120 W. Cucharras (behind Pikes Peak Center) a small oasis of pianos and music run by a delightful man named Rick Ketchum. We raised almost $2500. If you're a piano lover, go visit him. He, and the place, is magical. Blessings all.
The Rocky Mountain Community for Spiritual Living (formerly located at the Hillside Comm. Center) has moved to the West side. They are now meeting at 10 am at the corner of 17th and Bijou in the old Buena Vista elementary. If you're a "science of mind" type and you live on the west side, go check them out. Tell Phil and Helen Hollar I said "hey".
Unity of the Rockies (I'm their special guest) on Sat. Jan 17th 11am. Mesa at the top of the hill.
Sat. Jan. 23rd. 7:30pm Peter Mayer (with Joe Uveges) in Concert at High Plains UUC Church. I will be opening with a special guest or two. Tickets are $12 prepay (I'll refund you Al, Suz,Skip, Cathy and Laurie. . .) and $15 at the Door. (I dropped the price this year.) High Plains is located at the corner of Academy and Dominion behind Three Margaritas. Mail prepay checks to Joe Uveges 222 LaClede Ave. CS 80905. First 100 people get semi-reserved seating - as in - area, not SEAT. smile) Thanks so much.
Wed. Feb 10th, 17th and March 10th 11:30 to 2pm East Library in the Community Room. I'll be participating (musically and as a citizen) in an "Awakening the Dreamer" Symposium which I believe is dovetailing the "Dream City" effort. I'll play a couple songs and then. . . . we dream. . . .
***
By the way, Life is good when you get 294 folks to come to your "Bust This Birthday Bash Concert". Hope everyone had a blast. Next year maybe we'll do it all again. Bless you all. CD's always available.
Uveges News Archives:
June, 2010 Uveges News
June Update on Summertime schedule,
Palmer Lake Sat. , Secret Garden Tues
April, 2010 Uveges News
“Chicken Head and the Polyrythymic Church of Lowered Expectations”,
A Visit from the Thompsons
January, 2010 Uveges News
Peter Mayer Jan 23rd, "On the Goodness of Citizens and Smaller Gov't."
October, 2009 Uveges News
Cowboys, Portland, New York, and Castle Rock
September, 2009 Uveges News
The Chicken Scratch Diaries
and August/Sept shows
February, 2009 Uveges News
Cruise update(YEAH), Pete Mayer
Palmer Lake, Pueblo, Canon City
January, 2009 Uveges News
Peter Mayer, Carrie Newcomer,
The RUB and "Volunteer Day"
December, 2008 Uveges News
"The Mainline Adventure (for guys only)
and the last show of the year. . ."
March/April, 2008 Uveges News
"Karl Marx Lesson, Colorado Springs
and Denver shows, N.East tour"
January, 2008 Uveges News
"Portland OR, HPUUC, Soul Link, and NASCAR"
October, 2007 Uveges News
"When Freedom Calls CD Release Concert "
September, 2007 Uveges News
"The End of Summer . . .Portland, Black Forest, Monarch"
August, 2007 Uveges News
"Working Boys (Cont),
Aug./ Sept shows, Olive Branch Returns every Thurs"
July, 2007 Uveges News
"On summer projects, boys, and schedule"
June, 2007 Uveges News
"Ducks in trees, the Philharmonic, and schedule for june, july"
(click here)
April/May, 2007 Uveges News
Late April, Early May shows
and the story of the "Stinking Ant Eater"
(click here)
March, 2007 Uveges News
This weekend in C.Springs, and New Hampshire end of March
(click here)
February, 2007 Uveges News
Soul Link with S. Rissman, N. Hampshire etc.
(click here)
November, 2006
Pre-marital Sex, Tours and End of Year Shows
(click here)
September, 2006
CABOOM!!!
(click here)
August, 2006
August 06 Co.Springs, Creede, Trinidad
(Click here)
July, 2006
On Maggot Farming and the summertime schedule
(Click here)
June, 2006
Summer Musings and Schedule Through Late August
(Click here)
April, 2006
Music and Rafting on Bighorn Sheep Canyon
(Click here)
March, 2006
March shows and Monarch Ski resort
(Click here)
January, 2006
Soul Link
(Click here)
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