Cranky Old White People Magazine says: Come to Wyoming!

The National Conference of State Legislatures has compiled a Legislator Demographic Map for each state. I looked up the Wyoming map and found it very interesting. Not horribly depressing but pretty darn close. I also found some inaccuracies.

As far as ethnicity, the NCSL site lists our legislature as 97 percent Caucasian and 2 percent Latino. O.K., I know the 2 percent of Latinos: brothers Floyd and Ken Esquibel of Cheyenne.It's kind of funny that I know the only ethnic legislators in the state. Often I am at the same meeting with them, as they are both Democrats (no surprise).

Therein lies the problem. What happened to our lone African-American Legislator, Jim Byrd of Cheyenne? Since there are 90 legislators, Jim's African-Americanness makes up one-ninetieth of this august body. That makes the legislature at least 1 percent black. Now here's another problem: Patrick Goggles is Native American and a a rep from Fremont County. That makes the legislature at least 1 percent Native American.

Both Jim and Patrick are Democrats, of course. So let's add this up. Latino: 2 percent. African-American-American: 1 percent. Native American: 1 percent. That makes 4 percent ethnic and 96 percent Caucasian. Hey NCSL -- time to hire some real researchers!

Four of 14 Democratic legislators represent minorities in this very white state. That's 29 percent. Not bad in a state that is 91 percent white (U.S. Census stats show that 86 percent of the population is white non-Hispanic). In case you're keeping score, the Republican Party representation in the legislature is all white. 100 percent.

But that's just the beginning of the problem.

The NCSL lists Wyoming's gender make-up as 94 percent and 16 percent female. That's 110 percent, as in "My team gave 110 percent today." Even my own math-challenged self can see that this doesn't add up. I am beginning to lose faith in the NCSL.

Here are the real numbers: There are now 13 non-men in the legislature. There were 14 but one (Lisa Shepperson) just resigned. So you could say that the legislature is (was) 16 percent non-men and 84 percent men. Three of the 13 remaining are Democrats. That makes 21 percent of the legislature's Democratic Party representation as female. That's still better than the 13 percent female percentage in the Republican camp.

You can now see why Wyoming legislative sessions have become so bat shit crazy.

That's just the beginning. If the NCSL numbers can be trusted (do you have any doubt at this point?), fully 34 percent of our legislators are 65 and older. There has been some speculation that at least some of these senior Republican members are living part of the year (winter?) in Arizona retirement communities. If this is true throughout the West, you can begin to see why Arizona is so bat shit crazy.

The Wyoming Legislature does have some younger members. Fifty-one percent of its members are 50-64 years old. This is roughly the age of the Baby Boomer generational cohort, the ones who have brought such balance and civility to politics. Within it you find such moderating influences as Rick Perry ("Secede!"), Michelle Bachmann, Rand Paul, David Duke, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, etc. Democrats don't have the same track record on extremists, unless you want to go back to the sixties. Even Al Sharpton has mellowed out. Safe to say that there are wackos in this age group all over the political spectrum but mostly on the Right.

However, there is one statement that can be made about this age group: it is not on the cutting edge of anything. Once you hit 60, you are looking toward retirement. Most of your prejudices and priorities are set in stone. Often you are stone-like in your approach to politics. And not like a rolling stone.

So, 85 percent of our legislators are 50 or over. Most of them are white. Most of them are men. Most of them are very conservative.

A pattern is emerging. Stats in our neighboring states aren't much better. National totals are a bit better but not by much.

No wonder we're in trouble.

Our legislative bodies do not reflect the population.

How can we change it? I would say go out and vote. But many of our state legislators come from very conservative districts and usually there is nobody running on the Dem side. So if I tell people in Big Horn County to get out there and vote, the lone Repub on the ballot will just get more votes.

More bad news: a legislative committee is finishing up redistricting as we speak. Repubs have a veto-proof majority in the legislature now. They outnumber Dems 76-14. Are they after a bigger majority?

You could say that Democrats could do a better job in recruiting and funding candidates. Go ahead, say it. I have, many times. But I ain't running. I've worked for many fine Democratic candidates who were superior in every way to their Republican opposition. They were all trounced. The exception is Dave Freudenthal who was often accused of being a DINO (Democrat in Name Only). But at least he was that. Imagine the conversation that this Thermopolis boy had with himself: I yearn for a career in politics. I want to stay in my home state. Democrats are as popular as prairie dogs but not nearly as plentiful. I'll run for Gov as a Democrat. Brilliant! Gov Dave and one of his predecessors, Mike Sullivan, were exceptions to the rule.

In the 2010 election, almost all of the good Democratic candidates fell to the Tea Party onslaught.

Demographics spell doom for Wyoming. Our children have departing in droves. They leave to attend college and find jobs in Austin and Chicago and L.A. But it's not only jobs. They also seek the amenities of big cities and better educations for their children. They also seek cultural diversity which speaks to a more cosmopolitan environment.

Wyoming has many fine things to offer. The arts scene is booming, especially in Cheyenne, Casper and Jackson. If you love the outdoors, there is no finer place than Wyoming. Our unemployment rates is one of the lowest in the U.S., although most of those jobs are in the oil and gas fields and service industries. Cranky Old White People Magazine always lists Wyoming as one of the best places to retire if you're a cranky old white person. Taxes are low. You can carry guns in public. Tea Party rallies galore. And you have lots of people just like you in the state legislature.

Young people, even if you're white and cranky, don't really want to be around a bunch of cranky old white people.

When it's time to retire, my wife and I will seek warmer climes. We may go to Florida or Arizona, but not  just so we can live in a gated community with a lot of conservative knuckleheads. We will go for adventure. We will go for the arts. We will go so we can be around our kids (one in Arizona, one in Florida) and other family members in the southeast and southwest.

Take a look at this legislator demographic map. Despite the errors, it does offer a snapshot on what the populace has elected to allegedly represent our interests. Is this what you want our august elected body to look like for your kids and grandkids?

Public art celebrates creativity and innovation and heritage and open minds

"Triangle" by Kirsten Kokkin in Loveland, Colo.

Public art can become a very personal thing.

I work in the arts, so know how one little statue can blow up into a huge controversy.

Today's Denver Post explored that city's public art program, and similar programs in Loveland, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. The Denver percent for art program has been in place since 1977, which gives the city 34 years of perspective on art in the public eye. The most recent controversy raged around the bucking mustang sculpture with the crazy eyes that greets motorists at DIA. As many of you know, this is the sculpture that killed its creator. I'm not being facetious. The sculpture-in-progress fell on New Mexico artist Luis Jiminez and killed him. Now many Coloradans consider it cursed. Its nicknames include "Blucifer" and "Satan's Steed." The mustang is now legend.

To Denver's credit, its program mandates that an artwork stays up for five years once it's installed. The work passes through a review process before it's made and installed. It's not cheap to install a 32-foot horse along a public roadway. You don't want to take it down and put it back up every few months.

And then there's naked people. Loveland, epicenter of public sculpture, installed a bronze called "Triangle" by Kirsten Kokkin at a major intersection. It features three naked humans forming a triangle, thus the piece's name. My far would have been hat every teen boy in town would be climbing the sculpture searching for the naughty bits. But who needs sculpture when teen boys can prowl live sex sites via their home computer?

The "Triangle" artist has obviously studied the human form with the same attention to detail that motivated Michelangelo. I'm often amazed that people continue to care about putting sculptures in the parks and along their roads. But they do. And as in Michelangelo's time, public patrons provide the impetus and funding to do so. There may be some tussles along the way, but once a public work of art catches hold, it becomes a landmark. Witness downtown Denver's Big Blue Bear sculpture by Lawrence Argent. Witness the Lane Frost sculpture at Cheyenne's CFD Old West Museum. Witness the Chief Washakie sculpture in front of the Washakie Dining Hall at UW in Laramie. Witness Robert Russin's Abraham Lincoln head at welcome center on I-80 celebrating The Lincoln Highway. Witness the UW Art Museum and its "Sculpture: A Wyoming Invitational" with its many innovative works. Some of those sculptures were not meant to last, as in Patrick Dougherty's sculpture made of locally harvested saplings. Witness the entire city of Loveland, Colo., once a sleepy enclave between Denver and Fort Collins, home to commuters and retirees, to a lively city filled with sculptures and international sculpture shows (coming up in August).

Patrick Dougherty, "Short Cut," 2008

Many Wyoming cities have gone gaga over sculpture. Every corner in Sheridan's historic downtown features a work of art. Gillette has an Avenue of Sculpture. Cheyenne is planning the same thing along Capitol Avenue between the State Capitol and the Historic Train Depot. The newly renovated Capitol Plaza features statues of suffragist Esther Hobart Morris and Shoshone leader Chief Washakie. Across the street on the grounds of the Wyoming Arts Council, a sculpture of iconic Western artist William Gollings paints the scene (his painting of the Capitol is on the wall inside the building). At the other end of the street, a new sculpture of a pioneer woman carrying a valise and disembarking from a train celebrates Wyoming's "Equality State" moniker. In Wyoming, "Equality State" is always a work in progress.

That's also true for public art. Always a work in progress. New work goes up to admire and gawk at and maybe even complain about.

From May through October, tourist buses arrive daily in downtown Cheyenne. Groups of Japanese and Russians and Chinese tourists swarm over the Capitol grounds. They take each other's pictures by the Bison and by Esther and by the cowboy on the bucking bronco. They might go into the Capitol (if it's open) but time is short and they need some memories of their travels. Artwork on the Capitol grounds provides that.

Some of our legislators and public servants feel that art is a frill, that it provides no real benefit to Wyomingites and to the tourists that stoke the state's number two industry.

Buffalo soldier statue near Warren AFB in Cheyenne (USAF photo)

These people are short-sighted and possibly blinded by Tea Party rhetoric. The Governor of Kansas was so blinded by it that he eliminated the state arts council. Others, such as the Governor of Maine, banish works of art that they don't agree with. This negates one of the main goals of public art, which is to get the viewer to think about the site's culture and heritage. A mural of union workers can do that (although people in Maine have been spared that experience). A statue of a mountain lion can do that, as will the new sculpture at the Wyoming Vistitors' Center on I-90 near Hulett. The statue and commemorative plaques celebrating the buffalo soldier near Warren AFB's main gate opens up a new chapter in frontier and African-American history. Some of these soldiers came out West post-slavery to find more opportunities and less prejudice. It also brings up the fact that the U.S. military was officially desegregated by Pres. Truman in 1948, way before schools and businesses and transportation and your local Woolworth's counter.

It's tough to keep an open mind in these most close-minded of times. But our future depends on it.

Stories about ethnic traditions in Wyoming at Laramie County Public Library July 14

Not only did I get a cool tie-dye “One World, Many Stories” T-shirt for joining the library’s summer reading program. I will also receive a cool mug when I’ve read at leats 30 minutes a day for 25 days (done!). Also a bevy of good summer programs at the library. Here’s one:

"One World, Wyoming Stories"

When: Thursday, July 14, 7-8:30 p.m.

Where: Laramie County Library Cheyenne (map)

Description: Annie Hatch, Wyoming Arts Council Folk & Traditional Arts Specialist, and Andrea Graham, Folklorist with the University of Wyoming American Studies Program, will share stories about a variety of ethnic traditions in Wyoming. They’ll also encourage participants to share their own stories. This is held in conjunction with the “One World, Wyoming Stories,” exhibit in the library through August 16. (Adults, Sunflower Room, 3rd floor)

It's no accident that the Wyoming State Seal features "Equal Rights" front and center

A colorful rendering of the Wyoming State Seal is being embedded in the new plaza in front of the State Capitol Building. On Friday, I stopped to watch the installation. Joe from southwestern Virginia and Joe from Cheyenne were supervising the work. From afar, the seal looks magnificent. During the legislative session, I had seen an artists's rendering of the finished project.

This is a major improvement over the aging plaza that was in place this time last year. In Cheyenne, we always measure time by Cheyenne Frontier Days -- "The Daddy of 'Em All." It's our version of the New Year's celebration. The year ends or begins with CFD -- not quite sure which. Anyway, the construction barriers and construction crews and the big box surrounding the Chief Washakie statue will all be removed by July 22 to make way for the influx of tourists.

What they will see is instructive. The plaza will be flanked by statues of Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman governor of a U.S. state, and Chief Washakie, the legendary leader of the Shoshones. Wyoming may be the only U.S. state to celebrate the contributions of a suffragist and a Native American chief in front of its Capitol Building. You might call this a concrete representation of the stat'e slogan, "Equal Rights," that also is part of the state seal. Has Wyoming lived up to this clarion call for justice? No. Shoshone and Arapaho youth on the sprawling Wind River Reservation continue to commit suicide at alarming rates. The dropout stats for Rez youth are the worst in the state and the unemployment rate is 70 percent. Women nationally earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. In Wyoming, women earn 67 cents for every dollar paid to guys (such as me). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported these figures in May.

But the state seal sounds the call for justice. Here's a description of the state seal from the official State of Wyoming site:

The Great Seal of the State of Wyoming was adopted by the second legislature in 1893, revised by the sixteenth legislature in 1921. The two dates on the Great Seal, 1869 and 1890 commemorate the organization of the Territorial government and Wyoming's admission to the Union. The draped figure in the center holds a staff from which flows a banner bearing the words, "Equal Rights," and symbolizes the political status women have always enjoyed in Wyoming. The male figures typify the livestock and mining industries of the state. The number 44 on the five-pointed star signifies that Wyoming was the 44th state admitted to the Union. On top of the pillars rest lamps from which burn the Light of Knowledge. Scrolls encircling the two pillars bear the words, Oil, Mines, Livestock, and Grain, four of Wyoming's major industries.

No mention of the area's original inhabitants, but we'll work on that. The "draped figure" is obviously a woman. The two men flanking the "Equal Rights" figure are a miner and a herder or a cowboy. It celebrates Wyoming's status as the 44th state admitted to The Union. It celebrates knowledge. It celebrates industry, farming and ranching. It celebrates working people.

The miniscule photo above doesn't do it justice, especially when compared to the large state seal that will be the centerpiece of the plaza. 

As I talked to Joe and Joe at the Capitol, the Tea Party was holding a rally on the publicly-funded and maintained Capitol grass. The Tea Party doesn't believe in taxes except for war-making. Not sure what they think of the Capitol renovation. This is just the first stage of a major overhaul of the historic structure, inside and out. Tea Partiers maintain that they pay too many taxes. Most of them drove to the rally public roadways, although some may have beamed in from Planet Tea Party. Many of them are Medicare-eligible, judging by their ages, although maybe they are doctrinaire enough to refuse those benefits which they contributed to all their lives. Some Tea Partiers want to revoke the 10th and 14 amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Some even go so far as to advocate secession.

But the part of the state seal that seems to rankle them the most concerns "equal rights." The Tea Party crowd hates those "illegal aliens," such as the ones that Sen. John McCain says started the Arizona wildfires. The Tea Party crowd loves Arizona's racist SB1070 law and wants Wyoming to have one just like it. There was one proposed in the most recent legislature but it went down in flames. HB94, according to the Equality State Policy Center, "would have led to racial profiling, split up Wyoming families with documented and undocumented members, and hamper police by drawing off resources to enforce federal immigration law." The measure was killed in committee. The Legislative Management Council rejected a move to fund an interim study on the immigration issue. Since the Republicans control all legislative business, it is safe to assume that some Republicans take our "Equality State" motto seriously.

That also applies to the same-sex marriage issue. Live-and-let-live Republicans killed HB74 -- the "Validity of Marriages" bill. This happened only after pressure by live-and-let-live Wyomingites, gay and straight.

The next Tea Party rally will probably be on the completed plaza. It's a public space, and publicly-funded at that. Protesters will stand right on the state seal that promotes equal rights and justice for all (A-L-L) and education and the Union and workers and they will promulgate ideas antithetical to those things we hold dear.

Thanks, Joe and Joe and all the Joes and Janes who continue to build Wyoming and make it a great place to live. It takes hard work and eternal vigilance to keep it that way. 

Tea Party Slim limits vacations to red states

Tea Party Slim was packing his RV. I stopped to chat.

“I thought you’d be headed south before now,” I said.

Slim smiled. “There was a Wyoming election to win in November, and then with Christmas and all… Well, we got a late start.”

“Headed to Arizona again?”

Slim smiled. “Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and maybe a few of the southern states.”

“They’ve been having some troubles down in Arizona.”

“In Tucson,” Slim said, “but we never go to Tucson. Mesa and Phoenix, mostly. We have friends in Lake Havasu City.” Slim paused as he hauled bags into the RV. “We like the red parts of the red states.”

“Tucson too blue, I suppose,” I said. “But it was pretty red a few weeks ago.”

Slim looked at me. “Now don’t go blaming the actions of a lone nut on any of us.”

“Any of whom?”

“Conservatives. Republicans.”

“Tea Party members?”

“You liberals like to blame us, don’t you? Hate speech is what it is, hatred toward white Christian conservatives. I see it every day. But are we a protected minority? ” He looked thoughtful as he plucked boxes and bags from the sidewalk and hauled them into the RV.

“New Mexico is a blue state, at least it was in the 2008 election. Went for Obama.”

He stopped and stared. “They have a new Republican governor. And the majority of the Congressional delegation is Republican.”

“Look at your map, Slim. New Mexico is blue. How are you going to get from Arizona to Texas without going through New Mexico.”

Slim looked thoughtful.  “We’ll loop up through Colorado.”

“Colorado’s blue.”

Slim again looked thoughtful.  I hoped this wasn’t becoming a habit.

“You could always take a shortcut through Mexico.”

“And get my head cut off by drug gangs? No thanks. We’ll just take the long way around. We have plenty of time, and plenty of money for gas. We’ll burn lots and lots of carbon products.” He grinned. “Hundreds of gallons, maybe thousands. Greenhouse gases by the tons.”

He was trying to get my goat. But I wasn’t going to fall for it.

“Hope you’re not going to Florida.”

“Blue state?”

I nodded.

“Even with its new Tea Party governor who wants to get rid of all those free-loading state employees?”

“There are so many Democrats in the southern part of the state," I said. "Retired Yankees, and lots of swarthy immigrants from the Caribbean and South America.”

“There’s always Alabama.”

“Too humid. Even in the winter."

Slim disappeared into the RV. He came back with a map of the western U.S. He unfolded it against the side of the RV. We both stared at it.

"You have to go through Utah to get to Arizona," I said. "Utah's reliably red."

Slim nodded. "Good solid conservatives in Utah."

"But you see the problem about getting to Texas from Arizona." I pointed to the big blue block that's New Mexico. "Lots of Hispanics. They were there first."

"You're forgetting about the Native Americans?"

"Don't get all politically correct on me now, Slim."

"But they were there first. Not the Mexicans. Besides, we like the casinos."

"You'll have to skip all those New Mexico casinos, Slim. The winnings all go to Democrats."

Slim stared. "The hell you say."

"It's the truth. Most Indians -- Native Americans -- vote for Democrats."

"I'll just go to Vegas."

"Nevada went blue in 2008."

Slim folded his map. "Time to get moving," he said.

"Enjoy your trip," I said. "If you change your mind about Arizona, I hear northern Idaho is very nice this time of year. And red? It's almost as red as Wyoming."