City Of Denver Asks Moonbat Groups Gaming DNC Permit Plan To Play Fair

**Update--Unsurprisingly, the City's plea for groups submitting multiple permit requests is "falling flat"--shocking:

The city of Denver scrambled Monday to fix a loophole that allowed duplicate applications to stage protests and other events during the Democratic National Convention in August.

On the eve of today's blind lottery to handle competing requests, the city contacted people and organizations with multiple applications for the same event at the same park on the same day and asked them to "voluntarily" withdraw duplicates.

The city's plea was falling on deaf ears.

"First of all, I can't tell people who are part of our organization who have submitted two applications not to apply," said Mark Cohen, an organizer for the protest group Recreate 68 Alliance.

"Even if I could, I would have no intention of doing so," he added.

No, of course not.

Though on the other side of the political spectrum, another group concurs:

Danielle Versluys, whose family and friends submitted multiple requests for using the same parks for an anti-abortion pray and worship service, said they don't intend to withdraw their requests.

"There is nothing wrong with submitting individual applications by interested citizens," she said. "If (other organizations) only submitted one, they should have been thinking ahead."

For those without the handbook, "How to Sleaze Your Way Into Just About Anything," it looks like there won't be much recourse, except for the lottery that occurs today.

The City of Denver, in its attempt to be "fair" and non-exclusionary, created a system that not only encourages but rewards such behavior.

But we shouldn't complain too much. Who else will provide bloggers and the rest of the world with such entertaining events as "Levitate the Mint" and "Ring around the Pepsi Center"?

A sampling of the groups applying for Denver park permits:

Christian Defense Coalition is an anti-abortion group that wants to surround the Pepsi Center with 1,500 people and pray for the Democratic Party to change its platform on abortion.

CODEPINK is a women's anti-war organization that wants American resources to be spent instead on health care, education and other efforts.

Democrats to Support Safe Access is a California-based group that advocates for medical marijuana.

Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options is a group that advocates for parental choice in education and vouchers.

Recreate 68 is a group that has promised demonstrations that will rival those at the 1968 violence-filled Chicago Democratic convention.

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When the permits process for Denver's Democratic National Convention began last week, I reported on Recreate 68 and other activists' attempts to "game" the system by submitting multiple identical requests by different activist front groups, an official had this to say:

But Erin Trapp, director of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, which is accepting the applications, said the city has told organizations to submit one request per event.

"We are taking them on their word that they're doing that," she said. "We can't police it and won't."

Now, the city of Denver is hoping that the groups who submitted multiple requests will--out of the goodness of their hearts--withdraw these requests to make the process more "fair":

The city of Denver is hoping a phone call will fix a loophole in what was supposed to be a fair process for issuing park and other permits during the Democratic National Convention this August.

City employees are contacting people and organizations that submitted multiple requests for the same event at the same venue or venues on the same day or dates to "voluntarily" withdraw any duplicative requests.
. . .
The city is making the 11th hour request "to enable all organizations that want to participate an equal opportunity for access," according to a press release.

Funny that the groups always complaining about access are the same ones gaming the system, and essentially denying access to others.

More wishful thinking:

"We hope organizations that submitted multiple applications to increase their odds of selection will act in good faith – helping to give all who want to participate an equal chance to do so," Katherine Archuleta, a senior adviser to Mayor Hickenlooper, said in the statement.

"Our goal with this process has always been to ensure fair, equitable and transparent distribution of permits and licenses so that we may allow applicants every possible opportunity for free expression and maximum participation in this exciting, historic event," Archuleta said. "The lottery is not the end of this conversation; it is actually the beginning of the application process."

The numbers:

The city received 215 individual permit requests for 204 available permit slots in 12 city-owned venues.

Permit categories include art installation, assembly, expo, festival, picnic/race/walk, and special occasion.

Three-quarters of the requests originated from [Recreate '68 and other moonbat groups] Colorado-based individuals or organizations.

Thought there seems to be only 11 more requests than slots, it is probable that there are in fact several requests competing for the high profile prime time slots like the Civic Center. This article, unfortunately, isn't more specific than that, and doesn't detail exactly which groups submitted duplicate requests for the same time and venue for identical events.