Did you keep up with the news in 2009? Give our quiz a shot

“Brother, can you spare a dime?”

That might be the phrase that best sums up the news in the bleakest economic year in Colorado Springs since the Great Depression. It is a question the city asked voters. The answer was a resounding “No!”

It also was a question local government departments asked themselves as they cut services while still finding ways to spend money on the darnedest things, such as take-home cars for some police officers.

Even with the Great Recession in full force, Colorado Springs seemed to have a wealth of shenanigans by those in elected office and other positions of trust.

How closely were you paying attention to the news? Find out by taking our annual quiz.

(Answers here or at bottom of quiz)

1. Which of the following happened as a result of the stumbling economy in 2009?
A. City Manager Penelope Culbreth-Graft was sued for failing to pay the mortgage on her home in California.
B. City Council member Jerry Heimlicher quit his post and moved back to his home state of Tennessee because he was concerned over the future of his pension from Ford Motor Credit.
C. The city ordered 10-day furloughs for all nonemergency employees.
D. The city canceled its annual 4th of July fireworks.
E. El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Bob Balink told staff to stop answering phones in his offices.
F. Sales taxes plunged so steeply that the city’s chief financial officer described them as “Worse than our worst-case scenario.”
G. The Gazette’s parent company declared bankruptcy.
H. The city explored selling corporate sponsorships to parks and buildings.
I. All of the above

2. The number of foreclosed properties in El Paso County in 2009 is the highest:
A. Since 1988
B. Since 1932
C. Ever

3. Who is Homer the llama?
A. A 3-year-old llama The Gazette found listed on city police payrolls as a “cultural advisor” when the paper obtained employee records in October.
B. A 12-year-old llama on display at Rock Ledge Ranch who became a whipping boy of budget hawks who asked “Does the city really need to be in the camelid business?”
C. An elusive baby llama that mysteriously appeared on Pikes Peak in September, where he lived for several weeks, getting frostbite, before he was captured.

4. What was the mission of Colorado Springs Police’s controversial “puffer patrol”?
A. To arrest medical marijuana users “puffing” in public.
B. To warn people that leaving their cars running unattended on cold days is a violation of city ordinance.
C. To inflate the 2010 police budget on paper in order to combat proposed cuts.
D. To bust a ring of local real estate appraisers artificially “puffing up” values of foreclosed houses.

5. Which one of the following real departments did Focus on the Family eliminate in September in the face of huge budget shortfalls?
A. Global Services, a network that translates and distributes James Dobson’s radio messages to 120 countries.
B. Love Won Out, the homosexual-rehabilitation department.
C. CitizenLink, a news magazine charged with battling “judicial tyranny, the homosexual agenda, pornography and gambling” among other threats to “the foundation of the family.”
D. TrueTolerance.org, an online resource parents can use to “respond in a winsome, factual way to pro-gay advocacy in public schools.”

6. Shortly before laying off 8 percent of its work force, citing lean financial times, how much did Focus on the Family give to an anti-gay marriage initiative in California?
A. $68,000
B. $343,000
C. $657,000

Match the quote with the person who said it:

7. “There is definitely a part of me that’s like we ought to either execute all the murderers or we ought to execute none of the murderers.”

8. “I may not be 40 years old, but I know how to read.”

9. “Everything has a shelf life.”

10. “I will, after years of unbridled false accusations, have my day in court, so this is a good step in that direction.”

A. James Dobson, explaining his choice to retire.

B. State Sen. John Morse, explaining why he chose against casting the deciding vote to abolish the death penalty in Colorado.

C. The Rev. Don Armstrong, former leader of Grace Episcopal Church, who was arrested for felony theft in May.

D. David Williams, the 22-year-old UCCS president who announced he would run for county commissioner.

11. After county commissioners received reports of packs of wild dogs, up to 100 strong, running amok in eastern El Paso County in March, which of the following happened?
A. Hunters hired to take care of the problem accidentally shot 11 pet dogs, three goats and a sofa.
B. Commissioners designed an award-winning program where local inmates capture the mutts and train them to be herding dogs.
C. A government tracking study found that the largest pack was, in fact, four dogs, but commissioners still gave citizens permission to shoot dogs on sight.

12. Which of the following was NOT a real sign waved by TEA Party activists at an anti-government downtown rally in September?
A. Save tax money, stop invading other countries!
B. Stop the communist take-over
C. Public school: socialism’s best friend
D. Joe the Plumber for President

13. How did El Paso County Commissioner Jim Bensberg suggest in June that local 4-H students could raise funds for the club while helping the cash-strapped county government?
A. They could earn their “asphalt badge” by patching potholes in county roads.
B. They could earn their “small government badge” by filling in for furloughed county office staff.
C. They could round up feral dogs and other stray animals to help the under-staffed Humane Society.
D. They could earn their “home ec. badge” by serving food in the county jail cafeteria.

14. What did City Council member Sean Paige say in October that city leaders needed to “accept,” adding, “In terms of taxing, it may be the most viable industry we have in Colorado Springs right now”?
A. A rash of medical marijuana dispensaries that sprang up in the city in 2009.
B. Record home foreclosures, which have given rise to a profitable eviction industry.
C. Prostitution rings that discretely market themselves as “escort services.”
D. All of the above.

15. Which of the following did NOT happen as the city’s deal to build a new headquarters for the United States Olympic Committee tumbled into economic chaos?
A. Mayor Lionel Rivera was investigated for ethics violations when the contract was awarded to a close business partner.
B. Taxpayers and the headquarters developer Ray Marshall sued the city over the deal.
C. The USOC told the city it could
not use the Olympic rings logo anymore.
D. The El Pomar Foundation gave $3 million at the last minute to keep the deal from falling apart.
E. Developer Ray Marshall was indicted on 33 felony counts, including fraud involving the USOC building.

16. What announcement by Focus on the Family president Jim Daly drew a jubilant standing ovation in June from employees?
A. That female employees can now wear pants.
B. That the cafeteria would stop adhering to strict dietary codes from Leviticus.
C. That employees will no longer have to greet one another by saying “It’s a great day to be a Christian.”
D. That Focus founder James Dobson was retiring as chairman of the board.

17. Who is Richard Strandlof?
A. A former psychiatric patient who founded a prominent advocacy group called Colorado Veterans Alliance while claiming to be a retired Marine captain.
B. A Colorado Springs police officer who was disciplined for shooting at a hawk that attacked his sergeant.
C. A local yellow Labrador retriever who starred in the hit film “Marley & Me.”
D. The Fountain Police Chief who was accused of sexual misconduct and extortion at his previous job, but hired anyway.

18. Which of the following controversial comments did firebrand Republican State Rep. Dave Schultheis NOT make this year?
A. He said single mothers should be called what they are, “sluts.”
B. He compared President Barack Obama to the 9/11 hijackers on his Twitter account, suggesting the American people should take him down.
C. He opposed HIV tests for pregnant women, claiming that infected babies would cause families to “see the negative consequences of that promiscuity.”

19. Who is Clifford Dupree?
A. A candidate for city council who in March unwittingly included a link to a nudist Web site on his campaign Web site.
B. A Colorado inmate who was set to get out of prison in May — until he was rearrested for bragging and laughing to his cell mate about committing a 7-year-old murder.
C. A Colorado Springs state representative who protested a gift of Spanish textbooks from Mexico to Colorado students because he feared they could be full of “false information” about Mexico’s claims to the Southwest.
D. The leader of a homeless activists group that successfully fought for a change in city law that led to an explosion in homeless camps in Colorado Springs.

20. According to comments City Council made in December while debating an ordinance to do away with homeless camps, which council member(s) have been homeless?
A. Tom Gallagher
B. Tom Gallagher and Larry Small
C. Randy Purvis and Darryl Glenn
D. All of them, except Jan Martin

21. After fleeing Colorado Springs in disgrace in 2006, which of the following was NOT a surprising event that brought Ted Haggard back into the spotlight in 2009?
A. He admitted to another gay relationship with a church member who was paid $179,000 to stay quiet.
B. He starred in a sympathetic HBO documentary.
C. He appeared on “Oprah” and “Divorce Court.”
D. He agreed to become one of Sarah Palin’s campaign advisors.
E. He returned to Colorado Springs and began leading church services again.

22. What blew the cover of the police’s secret downtown undercover and narcotics headquarters?
A. A paid informant, angry that he was unable to get a raise, etched the address in the wall at the county jail.
B. A powerful Mexican drug cartel sent the address to local media as a way of showing its influence.
C. The name of the division was listed in the lobby directory of the building where it is located.

23. Which over-scrutinized public figure told The Gazette that a meeting was closed to the press because “We don’t want to be surrounded by the paparazzi.”
A. Ted Haggard, explaining why The New York Times, and CBS’s “The Early Show,” among other national media, would not be allowed to attend his new prayer group.
B. Mayor Lionel Rivera, explaining why an ethics violation of his actions in the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters deal, as well as recommendations for action, would be kept confidential.
C. Sarah Palin, explaining why reporters would not be allowed to be among the 700-plus people she spoke to at a local book signing.

24. How many banks in the Pikes Peak region failed this year?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 7

25. What caused a nine-minute delay in sending a trooper to a crash on I-25 in December — a crash that was followed by a second, fatal crash?
A. Troopers assigned to patrol the segment of highway were on furlough due to state budget cuts.
B. Troopers were busy “executing a Christmas homeless sweep” at a downtown highway exit.
C. The dispatcher responsible for alerting troopers was watching a Christmas movie.
D. The dispatcher responsible for alerting troopers was “administering his medical marijuana.”

26. Downtown nightclub 13 Pure took Colorado Springs city government to court in November, arguing that the city had violated its constitutional rights because:
A. Police crackdowns on unruly crowds on the sidewalk violated the right to assembly.
B. Police crackdowns on “young, gun-toting thug” patrons violated the right to bear arms.
C. Police crackdowns on female customers bearing their breasts violated the right to freedom of speech.

27. How many city staff appointed by Colorado Springs council used their city-provided work cars for personal use a majority of the time?
A. 20 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 80 percent

DOUGLAS BRUCE LIGHTNING ROUND

28. True or false: After a five-year fight that included several failed lawsuits and ballot initiatives, Bruce finally prevailed in eradicating Colorado Springs’ Stormwater Enterprise fee.

29. True or false: When Colorado Springs said this spring that it wanted to “de-Bruce” the city, it meant that it wanted to raise the number of voter signatures needed to get an initiative on the ballot to such a high level that Bruce could likely never reach it.

30. True or false: After Bruce was cited for trespassing in August while attempting to collect signatures for a ballot initiative at a local Costco, the Costco manager said, “Since I’ve been here, we’ve only had to call police twice. Both times were on Mr. Bruce.”

31. True or false: Bruce’s contentious behavior caused normally congenial Colorado Springs City Council member Jan Martin to scream in a council meeting, “You’re an obnoxious, irritating individual. Now just shut up!”

32. True or false: Bruce is the most conservative member of Congress, having voted the Republican line 100 percent of the time.

33. True or false: Democrats in the state House of Representatives refer to the cracked disk of wood that the majority leader pounds to bring unruly, noisy, or disrespectful members to order as “The Douglas Bruce Block.”

ANSWERS
1. I
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. D
9. A
10. C
11. C
12. A
13. C
14. A
15. E
16. A
17. A
18. A
19. B
20. B
21. D
22. C
23. A
24. A
25. C
26. C
27. C
28. True
29. False
30. True
31. False. It was Larry Small.
32. False. Doug Lamborn is.
33. True

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