Coyote Gulch

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Colorado Water
Aurora may have to resort to watering restrictions again this year, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 29, 2004, "Aurora considers watering restrictions"].
Colorado is expected to need 60% more water in the next 26 years, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 29, 2004, "State water needs likely to soar 60%"]. The Front Range will 80% of the new water. Say goodbye to farming and bluegrass on the Front Range.
The State of Colorado will start charging owners of water rights a fee to finance the operations of the Divsion of Water Resources, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 29, 2004, "Fees for water rights"]. From the article, "Bills will be mailed out next week for the fees, which are expected to raise $1.8 million a year for the state. Agricultural water rights holders will pay $10 to $25 per right, while cities and others will pay $100 to $250. For some of the largest utilities, that will translate to thousands of dollars a year. Some farmers, too, will pay more because they have multiple rights. More than 10,000 invoices, covering about 35,000 water rights that qualify for the fees, will likely come as a shock to some, in part because water rights are considered sacrosanct in Colorado. Holders enjoy numerous protections under the law, and have never had to pay simply to possess such a right."
5:54:26 PM

Denver November 2004 Election
Supreme Court Justice Breyer, who was appointed by Bill Clinton, refused to grant a stay in the redistricting request from state Republican legislators, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 29, 2004, "Supreme Court rejects redistricting stay"]. From the article, "State Senate President John Andrews, R-Centennial, said Republicans would not pursue a stay from another judge and will wait for a decision by the court on whether it will take up the issue. The ruling makes it likely that Secretary of State Donetta Davidson will use the same map that was used for congressional elections two years ago. That map, drawn by a judge after lawmakers failed to come up with the boundaries in time for the November 2002 election, is more favorable to Democrats (ed. than the map drawn by Republicans last Spring)."
Analysis of the issue from the American Kestrel siding with the Republicans.
5:47:26 PM

2004 Presidential Election
Democratic debate in South Carolina tonight.
Early polling results from Missouri from the Daily Kos. John Kerry is at 47% with Howard Dean and John Edwards at 17%.
Colorado Luis is watching the race for Democratic Presidential nomination for clues as to how they will court the Hispanic vote. Mr. Toro, "If South Carolina is, as Prometheus 6 suggests, a proxy for Black America -- at least as far as the Democrats' South Carolina primary is concerned -- then are the Arizona and New Mexico primaries proxies for Aztlan, er, 'Hispanic' America?"
7:08:37 AM

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