Coyote Gulch

Saturday, February 21, 2004

2004 Presidential Election
John Kerry's time working with Vietnam Veterans against the War is becoming an issue in this year's presidential race. The likely Democratic nominee is getting much scrutiny for his anti-war stance. Some think he was a hero during and after the war while others blame him and those involved with the anti-war movement for at least some of the outcome. Here's a story from Democracy Now! about John Kerry's testimony in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 22, 1971. They have a link to a recording of the speech. You gotta love the Internet. Like much of the 70's Coyote Gulch is dazed and confused as to what he was doing that day.
John Kerry and John Edwards have agreed to a debate next Sunday, according to TalkLeft.
5:58:26 PM

2003 Denver Municipal Election
In keeping with his promise to open up Denver government Mayor Hickenlooper is holding several public meetings to get feedback from interested citizen's on ideas to accomplish the 5 goals for his first term. DenverGov has a page up about the workshops. Coyote Gulch reported on this the other day. Come on out, meet the mayor (if he can make the meetings) and look for the 'Ol Coyote.
5:41:25 PM

Denver November 2004 Election
The Denver Post editorial staff is blasting the Colorado Department of Transportation in an editorial today [February 21, 2004, "CDOT in the manger"] over their recently announced concerns with FasTracks. From the editorial, "Enough is enough. It's time to put some limit on the Transportation Commission's fleecing of metro taxpayers. DRCOG has proposed that CDOT return at least 90 percent of the taxes collected in this area to meet this region's own pressing transportation needs. The Post favors a compromise plan by Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer that would ensure that at least 80 percent of earmarked transportation taxes be returned to the region that paid them. That would still allow rural areas to be heavily subsidized but would provide at least a semblance of fairness to metro taxpayers. The Post also urges RTD to stick to its guns and run the proposed light-rail line down West Sixth Avenue all the way to the Jefferson County government center in Golden. CDOT is balking on letting RTD use that right-of-way because it thinks that maybe, someday, somehow, it might want to build some additional highway lanes there."
8:55:33 AM

Colorado Water
Several groups have crafted a plan to manage the upper South Platte river, according to the Rocky Mountain News [February 21, 2004, "Providing water while protecting Platte"]. From the article, "Crafted of politics rather than granite, it imposes an uneasy peace on the South Platte, ending a painful stalemate that has lasted since the infamous Two Forks Dam was vetoed by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1989. The massive dam was touted as the metro area's answer to meeting future water needs, but it was defeated, in part, because it would have destroyed some of the most beautiful parts of the South Platte. The idea behind this plan is to protect what's left of the upper river's gold medal trout fisheries, rock structures and rafting routes while providing some new water to 2.6 million people in metro Denver . . . without a massive dam. The U.S. Forest Service has final say on the plan, primarily because the stretch of river that will be protected lies mostly within the boundaries of the Pike and San Isabel national forests. Late last month the Forest Service issued a final environmental impact statement on the proposal, essentially endorsing its content. But a final decision won't be made until the public comment period ends April 2. The Forest Service could make a final decision by June."
8:12:20 AM

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