| |
|
Thursday, June 17, 2004
|
|
Colorado Water
Govenor Owens was in Grand Junction urging the wet side and the dry side of Colorado to find common ground on water issues in order to move forward, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 17, 2004, "Owens urges river basins to haggle over water"]. Good idea. From the article, "Instead of continued bickering - much of it at great expense ' between the Eastern and Western slopes and the Front Range and San Luis Valley, the governor suggested that the state's eight river basins negotiate with each other 'to see what they can agree on.' Any resulting agreements could be put into state law, he said, and serve as a framework for future water conservation and development of new storage."
State water engineer, Hal Simpson, is warning San Luis Valley water users that they may permanently damage the aquifer under the valley unless they allow it to recharge fully during drought years, according to the Denver Post [June 17, 2004, "Aquifer stressed in San Luis Valley"]. From the article, "Though a state law passed this year gives him the authority to force farmers to cut acreage to preserve the aquifer, that would be a last resort, he said. Simpson favors voluntary efforts. Still, he is drafting a regulation that requires any additional water taken from the aquifer to be matched with water reinjected into it. Those who take water also could offset the amount by buying up pumping rights elsewhere in the aquifer and setting them aside. Simpson said he would submit the proposed rule to the state water courts by the end of the month. Allen Davey, an engineer for the Rio Grand Water Conservation District, said 10 percent less acreage won't save enough water."
Here's an article from the Denver Post about water utilities continuing to sell new taps at the same time severe water restrictions are put in place, [June 17, 2004, "Growth paradox: Just add water"]. From the article, "In 2002, the driest year of the six-year drought, Denver Water added 9,790 taps to its system, three times more than the previous year. The region's largest water utility has approved at least 3,000 new taps every year since 1998...Denver Water, meanwhile, could not immediately stop signing up customers even if it wanted to, manager Chips Barry said. If new customers are willing to pay the proper fees, then they can 'tap in.' The utility's charter obligates it to provide water inside the city and county of Denver as long as it's available. To its suburban customers, Denver Water is bound by contract to deliver unless it gives a five-year notice that water is running out."
6:38:08 AM 
|
|
Denver November 2004 Election
Mike Miles and Ken Salazar have released some information on their proposed debates prior to the August 10th primary, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 17, 2004, "Salazar, Miles planning debates"]. From the article, "This much seems set: Miles, an educator, and Salazar, Colorado's attorney general, will join Republican candidates Bob Schaffer and Pete Coors for a debate sponsored by the National Federation of Independent Business on July 1, the first to feature all four major Senate contenders. Miles and Salazar also will join in a televised debate sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News, News 4 and KBDI-Channel 12 on July 19. And they'll likely debate again Aug. 3 in a Denver setting to be announced. Both campaigns have said they would like to add debates outside the metro area. Miles said Wednesday they are negotiating on two possibilities: one in Fort Collins and one in Grand Junction."
A recent Club for Growth poll shows that the Peter Coors - Bob Schaffer primary battle is neck and neck, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 16, 2004, "Poll: Coors, Schaffer too close to call"]. From the article, "The statewide survey of 500 Republicans considered likely to vote in the Aug. 10 primary showed undecided voters at 36 percent, Schaffer at 34 percent and Coors at 31 percent - differences erased by the 4.4 percent margin of error. But when the field was narrowed to the 195 people who said they had an opinion of both candidates, Schaffer polled 44 percent to Coors' 34 percent."
The role of Catholics in public life was on the agenda for the third day of the bishops retreat here in Colorado, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 17, 2004, "Faith, politics collide"]. From the article, "Archbishop Charles Chaput shared his opinions during the discussion, said spokesman Sergio Gutierrez. Chaput has written extensively on the issue, calling on Catholics to bring their faith into public life. In town for the discussion was the lobbyist for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Frank Monahan, as well as the conference's general secretary, Monsignor William Fay. The heart of the discussion was a progress report from a bishops' task force, which is studying how best to implement a directive from the Vatican on how Catholics should approach public life. The directive says, in part, that Catholics are not permitted 'to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.' The task force will not present its full findings until after the 2004 election. But the issue is critical now because presidential candidate John Kerry, a Catholic, supports abortion rights, which is anathema in Catholic teaching. In Colorado, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Salazar, a Democrat and a Catholic, also supports abortion rights. The two Republican candidates, Pete Coors and Bob Schaffer, are also Catholic and support the church's teaching on abortion."
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [June 17, 2004, "Bishops tackle faith, politics"].
Meanwhile, proponents of the Gay Marriage Amendment, are working to get the Catholic church to be more active in support, according to the Rocky Mountain News [June 17, 2004, "Bishops pressured to back amendment"]. From the article, "Backers of the proposed constitutional amendment have been doing some behind-the-scenes maneuvering to light a fire under the bishops, who are meeting all week in a special assembly at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in unincorporated Arapahoe County."
6:22:44 AM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 6:56:29 PM.
|
|
|
