Coyote Gulch

Saturday, July 10, 2004

The State of the City
How is the Mayor doing one year after taking office? Here's a in-depth story from the Rocky Mountain News [July 10, 2004, "Making the grade"]. From the article, "Asked to grade his first year in office, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper leaned back in his chair and launched into a long talk about some of his courses in college, where he didn't get an 'A' or a 'B' but a 'pass' or a 'fail.' He then applied the same criteria to his performance as mayor. The result? Hickenlooper gave himself a 'pass' on a host of issues - everything from dealing with the city's budget crisis to slashing parking meter rates downtown - but ducked efforts to get him to be more specific in his assessment of the job he has done."
The Rocky also has an article listing major accomplishments from the administration.
11:34:53 AM

2004 Presidential Election
Here's a summary of national polls from the Daily Kos.
Time Poll - Bush 45%, Kerry 49%; Zogby America Poll - Bush 44%, Kerry 46%; CBS News Poll - Bush/Cheney - 44%, Kerry/Edwards 49%; NBC News Poll - Bush/Cheney - 43%, Kerry/Edwards 54%; American Research Group Poll - Bush 45%, Kerry 49%.
State polls from Taegan Goddard, "Here are the latest state polls: Michigan - Kerry 50%, Bush 43%, Nader 2% (American Research Group); New Mexico - Kerry 49%, Bush 42%, Nader 3% (American Research Group)."
New York Times: "In a season when candor and leadership are in short supply, the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the prewar assessment of Iraqi weapons is a welcome demonstration of both. It is also disturbing, and not just because of what it says about the atrocious state of American intelligence. The report is a condemnation of how this administration has squandered the public trust it may sorely need for a real threat to national security. The report was heavily censored by the administration and is too narrowly focused on the bungling of just the Central Intelligence Agency. But what comes through is thoroughly damning. Put simply, the Bush administration's intelligence analysts cooked the books to give Congress and the public the impression that Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons and was developing nuclear arms, that he was plotting to give such weapons to terrorists, and that he was an imminent threat." Read it before it scrolls behind the paywall.
Josh Marshall: "A veritable tour de force of political convenience." Ouch.
Blogs For Bush: "Is it just me, or do you agree that Sen. John Edwards looks a lot like Richie Rich?"
10:47:27 AM

Colorado Water
How is Lake Powell doing? Here's a photo from the Cortez Journal.
The Denver Post editorial staff speaks out on the recent ruling by Water Judge, Denise Maes [July 10, 2004, "Water ruling right on target"]. From the editorial, "A ruling by Pueblo District Judge Dennis Maes in a closely watched water-rights case strikes us as falling properly within the state's "first in use, first in right" doctrine. But unlike some observers, we don't think it will stop the sale of agricultural water rights to municipal and industrial users. Maes ruled against plans by High Plains A&M, a company that owns water rights in the Fort Lyon Canal that are designated for agricultural use. The company wanted to sell those rights to as-yet-unspecified municipal buyers, but the judge said no...Water rights are property rights, and they can be sold to other buyers, who would acquire the same senior date - 1881 in our example - that the original user enjoyed. But the new buyer must meet the test for beneficial use. A speculator acquiring water rights in the hope of reselling them obviously has a hard time meeting that test. But a city negotiating directly with a farmer to buy water for municipal use would be OK. And even third parties are not barred from buying agricultural water rights under Maes' ruling. Such speculators simply can't seek to reclassify those agricultural rights to municipal use until they have a contract with the ultimate user."
10:26:00 AM

Denver November 2004 Election
Councilwoman, Marcia Johnson, is using an online survey to gauge support for Initative 100. I think this is a first in local government. I was notified in e-mail. She's asking, of course, for input from Council District 5. I've goofed up her results since I live in District 1.
The last day to register to vote for the August 10th primary is Monday. The primary will be, in effect, the election for Denver District Attorney. There are no Republicans running so whoever wins the Democratic primary will get the job. One month to get out yard signs and get on TV. That should have the candidates worried. More election coverage here. Here are the links for John Walsh, Mitch Morrisey and Beth McCann.
The Rocky Mountain News has endorsed Mitch Morrisey for Denver District Attorney [July 6, 2004, "Mitch Morrissey best choice for DA"]. From the editorial, "Mitch Morrissey isn't as politically well connected as Beth McCann or as polished as John Walsh, but his dedication, experience and expertise make him more qualified than his rivals in the race for Denver district attorney. Morrissey is the only candidate currently prosecuting cases, having served in the Denver office 20 years. He's DA Bill Ritter's chief deputy, and has won his boss's endorsement."
Coyote Gulch apologizes for being so late with this news, I was on vacation.
Here's an article in opposition to Iniative 100, which would ban circus performances from the city [July 10, 2004, "Three-ring fracas: Measure would succeed only in stifling quality entertainment"]. From the opinion piece, "This ballot initiative, which would prohibit the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment, will do nothing to protect animals. Rather, it will prevent Denver residents from seeing some of the best cared-for animals in the world and eliminate one of the few wholesome activities that remain in family entertainment today - the circus."
The Rocky is also running an article in support of Initiative 100 [July 10, 2004, "Three-ring fracas: Denver's Initiative 100 lifts canvas on animal suffering under Big Top"]. From the article, "Denver's Initiative 100 does not ban circuses; it simply bans the use of wild animals in circus acts. The growing number of circuses that do not use animals - such as Cirque du Soleil and the Big Apple Circus - would be permitted to operate in Denver. The only economic losers will be the handful of circuses that cling to the archaic idea that majestic wild animals should perform silly stunts for spectators. Denver-area residents will spend their dollars at cruelty-free circuses and other forms of entertainment. The Humane Society of the United States, the Denver Dumb Friends League and other mainstream animal welfare groups urge Denver residents to vote yes on Initiative 100. While animal welfare groups have documented coercive training practices, regular chaining and caging, and transport in box cars without any climate control, circuses with wild animal acts will swear that they provide tremendous care. But proper animal care amounts to more than providing a sufficient quantity of food for the animals. If the Denver Zoo kept its elephants on chains for 22 hours a day or kept big cats in cages barely larger than the animals themselves, the public would demand change. Spectators at circuses get just a glimpse of their treatment - sanitized for public consumption during the performance - and they are shielded from the problems animal welfare groups have meticulously documented."
Supporters of a tax hike on cigarettes are rolling in dough, according to the Denver Post [July 6, 2004, "Tax-hike backers cite signatures, campaign coffers"]. From the article, "Proponents of a constitutional amendment to quadruple Colorado's cigarette tax say they have raised more than $1.6 million and will have enough signatures to put their proposition on the ballot."
9:35:35 AM

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