Coyote Gulch

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

DeLay Rule
Mike Littwin weighs in on Joel Hefley in his column in today's Rocky Mountain News [January 11, 2005, "Littwin: For innocuous Hefley, it's 'Hammer' time"]. Hefley is taking the heat for his committee's admonishments of Tom DeLay and for his role in overturning last fall's "Delay Rule." Littwin writes, "It was DeLay, after all, who called in the Federal Aviation Administration to help locate a plane. Not just any plane. Not exactly a lost plane. Not a threatened plane. It was a plane full of Texas Democratic state legislators trying to avoid voting on a gerrymander being pushed by, yes, Tom DeLay. It was DeLay who, it turned out, made sure energy lobbyists knew it was a good idea to show up at his golfing fund-raiser in advance of a vote on energy legislation. It was DeLay who told a Republican congressman he'd support his son's run for office in exchange for a vote on a Medicare bill. And so, the committee - half Republican, half Democrat - voted that DeLay's actions did not 'reflect creditably' on the House ... But DeLay, who doesn't enjoy backing down, wasn't done. Not before showing what can happen if you bravely do the right thing. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is there to do DeLay's bidding, is apparently g oing to remove Hefley from his chairmanship. Hefley says he expects Hastert to boot him. Hastert will argue that he's simply following a four-year standard for chairmen."
6:55:18 AM

Denver May 2005 Special Election
Yesterday, Mayor Hickenlooper led the first tour of the city's jail facilities designed to get voter approval in May, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 11, 2005, "Faith in justice center"]. From the article, "There are three reasons Denver voters will soon approve a jail expansion they have turned down twice in the past, Mayor John Hickenlooper said Monday. The new jail won't involve higher taxes, there will be a set limit on the size of a new downtown facility, and it will include a new courthouse. All three elements were missing from past proposals. Hickenlooper kicked off a new phase of a campaign to build a justice center Monday morning by taking reporters and photographers from the City and County Building to a small downtown detention facility and eventually to the sprawling jail complex along Smith Road in northeast Denver."
6:41:50 AM

Colordao Water
Colorado's southwest mountains are getting plenty of snow so far this new year, according to the Denver Post [January 11, 2005, "Southwest Colo. adrift in sea of snow"]. From the article, "Whatever the cause, the San Juan snowpack is at 150 percent of its average water content, easing but not eliminating drought concerns, Avery said."
State lawmakers will be looking at possible solutions to water scarcity in Colorado during the legislative session this year, according to the Rocky Mountain News [January 11, 2005, "Water issues looming large"]. From the article, "To ensure Colorado can quench its future thirst, at least two broad legislative initiatives are expected this year, including: A proposal that would allow the state's eight river basins to enter legal agreements with one another. Such agreements, known as interbasin compacts, would help ensure that any future water transfers between river basins would benefit and protect each basin involved; A renewed push for conservation, including a bill that would stop covenant-controlled communities from requiring water-intensive items such as bluegrass lawns, impose watering restrictions on state-owned facilities and remove legal barriers to conserving agricultural water."
6:25:46 AM

Denver November 2004 Election
It didn't look good for Mitch Morrisey when he ended up having to petition to get on the August primary ballot after the county assembly, but yesterday he was sworn in as Denver District Attorney. Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [January 11, 2005, "New DA vows he'll keep city safe"]. The Post quotes Morrisey, ""I have handled cases that cover the entire spectrum of criminal behavior - serial murderers and serial rapists. These were people who needed to be prosecuted to the fullest degree of the law and I will continue to protect this great city from these predators ... But I have also learned that there is a time for empathy and measured consideration," he said. "There are fellow citizens who cannot overcome the tragic circumstances of their lives; there are those who lose hope and fall prey to addictions; there are people who do impulsive things who are not violent or dangerous. ... We need to make sure they get a second chance in life."
6:21:45 AM

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