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Saturday, January 21, 2006
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Weblogs in Washington D.C.
The National Journal: "When President Bush campaigned for re-election in 2004, he vowed to 'save Social Security.' Bush touted the notion of voluntary personal retirement accounts in his 2005 State of the Union address, promoted the idea just after the speech, and then, along with top administration officials, barnstormed the nation in a '60 Stops in 60 Days' Social Security tour.
"This strategy might have worked brilliantly in another era, when presidents dominated the news from their bully pulpits, and critics -- especially those outside officialdom -- fought for a few paragraphs or minutes of airtime for rebuttal. But in the Information Age, Bush's foes had a powerful new tool known as the Web log at their disposal, and they seized it to great effect."
Thanks to Political Wire for the link.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
9:25:01 AM 
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Great Outdoors Colorado funding for whitewater parks
Great Outdoors Colorado is seeking public input to draft rules for funding whitewater parks, according to The Mountain Mail. From the article, "Board members of lottery-funded Great Outdoors Colorado are seeking public comment on conditions it has drafted regarding funding for whitewater parks.
"The constitutional amendment creating GOCO in 1992, Article XXVII of the Colorado Constitution, states GOCO cannot effect Colorado water law, but provides no specific guidelines regarding whitewater parks. Therefore, GOCO board members agreed this form of outdoor recreation is eligible to receive GOCO Lottery grants. To date, GOCO officials have received requests to fund 15 such projects and have awarded grants in Lyons, Pueblo, Palisade, Salida and Buena Vista. Conditions have been drafted by GOCO members to eliminate confusion related to the stage the project must be in to receive a grant. Board members suggest proper park design and engineering have to be presented in an application to be awarded a grant. However, the grant will not be paid until all appropriate permits for the park are in place...
"Proposed conditions, detailed here, are consistent with those for all local government projects and are not more stringent for whitewater parks: Applicants must be able to indicate strong local partnerships with the local government and the local community; Applicants must be able to demonstrate the water park will have sufficient water for public use of the park to be sustained for at least 25 years, demonstrating how the facility can be used in various water flow situations; Applicants should provide evidence of proper park design and engineering as part of the application. Before release of funds, all design and engineering drawings should be stamped and approved by a certified engineer, consistent with state requirements; If funding is awarded, all appropriate permits should be in place and documentation of such permits should be provided before GOCO funds are released...
"Public comments will be accepted until Jan. 30 via fax at (303) 863-7517, e-mail at wpiccone@goco.org or regular mail at 1600 Broadway, Suite 1650, Denver, CO 80202. Comments will be considered at a GOCO local government committee meeting at 10 a.m. Feb. 16 at 1600 Broadway, Suite 590 in Denver."
Category: Colorado Water
8:49:36 AM
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Rotational Crop Management Bill - HB1124
Here's an article from the Fort Morgan Times dealing with HB1124 - The Rotational Crop Management Bill. They write, "A Brighton legislator says she is trying to prevent the permanent dry-up of irrigated farmland with her bill before the Colorado Legislature that would allow farmers to lease or sell water they save by fallowing land or rotating crops.
"'What is happening now is if a city wants to buy up the water from a farmer, they buy it all, including the land,' said Democrat Rep. Mary Hodge. 'That drives people out of the community, takes the kids out of school and closes the John Deere dealerships...'
"Hodge said her proposal has more permanence than substitute water supply plans, which allow loans of water from farms to cities for any three years out of 10...
"Under the bill, a crop rotation management would be administered for three years by the state engineer's office before it would have to be approved by the water court...
"The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, which covers all of the South Platte River valley to the Nebraska border, supports Hodge's bill, but with stronger incentives for entering into crop rotation management contracts.
"NCWCD lobbyist Julie McKenna said she would like the bill amended to allow five-year agreements before getting a final decree in water court."
Category: Colorado Water
8:37:05 AM
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Reservoir levels on the Arkansas River
Here's an article from the Pueblo Chieftain with details about the Arkansas River snowpack and reservoir levels. They write, "Reservoir levels as of this week in the Arkansas River Basin. The numbers for the four largest reservoirs are listed, while the total number includes numerous smaller reservoirs. Reservoir: John Martin Reservoir - 7%; Lake Pueblo - 49%; Twin Lakes - 77%; Turquoise Lake - 66%; Total - 47.6%."
Category: Colorado Water
8:21:38 AM
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Holtzman or Ritter or Beauprez for governor?
Here's an update on Bill Ritter's campaign from Peter Blake writing in the Rocky Mountain News [January 21, 2006, "Blake: Bill Ritter keeps eye on the prize, not on Hickenlooper"]. He writes, "Pity poor Bill Ritter.
He's trying to stir up excitement about his campaign for governor while the chattering classes do nothing but trade the latest rumors about John Hickenlooper...The Democrats' presumed King Kong has declared himself a noncandidate several times, proclaiming that he already has the best job in the state. But the speculation persists...The longer Hickenlooper delays, the harder he makes it for Ritter to capture endorsements. A late entry could also be hard on top Democrats who've tired of Hickenlooper's dithering and announced their support of Ritter. They include House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, as well as former Mayor Wellington Webb, Denver City Council President Rosemary Rodriguez, University of Colorado Regent Michael Carrigan and various unions."
The Cherry Creek News: "The Colorado Council of Teamsters today endorsed leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, the second major labor endorsement for the former Denver district attorney."
Will Marc Holtzman be able to wrangle the Republican nomination for governor? The Rocky Mountain News is running an article about his tactics this morning [January 21, 2006, "Holtzman's campaign for governor worries some in GOP"]. They write, "Holtzman has been stirring things up with a vow to lead a 'grass-roots revolution' against the Republican establishment in his faceoff with U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez for the party's nomination. Holtzman is insisting that the party has lost its way and points to the growing influence-peddling scandal in Washington as proof. He has even made it clear he'll try to link Beauprez, who has not been implicated in the scandal, to congressional leaders now under investigation. Last week Holtzman went even further, attacking Mayor John Hickenlooper, who Democrats are urging to enter the governor's race. Holtzman said Hickenlooper leads an administration with a 'secular, godless undertone' that wanted to replace the words Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays on the Denver City and County Building. In another swipe at Beauprez, Holtzman described him as 'Hickenlooper light.'"
Bob Beauprez was up north of Denver campaining yesterday, according to the Fort Morgan Times. From the article, "Colorado has been the only home Congressman Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., has ever known, and he said the state of Colorado and its people have been good to him. Beauprez spoke to nearly 30 people today at Stroh's Inn, 901 W. Platte Ave., while campaigning to be Colorado governor. Throughout his presentation, he emphasized his family's roots in Colorado and his principled, conservative background that he said is just what the 41st Colorado governor should have."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
7:51:09 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 7:58:03 PM.
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