Coyote Gulch

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Public support for environmental protection on the decline

Science Blog: "Public support for environmental protection in the United States as a federal government priority has dropped substantially since 2001, a researcher from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has found after analyzing results from a prominent annual public opinion survey.

"Michael Greenberg, a professor and associate dean at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, also found that with the exception of wanting Washington to focus on job creation, the public is less interested in a range of domestic priorities, including crime prevention and health care management."

Category: Colorado Water

8:54:38 PM

Richardson or Clinton for President?
Western Democrat: "What Governor Richardson is doing here is what is known as leadership. Leadership is a quality that is seriously lacking in a lot of politicians at all levels of government across the country. Richardson is taking on a serious issue that affects countless numbers of people who have serious illnesses or are terminally ill, at a time when the federal government is conducting raids on patients' homes in states that allow medical marijuana. Richardson is standing up for what is right, despite the obstacles the federal government or naysayers in New Mexico will thrown in the way. Bill Richardson is the type of leader we need in Washington, D.C., standing up to the GOP culture of corruption and standing for all of the rest of us."

Oval Office 2008: "Australian author and journalist Ann Summers returned from a recent American trip with the view that Hillary Clinton is losing some of her core support - particularly from liberals in the Democratic Party."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

9:22:40 AM

HB1124

The Denver Post editorial staff is in favor of HB1124 - The Rotational Crop Management Bill [January 22, 2006, "Water rights bill aids farmers"]. They write, "Water rights can be bought and sold and are now avidly sought by Colorado's growing cities. But while cities traditionally have been able to buy the rights of farmers and just dry up their fields, such total diversions hurt the economy of the communities that lose the water. As a result, cities such as Aurora and Parker have pioneered partnerships in which farmers sell part of their rights and continue farming - sometimes rotating their fields by irrigating half of them in any one year, much as dryland farmers have traditionally done in semi-arid eastern Colorado.

"Unfortunately, it hasn't always been clear that farmers can sell part of their water rights as easily as they can sell all of them. That's because it's unclear whether conserving water is a 'beneficial use' under the law, thus raising the specter that a downstream user with junior rights might claim the right to use the water saved by a crop rotation scheme. The Hodge-Owen bill, HB 1124, allows our water courts to approve such conservation plans. The result is that farmers can stay in business while selling part of their rights to cities or other buyers."

8:55:06 AM

Beauprez or Holtzman for governor?
Bob Beauprez was stumping in Cortez last week, according to the Cortez Journal. From the article, "About a dozen Republicans from Dolores and Montezuma counties packed into the Cortez Flying Service lobby to meet and greet Beauprez, who was on a one-day campaign blitz on the Western Slope. He acknowledged being driven by conservative principles built around respecting family values, such as the preservation of life and strength of marriage, and understanding the value of a dollar. 'I like to look forward. I want to achieve the opportunity in front of us and do what[base ']s best for Colorado,' Beauprez said. 'Getting the maximum value of our tax dollars will be a priority of (my) administration.' The candidate indicated as governor he would engage in a 'systematic analysis of how we do business in the state' and lay all pros and cons on the table. 'Government can create an environment where opportunity and advancement can flourish,' said Beauprez, who was not specific on what business policies or procedures he would advance."

Meanwhile Marc Holtzman's campaign was in Aspen, according to the Aspen Times. They write, "Chief among the next governor's challenges will be managing the state's water in the face of breakneck growth, Holtzman contends. 'It ranks as the most important issue that will define and guide everything we do. The next governor has the unique chance to get it right,' he said. Any water transferred out its original basin or across the mountains must be mitigated and compensated for, he insisted. The state must also invest in more water storage, either through expanding existing reservoirs or building new ones...With illegal immigrants making up almost 10 percent of Colorado's population, the state cannot afford to pay for their health care, education and, in some cases, incarceration. 'It's a huge burden economically,' costing the state about three-quarters of a billion dollars a year, he said."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

8:40:52 AM

Salazar: No on Alito
Diane Carman caught up with U.S. Senator Ken Salazar to learn about his opposition to Samuel Alito's nomimation [Denver Post, January 22, 2006, "Salazar puts own stamp on Alito vote"]. She writes, "Is the decision to vote against the confirmation of the Supreme Court nominee a sign that the Colorado Democrat is pandering to the extreme liberal wing of his party, as his Republican critics insist? Or is he acting on his conscience in the role of providing advice and consent as the Constitution demands? Court is now in session, so straighten up. The case is based on 217 years of history, constitutional law and raw politics. The facts include the views expressed by the Bush nominee in mountains of previous court decisions and public documents. They also include the statements made during the Senate confirmation hearings, a bizarre ritual some compare to "Kabuki theater" for the elaborate performances required to avoid answering questions directly...Based on the judge's considerable record, Salazar said, Alito likely would relinquish too much power to the executive branch of government, he would favor the powerful over the poor and the weak, and he would frustrate the country's progress toward greater diversity."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

8:23:00 AM

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