Coyote Gulch

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Governor's race poll
Rasmussen Reports: "January 26, 2006--As candidates for the open governor's seat in Colorado jockey for position, Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper leads in prospective match-ups against the Republicans most prominently vying for the GOP nomination. The heavily courted mayor has yet to declare his candidacy. Matched against Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez, Hickenlooper leads 43% to 38% in our survey of 500 likely voters. Matched against University of Denver President Marc Holtzman, Hickenlooper leads more comfortably, 46% to 36%. No other Democrat pursuing the nomination currently does as well. Former Denver district attorney Bill Ritter is neck and neck with Beauprez. Ritter narrowly trails Holtzman, 39% to 35%."

Thanks to Elevated Voices for the link.

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."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

6:15:17 PM

Marriage Amendment
Rocky Mountain News: "A proposed constitutional amendment against gay marriage will be limited to a one-sentence definition of marriage. 'Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state,' the Colorado Marriage Amendment will read, according to a copy obtained Wednesday by the Rocky Mountain News. Unlike similar initiatives that have been passed elsewhere, the Colorado measure would not prohibit domestic partnerships or civil unions. That reduces the chance for a legal challenge, as has happened in Nebraska, proponents say. The newly formed group Coloradans for Marriage is sponsoring the initiative, which would amend the state constitution. It is expected to file ballot wording next week with the Colorado Legislative Council, which sets in motion a series of steps to get it on the November ballot."

More coverage from the Denver Post [January 26, 2006, "Effort to block gay marriages likely to revive fervent debate"]. From the aritcle, "A new nonprofit group, Coloradans for Marriage, is expected to file paperwork with the state next week, kicking off a debate over whether Colorado should become the 20th state to adopt a constitutional amendment that would prohibit gay marriage. The coalition - which includes Focus on the Family, the National Association of Evangelicals and the lobbying arm of Roman Catholic Church in Colorado - is expected to have little problem gathering the roughly 68,000 signatures needed to put the proposed amendment on the November ballot."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

6:12:05 AM

Hickenlooper for Governor?
Here's an article from the Rocky Mountain News about Mayor Hickenlooper's proposed gubernatorial run [January 26, 2006, "Hick still 'processing'"]. They write, "Hickenlooper talked about what he and his wife, Helen Thorpe, had to consider before he decided to parlay his business career into a run for mayor in 2003: 'the sacrifices, the loss of privacy, and could you make enough of a difference to make it worth it.' All of those questions are magnified for the governor's race, he said. That includes the prospect of a long, negative campaign. During his mayoral bid, Hickenlooper said people urged him to be the first candidate to go negative and 'bring down' some of his opponents. He said he and his wife decided that was ridiculous. He said he never even did the typical opposition research. But the tone of the campaign could be out of his control in a statewide race, when more independent, so-called '527' groups would be involved on both sides. 'The potential for negative campaigning dramatically increases,' Hickenlooper said."

More about the Mayor's decision from the Denver Post [January 26, 2006, "A choice is brewing, Hickenlooper vows"]. They quote the mayor as saying, "I want to make sure we've created enough of a culture that the next mayor can continue the efforts and the accountability," he said. "If, after sufficient thought, I believed what we worked on in the city wouldn't get done, that would have a significant impact on my decision."

Category: Denver November 2006 Election

6:07:06 AM

Salazar: No to filibuster of Alito
Colorado Senator Ken Salazar will not participate in a filibuster of judge Samuel Alito, according to CBS4 Denver. They write, " Ken Salazar said Wednesday that he will not try to block the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court, although he still plans to vote against President Bush's pick to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Salazar has said he fears Alito, a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, would weaken civil rights laws and support giving the president too much authority. In a news conference, Salazar, a Democrat, said he was convinced not to filibuster Alito because of the judge's stellar academic record and strong support from his colleagues...He added that with Alito's confirmation, the country will have fewer women on the court than last century, a step backward in the fight for equal rights for all."

Category: 2008 Presidential Election

5:55:42 AM

GOCO and CWCB

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Great Outdoors Colorado and the Colorado Water Conservation Board are trying to work out better rules for GOCO funding of whitewater parks [January 26, 2006, "Board seeks larger white-water role"]. From the article, "Members of the state's top water board said this week that they may ask Great Outdoors Colorado for a larger role in how grants for white- water parks are awarded.

"The news came at a two-day meeting of the Colorado Water Conservation Board in Denver. It's the latest indication of the growing tension between GOCO, as the independent agency is known, and the state-run water board.

"Created by voters in 1992, GOCO is crafting new guidelines on its white-water park grants.

"The agency awards millions of dollars of lottery funds to protect open space and enhance parks and recreational opportunities in the state.

"It believes its grants can be made without engaging in the contentious issues around the white-water parks, including the amount of water they use.

"White-water-park advocates see the battle as another attempt by Colorado's traditional water users - cities and farmers - to limit the use of water for recreational purposes, something the state's courts have upheld."

Category: Colorado Water

5:48:12 AM

Colorado Springs and Fountain Creek

Colorado Springs' latest spill into Fountain Creek is the subject of this article from the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Colorado Springs has been fined another $10,000 for a Jan. 5 spill that dumped 44,400 gallons of raw sewage into Fountain Creek following an accident during repairs.

"Meanwhile, state officials clarified how money from last year's fines will be applied to Fountain Creek projects that could benefit Pueblo...

"The $10,000 fine assessed Wednesday will be added to $130,300 in fines for spills in 2005. It is the maximum allowed by state law for a single day.

"Colorado Springs also was ordered to pay $38,860 of its previous fine Wednesday as well. The remainder of that fine, $91,440 will be applied toward a supplemental environmental project to be approved by the end of February.

"The order issued also adds a new requirement for Colorado Springs to come up with a better plan for contingencies related to repairs of its sprawling, aging sewer infrastructure.

Here's the coverage from the Colorado Springs Gazette. They write, "On Jan. 5, utility crews had cleared a blockage in a main sewage pipe at Corona Street, north of Fountain Boulevard. As workers were removing a steel plug from a manhole - part of a system that temporarily diverted sewage from the plugged main - a chain attached to the plug broke.

"The plug fell into the sewer main and traveled several hundred feet into another sewer main near Fountain Boulevard, where it caused a blockage. The raw sewage then flowed out of a manhole and into nearby Shooks Run, which flows into Fountain Creek a few hundred feet away.

"Crews immediately tried to stop the flow of sewage but weren't able to shut off the main for 65 minutes. Utility workers tried with minimal success to capture some of the sewage at the Las Vegas Street waste treatment plant.

"Testing for E. coli contamination in Fountain Creek found elevated levels of the contaminant in the days after the spill...

"The Jan. 5 spill came at a bad time for the utility, which has been trying to counteract bad publicity over 21 sewage spills in 2004 and 2005. The worst of those - one in May 2005 caused by vandalism to a manhole cover and one in June 2005 caused by a flash flood - sent more than 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into Fountain Creek.

"After those spills, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment fined the utility $130,000 and ordered it to fix vulnerable parts of its farflung sewer system. Complying with the order could cost $30 million to $40 million by 2012.

"The utility already had committed to spending $50 million by 2008 and more than $250 million by 2025 to repair, improve and rehabilitate the city's sewage system. That commitment came after more than 70 million gallons of sewage spilled into Fountain Creek during flooding in 1999.

"After the 2005 spills, the Pueblo district attorney and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court accusing Colorado Springs Utilities of violating the federal Clean Water Act by discharging sewage into Fountain Creek. Those suits are pending."

Category: Colorado Water

5:28:05 AM

e-mail John: