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Wednesday, February 8, 2006
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Dueling Initiatives
Elevated Voices: "We'll take a break from the Hickenlooper show to discuss something else related to politics: Initiatives!
"Admittedly, that sounds less exciting than talking about actual, human candidates, but with all of the press last week about competing gay marriage initiatives, I got to thinking: what happens if two opposite ballot measures both pass? There will be an initiative on the ballot in the fall to ban gay marriage in Colorado (even though it is already illegal, but that's another story), and there will also be an initiative and/or referendum to increase partner rights for gay and lesbian couples (such as health care access and burial rights, etc.)
"These measures aren't totally contradictory, but what if they were? What if there was a ballot measure to ban gay marriage and a ballot measure to legalize gay marriage...and what if they both passed? Would Colorado just implode?"
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
7:35:33 AM 
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Richardson or Warner for President?
Oval Office 2008: "New Mexico Democratic Governor Bill Richardson and former Virginia Democratic Governor Mark Warner spoke at an 'Emerging Issues Forum' at North Carolina State University this week and tried out "some of the political themes that some observers believe could help them win over voters in solidly Republican states such as North Carolina should they make runs for the White House in 2008," reports Associated Press, picked up here by Charlotte NBC affiliate WCNC-6."
Oliver Willis: "Yesterday John McCain wrote a snarky letter attacking Senator Barack Obama for not being a part of one of the right's phony-baloney 'let[base ']s study the issue until everybody forgets about it' committees. Today Sen. Obama wrote back to McCain saying essentially - hey, if you want to actually get something done instead of jawbone it - support this bill almost all the Dems are supporting."
Category: Colorado Water
7:18:12 AM
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Madden for Governor?
From Peter Blake's column in today's Rocky Mountain News, "So how long does House Majority Leader Alice Madden have to dither on her possible candidacy for governor? Not long. The Boulder Democrat is giving herself a week - and that's pushing it. After that no one will care. She didn't sound quite so certain Tuesday about getting in as she did 10 days ago when she said she probably would run if Hickenlooper didn't. 'I don't want to do this if I can't win the race,' she said Tuesday. 'I'm talking to folks around the state.' She meant win in November. She seemed more confident about winning a primary against Bill Ritter."
More about Alice Madden from the Denver Post. They write, "Democratic House Majority Leader Alice Madden is so serious about a potential run for governor that she has asked her husband to cancel a business trip to China next week. She plans to spend much of this week on the phone, gauging whether she would have enough support to beat Bill Ritter for the Democratic nomination and go on to win November's general election, she said. She already knows one hurdle she would face if she runs. 'It's not the liberal thing,' she said, 'it's the Boulder label, which I think is sort of insulting to voters.'"
Jim Spencer thinks that Mayor Hickenlooper's decision not to run helps Bob Beauprez. He writes, "Supporters congratulated Democratic candidate for governor Bill Ritter at his headquarters Monday afternoon, two hours after Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper decided not to enter the race. Even if another big-name Dem challenges him, it will be much easier for Ritter to make it to the general election in November. Still, the guy who really should be smiling is would-be Republican candidate Beauprez. Hickenlooper said he was shown polls that had him beating other candidates by as many as 25 percentage points."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
6:42:53 AM
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Grand Mesa drilling
Despite protests from Palisade and Grand Junction the BLM is selling oil and gas leases in their watersheds, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "Drilling for natural gas can go forward on the north edge of Grand Mesa, the Bureau of Land Management decided Tuesday.
"BLM officials will go ahead with the sale, scheduled for Thursday, because of relationships with local officials already in place, said BLM spokeswoman Theresa Sauer.
"The Grand Junction and Palisade governing boards opposed the leases because of fears they could harm their watersheds on the mesa.
"'We're not going to allow a drill rig that's obviously going to damage the watershed, and we're not going to allow drilling where it might damage the watershed,' Sauer said.
"If adequate arrangements can't be worked out with industry, leases will be withdrawn, she said.
"Bureau officials have committed to both communities that any harm from drilling will be mitigated, and watersheds will be protected, BLM State Director Sally Wisely wrote to U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., who had asked that local officials be consulted by the BLM...
"The Concerned Citizens Alliance will host a community meeting to discuss the threat posed by drilling at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 in the Grand Junction City Hall auditorium."
More coverage from the Denver Post. From the article, "The Colorado BLM Office considered delaying the auction on the Mesa County parcels but instead decided to pull 7,291 disputed acres in San Miguel County."
Category: Colorado Water
6:23:22 AM
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SB179
A new bill that would create, "a water supply reserve account to provide financial support for water projects. (Senate Bill 179)," was introduced in the State Senate, according to the Rocky Mountain News.
Category: Colorado Water
6:11:22 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:00:34 PM.
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