Thursday, March 9, 2006

Fall ballot issues? Here's a great roundup of potential ballot issues for the fall from Wash Park Prophet Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:48:52 PM

One America Committee Here's the link to John Edwards new weblog. Thanks to Political Wire for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 8:41:12 PM

Vietnam and Iraq William E. Odom: "The Vietnam War experience can't tell us anything about the war in Iraq - or so it is said. If you believe that, trying looking through this lens, and you may change your mind. Thanks to Josh Marshall for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:55:29 PM

Abortion rights for men? Don Surber: "A 25-year-old computer programmer is ready to file suit to block a child support order to pay for a daughter he does not want. The National Center for Men plans to use the suit to establish that men, too, can choose whether they want to become parents." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:52:22 PM

Warner for President? Political Wire: "Save some time this weekend to read the Sunday New York Times Magazine cover story on former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) who is quickly becoming the favorite alternative to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in the 2008 Democratic presidential race. The piece spends a lot of time on Warner's appeal to rural voters and his focus on technology and the global economy, but in this partisan and increasingly divisive era what caught my eye was this, 'As governor, he was known for inviting his opponents over to the mansion for drinks and then inviting them back again, until he[base ']d earned their trust. The less inclined you are to like Warner, the more inclined he is to court you, which probably explains his counterintuitive bond with Virginia[base ']s rural, less-educated voters.'" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:48:51 PM

Dubai Ports World TalkLeft: "President Bush must be hopping mad today. By a vote of 62-2, the House Appropriations Committee voted to jettison the Dubai Ports deal." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:32:44 AM

Ritter for governor? Tom Daschle was in town trying to boost Bill Ritter's campaign, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle gave a boost to Bill Ritter's campaign for governor Monday, telling a small group of supporters that Ritter has 'brought the party together' and that Democrats in Colorado are lucky they will not have a primary election to find a nominee." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:30:14 AM

Coffman for Secretary of State? Denver Post: "Secretary of State Gigi Dennis said today she will not run for a full term in November and endorsed Republican State Treasurer Mike Coffman for the job." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:25:12 AM

Holtzman for governor? Marc Holtzman's campaign picks more fights than any other campaign it seems to us. Now they're focusing on their own party, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman's campaign on Wednesday complained that the state party is making phone calls endorsing rival Bob Beauprez. "In a letter to the state Republican Party chairman, the Holtzman campaign accused the party of spreading 'false and misleading' information in a series of phone calls to donors... "Rachael Sunbarger, spokeswoman for the state Republican Party, said the party investigated the complaint last week and found an "isolated incident" where a fundraising phone caller went off script and discussed a poll showing Beauprez holding a wide lead over Holtzman. "'This is an isolated incident, but we do take it seriously,' Sunbarger said. 'We're not going to tolerate that kind of behavior.' "The caller, who works for an outside vendor hired by the party, was disciplined, Sunbarger said. The party reported its findings and the conclusion to the Holtzman campaign last week. "Dick Leggitt, campaign manager for Holtzman, said the campaign is not satisfied with that response and wants a list of people called so that they can verify the message coming from the party. The campaign also wants the party to drop the vendor because the Beauprez campaign also uses it." Mr. Holtzman certainly remembers the lukewarm treatment received by Bob Schaefer from the state Republican party in 2004. Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:22:21 AM

Northern Integrated Supply Project Everyone is hoping to build more reservoirs or enlarge existing storage to help with the unbridled growth on the Front Range. The Loveland Daily Reporter Herald has a report on the Northern Integrated Supply Project. From the article, "Firestone, Frederick and Dacono recently joined the Northern Integrated Supply Project, and many of the current participants are looking at taking a bigger piece of the pie, said Nicole Seltzer, project public liaison... "The Little Thompson Water District, which serves southern Larimer County outside Berthoud, made room after it decided to drop out. Seltzer said additional water also became available when the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District bumped up the size of the proposed reservoir... "The project would consist of two reservoirs. The Glade Reservoir, northwest of Fort Collins near Ted's Place, and the Galeton Reservoir, northeast of Greeley. Glade, a proposed 170,000 acre-foot reservoir, would provide 40,000 acre-feet of water a year. It would capture agricultural water from two ditch companies. In turn, junior water rights off of the Poudre River would be used to fill up Galeton, a proposed 30,000 acre-foot reservoir. "After an initial analysis that included several public meetings, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is further examining 17 areas of concern. Seltzer said the district plans to have a draft documenting the environmental impacts this fall. "With that, the Army Corps of Engineers will take more public comment on the project and how it will affect the surrounding areas before deciding whether to issue a permit sometime in 2007. Completion of the $368 million project is expected by 2019." Category: Colorado Water 6:09:02 AM

Arkansas River Basin roundtable update Last year the Colorado legislature passed HB 1177 - The Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act and decided that water roundtables for each of the basins in the state would be a way to keep water decisions from becoming contentious. Everyone involved would check their guns at the door, sit around a big conference table, lay out self-interests, and align them in a way that would achieve consensus. Today's Pueblo Chieftain brings us up to date on what's happening with the Arkansas River Basin roundtable. From the article, "Welcome to Water Buffalo 101. "Some came to hunt. Some came to herd. A few came out shooting. "And Bent County Commissioner Frank Wallace nearly started a stampede with a simple question at the Arkansas Basin Roundtable Wednesday. "'I've been coming to these meetings since they started,' Wallace said. 'I'd like to know what the hell we're doing here. The cities want water. Farmers want to sell. Communities want to protect the water. What are we doing?' "Luckily, the group stayed in place, meeting for the first time at Colorado State University-Pueblo, after six previous meetings at the Pueblo Convention Center. Much of Wednesday's meeting focused on how the 52-member roundtable will begin discussing serious water issues... "'Let's get our feet wet with the Southern Delivery System,' Fremont County Commissioner Mike Stiehl said. "He suggested a 'mock trial' on Colorado Springs' plans to built a pipeline from Pueblo Dam and its alternatives that are affecting Fremont County. "Dennis Smith, Lake County's representative, wanted to jump-start discussion on assessing water storage needs. "Avondale farmer Dan Henrichs talked about meeting urban water needs with agricultural leases, blasting the 'not one drop' mentality that would block more leases... "At one point in the meeting a flap over Colorado water law broke out, when moderator Gary Barber, representing El Paso County, tried to explain how the roundtable might work better than the doctrine of prior appropriation to solve certain types of water conflicts. He cited the 15-year-old voluntary flow program on the Upper Arkansas River as an example... "Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Director Denzel Goodwin of Fremont County noted that the first thing he said after joining the roundtable was that prior appropriation - court rights for water use in order of historical claim - would be protected... "La Junta Water Superintendent Joe Kelley summarized the discussion, saying it underscored the need to find a way to listen to others' concerns. He said people in La Junta are tied to an agricultural economy, but also enjoy water-related recreation or shopping in the larger cities." Category: Colorado Water 5:52:55 AM

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