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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
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Churches join immigration debate
Rocky Mountain News: "A wide range of religious groups have been serving a critical role in recent efforts to push Congress to pass what they call humane immigration reforms. More than 200 religious organizations, including those associated with Catholics, evangelicals, Mennonites, Muslims and Jews, have conducted letter-writing campaigns to President Bush and Congress and encouraged congregation members to attend huge pro-immigrant rallies in cities across the country. One of the most visible organizations in the debate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been training clergy, parishioners and church employees on the religious principles of helping refugees and immigrants. Locally, members of the Denver Archdiocese have been conducting educational presentations on immigration reform about twice a week."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:33:30 AM 
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Colorado Ballot Proposal 2005-2006 #55 Restrictions on Government Services to Illegal Immigrants
Defend Colorado Now is claiming that their push for a constitutional amendment this fall is justified by the $1 billion that illegal immigrants cost the state, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "The group pushing for a constitutional restriction on state services for illegal immigrants released a report Tuesday estimating those immigrants will cost Colorado taxpayers more than $1 billion this year. Critics dismissed the report as 'voodoo economics.' And Defend Colorado Now organizer Fred Elbel conceded the amendment would have little fiscal impact if passed because the federal government requires the state to pay for K-12 education and emergency care for all residents. Still, the costs of those mandates likely would decrease if the state constitution was amended to make Colorado a less welcoming place for illegal immigrants, said former Republican Senate President John Andrews, who has signed on with Defend Colorado Now...
"Democratic Rep. Terrance Carroll of Denver, who argues immigration issues should be left to the federal government, took issue with that assertion. He also dismissed the 17-page report's cost estimates as 'voodoo economics.' The report refers to 27 existing reports to arrive at its conclusions about state services but does not disclose the methodologies of those reports. It also lacks any estimation or analysis of taxes or spending generated by illegal residents. Democratic House Speaker Andrew Romanoff of Denver said he hoped to find private funding for an analysis that would examine both the economic costs and benefits of immigration...
"The group leading the opposition to Defend Colorado Now, Keep Colorado Safe, had no quarrel with the thrust of Tuesday's report - that illegal immigration is a serious problem, said Manolo Gonzalez-Estay, manager of the opposition campaign. But he said the proposed amendment would have zero effect on the problem."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
7:26:24 AM
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Colorado Springs raises water rates
Colorado Springs' City Council has approved new water rates, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. In keeping with the trends in Colorado residents will pay more while being encouraged to use less water.
From the article, "People who use a lot of water will pay more beginning May 1 under a rate hike approved unanimously Tuesday by the Colorado Springs City Council. The new rate system will replace mandatory watering restrictions this summer. New rates will apply to residents who use more than 2,499 cubic feet of water per month, the highest of Colorado Springs Utilities' three water rate blocks. The new fee of 4.2 cents for every cubic foot of water over 2,499 is a 27 percent increase over rates currently in effect. That means the typical high-use customer would spend $1,879 a year, a $277 increase."
Category: Colorado Water
7:10:56 AM
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Western primary?
Here's an article about a western primary from the Helena Independent Record. They write, "Every so often westerners, tired of letting folks from Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina determine our presidential options, start talking about establishing an early western primary date. This year Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has signed a law moving that state's 2008 presidential primary to the first week in February, and Utah hopes a lot of other western states will follow suit. That probably won't happen for a variety of reasons, but mostly because holding special presidential primary elections costs millions of dollars - money that's difficult to justify spending in that way. And in the end, it probably doesn't much matter. That's not to say that there aren't uniquely western issues that deserve presidential attention during the campaign. Western water issues, for instance, simply baffle easterners. Their water-rights laws don't look anything like ours. That's because, unlike the Colorado River, the Ohio or the Potomac isn't likely to dry up before it reaches its mouth."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:02:11 AM
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4th Weblog Birthday
Coyote Gulch (the weblog) is four years old today. Here's the link to that post. Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement over the years. Thanks for the link love also.
It took a while for us to find our voice. We started blogging about politics later on in 2002 and it really took off during the 2003 Denver Municipal Election. We discovered water issues in 2003 (with Referendum A).
Click on the thumbnail to see a photo of our backpack coming down from the rim at Crack in the Wall. Here's a shot of an arch that we call Elephant Arch in Steven's Canyon which is just a hop skip and a jump up the Escalante River from the confluence with Coyote Gulch. We get the most hits on this photo of a plunge pool up the canyon that we call the Leechpool after the friendly little blood suckers living in the water. More photos - Shower Seep, Steven's Arch and a pack break with the Gulch kids in the canyon in the early 90's. (Photos © Joe Ruffert and Mrs. Gulch.)
6:24:47 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:06:53 PM.
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