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Wednesday, April 26, 2006
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Immigration
Captain's Quarters: "Last night the White House announced a breakthrough on immigration reform, and members of both political parties hailed the President's leadership on breaking the legislative impasse in the Senate. Harry Reid told the press that the meeting had 'made great progress' and that 'I'm not in the habit of patting the president on the back and sending him accolades, but I have to say that this meeting that we just had, I have to pat the president on the back.' However, in the rush to achieve consensus on the plan for so-called earned citizenship, it looks like a few Senators didn't get their dinner invitations."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
7:02:10 AM 
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Net neutrality
Scott Rosenburg: "Congress is considering allowing the big phone and cable companies that now control most of the broadband access in the US to do something they want to do, but that has never been done before: turn the level playing field of today's Internet into a sort of class-system environment, in which packets sent by companies that pay more get preferential treatment. This is a lousy idea that, at worst, could entirely disrupt our basic assumptions about the open Internet. The companies involved keep saying, 'Trust us,we will only use these new powers for good,' but I'm sorry, I don't."
SoapBlox Colorado is calling on Diana DeGette's constituents to put the pressure on her to support net neutrality. She's is a tough place politically with Qwest located in her district.
6:59:40 AM
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Holtzman for governor?
Peter Blake analyzes the issues around Marc Holtzman's path to the primary ballot in August in his column in today's Rocky Mountain News. He writes, "But Holtzman will start collecting signatures this week, and although he claims to be keeping the assembly as an option, many believe he'll stick to petitions. That's because he needs at least 30 percent of the state delegate vote May 20 to get on the Aug. 8 ballot, and he could fall short. If he doesn't get at least 10 percent, then it doesn't matter how many signatures he turns in by the May 25 deadline. They won't count. He should easily get the 10 percent, but why look weak if you don't have to?"
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
6:35:08 AM
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Ritter for governor?
From today's Denver Post: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter unveiled an energy policy Tuesday that he said would combat rising gasoline and home-heating costs, as well as create new jobs. His plan emphasizes energy self-sufficiency by promoting alternatives, encouraging cleaner ways of extracting and using fossil fuels, and rewarding efficiency and conservation. Ritter also proposed forming a 'Colorado Clean Energy Coalition,' to advise and guide his administration on advancing energy technology and investments in energy opportunities."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
6:14:39 AM
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Denver to host Dem event
Denver Post: "The Democratic Party on Tuesday announced plans to hold a national strategizing session in Denver this summer, boosting hopes that the city also will be able to snag the party's 2008 convention. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff appeared with Democratic Leadership Council founder Al From to announce that the DLC will hold its annual 'national conversation' in Denver on July 22-24."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Democratic Party leaders called Denver the "capital of the New West" on Tuesday, deeming Colorado critical to the party's plans to win the White House in two years. That's behind the thinking to hold a national brainstorming session for "New Democrats" in the Mile High City this summer, which could help Denver land the party's 2008 national nominating convention. That grand plan was proposed by the founder of the Democratic Leadership Council and echoed by Mayor John Hickenlooper and Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where they announced that the DLC will hold its 10th annual 'national conversation' in Denver July 22-24...
"The political strategy-fest at the Hyatt Regency Denver will draw about 300 Democrats from across the nation. It's expected to also attract a bevy of presidential hopefuls with DLC ties: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:11:46 AM
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Gay marriage and domestic partnerships on fall ballot?
There could be four ballot issues this fall around the issue of gay marriage, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Another gay-rights-related measure could join three others proposed for the November ballot, setting up an emotional election-year debate over how the law should treat same-sex couples. The latest entry is by the gay- rights group Coloradans for Fairness and Equality. It has filed paperwork for a November ballot initiative that says 'domestic partnerships' between gay couples are not similar to marriage. That's an effort to counter another ballot measure, which would prohibit the state from creating any legal status similar to marriage for same-sex couples. That language is backed by Will Perkins, author of ill-fated Amendment 2 in 1992, and Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. Both measures have to attract about 68,000 valid voter signatures to make the ballot, as does a proposed state constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, effectively banning gay marriage. A proposal establishing domestic partnerships for gay couples is working its way through the legislature. If it passes, it also would be on the ballot...
"Four measures that would affect gay rights are working their way toward the November ballot. Three are proposed constitutionalamendments, and one is a statute under consideration in the legislature. A brief description of each:
"House Bill 1344: Would allow domestic partnerships to be registered by the state. The effect would be to extend certain benefits, protections and responsibilities to same-sex couples. That would include the right to inherit property from a partner, family leave benefits, medical decision-making and others.
"Colorado Marriage Amendment: A constitutional amendment that says, 'Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.' The amendment wouldn't prohibit same-sex couples from receiving benefits allowed by law, but it would prohibit same-sex relationships from being officially sanctioned as marriages.
"No Legal Status Amendment: A constitutional amendment that would prohibit the state from creating any legal status similar to marriage for a same-sex couple. The amendment is an attempt to trump the domestic partnership measure in HB 1344.
"Domestic Partnership Amendment: A constitutional amendment that would make a same-sex domestic partnerships "a unique and valued relationship" that is not similar to marriage. The intent is to allow voters to say domestic partnerships don't violate the one-man, one-woman marriage definition. It is meant to counter the No Legal Status Amendment."
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post.
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
5:46:15 AM
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Lake County and PSOP
Lake County is asking to be included in the Preferred Storage Options Plan legislation, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "Dennis Smith, representing Lake County at Tuesday's meeting, said the county wants to be included in the PSOP bill in order to gain the benefits of a federal study on mitigation. Lake County wrote a letter to the district in March with a list of demands for the PSOP project. 'Lake County needs to be included in the Phase II study of impact. Lake County is relying on the area of coverage to include Lake County,' Smith said. Miskel suggested a separate agreement to address Lake County concerns, and possibly removing Turquoise Lake enlargement study from PSOP until issues are resolved. Smith persistently argued that Lake County needs to be given equal footing in the PSOP study. Reclamation recognizes Aurora's participation through the Homestake Project, but not the county where three of the five lakes in the project are located, he said."
Category: Colorado Water
5:36:43 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:10:19 PM.
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