Sunday, July 23, 2006

Western Republicans pushing back? New West: "A harbinger of a Western shift? When Montana Senator Conrad Burns proposed a ban on new oil and gas leases on the Rocky Mountain Front last month, and energy company Questar followed up with a donation of their energy leases to a sportsman's conservation group, New West's Courtney Lowery wondered if the move might be the beginning of a larger trend within the Western GOP. A number of conservation-minded moves by Western Republicans in recent weeks have led USA Today to wonder the same. The Bush administration has been pushing hard for increased drilling on federal lands with great success: according to the BLM, permits have jumped from 3,540 in 2002 to 7,018 in 2005. But the Burns proposal, along with a recent roadless proposal by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a drilling ban by New Mexico's Heather Wilson, and recent comments by Wyoming GOP Sen. Craig Thomas about protecting national forests, suggest that Western Republicans are beginning to push back." "2008 pres" 8:42:50 AM

CFO for Denver? Susan Barnes-Gelt comes down in favor of revamping Denver's accounting systems in her column in today's Denver Post. From the opinion piece, "Denver's internal accounting and auditing functions are dangerously antiquated, and city Auditor Dennis Gallagher needs to wake up to that problem. The city's Financial Management Task Force - made up of business leaders and outside professionals in government finance - are deeply concerned about Denver's internal accounting and auditing... "KPMG has audited the city for several years. Partner Ron Filliben pointed out several issues affecting the quality of Denver's financial reporting: It takes too long to close the city's books - 90 days compared to 14 to 30 days for companies under SEC supervision and 7 to 30 days for federal agencies; It takes Denver more than six months to complete the year-end audit, while SEC entities take 60 to 90 days and federal agencies 30 to 45 days; There are far too many post-closing/audit adjustments and internal control weaknesses... "For example, the auditor is charged with all the general accounting responsibilities, i.e., the posting of debits and credits, issuing all vouchers, signing contracts, determining if a particular fund balance, contract and request for payment are in order. The auditor is also charged with auditing many of those very accounts or transactions. That is, the auditor verifies whether various financial systems are functioning correctly and legally, and whether appropriate bookkeeping protocols and other internal controls are in place. Denver's auditor has both pre-audit and post-audit functions. So who audits the auditor? There are solutions to these dilemmas. The most salient are emerging from the months of analysis of the Financial Management Task Force. This group of experienced public- and private-sector financial experts thinks Denver needs a chief financial officer in the executive branch... "Currently, the big departments (safety, public works and general services) use different systems, making it difficult and time-consuming to convert the general ledger into a financial reporting package. This disparity also challenges accountability. The task force also determined that adequate resources must be devoted to accounting and financial reporting. The city has a dearth of certified public accountants, even though the charter gives the auditor authority to hire as many CPAs as necessary. Gallagher is resisting any effort to weaken the role of his office. The city charter authorizes him to act as the city's accountant. His pre- and post-audit functions are not articulated in the charter, nor is his authority to execute performance audits." "denver 2006" 8:23:41 AM

Dem convention in Denver? The Denver Post editorial staff weighs in on Denver hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention. They write, "Denver's major advantage in the convention effort - Colorado and the Western region fulfills the party's needs politically, not just logistically. Colorado is a moderate state that enjoys a solid record of cooperation among state political and business leaders. Democrats can spotlight Sen. Ken Salazar, an independent thinker who has earned a national profile despite ranking almost dead last in Senate seniority. Hickenlooper is an entrepreneur and a do-gooder who can't easily explain how he came to be mayor but has proved popular across the city and its suburbs. Rep. Diana DeGette is a hard-working congresswoman whose persistence paid off in a bipartisan plan for stem-cell research. Wellington Webb served three terms as mayor and then was a key leader at the Democratic National Committee. They personify the type of officeholder any party should embrace - eager to pull on their boots, tackle the public's business and deliver a Colorado message of faith, hard work and perseverance." "2008 pres" 8:16:06 AM

Cold, calculated, cynical political gain From today's Denver Post: "Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette used the party's national weekly radio address to declare that President Bush was motivated by 'cold, calculated, cynical political gain' when he vetoed a bill that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Bush, in Colorado on Friday for a fundraiser, had long threatened a veto. 'The president's veto had nothing to do with morals,' said DeGette, of Denver, but instead was 'the kind of politics that snuffs out the candle of hope and that condemns the disabled and the sick.' DeGette and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., co-sponsored the bill, which would allow federal funds to be used in research on embryos derived from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded. DeGette called Bush's veto 'a sad sidebar in a debate that has been about ethical scientific research and hope.'" "2008 pres" 8:13:02 AM

Disaffected hunters and mellowed greenies Green Conservatives are being courted by the Democratic party, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "As more oil and gas wells spring up throughout the Rocky Mountain West, moderate Democrats are telling hunters and anglers worried about open space that they feel their pain. Hoping to capitalize on the frustration of outdoorsmen and women watching the mechanization of their playgrounds, Democrats are talking about responsible land policy that balances industrial and recreational needs. The approach has created some strange bedfellows. Sportsmen, traditionally leery of Democrats because of their pro gun-control stance, are coming to the table to talk about how to protect the land. And environmentalists, who in the past have demanded that all public land remain pristine, are softening enough to talk about responsible industrial land use. Democrats see this new group of disaffected hunters and mellowed greenies as one of the keys to electoral victory in the Rocky Mountain West." "2008 pres" 8:10:02 AM

DLC meeting in Denver Here's an intro to the Democratic Leadership Council Meetings being held this week in Denver, from the Denver Post. From the article, "Although the West is often thought of as rugged Republican territory, Western leaders and those who study the region say that belief is about as accurate as the Marlboro Man. 'The Interior West is more libertarian, more tolerant and has a 'leave me alone' attitude,' said Ryan Sager, author of 'The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians and the Battle to Control the Republican Party.' While Republicans have clearly dominated the West in elections, their success has more to do with the GOP's ability to masterfully paint Democrats with a broad stroke than with core GOP values, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer contends. He said Republicans cast Western Democrats in the same mold as the stereotype of East and West Coast Democrats: anti-gun, rabid environmentalists who want bigger federal government. Schweitzer, who won his 2004 race partly by vowing to preserve and expand access to public land for hunters and fishermen, said he made sure while campaigning that people knew he was a Western Democrat." "Also helping Democrats appeal to Western voters, according to Sager, is the Republican Party's alliance with the religious right. That alliance is especially strong in the South, where social and moral issues often carry more weight. John C. Green of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a nonprofit research center, said the West is "much less religious" than the South, and religions there are more diverse. 'Evangelicals in the West tend to be open to a broader agenda. They are more concerned about the environment, human rights and social justice,' he said - which gives Democrats an opening in the political fence. But the challenge is formidable, especially considering President Bush won all eight Interior West states in 2004." "2008 pres" 8:02:22 AM

Nevada: Early western caucus? Curious Stranger: "Despite a last second appeal by a 'Blue-Green Alliance' of the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers on Colorado's behalf, today Nevada was chosen by the DNC Rules & Bylaws committee as the site for a 2008 Western Caucus, to be scheduled between the traditional Iowa and New Hampshire nominating season leadoffs. So, while a disappointment for Colorado, its a big win for the West." Here's the coverage from the Denver Post. They write, "A Democratic National Committee panel voted Saturday to shake up the 2008 presidential nominating schedule, recommending that Nevada and South Carolina move to coveted January time slots, while denying Colorado's bid to advance its caucus date. Colorado was one of several states in the running to move its caucus between the early Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary in hopes of raising the importance of its nominating contest. If the panel's recommendation becomes official next month when the full national committee acts on it, Nevada's caucus will be held Jan. 19, 2008, immediately after Iowa's caucus Jan. 14. South Carolina's primary would immediately follow New Hampshire's primary Jan. 22." "2008 pres" 7:49:50 AM

Grand Valley Lake? We're all looking for sustainable water supplies here on the rooftop of America. Reservoirs are a big part of meeting Colorado's water needs for the future. Here's an article about a new proposed reservoir on Orchard Mesa, from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. They write, "High above the Grand Valley, tucked into a natural depression, could one day sit what backers are tentatively calling Grand Valley Lake. A boater on its waters could look north into the face of Mount Garfield, east up the steep slopes of the mesa, while sunbathers and anglers could relax and cast along the beaches that would surround it. At 2,000 acres, the lake would cover more than 10 times the surface area of Highline Lake and be nearly two-thirds the size of Dillon Lake above Silverthorne. Backers of the lake admittedly have much work to do before water can be diverted from the Gunnison River into the depression through which Sink Creek flows, on occasion. They'll begin the process toward that goal Monday, when they present preliminary plans for Grand Valley Lake to the Colorado River Basin roundtable, where they hope to inspire enough interest to move forward to the Gunnison River roundtable and eventually to the interbasin compact roundtable... "Early supporters include [Retired engineer Don] Clay, [State Representative Josh] Penry, Ute Water Conservancy District Director Harley Jackson, Orchard Mesa Irrigation District Manager Rita Crumpton, and Jim Carter, vice chairman of the Colorado River Basin roundtable. Grand Valley Lake would be filled with water taken from the Gunnison River about four miles upstream from Austin, well above the junction with the Uncompahgre River, which carries high concentrations of selenium and heavy metals. Water as pure as that of Blue Mesa Reservoir would flow 60 gravity-fed miles to Grand Valley Lake, which would sit at an elevation of about 5,000 feet on Orchard Mesa. Water also could be pumped up to the canal, backers said. The water stored below Grand Mesa would be used for recreation, domestic and industrial use and generation of hydroelectricity. The lake also would feed into the Colorado River, providing water for four species of endangered fish, eliminating the need for releases from Green Mountain and Ruedi reservoirs for endangered fish in the 15-mile reach of the Colorado through the Grand Valley, backers said. That's something Grand and Summit county water interests have long demanded, [Don] Clay said... "Grand Valley Lake also would have the additional advantage of not displacing agricultural land. It's entirely on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management. There is, however, some chance farm or ranch land could be affected by the canal, backers said. Still, the lake would allow Mesa County to maintain its agricultural lands by providing additional water to the valley, thus forestalling the day when irrigation water is converted to municipal use. Under current supplies with a 3 percent population growth rate, the valley's last agricultural water would run out by 2055, converted to domestic and other uses, the backers said. Grand Valley Lake would hold about 195,000 acre-feet of water, some 65.5 billion gallons. Dillon, by comparison, holds about 254,000 acre-feet of water. On the eve of the first public airing of the proposal, it will likely be years before water rushes into Grand Valley Lake, if indeed it ever does, Penry said." "colorado water" 7:40:34 AM

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