Coyote Gulch

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

Xcel franchise approved
Denver voters approved the new deal for Xcel by a wide margin, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Under the new deal, residents will see their electric and gas bills go up 75 cents a month - $9 a year - to help pay the utility bills of low-income residents. City officials negotiated for use of renewable energy - including a $200,000 contribution toward a proposed municipal solar-power plant and an agreement to purchase hydroelectric power from the Denver Water Board. The new plan also has a provision Hickenlooper and others said will increase the benefit to low-income users. The mayor has also touted stricter performance standards. Under Denver's old agreement, franchise fees generated $22 million for the city's general fund. The money came from a 3 percent fee that utility customers pay on their energy bills. As an attempt to help low-income users, the fee did not apply to the first $12.50 on the bill. Administration officials negotiated for what they have said is a more modern benefit. The $12.50 window will go away, but the $2.1 million generated by the extra charges will go to a low-income assistance fund."
"denver 2006"
7:11:04 AM

Fall ballot issues
The Cortez Journal has a nice roundup of the fall ballot issues. From the article, "Last November, Denver voters approved legalizing the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. The proponents of that campaign want to repeat their success statewide. 'Despite the political differences in the state, it's quite clear that many citizens are fed up with laws that prohibit the use - for adults - of marijuana while allowing a much more harmful substance - alcohol,' Mason Tvert, campaign director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, said at a small rally prior to turning in the signatures."
"denver 2006"
7:07:00 AM

Iraq
Mike Littwin (via the Rocky Mountain News): "It took the Democrats a while, but they finally came up with a plan for Iraq: They would dump Joe Lieberman. I'm not say that dumping Lieberman is the most effective way to resolve the problem - and, for that matter, Lieberman, much like the Iraq war, doesn't seem to be going anywhere - but it is a plan. And that's more than you can say the Democrats had for the 2004 election. Lieberman is, by everyone's count, George W. Bush's favorite Democrat, and that was enough for Ned Lamont, a political nobody, to beat the man who was nearly your vice president."
"2008 pres"
7:03:34 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor?
Here's a story about the gubernatorial race from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Bob Beauprez hopes to corral Colorado's governorship by pitching himself as a dairy farmer-turned-banker who can champion both rural folks and the urban business community. In contrast, he wants to brand his Democratic foe, former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, as a man who spent his career as a 'Denver lawyer' and knows little outside the big, liberal city...

"Ritter, 49, the Democratic nominee for governor, is running in a state where Republican and independent voters outnumber Democrats. To win, he'll need to reach out to rural voters, sportsmen and business people - groups that have traditionally tended to vote Republican. Ritter's biggest challenge is to introduce himself to Coloradans who know little about him, said political analyst Eric Sondermann."
"denver 2006"
6:58:57 AM

Senate 32
Denver Post: "Chris Romer, the son of former Gov. Roy Romer, won the three-way Democratic primary election Tuesday for a state Senate seat representing Denver. Romer defeated community activist Jennifer Mello and Rep. Fran Coleman in a district where the primary victor usually goes on to win the general election in November. Democrats hold a significant edge in registrations in the area - Senate District 32...

"Mello said she called Romer to concede late Tuesday evening. 'There's no doubt that name recognition helps a lot,' Mello said. 'I don't want to take anything away from Chris. He ran a good race, and he raised a lot of money.' Mello said she has no immediate plans for another race."

The Rocky Mountain News recaps some of the election news from last night. They write, "In Denver, Romer beat Jennifer Mello and Rep. Fran Coleman. 'This feels great,' the younger Romer said. 'You know, in '58, my dad was in the Senate.' Romer now faces Republican David Lewis, but the seat has traditionally been held by a Democrat. The Democratic primary saw little of the nastiness that prevailed in some of the other contested primaries. 'Jennifer Mello did a hell of a job,' Romer said. 'She is a bright star to watch.'"
"denver 2006"
6:56:00 AM

Water plan for Ouray

Here's a report about water planning for Ouray, from the Telluride Watch. From the article, "Historically, the issue of water availability in the city of Ouray has not been a matter of great concern. Thanks to the city's fortunate location at the headwaters of the Gunnison Basin, and the first entity to receive water, and because generous monsoon conditions have been at play in the region recently, it is unlikely there will be calls from any water users with senior rights downstream from Ouray this summer season. Water planning is well underway, nonetheless. That's because the Colorado Division of Water Resources requested two years ago that the city formally audit its available water resources and formulate a long-term emergency water plan. This plan would provide a source of replacement water, should enough water someday be called by senior water users so as to cause a water shortage in Ouray. The state, furthermore, is asking the city to plan for sufficient water in the near term - and to support that call with statistical information on future population projections, particularly maximum potential summer-tourist volume and fulltime occupancy of seasonal homes. This complex and lengthy planning initiative was prompted by the 2002 drought, the worst in recorded Colorado history. That drought, which triggered thousands of wildfires in the state, brought Colorado to a level of 'exceptional' dryness, according to a Colorado Division of Water Resources report, leading Ouray's water to be called twice by the Montrose and Delta Canal between May and September. It was the first time a significant water call had occurred since 1977; and as a result, water restrictions were implemented in Ouray."
"colorado water"
6:50:11 AM

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