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Saturday, August 26, 2006
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Ritter for governor?
The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff clears up a misreading of Bill Ritter's statement to them being used as an attack vector from the Trailhead Group and the Beauprez campaign. They write, "Locating Bill Ritter's pre-campaign views on some issues can be as difficult as finding a buried chest on an isle of sand. The Democratic nominee for governor spent his professional career as Denver district attorney and was rarely quoted on economic policy, regulation, the environment or numerous other matters. But of course Ritter was interviewed regularly on crime and punishment. There is not a great deal of mystery on his attitude toward law enforcement or criminal justice issues - or at least there shouldn't be. Hence our surprise to read the following paragraph in a press release from the campaign of Bob Beauprez, Ritter's Republican opponent: 'A guy's got to work at getting jail time in Denver. He's got to do something very bad, or keep doing something fairly bad over and over again,' said Bill Ritter, as reported in the Rocky Mountain News, May 3, 1998. The obvious point: Ritter's soft on crime. To begin with, those are not Ritter's exact words. They are the gist of what Ritter told this paper's editorial page editor - a paraphrase, in other words. Nor do they appear within quotation marks in the column from which they were taken. But secondly, and far more importantly, Ritter had made the point not as a boast but as a complaint. The DA was irritated with the report of two consultants who claimed that overcrowding in the Denver jail could be alleviated by releasing apparently harmless traffic and drug offenders - and he was doubly irritated with an editorial that praised the conclusion...
"In short, the Beauprez campaign lifted a Ritter assertion - not a quotation - in which he was taking a hard line against criminals and twisted it to make him sound like a crime-indulging wimp. The Trailhead Group, an independent outfit supporting Republicans, did the same thing in an earlier press release. We can understand the frustration among Republicans trying to build a case against Ritter given the maddeningly narrow focus of his public comments over the years. But that's no excuse for the altogether sleazy misuse of what the candidate actually has said."
Coyote Gulch predicts a Ritter endorsement forthcoming from the the Denver daily.
Meanwhile from the Ritter weblog, "Bill Ritter today pledged to fulfill his promise to Colorado by setting performance goals, meeting objectives, and establishing a public report card to grade his administration's performance."
"denver 2006"
7:58:02 AM 
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Fiorino for governor?
From today's Rocky Mountain News, "Paul Noel Fiorino, the unaffiliated candidate for governor, has been campaigning around Colorado by bike. He began in June in Cortez with Ride the Rockies and plans to hit the State Fair in Pueblo when it opens Friday."
"denver 2006"
7:50:07 AM
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Blind bio poll of presidential candidates
Zogby International has a new poll where respondents were asked to choose candidates biographically instead of by name, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "With two years to go before the two major parties' presidential nominating conventions, polling outfit Zogby International decided to do something different to gauge the strength of would- be candidates: The pollsters didn't ask about candidates by name - instead, they read brief biographies of various would-be contenders then asked people to pick their favorites...
"Top four finishers in each party in a 'blind bio' poll of would-be presidential contenders by Zogby International. Respondents were given brief biographies of candidates, but not names.
"Republicans: Candidate G. (former House Speaker Newt Gingrich) 21.4 percent; Candidate A. (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.) 13.3 percent; Candidate K. (former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani) 11.2 percent; Candidate J. (Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.) 9.9 percent.
Democrats: Candidate G. (former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, D-Va.) 14.8 percent; Candidate D. (retired Gen. Wesley Clark) 14.2 percent; Candidate B. (Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc.) 12.2 percent; Candidate C. (Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.) 11.1 percent."
"2008 pres"
7:46:11 AM
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Immigration
Here's a story on the effects of immigration on wages, from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "It is easy to find anecdotes and statistics to support the idea that competition from immigrants hurts some U.S.-born workers. But immigration's full effects on the economy are complicated, and the story unfolds differently depending on who's telling it. Colorado's wage statistics tell one tale. Pay in construction and hospitality, sectors known for relying heavily on immigrant labor, have not grown as quickly as pay in other areas, state Department of Labor and Employment figures show. Average construction wages rose 1.2 percent from 2001 to 2005, after adjusting for Denver-area inflation. Hotel, motel and restaurant pay increased 4.2 percent. Contrast that with the finance and health care industries, which saw inflation-adjusted gains of 6.3 percent and 8.9 percent. Although there is no consensus, many economists agree that if anyone is harmed, it is the low-skilled, poorly educated native. George Borjas and Lawrence Katz of Harvard University looked at 20 years of immigration starting in 1980 and found that a high school dropout who made $25,000 in 2000 would have seen his inflation-adjusted wages reduced by about $1,200, or 4.8 percent. Others see a negligible dip and an actual wage gain for the more educated. Immigration also is seen as one of the culprits in widening the gulf between the wages of workers with skills and those without...
"Illegal immigrants - estimated by the Pew Hispanic Center at 225,000 to 275,000 in Colorado - also pay taxes. One Colorado study suggests that those taxes aren't enough to offset the total cost of services, such as K-12 education, emergency medical care and jail time. Others argue that immigrants do not compete with natives. Rather, they perform work Americans avoid, playing a complementary role that spurs the economy. Any way the issue is examined, immigration is probably not the biggest problem facing America's least fortunate workers. And some observers believe the enforcement of immigration laws is a more important matter than the economic impact...
"Jim Gleason, of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Colorado, estimated 60 percent of people in carpentry, drywall and concrete framing are immigrants, and a large percentage of them - possibly half - are in the state illegally. Wages in his industry, he said, have suffered as employers face pressure to keep costs low and turn to cheaper nonunion labor and illegal immigrants. And wages, he said, do not tell the whole story because an increase in pay may come at the expense of benefits...
"What: U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., will hold a Senate field hearing on the potential economic impacts of national immigration legislation on state and local governments, 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aurora City Council Chambers, 1515 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora."
"2008 pres"
7:38:25 AM
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Early warning water security system
Colorado State University: "Colorado State engineering researchers have begun testing an early-warning security system designed to alert city utility officials when major pollutants are detected in water supplies. If installed, the real-time monitoring system, integrated by ST-Infonox of California, would help city officials respond quickly to foreign substances in the water distribution system, helping to combat any potential terrorist or natural threats, said Sam Araki, chief executive officer and president of ST-Infonox Inc. ST-Infonox officials are working with city officials in Loveland and Fort Collins to test the technology on municipal water systems. Ralph Mullinix, director of Loveland Water and Power, said early warning systems are needed because water distribution systems are most vulnerable after the water leaves the treatment plant...
"In March 2004, the U.S. General Accounting Office issued a report on the vulnerability of the water distribution system and urged collaboration with industry to improve real-time monitoring. The report stated that water industry experts consider a lack of monitoring systems one of the most vulnerable points of water supplies."
"colorado water"
7:20:38 AM
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Moral responsibility to care for the earth
The management of Fountain Creek is a moral issue, according to a story in Catholic Online. Coyote Gulch knows that all involved with the issue would welcome divine guidance along with a miracle or two.
From the article, "The water-quality issues affecting the Fountain Creek Watershed in Colorado represent a moral problem and need to be resolved ethically and responsibly, Colorado Springs Bishop Michael J. Sheridan and Pueblo Bishop Arthur N. Tafoya said in a joint statement...
"As the tension between the two cities has increased and with no solution in sight, Bishops Sheridan and Tafoya felt it was time for the church to step in and encourage collaboration toward an answer to the problem...
"At the press conference, Bishop Sheridan said that, while the bishops are not proposing particular solutions, "one thing we don't think will work is if it's just done piecemeal if particular interests have their sway. We want to try to call and be supportive of all of those who live along Fountain Creek, all who have a stake in the table. With that common effort and with God's help, we can make an asset out of what so often now appears as a liability.' Bishop Tafoya defended the church's involvement in the issue, saying it is a moral issue 'because it affects the lives of people. It also affects their livelihood.' Added Bishop Sheridan: 'Ecology is not just a matter of science or something for politicians to take care of. We have a moral responsibility to care for the earth.'"
"colorado water"
7:13:30 AM
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Ritter or Beauprez for governor?
Bill Ritter and Bob Beauprez were Colorado Water Congress up in Breckenridge yesterday, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "While both touted conservation, Ritter emphasized that global warming also has to be a consideration in setting future water policy. As governor, he says, he would ensure state government took an active role in assessing and grappling with the effects of climate change...
"Also key in water planning, Ritter said, is considering growth along the Front Range. Despite a tremendous population surge in the Denver area, he said, several municipalities have launched successful water-conservation programs, including Denver Water, the state's largest water provider...
"Beauprez also mentioned how Denver Water's 1.2 million customers have dramatically curtailed their use. He said cities can do even more to encourage conservation, such as cash incentives offered by Las Vegas to residents who replace Kentucky bluegrass with more drought- tolerant grasses...
"Also important to long-term water planning is recognizing the value Colorado residents put on recreational uses such as hiking, kayaking and fishing, Beauprez said...
"Many of the state's water problems will best be addressed in a newly created roundtable process that brings together water leaders from around the state, both Ritter and Beauprez agreed. Beauprez said he hopes that sense of cooperation will find a place in water talks among Western states that share water resources."
Here's the coverage from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "Both candidates made it clear they are serious about water issues, however, although their approaches differ. Ritter made this clear by pointing out he opposed Referendum A in 2003, a plan to provide $2 billion for unspecified state water projects, while Beauprez supported the measure. 'The conversation about water changed after Referendum A was defeated,' Ritter said. 'It's now focused on sustainability. Yes, there has to be more storage, but the plan needs to be strategic. If we bond a project, we need to talk to voters about that strategy.'[...]
"Beauprez used a different tack, outlining major needs in each of the state's major river basins - he lamented the low storage levels in John Martin Reservoir in the Arkansas basin, for instance - and called for a continuation of cooperative statewide efforts to meet a projected gap in municipal water supplies. 'We need to find a way to meet our needs without robbing Peter to pay Paul,' Beauprez said. 'Coloradans have come together to meet water needs as often as they have fought.' Beauprez said he is ready to lead the state in acquiring more storage, which he said is vital to filling future water needs. He outlined a three-pronged approach that would put conservation first, stress augmentation of current water uses and build new storage where needed...
"Beauprez also supports a 'cautious, scientific approach' to water quality, whether it's regulating oil shale development or monitoring stream flows. Ritter was less specific about water problems throughout the state, but stressed cooperation to finding ways to make the water supply sustainable and keep rural economies viable...
"Both candidates took pains to praise the efforts of Department of Natural Resources Director Russ George in creating the Interbasin Compact Commission and basin roundtables as a way of encouraging the state to talk about its water future."
"colorado water"
6:57:48 AM
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Controlling storm water runoff in Aspen
Aspen Times: "The city of Aspen is taking charge of its storm runoff, thanks to a comprehensive plan that not only improves what pours into the Roaring Fork River but increases local wildlife habitat, wetlands and open spaces. Aspen residents were forward-thinking in their early efforts to manage storm runoff, and '70s-era holding basins and wooded buffer zones dot the city. But the system is now out of date, Stephen Ellsperman, parks department and open spaces director, said Wednesday during a citizens advisory committee tour of the city's water outfall sites. Large silt deposits from road sand and construction, as well as petrochemical foam from oil and auto emissions, still flow directly into the Roaring Fork in many spots. However, the city has taken important first steps to do something about it. Two water filtration areas, the Rio Grande and the Jenny Adair areas, funnel nearly all the town water into the Roaring Fork, and both areas are being redesigned.
"Updates to the Rio Grande outfall site, which consists of the Rio Grande water outfall and the sports fields of Rio Grande Park, started with a new mechanical water filtration system that went online in July. Located under the town recycling center, the filtration system is a large holding tank with a maze of 90-degree baffles that help settle sediments and chemicals. The system has been a huge success, transforming water loaded with 1,280 parts per million of silt and pollutants, into clear water with just in excess of 100 parts per million.
"Work begins in September at the Jenny Adair site, and when the job is complete in the fall of 2007 more than half of the town's runoff will flow first through a mechanical filtration system like the one at the Rio Grande outfall before passing through natural filters."
"colorado water"
6:50:37 AM
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History of sewers
Say hello to Sewer History.org. They write, "Over the past ten years, Jon Schladweiler, the Historian of the Arizona Water & Pollution Control Association, has researched and collected materials related to the history of sewage conveyance systems. Many of these have been displayed in a traveling exhibit entitled 'The Collection Systems Historical Photo and Artifacts Display.' The overall collection of sewer history materials covers the era from approximately 3500 BCE through the 1930s CE.
"The purpose of this website is to house this dynamic collection of materials about the evolutionary development of sewers over the past 5500 years, and to provide a location for the sharing and distribution of information to others. The donation of additional photos, sketches, articles, books, or other sources of historical information on the history of sewers is welcome.
"This website is an educational, non-profit endeavor. Its intent is to offer some insight into the history of sewers and the role its operators, engineers, and builders may have played in making our environment, homes and communities better and healthier places to live."
Coyote Gulch works for the Denver sewer department (actually Wastewater Management) and is fascinated with the whole subject.
"colorado water"
6:42:44 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:30:12 PM.
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