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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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Gubernatorial debate: Economic development
From today's Rocky Mountain News: "Gubernatorial candidates U.S. Congressman Bob Beauprez and Bill Ritter will debate economic development and the state's future in front of Colorado business leaders on Oct. 10 from 4-5 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton. The debate, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the Denver
Metro Chamber of Commerce in partnership with other area chambers and
business organizations."
"denver 2006"
7:26:59 PM 
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Hillman or Kennedy for State Treasurer?
ToTheRight.org: "Mark Hillman, candidate for state treasurer, has received the endorsement of the Pueblo Chieftain. When given the choice between Hillman and his liberal opponent, the Chieftain stated, 'Mr. Hillman is the clear choice.' We agree. Mark Hillman was named the Taxpayer Champion by the Colorado Union of Taxpayers. Hillman was a leading voice in opposing the largest tax increase in Colorado history, Referendums C & D. Hillman is a fiscal conservative and an advocate for the taxpayers, something we wish we could see more of in Colorado. His liberal opponent, whom we won't give name ID to [ed. Cary Kennedy], was one of the authors of budget-breaking Amendment 23 and was also an advocate for Referendums C & D. His liberal opponent brags about helping develop a statewide tax increase. Not to mention, his liberal opponent worked under Andrew 'Tax Your Pants Off' Romanoff."
"denver 2006"
7:19:01 PM
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Polling and campaign dough
Jason Bane looks at the effects of polling on elections in an article from Elevated Voices. He writes, "Most of the money in a political campaign arrives in the last two months before the election because big donors (including big-money funds operated by each political party) wait to see how the race looks before they break out their checkbooks. Most big donations don't come because the donor thinks the candidate is great - they come because the donor thinks the candidate can win."
"denver 2006"
7:14:15 PM
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Beauprez for governor?
Dan Haley (via the Denver Post): "The political action committee of the National Federation of Independent Business has endorsed Bob Beauprez for governor. It's not much of a shock, since the NFIB traditionally endorses Republicans, but with so much talk about his opponent Bill Ritter wooing business leaders, Beauprez's camp will take it. The vote, according to a release, was overwhelmingly in his favor."
Elevated Voices: "For the first time ever, the League of Conservation Voters has added a gubernatorial candidate to its 'Dirty Dozen' list. It's Bob Beauprez."
"denver 2006"
7:07:07 PM
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2008 GOP convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul
Polical Wire: "The political strategy behind this [GOP choosing Minneapolis/St. Paul] is twofold, concerning location and timing. First, the choice of location should not be seen as simply an attempt to target the state of Minnesota for political persuasion by the GOP in 2008. The bordering swing states of Iowa and Wisconsin are also targets of this convention strategy. The Twin Cities lie close to the Wisconsin border and their media market extends far into Western Wisconsin. The Iowa border is two hours south of the Twin Cities and Iowa media will give the convention heavy play. In the three state area, the Twin Cities is the largest population center and is centrally located.
"Second, the timing of the decision reveals two goals. First and most obviously, the GOP seeks to preempt national Democratic efforts to convene in the Twin Cities. But also, the announcement gives Minnesota GOP candidates in 2006, particularly incumbent GOP governor Tim Pawlenty who is locked in a tight reelection race, something to crow about. Minnesotans tend to believe they don't get the national attention they and their state deserve, and this national GOP decision may curry favor with Minnesota voters by shining a spotlight on the state."
"2008 pres"
6:56:33 PM
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Iraq
Kevin Drum: "The Washington Post quotes three different polling firms today who say that by a wide margin Iraqis want American troops to leave."
"2008 pres"
6:51:49 PM
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Is the Rocky Mountain West turning purple?
New West: "The headline across USA Today reads, 'In West, GOP no longer a shoo-in.' Reporter Tom Kenworthy starts with the vulnerability of Wyoming Rep. Barbara Cubin and then digs right into the changes taking place in Montana's political landscape to show how the traditionally Republican Rocky Mountain West is generally showing some swingability this election cycle."
"2008 pres"
6:42:23 PM
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Denver County sample ballot
Denver voters can go here [DenverGov.org] to get a sample ballot, blue book and other goodies for the November 7th election.
"denver 2006"
6:39:47 PM
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Amendment 39
Karen Middleton speaks out against Amendment 39 in the North Denver News. From the article, "Racing from campaign commitments to official ones, Karen Middleton is working hard as a member of the State Board of Education. As part of her campaign she is standing in strong opposition to Amendment 39. Middleton says 'Amendment 39 is wrong for Colorado. We know what it takes to support children in Colorado. Amendment 39 says that your child[base ']s school bus does not count, your school nurse and school counselor do not count, the heating, cooling and cleaning of the classroom do not count, and the school lunch does not count.'"
"denver 2006"
6:10:32 PM
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Coffman for Secretary of State?
Colorado State Treasurer Mike Coffman was howling down in Cortez last week, according to the Cortez Journal. From the article, "Mike Coffman has spent the past 17 years as a state-elected official in multiple capacities, and this November, he's seeking his fourth seat in Colorado politics. Coffman, a Republican from Aurora, was in Cortez on Friday for an interview about his candidacy. Coffman, who is term-limited as state treasurer, is vying for the office of secretary of state against Democratic state Sen. Ken Gordon. Current Secretary of State Gigi Dennis, R-Pueblo, is not seeking the position. The Aurora Republican and 21-year U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran suggested he has the 'principle leadership' skills to head the state office."
"Coffman, 51, cited three main issues that are key to his campaign during a Friday afternoon interview at the Cortez Journal office: Being more proactive in preventing voter fraud. Coffman said as secretary of state, he would propose legislation to require a government-issued photo ID card - such as a military ID or driver's license - be submitted when a citizen registers to vote...Coffman added that as secretary of state, he will make sure the elderly, poor and minorities will be included in his proposal and make sure no one is disenfranchised...Reducing filing fees for state businesses, which are required to register with the Secretary of State's Office. Coffman acknowledged that he would propose a reduction in these fees to reflect no more than the actual cost of delivering the service, with the difference appropriated out of the state's general fund...Ensuring voter confidence that every ballot cast is accurately counted. Coffman pledged to immediately launch an investigation into the accuracy of all Colorado voting machines."
"denver 2006"
5:57:53 PM
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Fall ballot issues
Here's a recap of last night's debates over the fall ballot issues, from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "State Attorney General John Suthers called a ballot measure seeking to legalize marijuana possession in Colorado "a little bit sloppy and a little bit reckless" during a debate Tuesday night - a charge vehemently denied by the man spearheading the campaign, Mason Tvert. Tvert, in turn, had a word for those who oppose Amendment 44 - Orwellian. The debate at the Newman Center at the University of Denver was about marijuana. But for the two men on the stage, it was also alternately about personal freedom, drug usage among teens and how pot stacks up against such legal items as alcohol and tobacco. Supporters of the amendment, which would allow adults in Colorado to possess less than an ounce of marijuana, have been hammering home the point that alcohol is more harmful than marijuana since the measure qualified for the ballot in August...
Take the time to read the whole article.
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post.
"denver 2006"
7:28:22 AM
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Amendment 40
Here's a story from the Rocky Mountain News about Amendment 40. From the article, "Judges who serve too long get a 'God complex' and need to be held in check, the leader of a ballot measure that would limit state Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges to 10 years on the bench said Tuesday...
"Bob Miller, a former U.S. attorney for Colorado and a one-time Weld County district attorney, disagreed, calling the measure a bad idea that would lead to chaos. He said supporters of the measure are focusing on a handful of court decisions with which they disagree and using them as ammunition to 'screw up the balance of the checks and balances in this state. You want judges that decide your way, and if they don't, you want to be able to pull their chain,' said Miller, a Republican appointed to be U.S. attorney by President Ronald Reagan. State law currently allows Supreme Court justices to serve for 10 years and appeals court judges eight years before standing for retention in elections. They can serve unlimited additional terms until retirement age.
"The ballot measure, known as Amendment 40, would require judges to stand for retention at the end of an approximately two-year provisional term, then again every four years, for a maximum of 10 years. If it's approved, Colorado would be the first state to limit its judges' terms. It already limits terms of legislators and the governor. The initiative would be retroactive, so that even judges and justices who have been retained for another term would be replaced after the 2008 election if they have hit the 10-year maximum. That would result in the turnover of five of the seven existing Supreme Court justices and seven of the 19 judges on the Court of Appeals."
"denver 2006"
7:23:18 AM
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Aurora in negotiation for storage in Lake Pueblo
Pueblo Chieftain: "A draft environmental assessment has been released for a 40-year contract that would allow Aurora to store and exchange water in the Arkansas Valley in Bureau of Reclamation projects. Aurora, a city of 300,000 east of Denver, uses parts of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project to move water from purchases it made in the Lower Arkansas Valley in the 1980s and in Lake County in recent years. In the past, Aurora applied for excess capacity contracts on an annual basis, but is seeking long-term assurances of its ability to move water...
"Aurora is asking for 10,000 acre-feet of storage space in Lake Pueblo, along with 10,000 acre-feet of exchange capacity. The storage space could be emptied and refilled throughout the year. The exchange is a paper trade with the bureau that allows Aurora to move water into Turquoise or Twin Lakes, where it pumps it into the South Platte River basin. Aurora currently is charged $43.76 per acre foot for storage, compared with $24.10 for cities within the Arkansas Valley. Additionally, if Lake Pueblo fills, Aurora's water is the first to be released since the city lies outside the valley. In addition, Aurora will pay the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District $24 million over the life of the contract, under a 2003 intergovernmental agreement. An environmental assessment on the project will determine if there are significant impacts that would need further study under a full environmental impact statement. If there are no significant impacts, the bureau and Aurora will continue contract negotiations...
"The document reveals Aurora is projecting to double its population and water demand by 2050, and will keep in place severe conservation measures that began during the 2002 drought. Aurora also will reuse about one-fourth of its water supply as drinking water by the year 2020. The Arkansas River basin provides an estimated 25-40 percent of Aurora's water now, and that proportion is not expected to increase. Under the 2003 IGA, Aurora will not purchase new water rights and will limit lease activities...
"In lieu of Lake Pueblo storage, Aurora would likely develop a 500-acre gravel pit near the Pueblo County Airport into a 10,000 acre-foot reservoir. The $40 million project would take about 10 years to complete, according to the report. Aurora would need to look for other ways to use and exchange its water rights in the Arkansas Valley. In the short term, that might reduce exports as water rights cases were sent back to court, and some water rights could be sold or traded to other users, the report states. In the long term, denial of a contract could lead to more purchases or leases by Aurora in the Arkansas Valley, since IGA provisions would presumably go away."
"colorado water"
6:56:35 AM
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New groundwater basin - Box Elder?
Rocky Mountain News: "A Front Range water conservancy district wants to create a state-designated groundwater basin so some central Colorado farmers can resume using idled irrigation wells. The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District has asked the state's groundwater commission to create the Box Elder Groundwater Basin in Weld, Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties. If the basin wins state designation as a waterway separate from the South Platte basin, some farmers who lost the right to pump their wells this year and lost thousands of dollars of crops as a result could resume using those wells. The groundwater under Box Elder Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, said Keith Vander Horst, of the state's groundwater commission...
"The proposed Box Elder basin would run about 60 miles from four miles south of the South Platte to northern Elbert County. [Greg] Hertzke said an engineering study of the area shows that the proposed basin doesn't connect to any other groundwater or river basin."
Meanwhile the Central Water Conservancy District is looking ahead to 2007 and hopes to turn on half of the 440 wells shut down earlier this year, if there is sufficient snowpack in the South Platte River Basin, according to the Longmont Daily Times-Call. From the article, "Probably the toughest news that officials from the Central Weld Water Conservancy District could give its farmers was to shut down 440 irrigation wells this summer, after many people had already planted crops. But maybe the second-toughest news was when they had to tell those same farmers a couple weeks ago that it's likely that only half of those wells will be turned on next year. That's the augmentation plan that Central Weld, in February, will take to the state water court, which will determine if there will be enough water in the South Platte to turn on the wells, said Greg Hertzke, Central Weld's water-acquisitions manager, speaking at a political forum in Milliken on Monday night."
"colorado water"
6:47:35 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:36:22 PM.
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