Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Conflict, under such circumstances, is a given New West: "Land along almost any blue-ribbon trout stream can run to $500,000 an acre or more. There is, apparently, no shortage of people willing and able to pay that price. Trophy homes, along with hundreds of lesser structures, dot the banks of the Bitterroot, the Madison, the Yellowstone, and most of the other major rivers of Montana. In many places, where fishermen and boaters once passed grazing cattle and sagebrush and rimrock, the ambiance has changed forever. Irrigated lawns glow green in the dun-colored grasslands of late summer. Huge picture windows reflect the sun. The feeling that a river trip is an adventure - a feeling that is the basis for many a river outfitter's business - has been replaced with a dose of the suburban, exactly what many a guided client, and many a resident fisherman, has come to the river to escape. "Conflict, under such circumstances, is a given." "colorado water" 8:25:13 PM

Foley Kowalski (via RedState), "Folks, this is my last post on RedState. The simple fact is that for the last two years I think all of us have worked very hard, for free, to try to bolster a Republican majority that hasn't deserved our support. I've given hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours of my time, and I'm deeply ashamed of having been a part of this movement, and I think that Dave Winer of Scripting News has it right [when Mr. Winer writes]: 'Here's a Democrat that gives Republicans their due. Republicans broke the law, covered up, and they're going to jail. Ultimately this will be good for the Republican Party, it'll flush out the criminals that took over the party. Any Republican that sits by and says nothing is going down with the evildoers. Maybe sometime in this century it will be safe to vote Republican again, but it sure isn't now.'" "2008 pres" 6:42:52 PM

Coyote Gulch hits the big time Coyote Gulch welcomes all the traffic from the High Country News. We made the big time with Matt Jenkins' article The wet Net Mr. Jenkins' editor asked him to look at citizen journalism and report back. Thanks for the kind words. Blush. They have a paid subscription business model, so sign up for the 30 day trial, to read the article, and give them a chance at your business. "colorado water" 6:22:01 PM

Beauprez and Foleygate U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez, appearing on the 7News Vote Colorado '06 broadcast tonight, says that anyone in line in Foleygate must go. He's not convinced that Hastert knew, "as of this hour." Following up with, "I want to make it very clear," anyone involved, even Hastert, "must go." Meanwhile, Jason Bane, looks at the Colorado implications on Elevated Voices. "2008 pres" 6:11:58 PM

Water for Douglas county? South Metro water officials are holding a summit this week to discuss moving forward on cooperation, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Douglas County communities will move a step closer to linking up their pipes during a water summit this week. The result could allow a region slowly running out of water to store and trade any excess supplies in wet years, and work on regional solutions that come at a cheaper price than more local approaches, summit participants said... "New pipelines and reservoirs tack tens of millions of dollars onto customers' bills for a community that goes it alone. Lessening that burden while finding and moving water will be the topic of Wednesday's summit of Douglas County leaders. The first step would be linking up the water systems so communities with excess water can exchange it with those in need... "The aquifers that supply south metro are falling by an estimated 30 feet a year, forcing water providers to dig new or deeper wells every few years. The region's population is expected to more than double - from 179,000 in 2000 to 406,000 by 2040. The region used 42,323 acre-feet of water in 2000, but would consume more than 92,000 annually by 2040, according to the study... "Many south metro communities also have jumped on board a 31-mile regional pipeline that will eventually pump water as far south as Castle Rock... "Another collaboration is Parker's Rueter-Hess Reservoir. The federal government approved it to hold 16,200 acre-feet in 2004. As early as February, it could get the government's go-ahead to store more than 70,000 acre-feet, supplying Castle Rock and other communities. The need for friends is beyond the region, however. Most south metro communities could not afford to pump water from the Western Slope unless they used Denver Water's existing pipes, regional leaders have said. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will address the summit Wednesday, said his spokeswoman, Lindy Eichenbaum Lent." "colorado water" 6:25:43 AM

The Denver Post is running a story about judicial term limits (Amendment 40) featuring former judge Rebecca Love Kourlis. From the article, "Rebecca Love Kourlis doesn't engage in speculation about the motives behind Amendment 40, the judicial term-limits initiative that would force five of seven members of the state Supreme Court to resign at once. Instead she is focused on its impact. 'It's very, very dangerous,' she said. In case anybody's keeping score, the daughter of former Gov. John Love is a Republican. She's also a former trial-court judge and former Colorado Supreme Court justice who has spent her entire career inside the judicial system. She believes in it and wants the public to, also. But she's hardly naive about it's shortcomings. She understands the simmering frustration with the courts... "On Monday, five weeks before Amendment 40 will appear on the statewide ballot, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, released its first report [executive summary here (pdf)]. 'Shared Expectations: Judicial Accountability in Context' dares to suggest that there's a better way to improve the judicial system than by throwing out good judges in an effort to root out bad ones. The answer, the institute's report said, is more energetic judicial performance evaluations, based on 'politically neutral expectations' and 'widely disseminated to the public.'[...] "It's this wellspring of frustration that is being tapped into by politicians who offer 'extreme solutions that don't address the underlying problem,' Kourlis said. In fact, she said, Amendment 40 would make the system worse. It would cause "an enormous brain drain" and give one governor the power to appoint a majority of the court immediately. Then, every 10 years, subsequent governors would remake the court again and again. Rather than creating a more independent court system, it would politicize the judiciary, Kourlis said, and decimate the collective expertise of those charged with managing the sprawling state court system." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. "denver 2006" 6:14:45 AM

Beauprez for governor? Governor Owens is urging voters to keep the state's top job in Republican hands, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Finished with Congress until after the election, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez started his October campaign sprint Monday with an assist from Gov. Bill Owens. Owens told the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce that his fellow Republican is the candidate best suited to improve the business-friendly climate Owens helped create. If Democrats take control of the Governor's Mansion and keep the legislature, a slew of anti-business policies could result, Owens said... "After more than half a dozen appearances with Beauprez this year, Owens will amp up his campaigning with at least five more days scheduled this month to stump with the GOP contender. In addition to Monday's breakfast stop, the governor was scheduled to attend an evening fundraiser. In Monday's session with business leaders, Owens talked about how Democrats have controlled the legislature for the past two years and said he issued more than 90 vetoes in that time." "denver 2006" 6:04:11 AM

Referred Question 1A Denver's proposed Referred Question 1A, a .12% increase in sales tax to fund early childhood education, is not lacking in fund-raising, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Supporters of a sales tax to pay for early-childhood education programs in Denver have raised nearly $1 million, mostly in large chunks from businesses and the area's heavy-hitting philanthropists. That figure is nearly four times the amount raised for a similar measure that failed in 2000, and officials said they expect to raise much more in the weeks before the Nov. 7 election... "The tax - 12 cents on every $100 purchase - is expected to raise $12 million annually. It would fund child-care tuition credits for families of 4-year-olds and would provide money to improve preschool programs. Credits would be distributed based on need and the quality of the preschool program selected. Similar measures failed in 2000 and 2001. Councilwoman Carol Boigon, who worked a previous campaign, said money for advertising is vital in a busy November election." "denver 2006" 5:59:13 AM

Amendment 39 and Referendum J Here's an article about Amendment 39 from the Denver Post. They write, "Voters in November will be asked to decide whether to mandate just how many public school dollars should be devoted to classroom instruction. Amendment 39, promoted by the Washington, D.C.-based First Class Education, is asking voters to require districts to spend 65 percent of their operating budget on instruction that directly touches students. That includes classroom teachers and personnel, field trips, libraries and librarians, music, arts, computers and institutions for special-needs students... "Costs associated with administration, food services, transportation, nurses and counselors, among other departments, would not be covered by the 65 percent measure, but would be funded by the remaining 35 percent in the district's operating budget, according to Mooney. Too many administrators are collecting high salaries, Mooney said. Capital expenditures - which are devoted to buildings - would not be affected because they are not part of districts' operating budgets. Statewide, Colorado districts spend 60 percent of their operating budgets in the classroom, according to the Colorado Department of Education. The proposed amendment allows school districts to request a 1-year waiver, which would exempt a district from having to spend 65 percent of its funding on the classroom. Opponents of the measure say it would strip local school boards of their right to control education in their districts... "A second ballot measure, Referendum J, meanwhile, also asks voters to spend 65 percent on classroom instruction, but includes principals, support staff (counselors, nurses, bus drivers, food service workers), teacher training, college placement services and medical services as part of the definition of classroom instruction. If both proposals pass, any conflicting provisions of Referendum J will not be enforced, a state analysis of the proposals says." "denver 2006" 5:51:33 AM

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