Sunday, October 8, 2006

Netroots Boston Review: "The netroots are becoming a power in the Democratic Party, but they aren't under the control of any one person or clique. And while many netroots bloggers describe themselves as progressive, they are generally not leftists in the conventional sense. Certainly they aren't committed to any program of fundamental political and economic reform. As Benjamin Wallace-Wells and Bill McKibben have both documented, the netroots aren't complaining that the Democratic Party isn't radical enough; they're complaining that it's losing elections." Thanks to Ed Cone for the link. "2008 pres" 12:38:22 PM

Referendum I and Amendment 43 The Cortez Journal looks at Referendum I and Amendment 43. They write, "Coloradans can vote for and against gay rights at the same time next month, due to two ballot issues. Referendum I would establish a new legal status called domestic partnerships, so gays and lesbians can enjoy some of the same rights as married people. Amendment 43 asks voters to change the state constitution to declare that marriage is between one man and one woman. Advocates for domestic partnerships say there's no contradiction." Be sure to check out the article online - they have a great synopsis of both intiatives. "denver 2006" 8:46:50 AM

Amendment 44 - Legal Marijuana? The Rocky Mountain News is urging voters to rejectAmendment 44. From the opinion piece, "There must be hundreds of things that sensible Coloradans believe would benefit this state, but surely one of them is not an infusion of more illegal drugs. Yet here we are, thanks to Amendment 44, poised as a state to vote on whether we should make it easier to get high on marijuana. It's an atrocious idea and deserves a resounding defeat. Amendment 44 would legalize under state law the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults who are 21 and older. But of course federal laws involving marijuana would remain in place. And it would still be illegal under a variety of statutes to buy or grow marijuana (except for medicinal use), so the only way someone could 'legally' possess the substance would be by breaking other laws." "denver 2006" 8:41:29 AM

Good Samaritan bill? Ed Quillen is urging Congress to pass the Good Samaritan Bill easing liability for groups hoping to clean up pollution from abandoned mines. From the opinion piece, "From that emerges a stream of murky orange water flowing down the slope, tainting everything it touches. That liquid is known as "acid mine drainage." It comes about because mining is a process of breaking rocks and hauling them out of the ground. In areas with mineral deposits, sulfide rocks are common. Some, like iron pyrite (iron disulfide), often sit near gold and silver ores; others, like galena (lead sulfide), can be ores themselves. So in days of yore, a prospector looked for sulfide deposits, then started digging. That brought more sulfides into contact with air and water. Water and oxygen react with the sulfides to produce acidic water laden with metallic ions. It kills fish and riparian plants, and it is not all that good for wildlife and people, either. "There were thousands of mines and attempted mines in the Rocky Mountains, and most of them were abandoned long ago. The vein pinched out, cheaper sources emerged, or the government eliminated its price support for silver. But the acidic water still emerges from many of those holes. The U.S. Bureau of Mines estimates that 12,000 miles of waterway in the West - about 40 percent of all waterways - are contaminated, along with 180,000 acres of lakes... "But suppose some people want to clean these pollution sources. A town, for instance, might want to improve the quality of its water supply, or some anglers may support a better trout fishery. They run into a problem with federal law. Once you touch one of these sites, you're responsible for bringing it into total compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Superfund Act. That means an immense potential financial liability for people who were merely trying to fix a problem. "To get around that problem, Congress has considered the Good Samaritan Clean Watershed Act, which would encourage the partial or complete 'remediation' of abandoned mines by waiving some of the potential liability. This sounds like a good idea, but some environmental groups have opposed it. Bill Jennings of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance put it this way: 'Someone could come in, well-meaning, and make things worse and have escaped liability.' But the original polluter has long escaped liability, so why would this be a bigger problem? And as for making things worse, it's hard to imagine how. It's not like they're going to be dumping sulfuric acid into the water, along with cadmium and zinc ions. Sure, there might be an occasional accident, but is that a reason not to try cleaning the creeks when Mother Nature, with an occasional flood, can cause the same problems? "And even if they do make the water worse, there's an upside. I live in a valley where the river used to run orange every now and then on account of old upstream mines. Those colorful surges greatly discouraged the immigration of upscale exurbanites who want acreage in some 'pristine location.' So there's really nothing to lose with a Good Samaritan law for old mines, and Congress ought to pass it when it reconvenes after campaign season - which also has a toxic flow, but that's another matter." "colorado water" 8:36:17 AM

Beauprez for governor? The Denver Post fact checks the latest Ritter attack job on Bob Beauprez. From the article, "As a congressman in 2003, Beauprez co-sponsored HR 25, also known as the 'Fair Tax Act of 2003.' That bill, which was introduced but not voted on, called for repealing income and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and enacting a national sales tax. The bill would have levied a 23 percent sales tax on purchases of consumer goods and services. Beauprez did not co-sponsor a similar bill in 2005. As a candidate for governor, Beauprez has proposed a sales tax increase to replace the current gasoline tax. To make up for the 22 cents a gallon that consumers pay when buying gas, Beauprez would increase the state sales tax from 2.9 percent to about 3.7 percent - an increase of more than 25 percent. Beauprez has also supported deregulating state colleges and universities, which would remove lawmakers and the governor from the process of approving tuition rate increases." "denver 2006" 8:26:27 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Here's a look at the gubernatorial candidates and their views on business and economic development from the Denver Post. From the article, "Beauprez opposes health-care mandates for employers, arguing that companies 'ought to be free to offer or not (offer) as they deem necessary to compete in the labor marketplace.' Beauprez advocates so- called health savings accounts - which are akin to 401(k) investment plans. Ritter supports health savings accounts but says they do not go far enough. He said he is open to discussing health-care mandates on employers and insurance companies and that he intends to form a commission to identify solutions. "One health-care proposal that failed this year, and is likely to return, would have Colorado join other states in bulk-purchasing prescription drugs at a discount. It could save $1.3 million a year, but critics say it would create a new bureaucracy. Ritter is for the program. Beauprez opposes it... "A statewide ballot initiative would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 a hour to $6.85 an hour, beginning Jan. 1. The initiative includes an automatic cost-of-living increase tied to inflation in future years. If approved, the initiative would become part of the state constitution. Beauprez voted for a federal hike in the minimum wage, which failed in Congress. He opposes the Colorado initiative because it would be embedded in the state constitution and 'ties the hands of business by raising wages every year regardless of economic conditions. It is bad for business,' he said, 'and it will hurt Colorado's economy.' Ritter also expressed concern about including the minimum wage in the state constitution. Even so, he said he supports the initiative because the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour has not increased since 1997." Meanwhile, where do the candidates stand on abortion and gay marriage? From the article, "Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Bill Ritter are Roman Catholics who say they would sign bills banning abortion, though Ritter said such legislation is not part of his agenda. On gay marriage, the candidates are split. But both have tripped over the issue - Ritter for apparently flip-flopping on whether it should be legal and Beauprez for picking a running mate who compared gay marriage to beastiality... "Beauprez supports and Ritter opposes Amendment 43. A complicating factor is Referendum I, which would recognize domestic partnerships between same-sex couples and could motivate Democratic voters. Ritter supports and Beauprez opposes the referendum." "denver 2006" 8:06:37 AM

Denver Post: Statewide races poll The Denver Post is running a story about a recent Mason-Dixon poll of the state races. From the article, "Democrat Bill Ritter leads Republican Bob Beauprez for governor by 15 percentage points, according to a new poll. Ritter is beating Beauprez in every region of the state, including Beauprez's own congressional district and Republican strongholds like the Western Slope and Colorado Springs. The poll, conducted for The Denver Post by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, shows Ritter leading Beauprez 50 percent to 35 percent. The former Denver district attorney has siphoned Republicans from Beauprez and has collected the majority of unaffiliated voters. It also shows Beauprez's unfavorable rating at 40 percent, 8 percentage points higher than those who view him favorably. As a result, political watchers say Ritter should continue what he's doing, but they also predict the final four weeks of the campaign season will be ugly... The poll has Mike Coffman leading Ken Gordon 39% to 33% with 28% undecided. In the State Treasurer race Mark Hillman leads Cary Kennedy 38% to 32% with 30% undecided. John Suthers leads Fern O'Brien 30% to 28% in the State Attorney General race with Dwight Harding polling at 7%. 35% of the voters are undecided in this race. "denver 2006" 8:00:53 AM

Denver Post: Labuda in HD-1, Frangas in HD-4, Romanoff in HD-6 The Denver Post has endorsed Jeanne Labuda for State House District 1. They write, "Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson. Democrat Jeanne Labuda is our choice to replace term-limited Fran Coleman. Labuda has a long record of public service ranging from being a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia to a lawyer in the Colorado attorney general's office. She faces Republican Aimee Rathburn." They've also endorsed incumbent Jerry Frangas in HD-4, "Denver. Democratic incumbent Jerry Frangas has a strong record on mental health, child abuse and smart growth issues. He faces Republican Rick Nevin." Andrew Romanoff is their pick for HD-6, "Denver, Arapahoe. Speaker Andrew Romanoff has been fair and effective as leader of the House Democrats. His imaginative approach to consensus building has earned him respect on both sides of the aisle. He faces Republican Jeffrey Hecht." "denver 2006" 7:38:49 AM

Romer for Senate District 32? The Denver Post has endorsed Chris Romer in State Senate District 32. They write, "Democrat Chris Romer, son of the former governor, will bring a strong background in tax and budget issues to the Senate. He faces Republican Dave Lewis." "denver 2006" 7:30:42 AM

Grant for Upper South Platte recovery From the Denver Post: "A $20,000 grant will serve as seed money to improve fish habitat, minimize erosion and reduce sediment in the Happy Meadows section of the South Platte River north of Lake George, a place severely impacted by the 2002 Hayman fire. The money was awarded to the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, which will form a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Park County and Trout Unlimited. The grant was provided by the South Platte Enhancement Board, which administers a plan funded by water providers to enhance wildlife and recreational values." "colorado water" 7:27:23 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 8:38:49 PM.