Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Spoof sites Political Wire: "So far this campaign cycle, we've seen the Fudge Report from the Democrats and America Weakly from the Republicans. 'Cheap to run and easy to put together, Web pages like these spoof sites are popping up in a number of competitive races this cycle.' While activists gets a kick out of them, an interesting National Journal piece concludes they're put together mainly for the media as an outlet for opposition research." "2008 pres" 6:58:02 PM

Fall ballot issues Jason Bane tells us how he intends to vote on the fall ballot issues on Elevated Voices. "denver 2006" 5:52:12 PM

Hillman or Kennedy for State Treasurer? The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff has endorsed Mark Hillman for state treasurer. From the editorial, "Republican Mark Hillman and Democrat Cary Kennedy are articulate, knowledgeable and energetic. Both have experience in state government that belies their relative youth. Hillman wins our endorsement because he offers an independent, innovative vision for managing state finances, including approaches that would safeguard Colorado's assets and investments for decades to come. His public record - as Republican leader in the state Senate and as acting treasurer for 10 months while Mike Coffman served in Iraq - also makes Hillman especially qualified for the job. Hillman continues to push reforms in the Public Employees' Retirement Association that should enhance long-term solvency. They include giving new and current state workers a 401(k)-style pension option, and increasing the retirement age to put it more in line with private sector standards. He also backed a bipartisan (though unsuccessful) bill in this year's legislature that would cushion state budgets from future downturns. The plan would have reinvested much of the revenues collected from royalties and leases on the state's School Trust lands - federal property granted to Colorado at statehood - into that $400 million trust fund. In opposing Referendum C, Hillman was on the wrong side of that issue. But now that it's become law, he wants to wall off a portion of its revenues in a rainy-day fund for the state." "denver 2006" 6:12:11 AM

Amendment 41 Here's an article about Amendment 41 from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Lobbyists' gifts to lawmakers have gotten more lavish over the years, but an ethics ballot initiative is not the way to rein them in, a retired state senator said Tuesday. Former Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood, and political consultant Katy Atkinson said Amendment 41 is so overreaching that a government employee's child may not be able to accept a college scholarship if it passes Nov. 7. But backers of the controversial measure cried foul and argued that such claims are absurd. 'The core of this issue is that we shouldn't have freebies for legislators,' said Pete Maysmith, of Common Cause, a government watchdog group. 'Legislation should not be made inside a skybox at the Pepsi Center.' Maysmith and Common Cause director Jenny Flanagan squared off Tuesday against Anderson and Atkinson in one of the liveliest debates of the election season. The debate is scheduled to air at 8 tonight on KBDI-Channel 12 and is sponsored by the Rocky Mountain News, KBDI and CBS 4 News. A number of organizations have come out against the measure, including the League of Women Voters and the Colorado Firefighters Association." "denver 2006" 6:08:38 AM

Amendment 43 Amendment 43 proponents and opponents are the subject of this article from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Nowhere is Colorado's gay marriage debate more visible than in the pews. Supporters say more than 500 churches across the state are working on the campaign for Amendment 43 - a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union only between a man and woman. Powerful Christian leaders, including Archbishop Charles Chaput and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, are urging followers to pass the measure. The most vocal opponents are also religious leaders. A coalition of clergy, including the Colorado Council of Churches, has called the measure discriminatory and against Jesus' principles. "But Amendment 43's greatest impact won't be religious. It'll be legal. Since the late 1990s, lawsuits aimed at giving legal recognition to gay unions spurred opposition from social conservatives. Many states had laws defining marriage as only between a man and a woman. But opponents of gay marriage felt that those laws were vulnerable. So they embarked on a campaign of persuading voters to adopt state constitutional amendments to strengthen marriage statutes. So far, the score is 20-1 against same-sex marriage. The Massachusetts Supreme Court approved gay marriage in 2004, but voters in 20 states have approved constitutional amendments barring the practice. In 12 of those states, the amendments also attempt to ban legal recognition of gay unions." The article also mentions a live call-in debate tonight on KBDI, Channel 12, 7 p.m., 303-296-1253. "denver 2006" 6:06:23 AM

Amendment 42 Here's an analysis of Amendment 42 from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "What if the minimum wage increased every year, adjusted for inflation? It's not just a hypothetical - it's a key part of Amendment 42, the ballot issue this November that would raise the minimum wage to $6.85 from $5.15. Each year thereafter, per the state constitution, the minimum wage "shall be adjusted annually for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado," the measure states. To proponents of the union- backed measure, the idea is simple. Rather than freeze the minimum wage in the constitution and have to go back to voters again years later to set another specific dollar amount in the constitution, the amendment contains a mechanism that allows the wage to increase automatically... "The average Denver metro inflation over the past 41 years is 4.6 percent per year. Increase $6.85 by that rate each year over a decade and the minimum wage becomes $10.95 per hour. The average from 1996 to 2005 - 2.6 percent - would increase the wage to $8.85 after a decade. In criticizing what is now called the Denver-Boulder-Greeley CPI, Respect Colorado's Constitution has seized on an economic problem and seems to recognize the political advantage of highlighting it. There is no such thing as a Colorado CPI - the federal government doesn't do statewide sampling of prices. Proponents expect Amendment 42 to use the Denver-Boulder-Greeley CPI because it's what's used for both the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and Amendment 23, the constitutional provision on education spending." "denver 2006" 6:00:08 AM

Amendment 40 The Denver Post editorial staff is urging voters to reject Amendment 40. From the opinion piece, "If you were going to reform the medical profession, would you get rid of your most experienced doctors? If you wanted to improve education, would you tell teachers with more than 10 years of classroom experience to hit the road because a breath of fresh air was needed? Of course not. By that same rationale, Amendment 40, which would limit Colorado's most senior judges to 10 years on the bench, is equally wrongheaded. Voters ought to summarily shoot it down on Nov. 7. Beyond the foolhardiness of stripping the judiciary of its most seasoned judges, the amendment is a blatantly political maneuver by former state Senate president John Andrews, a Republican who wants to punish judges whose opinions he disagrees with... "Bob Miller, a former Colorado U.S. Attorney under President Reagan (and a three-term Weld County district attorney), recently pointed out a lesson from history. He recalled how President Franklin Roosevelt nearly 70 years ago sent Congress a plan to reorganize the judiciary that was criticized by Republicans as an effort to pack the court with justices sympathetic to his initiatives. If court-packing was wrong then, how could it be right now? It's not." "denver 2006" 5:56:23 AM

Amendment 39 Amendment 39 is not popular amongst leaders of Colorado's school districts, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "A spending measure on the November ballot could jeopardize schools' ability to provide a safe environment, Platte Canyon Superintendent James Walpole said Tuesday. Walpole's district includes Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, where a gunman held students hostage and fatally shot student Emily Keyes last month. He joined other administrators in opposing Amendment 39 at a Denver Area School Superintendents Council news conference... "State Rep. Joe Stengel, R-Littleton, a proponent of Amendment 39, said many security systems at schools are covered by county law enforcement or federal security services and that 35 percent of a budget could still be used for those costs. He said he believes school superintendents are paid far too much and the amendment would put a focus back on classroom spending. "Cindy Stevenson, superintendent of the Jefferson County School District, said the amendment takes local control away from district families. Citizens in a district currently can tell their local school board how they want funds to be spent, she said." "denver 2006" 5:47:06 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Here's a recap of last night's gubernatorial forum from the Denver Post. They write, "Beauprez, 58, a two-term congressman, touted his pro-business credentials to the crowd of more than 800 people, stressing his successful ventures as a dairy farmer, real-estate developer and banker. He said running the state would be 'a lot like being a CEO. That's what I've done all my life,' said Beauprez. 'I've actually been in the trenches. I've run business, created jobs, met a payroll.' "Ritter, 50, a former Denver district attorney, said he would work hard to fulfill the 'Colorado promise. We have a competitive edge for doing business, but we need to invest in transportation, and we need to invest in education in a way that lives up to the promise of this state,' he said. "The split between the candidates' views is echoed by audience members who are business owners. Illegal immigration was the most divisive topic at the event. Ritter said he supports a federal 'guest worker' proposal that would give millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. a chance to become citizens... "Beauprez called the guest- worker program amnesty. 'We have taken some steps in Colorado, and now we need to enforce the law,' he said. 'No sanctuary cities. No taxpayer benefits for people who are here illegally, beyond what the law requires.'" Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. Meanwhile both Ritter and Beauprez are promising veterans that they would restore funding that was cut during the recent budget crisis, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez and Democrat Bill Ritter promised veterans Tuesday that they would work to restore funds that were taken from the Veterans Trust Fund to shore up the state budget. Veterans listed restoration of the fund as their top legislative priority when the legislature convenes in January. Lawmakers took $2.28 million from the trust fund when the economy soured four years ago." "denver 2006" 5:43:10 AM

U.S. Senate passes the Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Assessment and Demonstration Act The Nature Conservancy: "The Nature Conservancy and the Tamarisk Coalition commended the U.S. Senate for passing the 'Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Assessment and Demonstration Act,' a bill that will help control two invasive plant species that have severely damaged millions of acres across the country. The Senate passed the House version of the bill, H.R. 2720, which is the companion to the Senate bill, S. 177. The legislation was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year... "The legislation, which now goes to the president for his signature, requires the Department of Interior, in cooperation with the Departments of Agriculture and Defense, to study and develop effective methods through demonstration projects to control and eradicate Russian olive and salt cedar, more commonly known as tamarisk. The bill also authorizes some $15 million a year for these activities... "In Colorado, tamarisk and Russian olive are present in all of the major river drainages, including the Colorado, the Arkansas, the Dolores and the South Platte. A major mapping effort is underway, and preliminary estimates suggest that over 100,000 acres of land in Colorado are infested with tamarisk. Many stakeholder groups have formed to address the issue around the state, and control efforts have been initiated some locations. The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to eradicate the plant from the San Miguel watershed in Southwestern Colorado, and to control the plant along 400 miles river and stream in the Purgatoire River in southeast Colorado. The Conservancy and The Tamarisk Coalition are working together with the Colorado River District to lead a partnership planning effort to control the invasive trees in the Colorado River Headwaters region." "colorado water" 5:30:49 AM

Suthers for Attorney General? The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff has endorsed John Suthers for State Attorney General. They write, "John Suthers has been a first-rate attorney general since he was appointed to the post two years ago, and he boasts far more experience in law enforcement and executive administration than his Democratic challenger. For these and other reasons, he deserves election to a full term... "He said his first priority will be protecting the state's interests in interstate river compacts. Yes, knowledge of water law is an essential requirement for the job, and Suthers has it. He also intends to pursue the continuing, seemingly eternal, litigation over hazardous waste sites, such as the Summitville Mine, Rocky Flats, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and California Gulch. His third priority is white collar and environmental crime, where the AG has been given jurisdiction since it's too specialized for many district attorneys. These priorities may not break new ground, but they're highly important to this state and Suthers deserves another term so that he can pursue them." "denver 2006" 5:24:21 AM

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