Friday, October 13, 2006

Best line of the day so far NewMexiKen's best line of the day so far, "Okay, so you're going to tell me that professional baseball is no longer pure - that players make too much money, owners rip off the fans, and there's drug use. Yeah, well, the same is true for Congress, but I still vote." "2008 pres" 6:08:56 PM

? for president? Political Wire: "The latest Granite State Poll finds that the 'largest group of New Hampshire Republicans is supporting Sen. John McCain, with 32 percent,' reports the AP. 'Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is next with 19 percent, followed by Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with 15 percent. Ten percent said they would vote for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Two percent favor some other candidate and 14 percent are undecided.' "Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton was 'the favorite, with 30 percent choosing her. John Edwards is next with 16 percent, and Al Gore is at 10 percent. Sen. John Kerry is the choice of 9 percent of Democrats.'" "2008 pres" 6:05:34 PM

? for president? U.S. Senator Barack Obama was just on the CBS Evening News trying to get voters to incorporate the move to alternative energy, along with energy independence, into their decisions this fall. Good idea. Coyote Gulch thinks a Richardson/Obama ticket would be killer. That would really raise the bar for 2008. "2008 pres" 5:55:29 PM

Beauprez for governor? North Denver News: "The lawyer for the Ritter campaign has sent a letter to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, suggesting that the Beauprez campaign may have misused a federal crime database in researching the information, violating state and federal law. The attorney, Trey Rogers, has requested an investigation. The Beauprez campaign has previously told a television reporter that it used an 'FBI number,' which would mean it had access to the National Crime Information Center (or NCIC) database, to link the crime in Calfornia to the Colorado felon. "Roger's letter says that California is a 'closed records' state, meaning the access to the Ramo-Medina records would require official level access to computer systems. "The Beauprez campaign claims to obtain the information through a Freedom of Information Act request. But according to our investigation, such a request would not allow access to a third party's records." "denver 2006" 5:47:10 PM

Western U.S.: Pretty damn distinct Matt Singer (via Left in the West): "There's been a lot of back-and-forth over libertarian Democrats. I've said it before. I'll say it again. The West doesn't have a libertarian streak. It has a 'f*ck you' streak. It's the streak that gives us the people in bars who hate their boss for telling 'em what to do, their union for taking part of their paycheck, the government for taking part of their paycheck, the church for judging 'em, the schools for telling their kids what to think, and on and on and on. "It's called populism. And it's a cousin (by an on-again, off-again marriage) of libertarianism, but it's pretty damn distinct. It's also an extremely confused, often contradictory, deeply cynical ideology that isn't always political." "2008 pres" 5:37:14 PM

Amendment 44 - Legal Marijuana? Andrew Sullivan is pointing to a YouTube featuring John Suthers' new friend, John Walters, campaigning against Nevada's marijuana intiative. Mr. Sullivan writes, "Watch the federal drug tsar, John Walters, boast about spending federal money on stopping Nevadans from deciding their own policies on marijuana regulation. It's one more sign that this administration loathes states' rights if they get in the way of big government moralizing. It's a classic case of the GOP's attack on principled conservatism and states' rights. If you're a Nevadan, you have a chance to tell the federal government where to shove it. Vote yes on Question 7. If you're an American tax-payer, tell the feds not to spend your money interfering with state politics." "denver 2006" 5:21:48 PM

Denver Water customers using less water Denver Water customers are holding down water consumption, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Water use was 11 percent below pre-drought levels during the 2006 outdoor watering season, possibly indicating a permanent shift toward greater conservation among Denver Water's 1.2 million customers, utility officials said Wednesday. Timely late-summer rainstorms also contributed to the water-use reductions, which were accomplished without mandatory watering restrictions, said Greg Fisher, the utility's chief planner. 'We think that some part of it is that people have made permanent, sustainable changes in their water use' Fisher said. But it will take several more summers to draw any firm conclusions, he said... "The reductions were achieved despite some of the hottest and driest weather in recent Denver-area history during April, May and June. Average daily high temperatures during that span were 7 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, while precipitation was 4.5 inches below normal, Fisher said. As a result, water use exceeded the pre-drought average during those three months. But helpful rains arrived in July and continued through the end of the outdoor watering season, and beyond. Water use plummeted during that three-month period: 23 percent, 18 percent and 21 percent below the pre-drought average in July, August and September, respectively... "Currrently, Denver Water reservoirs are at 90 percent of capacity, Pokorney said Wednesday at a meeting of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners. 'The fall precipitation hit where we needed it most, and helped our reservoirs greatly,' he said. "Also at Wednesday's meeting, the commissioners approved a 21.1 percent increase in the rate it charges the City and County of Denver for treated water. The increase is expected to generate $643,723 in additional revenue next year, said David LaFrance, the utility's director of finance. Looking for ways to recover from a $12.2 million revenue shortfall, the board last month approved new residential rates that raised fees for heavy water users." "colorado water" 6:24:01 AM

Amendment 44 - Legal Marijuana? Mason Tvert called out public officials for campaigning against Amendment 44 on Thursday, sparking an angry response, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Diverging opinions about a marijuana- legalization initiative led to a finger-jabbing shouting match during a news conference Thursday featuring local, state and federal officials opposed to Amendment 44. The angry exchange came at the end of speeches given by White House National Drug Control deputy director Scott Burns and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, who oppose the measure. Mason Tvert, campaign director for the Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Committee, a group attempting to legalize possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for adults in Colorado, asked Burns, Suthers and other elected officials standing in front of a 'Marijuana - Not in Our Community' banner, 'Who paid for this press conference? Why don't you have to file a campaign finance report when you are engaged in campaigning?' he asked as various speakers attempted to quell his questions. Mesa County Sheriff Stan Hilkey, one of the speakers against Amendment 44, answered that, as drug experts, they had the right to talk about the marijuana initiative. Suthers was visibly angered when he told Tvert, 'You are just flat wrong' about campaign finance law - as wrong, he said, as Tvert is about drug laws. 'As public officials, we are perfectly entitled to step up and express our opinions at any time,' Suthers said." "denver 2006" 6:13:47 AM

Dem convention in Denver? Denver Post: "Denver's bid for the 2008 Democratic National Convention got endorsements Thursday from 47 members of Congress representing 24 states. Colorado's own Rep. Diana DeGette sent a letter, with the other members signing on, to Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, noting a political shift in the Rocky Mountain region. 'Although once solidly a red portion of the country,' DeGette wrote, 'Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West are rapidly trending blue ... The Democratic Party must seize the opportunity and take advantage of the changed political landscape of the West and take back the White House in 2008.' The list of representatives signing on includes Reps. John Salazar and Mark Udall of Colorado. Perhaps most notably, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman, Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, also endorsed the letter." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Representing states as far away as North Carolina and California, the members said that to win the presidency back, Democrats must 'focus long overdue attention on the West.'" "2008 pres" 6:07:36 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? If you're still undecided about the gubernatorial candidate you're going to vote for the issue of low-income housing may help crystalize things for you. Here's an article from the Denver Post about a forum yesterday between the two. From the article, "Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Bill Ritter clashed Thursday over how best to provide low-income residents with affordable housing. Beauprez said he doesn't support affordable-housing mandates on developers because they drive up the cost of other units. 'What you've got to be very careful about, I think, are some well-intended but, I think, wrong-headed municipalities that have forced affordable housing into their communities,' Beauprez said during a gubernatorial debate. Ritter said, 'I don't think you should just dismiss inclusionary ordinances outright.' He said the requirements can be creatively applied. Ritter said he saw a developer fill his affordable-housing quota by developing a separate project that became a rent-to-own program for single mothers. Beauprez said development fees for transportation, education and other impacts are increasing housing costs by up to $50,000 a home. The state should work with stakeholder groups, Ritter said, before using real-estate-transfer taxes to pay for affordable housing, as other states have... "Both men agreed that women- and minority-owned businesses should be given more opportunities to work on state contracts. Small businesses, Ritter said, can't afford to bid on large state contracts but should be given opportunities as subcontractors." "denver 2006" 6:03:08 AM

#10 Enterprises agrees to correct environmental damage to Dry Fork of Roan Creek Rocky Mountain News: "A company called #10 Enterprises LLC has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to correct environmental damage caused when it released fill into two creeks and wetlands near DeBeque in Garfield County. EPA spokeswoman Monica Heimdal said the material was dumped into the North Dry Fork of Roan Creek, the Dry Fork of Roan Creek and adjacent wetlands at the High Lonesome Ranch. According to the EPA, the discharges were made without a permit when they were constructing approximately 100 ponds to be used for fly-fishing by guests at the High Lonesome Ranch, a recreational hunting and fishing property owned by #10 Enterprises." "colorado water" 5:33:51 AM

Amendment 40 Here's an article about Amendment 40 from the Montrose Daily Press. They write, "Critics of Amendment 40 contend the ballot measure for judicial term limits will hurt the Western Slope. Its proponents, however, say the amendment will bring the state appellate judiciary in line with limits placed on other branches of government - and they're not concerned with the array of opposition. 'It's a poorly written amendment. It's just bad government,' former Colorado Governor John Vanderhoof said Wednesday. Vanderhoof's view is shared by Gov. Bill Owens, former governors Roy Romer and Dick Lamm, several members of the Colorado Bar Association, trial court judges and area legislators. But John Andrews, former state senate president and campaign chair at Limit the Judges, said politicians rarely favor term limits of any kind. 'Political establishment tends to rally around and protect its own,' he said. In his corner are Lawyers for Limits, four state representatives, two district attorneys and the Colorado State Shooting Association." "denver 2006" 5:29:00 AM

RMN state Senate endorsements Here are the Rocky Mountain News' endorsements for state Senate. From the article, "SD 32 (Denver, Jefferson): Democrat Chris Romer, son of the former governor, will win easily over Dave Lewis, who is mounting only token opposition. Romer, a public finance banker with JPMorgan Chase, is bubbling over with ideas, some of them good and a few slightly dubious. But his energy and intelligence are not in doubt, and he is likely to quickly become an influential and effective lawmaker." "denver 2006" 5:21:20 AM

Global warming? The Denver Post is reporting that some scientists think the effects of global warming are more pronounced here in the west than elsewhere. From the article, "The globe is warming, but the American West is really cooking - hotter and faster on average than the rest of the U.S. and the world, a leading climate researcher said at a conference here Thursday. 'The West is warming dramatically,' said Jonathan Overpeck, director of the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth at the University of Arizona. 'Things are just going to get hotter. You can bet the farm on it.' It's not just the farm and shorter irrigation seasons at stake. It probably means shorter skiing and rafting seasons but longer droughts, worse floods, sweatier summers and more dead trees. The West is already 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than its average annual temperature, calculated using more than 100 years of records, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Most scientific studies peg the rise in the Earth's average temperature since 1880 at 1 degree Fahrenheit, making it the warmest it has been in the past 400 years." "2008 pres" 5:18:07 AM

President Bush signs Tamarisk control bill U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (via the North Denver News): "U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) announced today that President Bush has signed legislation designed for the control and eradication of the salt cedar plant, also known as the tamarisk. 'The tamarisk is causing severe problems throughout Colorado and the West,' said Allard. 'The President's signing of this legislation marks a major milestone in the ongoing effort by Congress and this administration to provide critical resources for the removal of this destructive and invasive species.' The tamarisk has invaded the margins of streams, lakes and wetlands throughout the Western United States. An individual plant can consume up to 200 gallons of water per day, which has exacerbated drought conditions in the West, and is highly disruptive to native habitats and species." The President also singed H.R. 3443 which, "which requires the Department of the Interior to convey certain water distribution facilities to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. "colorado water" 5:10:30 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 8:39:50 PM.