Coyote Gulch

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Edwards for president?
Political Wire: "By choosing hurricane ravaged New Orleans to launch his presidential campaign, John Edwards highlighted a major domestic failure of the Bush administration. But by urging people to get involved in fixing their country -- an approach called 'unorthodox' by Time magazine -- he marked an even bigger failure of President Bush's leadership...

"Many historians and political scientists agree that not calling Americans to action after the September 11, 2001 attacks is one of the biggest missed opportunities of the last six years. Edwards' strategy is to tap that frustration and energize Americans to change their own country. It's an extremely powerful message that differentiates him not only from the current field of 2008 candidates but from an entire generation of presidential wannabes."
"2008 pres"
7:37:52 AM

Hickenlooper for mayor?

Mayor Hickenlooper's approval rating seems to have survived the last few weeks, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Denver Post. From the article, "Hickenlooper's approval by Denver residents is generally even among men and women. Black and Hispanic residents, however, rated his performance lower than did white residents. Nearly 40 percent of black residents and 32 percent of Hispanic residents found the mayor's performance poor and fair, compared with 24 percent of white Denverites...

"Last week, Hickenlooper gave city workers an A for their efforts during the snowstorm, but their performance a C. Twenty-nine percent of those polled agreed, followed closely by 28 percent giving the work a B. Another 29 percent gave the city a D or F, and 13 percent graded the city with an A. The mayor's leadership during and after the storm, however, fared a bit better, with 35 percent grading him with a B, followed by 28 percent giving him a C and 14 percent an A...

"Denver is holding a Jan. 30 special election for voters to decide if they want to retain the three-member Election Commission or replace it with a single elected clerk. Forty-six percent of those polled said they favored a clerk, while 37 percent said they would keep the commission. Seventeen percent were undecided."
"denver 2007"
7:26:47 AM

George to continue at DNR?

Russell George is hoping to stay at the Department of Natural Resources under Bill Ritter, according to the CBS4 Denver. He also has recommended that the new governor split out the job of leading the Interbasin Compact Committee. From the article, "Former state House Speaker Russell George, a Republican who now serves as executive director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said he has applied for the same job under Ritter -- a Democrat. The Rifle resident said he also has applied to be interbasin compact director, a position that deals with water issues among the states' river basins. George had taken on the duties of that job in his role as department director, but he has recommended to Ritter's transition team that the jobs be split...

"The agency oversees oil and gas development, mining, wildlife, water and parks. Houpt has long called for better protection for Western Slope residents whose property is affected by natural gas drilling and exploration."

Update: Leslie Robinson (via Colorado Confidential) asks, referring to Russell George, "Would you pass this gentleman's resume by?"
"colorado water"
6:58:17 AM

Energy policy: Oil shale development

On Friday the Interior Department granted leases for oil shale extraction experiments to three companies, Shell, Chevron and EGL Resources, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan. From the article, "The companies must submit detailed development plans, monitor groundwater, and obtain all required permits to protect air and water quality, the department said last month in approving the projects, which could begin as early as the summer. Since 1996, Shell has tested procedures on private land in western Colorado that involve baking shale rock in the ground with electric heating rods, then pumping the melted oil to the surface. Circulating refrigerants through underground pipes to freeze adjacent areas would keep groundwater away from the melted oil. The Bureau of Land Management declared the projects would have no significant environmental impact. But state officials and environmentalists voiced concerns about threats to air and water, and said there was a lack of information on the kinds of substances released by the extraction process."
"2008 pres"
6:39:46 AM

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