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Saturday, February 10, 2007
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Arkansas Valley Conduit
From email from U.S. Senator Wayne Allard, "This week, Senator Salazar and I sent letters requesting that the Senate Energy Committee Chairman and Ranking Member hold a markup of S. 134, the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act of 2007. A markup is a committee meeting where the bill is reviewed line-by-line and then the committee considers passing the bill, which moves it to the full Senate for a vote.
"Senator Salazar and I were able to secure a hearing on this issue late in September 2006, during the 109th Congress regarding an identical bill, S.1106. However, no further action was taken. This year, I reintroduced the bill on the first day of session of the 110th Congress, January 4, 2007. This is the fifth year in a row that I have sponsored this legislation.
"The people of southeastern Colorado have waited long enough, the time to act is now. The passage of this legislation will allow the delivery of clean, safe water to financially strapped communities in the Lower Arkansas Valley."
"colorado water"
5:28:15 PM 
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Obama for president?
Barack Obama announced his candidacy officially today. He wants the younger generation to eliminate the partisanship of the Baby Boomers.
Update: Here's the link to the video of Senator Obama's speech today from Springfield, Illinois.
"2008 pres"
4:34:15 PM
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Hancock for Council District 11?
Say hello to councilman Michael Hancock. He's running for re-election in City Council District 11. Nice photo, easy to navigate. The donations page is sort of hard to find. No weblog, no email list, no events schedule. It's early.
Welcome to the election Mr. Hancock, we'll be watching.
"denver 2007"
8:36:33 AM
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Johnson for Council District 5?
Say hello to councilwoman Marcia Johnson. She's running for re-election in City Council District 5. She has events listed right up front, as well as an events page. Nice photo. She has a donations page available. The site is easy to navigate. No weblog, no email list. It's early.
Welcome to the election Ms. Johnson. We'll be watching.
"denver 2007"
8:25:02 AM
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Faatz for City Council District 2?
Say hello to Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz. She's running for re-election in City Council District 2. Her website has a nice photo gallery. No email list signup, no weblog, no volunteer signup and no donation screen. It's early. Welcome to the election Ms. Faatz, we'll be watching.
"denver 2007"
8:09:06 AM
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Schroeder for City Council District 7?
Say hello to Jake Schroeder. He's a candidate for City Council District 7. He says he's an independent voice. Coyote Gulch will add that he has a damn fine voice also. 
There's a nice photograph right up front. He has a donations page, and a volunteer signup. No weblog, no email list, no events page. It's early. Welcome to the race Mr. Schroeder, we'll be watching.
"denver 2007"
7:57:41 AM
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Economy: Wage inequality
Ben S. Bernanke (Chairman of the Federal Reserve): "Although average economic well-being has increased considerably over time, the degree of inequality in economic outcomes has increased as well. Importantly, rising inequality is not a recent development but has been evident for at least three decades, if not longer. The data on the real weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers illustrate this pattern. In real terms, the earnings at the 50th percentile of the distribution (which I will refer to as the median wage) rose about 11-1/2 percent between 1979 and 2006. Over the same period, the wage at the 10th percentile, near the bottom of the wage distribution, rose just 4 percent, while the wage at the 90th percentile, close to the top of the distribution, rose 34 percent. In 1979, a full-time worker at the 90th percentile of the wage distribution earned about 3.7 times as much as a full-time worker at the 10th percentile. Reflecting the relatively faster growth of wages of higher-paid workers, that ratio is 4.7 today. The gap between the 90th and 10th percentiles of the wage distribution rose particularly rapidly through most of the 1980s; since then, it has continued to trend up, albeit at a slower pace and with occasional reversals.
"The long-term trend toward greater inequality seen in real wages is also evident in broader measures of financial well-being, such as real household income. For example, the share of income received by households in the top fifth of the income distribution, after taxes have been paid and government transfers have been received, rose from 42 percent in 1979 to 50 percent in 2004, while the share of income received by those in the bottom fifth of the distribution declined from 7 percent to 5 percent. The share of after-tax income garnered by the households in the top 1 percent of the income distribution increased from 8 percent in 1979 to 14 percent in 2004 (Congressional Budget Office, 2006). Even within the top 1 percent, the distribution of income has widened during recent decades."
Read the whole speech.
"2008 pres"
7:42:38 AM
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Hickenlooper for mayor?
Dan Haley (via the Denver Post Bloghouse): "Even though he doesn't face an opponent, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper still has to run a campaign for re-election. And running his campaign will be the able Lynea Hansen of The Kenney Group, according to the latest Colorado Statesman. Hansen most recently worked on the Denver pre-school tax initiative, but also worked as a budget analyst for the city of Denver."
Here's the link to the Mayor's website. It's pretty sparse so far.
"denver 2007"
7:28:09 AM
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? for president?
Craig Crawford (via CQPolitics.com): "As the presidential contenders from both parties start being placed by conventional wisdom
into two camps, top tier and second tier, the Republican and Democratic front-runners seem most notable these days for what they all have in common: Each of them has at least one glaring flaw, and that presents plenty of opportunities for the others to move up from also-rans in the most wide-open race for the White House in eight decades. It's tough to tell if this is an unusually deficient crop of major contenders or whether the intense focus on their shortcomings is just a natural part of the early hustings in modern presidential campaigns. Either way, the foremost hopefuls are each battling grave enough
concerns about their chances that you have to wonder if they are really up to the challenge of this extraordinarily momentous election. Already, the 2008 campaign is historic because of its lack of an heir apparent; 1928 was the last time when neither the president nor vice president was in the hunt for the top job. Even President Harry S Truman was on New Hampshire's Democratic primary ballot in 1952, despite already having decided not to run again. After finishing second to Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, he made his non-candidacy official and his vice president, Alben Barkley, briefly sought the nod before being rebuffed by party leaders."
Thanks to Political Wire for the link.
TPM Cafe: "In advance of her trip to New Hampshire this weekend, Hillary Clinton has clarified her Iraq war vote in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader -- and she says that her vote for the 2002 resoltuion was not automatically a vote to go to war."
Political Wire: "Sen. Hillary Clinton received a bounce in her presidential poll numbers following the launch of her presidential campaign, according to the latest Zogby International poll. In Iowa, Clinton moved into a dead heat with John Edwards to lead the race, with both now with 24% support of likely Democratic caucus-goers. Sen. Barack Obama finished in a strong third position with 18% support. In New Hampshire, Clinton topped last month's leader Obama, winning support from 27%, compared to Obama's 23%. Meanwhile, Edwards slipped to 13%."
Political Wire: "The Albuquerque Journal is running an excellent five part series on New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and what ultimately led him to announce his presidential candidacy. The first three parts were published, with remaining parts coming over the next two Sundays."
"2008 pres"
7:14:14 AM
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Convene Congress in Denver?
Western Democrat: "Congressional Quarterly's Craig Crawford has a novel solution to the whole dust-up over whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi can have a bigger plane for her longer nonstop flights to San Francisco than did ex-Speaker Denny Hastert. Convene Congress in Denver." Coyote Gulch remembers Denver being known as the Washington D.C. of the west when the federal government had more personnel here.
7:12:25 AM
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Iraq
Dave Winer (Quoting the New York Times): "A report by the Pentagon inspector general has finally confirmed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's do-it-yourself intelligence office cooked up a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda to help justify an unjustifiable war."
"2008 pres"
6:59:38 AM
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Rayburn for U.S. Senate?
From today's Rocky Mountain News, "Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Bentley Rayburn, a political rookie who made a surprising showing in a Republican congressional primary last year, said he is being urged to run to replace the retiring Sen. Wayne Allard. 'We're considering it. We're talking to a lot of people,' Rayburn said in a telephone interview Friday. 'If I decide it's right to get into that fight, I need to get in right away.' Rayburn said one factor he is considering is his admiration for another Republican who is considering the race, former Congressman Bob Schaffer, a Republican. 'If he was to tell me tomorrow (that) he was going to run, that would completely change around my decision process,' Rayburn said."
"denver 2008"
6:49:21 AM
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Linkhart for City Council At-Large?
City Councilman At-Large Doug Linkhart is running for re-election, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Denver City Councilman at-large Doug Linkhart said Friday that he will run for re-election.
Linkhart has carved out niches on the City Council on key social issues and was a force in creating the city's Crime Prevention and Control Commission. He heads the powerful council safety committee. The councilman raised eyebrows last year when he supported a measure that would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana."
Here's the link to his website. There's a signup for email. No weblog, no photographs. There is a donations page, and issues page and a place for volunteers to sign up or receive a yard sign. We didn't see an events page either. It's early. Welcome to the race Mr. Linkhart, we'll be watching.
"denver 2007"
6:45:49 AM
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CRWCD water issues workshop
The Colorado River Water Conservation District is holding a public education meeting in Breckenridge, according to the Summit Daily News "reg". From the article, "The Colorado River District and Colorado Mountain College are presenting a water issues workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, in the conference room at the CMC Breckenridge Campus. Colorado Water Issues is a free event and is designed for people who want to attain a basic understanding of water law while learning about current events that could shape the future of water supplies in Colorado...
"For more information, call the college at (970) 453-6757, the Colorado River District at (970) 945-8522, ext. 236, or e-mail edinfo@crwcd.org. To learn more about water and the Colorado River District, visit www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org."
6:21:32 AM
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Morgon County meeting about regulation water transfer impacts
Cities along the Front Range continue to grow and they need water. Farmers have the water and in many cases are willing to sell to the highest bidder, drying up farmland and economies in rural areas. Morgan County is holding a meeting to start discussions around the issue, hoping to plan ahead to alleviate the effects of water transfers, according to the Fort Morgan Times.
From the article, "The Board of Morgan County Commissioners has announced it will hold a public meeting to discuss whether Morgan County should regulate land use which results in the permanent drying up of irrigated farm land in the county. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in the assembly room at the Morgan County Administration building, 231 Ensign St., Fort Morgan. The commissioners are concerned about the impact on the economy, tax base, natural resources, wildlife and soil of Morgan County when irrigated land is permanently taken out of cultivation and the water rights are transferred to other uses, particularly urban or industrial uses out of the county...
"The news release added that the problem is particularly aggravated when farms are acquired by a municipality or a non-profit corporation because the land is entirely removed from the tax rolls. The county has the authority to regulate the impact of taking land out of irrigation through both land use regulations, commonly known as '1041 powers' and, if water rights are to be transferred, asking the water court for mitigation payments. The commissioners invite anyone with an interest in the topic to attend the Feb. 21 meeting and express their opinion. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to send their comments to Morgan County Attorney George Monsson at Morgan County Government, P.O. Box 596, Fort Morgan, 80701. Any questions may be addressed by Monsson at 542-3510."
"colorado water"
6:11:45 AM
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Snowpack
Here's an article about the Colorado snowpack from the Greeley Tribune "reg". They write, "Snowfall across most of Colorado's mountains last month was below average, dropping the water content of the statewide snowpack to about 10 percent below average for this time of year, said Allen Green, state conservationist with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. The data comes from the first physical readings of snow fields across the state that will continue through April. The current readings are about 5 percent below readings taken at automatic sites the beginning of the year, Green said, adding that for most of the state's major river basins snowpack percentages decreased by 10 to 15 points. The only basins above average are the South Platte, Arkansas and Rio Grande. Reservoir storage is above average in three basins -- the Gunnison, Colorado and Yampa/White -- but is below normal in other basins. Storage on the South Platte is 82 percent of average and 90 percent of last year."
"colorado water"
5:57:45 AM
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Fountain Creek management
The management of Fountain Creek is the subject of this article from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "A committee looking at water quantity on Fountain Creek Friday identified impervious surfaces created by more growth in Colorado Springs as the most serious issue affecting the controversial waterway...
"The group is one of four subcommittees formed by the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force, which was formed by El Paso and Pueblo counties in an effort to resolve ongoing, contentious issues. Other groups are looking at water quality, land use and environmental issues with the goal of coming up with a vision and action plan for Fountain Creek by the end of the year. The Fountain Creek Watershed planning group already has issued a report on impervious surfaces in El Paso County. More parking lots, homes and streets will cause stormwater to run off more quickly into the creek rather than filtering into the ground. In some areas, the developed surface area will increase to nearly 60 percent from almost nothing at the present time."
"colorado water"
5:52:48 AM
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Emergency lease to maintain Arkansas flows
The Pueblo Board of Water Works is leasing water to the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks to help maintain minimum flows in the Arkansas through March, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "An emergency lease to state agencies by the Pueblo Board of Water Works will keep minimum flows in the Arkansas River through Pueblo and avoid a repeat of conditions that threatened fish in the winter of 2005. 'It seems the lines of communication are better than in the past,' said Alan Hamel, executive director of the Board of Water Works. The water board will lease up to 3,082 acre-feet now stored in Lake Pueblo to the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado State Parks to maintain a minimum flow of 50 cubic feet per second through Pueblo until March 15, when releases from the winter water program will bring flows back up. The water will be captured at John Martin Reservoir for use at a state park and wildlife area there...
"Winter water, which canal companies agree to store from Nov. 15 to March 15 in lieu of irrigating, is being diverted through the Colorado Canal to Lake Meredith and at the Fort Lyon Storage Canal. Flows below Pueblo pick up as water from Fountain Creek and other tributaries are added to the Arkansas River. River readings on Friday showed there was about 50 cfs through Pueblo, with half of that coming through the fish hatchery. Fountain Creek added 178 cfs to the river, and by the time the river reached Avondale flows increased to 339 cfs. The Colorado Canal was diverting 324 cfs, while Fort Lyon Storage Canal diverted 103 cfs. Flows above Lake Pueblo were 555 cfs, with 142 cfs of Fryingpan-Arkansas Water being moved into Lake Pueblo by the Bureau of Reclamation to make space in Turquoise and Twin Lakes for Western Slope diversions later this year...
"Once the water reaches John Martin Reservoir, it will become part of the permanent storage pool. John Martin Reservoir is bordered on the east and north by a state park, and on the west and south by a state wildlife area."
"colorado water"
5:45:08 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 9:04:24 PM.
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