Wednesday, March 21, 2007

? for president? Pollster.com: "Additional results from a recent Rasmussen Reports automated survey of 800 likely voters nationwide (conducted 3/14 through 3/15) finds Sen. John McCain leading Sen. Hillary Clinton (48% to 41%) in a national general election match-up." Poltical Wire: "Rudy Giuliani maintains his double-digit lead over Sen. John McCain in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. Giuliani currently tops McCain 33% to 15%, while Newt Gingrich garners 13% and Mitt Romney gets 10%." The Right's Field: "Yesterday the Senate nearly unanimously passed S.214, "Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007.' The vote was 94-2, with only Republicans Chuck Hagel and Kit Bond voting against it. The bill removes the authority of the Attorney General, granted by the Patriot Act, to appoint US attorneys without confirmation from the Senate." Political Wire, quoting the Huffington Post, "'We have learned the video was the work of Philip de Vellis, who was the Internet communications director for Sherrod Brown's 2006 Senate campaign, and who now works at Blue State Digital, a company created by members of Howard Dean's Internet Team.' "Blue State Digital is the Internet consultant for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign. "Ben Smith has a statement from the campaign: 'The Obama campaign and its employees had no knowledge and had nothing to do with the creation of the ad. We were notified this evening by a vendor of ours, Blue State Digital, that an employee of the company had been involved in the making of this ad. Blue State Digital has separated ties with this individual and we have been assured he did no work on our campaign's account.' "Blue State Digital also has a statement: 'We wish Mr. de Vellis well in his future endeavors.'" "2008 pres" 6:14:46 PM

Madison for Denver City Council? This is cool. Carla Madison, candidate for Denver City Council District 8, took the time to post a comment on Denver Politics. With the news today that the Rocky was buying out 20 newsroom employees you know that local election coverage really has to be done by the bloggers. "denver 2007" 6:05:51 PM

Corruption SquareState.org: "Senator Ken Salazar has issued a kick-ass law to attach a $50,000 fine to those who intimidate US Attorneys." "2008 pres" 6:02:39 PM

Global warming: The Earth is a beautifully complex system The Gavel: "As a global leader on combating climate change, Al Gore has been both an educator and an agitator - spurring so many to take real action. Today, he presented Congress with challenging and creative ideas, and made a compelling case for the urgency to act." "2008 pres" 5:58:20 PM

McInnis out in run for U.S. Senate From The Cherry Creek News, "The multi-term Congressman from Colorado's Western Slope, Scott McInnis, will not seek the Republican nomination in 2008 to run for an open United States Senate seat. GOP incumbent Wayne Allard will not seek re-election, and holding the seat is a major Republican priority. Mark Udall, a Democrat representing Boulder County and much of Colorado's central mountains is an all-but-announced contender, and is expected to be quite formidable. "McInnis' decision underscores the Republican's tough position in 2008, as scandals in the Bush administration and the morass of Iraq continue to drag down Republican fortunes. Former Rep. Bob Schaffer, retired Air Force Gen. Bentley Rayburn, Attorney General John Suthers are among those to be considering a Senate run. But McInnis' decision will cause others, including former Governor Bill Owens and former Congressman Bob Beauprez to resurface as prospects." "denver 2008" 5:37:45 PM

War on terror Captain's Quarters: "It's getting to the point where people need a scorecard in Waziristan to keep all of the players straight. A battle broke out today between Taliban elements in Waziristan and Uzbeki terrorists from al-Qaeda who overstayed their welcome in the Pakistani mountains." "2008 pres" 6:52:41 AM

Jefferson County groundwater district? From today's Rocky Mountain News, "Jefferson County commissioners on Tuesday rejected proposed groundwater assessment rules for new mountain homes because a requirement to monitor nearby wells during yield tests on new wells had been dropped... "The county's planning and zoning division had proposed the revised Mountain Groundwater Overlay District after a series of hearings last year on how to promote sustainable development and an adequate water supply for homes in the foothills and mountains. The district would include the land west of the Dakota Hogback above 6,400 feet, which is the county's fastest-growing area. About 100,000 people currently live in the proposed district... "The proposed rules would have required a pump test to see if an individual well had sufficient flows for each home. But the planning and zoning division removed a requirement that nearby wells also be monitored during the test to assess the impact of the new development. Patrick O'Connell of the planning division said that was because the monitoring test results didn't provide a complete picture of the water supply, which varies throughout the year and from year to year. Furthermore, they weren't cost-effective. He said the cost of the tests would vary from $500 for a single home to $150,000 for a subdivision with more than 200 homes... "The commissioners voted unanimously to return the proposed groundwater district rules to the planning division to review the value of hydrogeologic reports on nearby wells during flow tests." "colorado water" 6:43:07 AM

Coffman orders re-certification of voting machines From today's Denver Post, "Secretary of State Mike Coffman said Tuesday he has adopted new rules for testing electronic voting machines after problems in the November election. 'Coloradans must have confidence in the technology used to conduct elections, and these new testing requirements will provide that confidence,' Coffman said in a statement. The new procedures were adopted under the secretary's rule-making authority. They include detailed security standards for all voting systems that will require 437 tests to be certified for use in Colorado. Coffman said the four electronic voting systems currently used in Colorado's 64 counties will have to apply for recertification, a process that could take up to 90 days. The four systems are created by Hart Intercivic, Diebold Election Systems, Sequoia Voting Systems and Election Systems and Software." "denver 2007" 6:35:54 AM

McInnis for U.S. Senate? Scott McInnis is still looking at a run for the U.S. Senate, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Republican Scott McInnis said in January that 'there was no question' he would run for the U.S. Senate if Wayne Allard decided not to seek re-election. But two months later, McInnis is still 'assessing' a run as the road toward a possible nomination has become bumpier. Not only does the national political environment still show voter dissatisfaction with Republicans, but GOP backers have paused at some of McInnis' past political decisions and current status as a lobbyist. Additionally, former Sen. Bill Armstrong, known as the 'godfather' of the state GOP, isn't backing him, and has thrown his support behind former U.S. Rep. Bob Schaffer - who hasn't decided whether he is running... "Colorado is currently the only state with a 2008 Senate race in the 'tossup' category, said Jennifer Duffy, managing editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. National players are expected to funnel large amounts of money here, but they don't want to waste it on bitter primaries or candidates that don't have adequate support... "And McInnis does have some handicaps, Duffy pointed out. He is a lobbyist, which can be a liability in a political race. Some of his work has already led some liberal groups to dub him 'McLobbyist' - similar to the 'lawyer-lobbyist' label wielded effectively against Democrat Tom Strickland when running against Allard. McInnis, the six-term congressman from Grand Junction, also left office two years ago embroiled in a controversy for paying his wife more than $37,000 to serve as his campaign manager even though he wasn't running for anything. The payments were not illegal, but it caused some watchdog groups to contend McInnis violated the spirit of the law. 'It's a different political climate, ... and some of his baggage becomes much heavier,' Duffy said. Wadhams said if McInnis decided to run, voters would care most about McInnis' voting record, 'which is consistent with Colorado' voters. But the question still remains whether McInnis will have enough support from the conservative base." "denver 2008" 6:33:02 AM

Biosand filters are found to be effective From Science Daily, "U.S. scientists have found biosand household filtration devices can reduce the incidence of diarrhea, a major cause of death in developing nations. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor Mark Sobsey and researchers in the university's School of Public Health compared rates of diarrhea and the condition of drinking water in homes in two villages near Bonao, Dominican Republic. They monitored about 150 households without filters for four months, assessing the rate of illness. Then, about half the houses were given biosand filters -- concrete containers holding gravel and sand. All households were monitored for another six months. The team's initial analysis showed the filter reduced diarrheal disease by up to 40 percent." "colorado water" 6:21:33 AM

WWF: World's Top Ten Rivers at Risk Here's a opinion piece on a new report from the WWF about the top 10 rivers at risk around the world, from the Arab News. They write, "There is a deadly dichotomy between the growing success of international campaigns to improve the survival, health and longevity of the world's poor and the rising struggle to feed, educate, house and find work for these same people. With ever more stomachs to fill and hands to employ, the environment faces continuous degradation, most prominently with the steady loss of rain forests, both plundered for timber and firewood and cleared to create new farmland of often short-lived fertility. However, as a new report [pdf] from the Geneva-based World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) makes clear, fresh water is also under threat as the world's rivers are increasingly dammed, diverted and obstructed for irrigation, power, industry and drinking. "The top ten threatened rivers include the legendary Nile, Yangtze and Ganges in Egypt, China and India respectively. Their mighty flows with seasonal flooding once sustained agriculture and fisheries on which great and powerful empires were built. But the rule of Pharaohs and emperors has been swept away by the imperatives of economic growth and profit. With less water allowed to flow along their full courses, the quality of water deteriorates, man-made pollutants dumped into the river concentrate to dangerous levels, fish and plant life is damaged, siltation occurs and an entire ecosystem that once sustained millions is, so we are warned, now being driven into potentially irrecoverable decline. In the United States, the once awesome Colorado River has been so dammed for power and sucked out by agriculturalists, industry and urban centers, that not a single drop of its water any longer flows into the sea. The rising concern over the world's most well-known rivers comes after decades when small flows have been reduced to mere trickles which dry up completely in hot summer months. This is happening throughout North America and Europe and is particularly notable in southern UK." "colorado water" 6:12:41 AM

Snowpack: It's 'crazy warm' Here's an update about the snowpack from the Denver Post. From the article, "With little more than a month remaining for the Colorado high country snow season, a review of statewide water prospects reveals the sort of checkerboard pattern we've come to expect. Some water courses boast solid snowpacks; others lag at levels approaching real concern. In the troubled years since the turn of the century, overall conditions only occasionally have been better. Certainly they have been worse. With the exception of the southeast, where dangerously low reservoir levels gained barely a boost from the deadly blizzard that swept the region, Colorado impoundments generally will enter the runoff period in good shape... "As of Sunday, the Natural Resource Conservation Service reported a 103 percent snowpack for the South Platte, highest in the state. Most reservoirs in the system are either close to full or overflowing. 'Hopefully, we'll provide healthy flows throughout the summer,' said Dave Bennett, water resource planner with Denver Water. Bennett noted that system storage actually improved during the winter for the first time in history. Water currently is spilling over Elevenmile Dam and close to it at Cheesman Dam... "Antero Reservoir stands at 89 percent, poised to fill; both Strontia and Chatfield are brimming. At 69 percent, Aurora's Spinney Mountain Reservoir should approach filling. 'The unusual thing is the early melt,' Bennett said. 'We're having such an early runoff, it's amazing.' The Arkansas ranked as the only other river above average at 101 percent. The Colorado followed at 89 percent, but most other water courses lagged badly. Worst was the San Juan/Dolores with just a 62 percent pack. The Gunnison stood at 77 percent, the Yampa/White at 78 percent, and the Rio Grande at 79 percent - certainly not very encouraging. Two countercurrents make the water situation even more intriguing. Most reservoirs across the state will enter runoff with considerably higher than normal levels. In the southwest, Lemon Reservoir stood 173 percent of normal, Vallecito 143 and McPhee 108. Similar conditions exist in other basins where runoff prospects are slim." More snowpack news from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. They write, "March is usually considered a 'powder month' for Colorado ski resorts. Not this year. Powderhorn Ski Resort has lost about 15 inches of snow in two weeks. Now, it's losing up to two inches each day. Over the same period, snowpack across the Western Slope has declined by about 15 percent, the National Weather Service reports. Streams are running high. Simply put, it's 'crazy warm' out there, said Chris Treese of the Colorado River Water Conservation District... "Snowpack conditions have declined significantly, particularly in the Gunnison River Basin, where on March 13, snowpack water content was 82 percent of normal with precipitation for the water year at 97 percent of normal. On Tuesday, snowpack water content was 74 percent of normal, while annual precipitation totaled 93 percent of normal. The Upper Colorado River Basin dropped from a snow-water equivalent 94 percent of normal on March 13 to 87 percent of normal on Tuesday. Plateau Creek east of Palisade may have broken a flow record Tuesday, which was set in 1995, said U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Rick Crowfoot. The creek ran as high as 280 cubic feet per second Tuesday afternoon. The record average flow for March 20 is 232 cubic feet per second. Records have been kept for 68 years... "'Warm, dry springs are killers for water supply,' Bureau of Reclamation hydrologist Tom Ryan said. 'Everyone's out there enjoying the weather, but the water supply picture has gotten bleaker.' Flows into Lake Powell through July are projected to be 59 percent of average, he said. Lake Powell is now 48 percent full and likely will hover around 50 percent until next winter, when the lake will likely begin to drop again, Ryan said." "colorado water" 5:55:42 AM

Fountain Creek management It seems that Fountain Creek is always in the news. Here's an article about augmentation plans and the use of Fountain Creek to transport augmentation water for well users from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "As El Paso County water users are squeezing more water from Fountain Creek, the state is tightening requirements for using that water in well augmentation plans... "The biggest impact comes from growth of communities along Fountain Creek that use surface water to augment stream flows depleted by wells. Wells put in before 1996 are required to provide annual augmentation plans to assure well pumping does not deplete the water supply in the Arkansas River. As more water rights in the valley are more fully developed and as the Southern Delivery System continues to be delayed, less water is available to meet augmentation requirements... "The pinch on Fountain Creek this year is occurring for a number of reasons: A court decision last year limited the amount of water the Cherokee Water District could claim from the Upper Black Squirrel Creek groundwater basin; In the future, the district plans to recycle flows within the basin, reducing their availability to Fountain Creek; Water rights owned by Cody Resources in the developed area near the World Arena must be more accurately measured or they cannot be used for augmentation; A court filing by Security on the Lock Ditch will change how that water fits into augmentation plans; Well use is a major source of water for Fountain and Security, which have filed applications in water court to make full use of groundwater should SDS continue to be delayed; While both communities get water from the Fountain Valley Pipeline, Security uses wells for two-thirds of its water supply, and Fountain gets half its water from wells. "colorado water" 5:48:50 AM

© Copyright 2009 John Orr. Last update: 3/14/09; 9:07:58 PM.