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Tuesday, May 1, 2007
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? for President?
From the North Denver News, "Illinois Senator Barrack Obama leads New York Senator Hillary Clinton in a new national match-up, 32%-30%. John Edwards nets 17%, while the rest of the field languishes below 3% in Democratic presidential primary polling. Obama leads with voters under 40, and a stunning 19 point margin among independent voters likely to vote in Democratic primaries. Rassmussen notes that Edwards tests best against Republicans, an odd turn at best.
"2008 pres"
6:42:14 PM 
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Interior Department appointee Julie MacDonald resigns one week before oversight committee hearing
Josh Marshall: "Shock of the Day: Bush Interior Department appointee resigns rather than face an oversight committee hearing next week. It's Julie MacDonald, deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks at Interior. For your reference, she's the one who, in addition to sharing government reports with industry lobbyists, also shared confidential Interior Department documents with a 'virtual friend' she met on an internet chat site. MacDonald reportedly commisserated with said 'virtual friend' whose opinions she trusted over those of government scientists."
"2008 pres"
6:29:55 PM
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Iraq
Josh Marshall: "Bush: Dem Iraq bill is 'prescription for chaos.' Look who's talking ..."
"2008 pres"
6:26:32 PM
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Immigration
From Squarestate.net, "I just got back from the Immigration March that went through the streets of Denver. Compared to last year, the crowds were smaller. However, they were also younger and a bit more angry. This past year they have seen several raids in the local area that have severly impacted families and communities. The message again this year is for Congress to work on a Comprehensive Immigration Reform. In the meantime, ICE should halt the raids. To me, and the other marchers, it makes no sense to have raids while Congress sits on their butts and ignores the subject."
"2008 pres"
6:09:09 PM
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2007 Denver Municipal Election: Gulchie Awards
Today is election day. Unlike 2003 this election has been a pretty dull affair. Coyote Gulch thinks that candidates and voters are exhausted after the 2006 General election. Mayor Hickenlooper's popularity scared off challengers, as did Dennis Gallagher's campaigning prowess. Apparently no one wanted to put out the effort necessary to knock off incumbents or everyone is happy with the job they're doing. Incumbent councilors also generally had an easy time of it.
Each election in Denver (since 2003) is marked by the awarding of Gulchies. Gulchies are awarded in each race. We recognize the best use of Internet technologies by a campaign. We do not emphasize design since that might turn out to be a award for the deepest pockets. Instead, we judge the campaign based on various criteria.
Criteria for a Gulchie:
 First up, does the campaign have a website? Many campaigns this election do but some don't. Coyote Gulch found 29 candidate sites this cycle. In some cases the effort seemed to depend on how much of a race the candidate had. For example Mayor Hickenlooper pretty much recycled (in the green spirit we're sure) his website from 2003. Meanwhile Dennis Gallagher set the 'minimalist' tone this year. There were exceptions however. Judy Montero's website was the most complete of the election even though she didn't face too stiff a challenge.
Email lists are a great way to reach out. Every campaign should have one. Since email skills are becoming pervasive it's an easy way to reach voters. Lists can be used to coordinate schedule changes, inform on the issues and ask for support. Don't assume that people that sign up for email information are automatically supporters of your campaign. Keep one e-mail list and assign someone to keep it current.
Weblogs have still not caught on in the local elections. Each time we hear candidate complaints about the lack of, or inaccurate coverage in the news media, we're tempted to remind campaigns that they can publish their own items, as often as they want and generate RSS feeds. If there is no weblog, include short and current content. Position papers are not an interesting read usually and a snippet of a candidate position is more accessible. Also post links to longer reads.
Each website needs to make it easy to donate online. Small donors are a great resource to tap and many of these donors use the Web. Fourteen campaigns took online donations this cycle.
Navigation should be straightforward. Make it easy to find various parts of the website. Label buttons intuitively and accurately. Always make it easy to return to the home page.
The website is a great place to post video and audio, including TV ads if the campaign has enough dough for a TV or Radio buy. With YouTube each candidate can show an inclusive attitude, that is, no matter what type of modern computer is in use the video can be viewed. Similarly .MP3 audio format is the inclusive choice.
Include a photo gallery and a photo on every page. You're trying to connect with humans and photo images can help.
Make it easy to find event information. Include addresses and contact phone numbers. Keep this content current. Again, you're trying to connect with people, help them find you.
Websites are not car dealer showrooms. Back off the hard-sell tactics. Many visitors are not supporters and too much selling might keep them from coming back.
A list of endorsements can add credibility.
Strive to present a confident, humble image.
2007 Denver Municipal Election Gulchie Awards:
Mayor - John Hickenlooper
Auditor - Dennis Gallagher
Clerk and Recorder - Jacob Werther
Council District 1 - Rick Garcia
Council District 2 - Jeanne Faatz
Council District 3 - Paul Lopez
Council District 4 - Peggy Lehman
Council District 5 - Mitchell Poindexter
Council District 7 - Chris Nevitt
Council District 8 - Darrell Watson
Council District 9 - Judy Montero
Council District 10 - Jeanne Robb
Council District 11 - Michael Hancock
Council At-Large - Carol Boigon
We want to give special recognition to Judy Montero for her weblog, Carla Madison for the video of the Raging Grannies, Greg Rasheed for his video introduction, Mark Roggeman for design and Carol Campbell for the print a sign application.
Thanks to those that nominated websites for the awards and thanks to the judges. In many contests the choices were tough.
Here are the Gulchies for May 2003, August 2004, November 2004, May 2005, November 2005, August 2006 and November 2006.
"denver 2007"
6:54:02 AM
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Immigration
Immigrants plan to march today to protest recent ICE raids and other enforcement actions, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "When 75,000 people marched to the state Capitol last May 1, the objective was to give a human face to the immigration issue and to urge Congress to act. A year later, the level of urgency is much higher, yet Congress is no closer to confronting the dilemma of what to do with 12 million illegal immigrants who have made the U.S. their home. 'It's very, very important this year to march,' said Georgina, who nine years ago crossed the border from Mexico illegally to work in the U.S. 'This year it's very necessary because we have to stop the raids and stop the repression.' While progress on federal legislation has stalled, last December's Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on Swift meat-packing plants in Greeley and in five other cities have inflamed anxieties in an already vulnerable population. Julien Ross, a spokesman for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, said the march planned today in Denver will focus on the need for legislation to normalize life for the millions of workers already embedded in the economy...
"Somali refugees as well as representatives from the Muslim American Society, the Colorado Council of Churches and several other groups are participating in what has been called the Second Annual Pro-Immigrant National Day of Action beginning at 10 a.m. at Lincoln Park at 11th Avenue and Mariposa Street...
"While activists on both sides of the immigration debate remain furiously polarized, a USA Today/Gallup Poll released last month found growing support nationwide for measures that would allow immigrants to remain here. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said persons in the country illegally should be given an opportunity to become U.S. citizens. Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña said the American people are far ahead of their leaders in understanding the immigration issue...
"Peña said the only reasonable, economically feasible solution is for Congress to provide a path for those here illegally to achieve legal status or citizenship by demonstrating competency in English and an understanding of our governmental system, and paying some kind of fine for their illegal entry into the country. But then, he said, 'we have to draw a line in the sand' and stop illegal immigration. He proposed developing biometric identification systems for workers, hiring more inspectors to monitor worksites across the country and imposing severe penalties for any employer who hires people here illegally."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "enver and other cities across the nation will host another round of marches today to demonstrate that the campaign for immigration reform is still under way. Organizers don't expect the massive turnouts of last May 1, including an estimated 75,000 people in Denver. They say that fallout from highly publicized raids by immigration agents and Colorado's push to curb illegal immigration have combined to discourage public displays of dissent, particularly among people who crossed the border illegally...
"Besides street demonstrations, activists are employing other tactics, including letter campaigns, voter-registration drives and lobbying to promote a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S...
"At the same time, illegal immigration opponents have shifted their focus. Last year, their efforts led to the enactment of state laws aimed at curbing illegal immigration. This year, they are monitoring how the new immigration laws are being implemented statewide. Among the measures was HB 1023, which requires an identity check for those seeking state- funded benefits. It was touted as one of the toughest measures in the country...
"Some advocates are rallying around the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act, which would allow some to apply for legal permanent residency and eventually U.S. citizenship. It would require immigrants to pay a fine, go to the end of the visa line, clear criminal and security background checks, meet English and civic requirements and pay all taxes, among other things...
"Marchers will meet at 10 a.m. at Lincoln Park, West 11th Avenue and Mariposa Street. They'll start walking at 10:30 a.m., passing the Capitol, before arriving at City of Cuernavaca Park at 19th and Platte streets."
"2008 pres"
6:41:05 AM
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Arctic Ice Retreating More Quickly Than Computer Models Project
According to this article from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), "the Arctic's ice cover is retreating more rapidly than estimated by any of the 18 computer models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in preparing its 2007 assessments.
"The study, Arctic Sea Ice Decline: Faster Than Forecast? [pdf] will appear tomorrow in the online edition of Geophysical Research Letters. It was led by Julienne Stroeve of the NSIDC and funded by the National Science Foundation, which is NCAR's principal sponsor, and by NASA. 'While the ice is disappearing faster than the computer models indicate, both observations and the models point in the same direction: the Arctic is losing ice at an increasingly rapid pace and the impact of greenhouse gases is growing,' says NCAR scientist Marika Holland, one of the study's co-authors. The authors compared model simulations of past climate with observations by satellites and other instruments. They found that, on average, the models simulated a loss in September ice cover of 2.5 percent per decade from 1953 to 2006. The fastest rate of September retreat in any individual model was 5.4 percent per decade. (September marks the yearly minimum of sea ice in the Arctic.) But newly available data sets, blending early aircraft and ship reports with more recent satellite measurements that are considered more reliable than the earlier records, show that the September ice actually declined at a rate of about 7.8 percent per decade during the 1953-2006 period...
"The study indicates that, because of the disparity between the computer models and actual observations, the shrinking of summertime ice is about 30 years ahead of the climate model projections. As a result, the Arctic could be seasonally free of sea ice earlier than the IPCC-projected timeframe of any time from 2050 to well beyond 2100. The authors speculate that the computer models may fail to capture the full impact of increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Whereas the models indicate that about half of the ice loss from 1979 to 2006 was due to increased greenhouse gases, and the other half due to natural variations in the climate system, the new study indicates that greenhouse gases may be playing a significantly greater role. There are a number of factors that may lead to the low rates of simulated sea ice loss. Several models overestimate the thickness of the present-day sea ice and the models may also fail to fully capture changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation that transport heat to polar regions...
"Although the loss of ice for March is far less dramatic than the September loss, the models underestimate it by a wide margin as well. The study concludes that the actual rate of sea ice loss in March, which averaged about 1.8 percent per decade in the 1953 -2006 period, was three times larger than the mean from the computer models. March is typically the month when Arctic sea ice is at its most extensive. The Arctic is especially sensitive to climate change partly because regions of sea ice, which reflect sunlight back into space and provide a cooling impact, are disappearing. In contrast, darker areas of open water, which are expanding, absorb sunlight and increase temperatures. This feedback loop has played a role in the increasingly rapid loss of ice in recent years, which accelerated to 9.1 percent per decade from 1979 to 2006 according to satellite observations."
"2008 pres"
6:17:21 AM
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Colorado River: Basin States' alternative
From the Mohave Daily News, "Arizona, Nevada and five other Colorado River states filed a plan with the Interior Department on Monday aimed at divvying up scarce water resources during drought. Official said the long-debated pact represented the most comprehensive guidelines in the history of the river, and said it would protect 30 million people who depend on the river for drinking water...
"The plan was submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation at the close of a comment period on an environmental study of Colorado River operations. It is due for review by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne...
"Under existing rules commonly referred to as the law of the river,' and dating to the 1920s, the four upper Colorado River basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are obligated to let 8.23 million acre feet of water per year flow to three lower basin states - Arizona, California and Nevada. Under the proposed plan, the upper basin could release less water downstream if drought continues and less-than-average snowpack accumulates on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The lower basin states would adjust by augmenting their supplies through what the plan calls 'intentionally created surpluses.' The proposal includes a water shortage agreement between Nevada and Arizona, and allows water for agriculture in Southern California to be 'banked' in Lake Mead for future use if farm lands are allowed to go fallow. It also would let the Southern Nevada Water Authority tap water holdings in the Coyote Spring area of Nevada and exercise its rights to draw water from the Virgin and Muddy rivers...
"The proposal contains a promise from the [Southern Nevada Water Authority] to help finance construction of a reservoir in Southern California's Imperial Valley, near the Mexico border. The reservoir would capture irrigation water that would otherwise flow past Southern California farms during rainy weather. Kay Brothers, water authority deputy general manager, said the plan calls for enough water to be released from Lake Powell, the reservoir behind the Glen Canyon Dam along the Arizona-Utah state line, to ensure Lake Mead doesn't drop below 1,025 feet above sea level."
More coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Western states that rely on the Colorado River for water have agreed on a plan for dry years that protects Colorado's supplies, Gov. Bill Ritter said Monday. Deliveries to Arizona and Nevada in drought years would drop when water levels in Lake Mead drop below a set level, he said...
"The agreement still must be approved by Secretary of Interior Richard Kempthorne, who is reviewing the proposal."
Here's an article about the proposed agreement from the Jackson Hole Star-Tribune. They write, "Under the new agreement, the lower-basin states would have to make adjustments by augmenting their supplies by created water surpluses. California might 'bank' agricultural water for future use, by holding it in Lake Mead, then use it later. There are also incentives for desalinization projects, protection of canal water from seepage or evaporation, and removal of water-gulping salt cedar and Russian olive trees. According to Wyoming State Engineer Pat Tyrrell, 'This agreement reduces the risk of both equitable apportionment and interstate river litigation as well as the risk of Wyoming water users having to curtail uses.' The Basin States' Agreement will remain in place until 2025. The secretary of the Interior, in conjunction with the seven Colorado River Basin states, has been working on Lower Colorado shortage guidelines and coordinated operating criteria for Lake Powell and Lake Mead under low reservoir storage conditions. The so-called 'Basin States' Alternative' is one of five alternatives included in a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation environmental impact statement released earlier this year. Most significantly, the signing of the agreement greatly reduces the threat of litigation among the Colorado Basin states over reservoir operations and water uses through 2025. The agreement commits all involved parties to pursue alternative dispute resolution in lieu of filing lawsuits for the duration of the agreement. The intent of the agreement is to delay the onset of water shortages in the lower-basin states, while maximizing protection of upper-basin states -- by having Lake Powell storage available for release in order to meet Colorado River Compact flow agreements...
"Tyrrell said the agreement also improves the odds that Wyoming can develop its water projects without fear of lower basin objections. The enlargement of the Viva Naughton reservoir in Lincoln County is a likely beneficiary. 'Anything that encourages development in the Upper Green River Basin is welcome,' said Michael Purcell, director of the Wyoming Water Development Commission."
"colorado water"
5:48:40 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 9:13:38 PM.
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