http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/ Dazed and confused coverage of the Denver November 2005 Odd-Year Election Copyright 2007 John Orr Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:42:41 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.2.1 jworr@opermail.com jworr@opermail.com rssUpdates 23 0 22 3 1 12 14 21 60 http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2006/09/22.html#a5687 <p><a href="http://www.coloradoconfidential.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=689">Colorado Confidential:</a> "In Colorado, the medical profession is sounding alarm bells over the state of our health care system. The August 2006 issue of Colorado Medicine provides some insight, in a series of articles about how the profession feel about those problems. Perhaps the place to start is with the comments of Micahel J. Pramenko, MD, the President-Elect of the Mesa County Medical Society."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/2008presidentialelection/">2008 Presidential Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2006/09/22.html#a5687 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 13:27:18 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/29.html#a3707 <p>From today's Denver Post: "Nearly half of the state's registered voters cast ballots in this month's election, setting a new record for an odd-year election. The official turnout for the Nov. 1 election was 49.85 percent, breaking the record of 47.25 percent set in 2003, Secretary of State Gigi Dennis said Monday. Phillips County had the highest turnout, at 75.06 percent, and Dolores County had the lowest, at 36.87 percent. In 2003, voters soundly defeated a $2 billion proposal for water projects. A lot of money was also at stake in the latest election. Under the official tally, 52.06 percent of voters backed Referendum C, suspending the tax limits in the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, a constitutional amendment, for five years, allowing the state to keep about $3.7 billion that otherwise would have been refunded to taxpayers. However, 50.62 percent of voters rejected a companion measure - Referendum D - that would have allowed the state to borrow up to $2.1 billion for roads, school maintenance, pensions and other projects."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_4274257,00.html">coverage</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 29, 2005, "Voter turnout set record for off years"]. <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/29.html#a3707 Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:34:46 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/20.html#a3681 <p>Republican rancor over the November 1st election <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3235275">is still evident</a>, according to the Denver Post [November 20, 2005, "Election wounds still raw in GOP"]. From the article, "State party leaders brought in a high-ranking mediator - Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman - to remind officials of their common cause. Mehlman was the featured speaker at a Friday night fundraiser, which attendees paid $75 per person to attend. 'One of the biggest applause lines I got in there was when I talked about the importance of party unity,' Mehlman said after the event. 'I talked about if you agree with somebody on 80 percent and disagree on 20 percent, you're an 80 percent friend, not a 20 percent enemy.'"</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/20.html#a3681 Sun, 20 Nov 2005 15:33:12 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/16.html#a3667 <p>State officials are scrambling a bit to fund highway projects now that Referendum D failed with the voters. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Governor Owens wants to earmark most of the Referendum C dough next year for <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_4242690,00.html">highways</a> [November 16, 2005, "Ref C eyed for roads"]. From the article, "Gov. Bill Owens on Tuesday proposed spending nearly all of the $440 million in new money that Referendum C will bring Colorado this year on highway construction and the state's reserve fund. That's technically allowed under Ref C, which lifted TABOR limits on state spending for five years. But it doesn't match the message of the just-completed election campaign for Ref C, which told voters the additional revenue would go to K-12 schools, higher education and health care. Owens would provide significant new money for those areas only next year, in the 2006-2007 budget. The Republican governor's spending proposals are not set in stone. Colorado's legislature sets the budget, and it is controlled by Democrats. House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, was critical, but did not condemn the governor's budget."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3220813">coverage</a> from the Denver Post [November 16, 2005, "Roads take the fast lane in Owens' budget plan"].</p> <p>Meanwhile the people will be <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/government/article/0,2777,DRMN_23906_4241905,00.html">watching the budget</a> as never before, according to the Rocky Mountain News [Novmeber 16, 2005, "Budget plan encounters high level of scrutiny"]. From the article, "Spending proposals suggested by the governor Tuesday are just the opening act in a fiscal opera that won't reach a climax until next year. That's when legislators and the governor will come to terms on increases in the current Colorado budget as well as a state spending plan for 2006-2007. What's different this year is a remarkable level of public interest in the budget, following the battle over Referendum C."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/16.html#a3667 Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:41:25 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/13.html#a3660 <p>Here's an opinion piece from today's Denver Post <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/guestcommentary/ci_3203627">urging caution</a> in spending the proceeds from Referendum C [November 13, 2005, "Do what Ref. C says to do"]. They're attempting to describe the "will of the people" with regard to the November 1st election. From the article, "By passing the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in 1992, Colorado voters said they wanted limits on government spending. By passing Referendum C in 2005, Colorado voters said they don't want those limits to drive government out of business. These two votes now serve as guardrails for Colorado's fiscal future. The voters want a frugal and accountable government that still has enough money to effectively promote opportunity and prosperity. Underlying this positive outcome, however, are two critical challenges: First, the resources from Referendum C will be modest compared to the cuts made during the recession. So we must use the money wisely, or we will squander the opportunity we now have to improve the well-being of Colorado families. Second, many Coloradans remain deeply cynical about government...But that's only the first step. What we really need in Colorado - and around the country - is an honest and open conversation about the role of the public sector. What do we think the public sector should do and should not do? What does government actually do now? What can be done to restore trust in the institutions that play such a critical role in our lives? Let's find a process that doesn't demand absolute winners and losers but instead works toward mutual understanding, respect and consensus."</p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/13.html#a3660 Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:00:35 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/12.html#a3656 <p>State house Speaker Andrew Romanoff is looking at easing the burden on state funding during downturns due to the effects of Amendment 23. The amendment mandates that state funding for K-12 increase even during poor economic times. This is a direct response to critics of the recently passed Referendum C. Here's an <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3207727">article</a> from the Denver Post on the subject [November 12, 2005, "Dem tinkers with Amend. 23"]. They quote Romanoff as saying, "It's a way to enable our schools to weather economic storms without imperiling other state services. And it's a way, frankly, to concede a point the opposition made."</p> <p>Meanwhile here's the link to <a href="http://www.draftromanoff.com/">Draft Andrew Romanoff.com</a>. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/smiley.gif"></p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovemberr2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/12.html#a3656 Sat, 12 Nov 2005 15:41:18 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/10.html#a3651 <a href="http://westword.com/Issues/2005-11-10/news/offlimits.html"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/elections/potthinmargin.jpg" width="64" height="90" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named potthinmargin.jpg"></a> <p>Westword has the roundup of the aftermath of <a href="http://westword.com/Issues/2005-11-10/news/offlimits.html">Initiative 100</a>. They write, "Late November 1, shock and awe spread through the minds of city leaders as they learned that voters had actually passed Initiative 100, which changes city ordinances to legalize the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana -- and state laws be damned. People expect such shenanigans from San Francisco or Portland -- or Boulder, especially -- but our fair cowtown? Local officials agonized. What might this mean for Denver's image? Would Jay Leno make fun of us? (Short answer: Yes.) What message did this send to the children? Would people say that this truly puts the "high" in Mile High City? Sorry, but who gives a crap? Off Limits knows there are more pertinent questions that concern our readers. For example, how would this affect our pocketbooks? What would it do to our local drug dealers? And most important, would it change the way we buy our pot? To investigate these and other pressing issues, the day after the election, we dispatched an operative to Denver's ground zero for street-level marijuana dealing: Civic Center Park. He returned with a dime bag and this report."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/10.html#a3651 Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:52:14 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/09.html#a3649 <p><a href="http://www.newwest.net/index.php/main/article/4279/">New West:</a> "It's been a week since Colorado voters approved Referendum C and called a time-out on the most restrictive provision of the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights. But potential national repercussions keep surfacing. The big news on this front was yesterday's decisive rejection of a state-spending limit in California, although analysts aren't quite sure if Colorado's November 1 vote or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rapidly fading popularity were to blame. Elsewhere around the U.S., however, opponents and proponents of similar legislation and referenda continue debating the issue -- and the implications of a 'no' vote by those who have lived with the draconian restrictions of TABOR for more than a decade."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/09.html#a3649 Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:42:12 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/08.html#a3646 <p>Coyote Gulch thinks it's cool that the <a href="http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com">Cherry Creek News</a> let's local politicians post content. Here's a piece on last Tuesday's elections from <a href="http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=195&Itemid=2">Councilwoman Marcia Johnson</a>.</p> <p>Eric Sonderman analyses the <a href="http://northdenvernews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=39">Novmeber 1st election</a> in today's <a href="http://www.northdenvernews.com">North Denver News</a>.</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/08.html#a3646 Wed, 09 Nov 2005 04:02:24 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/08.html#a3643 <p>Cindy Rodriquez <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_3192138">weighs in</a> on I-100 in her column in today's Denver Post [November 8, 2005, "Pot smoking best kept underground"]. She writes, "I don't think legalizing marijuana is necessary - unless we were to do so for medicinal purposes. If folks want to smoke in their homes, the chances of getting busted are slim. Police don't have the time, or the authority, to do random checks. If they're knocking on someone's door it's probably because someone did something to call attention to themselves - like blaring Metallica at 3 a.m. Besides, I know where this is leading: to get the government to legalize marijuana for all adults, everywhere. Tvert envisions 'a system of tax and regulation where private people are licensed to grow and sell.' Just what we need: more government regulations. Put it in the private sector and the business world would create even more consumers by marketing it the way they do most products - with sex."</p> <p>From today's Denver Post: "Four Denver teachers had opted into Denver Public Schools' pay-for-performance plan by Monday, and another 140 were in the queue to be enrolled, officials said. Monday was the first day to opt into ProComp, a first-of- its-kind salary plan that rewards teachers for how well students do in class and removes them from the traditional union-negotiated step system. Denver voters last week approved a $25 million tax increase to fund the plan."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/education/article/0,1299,DRMN_957_4220486,00.html">coverage</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 8, 2005, "ProComp under way"]. <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/08.html#a3643 Tue, 08 Nov 2005 13:30:52 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/07.html#a3640 <p>How will the excess TABOR funds over the next five years be spent? The Denver Post <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3190397">looks at the issue</a> today [November 7, 2005, "Talk turns to C funds' use"]. From the article, "With control of the legislature and Governor's Mansion up for grabs next year, Democrats and Republicans have already begun trying to position themselves as the best stewards of the billions in additional revenue approved by voters last week. Leaders of both parties have said they will use the estimated $3.7 billion expected to roll in over the next five years as outlined by Referendum C. How they actually work within those broad guidelines during the legislative session next year will set the stage for what is expected to be the most costly and contested election season in years."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/07.html#a3640 Mon, 07 Nov 2005 13:38:09 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/06.html#a3634 <p>Here's an opinion piece about <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181154">last Tuesday's election</a> authored by Governor Bill Owens from the Denver Post [November 6, 2005, "Coloradans say "yes" to economic recovery"]. He writes, "So overall, Tuesday's election was a great success. People throughout Colorado - Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters - set their differences aside and put Colorado first. Around the country, Colorado will be seen as a state that is willing to invest in its future and, more importantly, willing to invest in its people. Colorado is moving forward."</p> <p>Andrew Romanoff has <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181155">authored</a> an opinion piece in today's Denver Post [November 6, 2005, "Lessons to remember in wake of C's victory"]. He writes, "If victory has a thousand fathers, Referendum C may have trouble establishing paternity. Was it the glitch-fixing governor or the skydiving mayor who put the ballot measure over the top? Perhaps it was the endorsements of 1,100 organizations, from the Weld County Livestock Association to the Gunnison Council for the Arts. Or maybe it was just Coloradans' common sense. No one can say for sure why Referendum C succeeded. But in the wake of last week's election, several lessons are apparent - and worth heeding. First, bipartisanship works."</p> <p>Will the coalition around Referendum C last? That's the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3187850">question</a> being asked by lawmakers, according to the Denver Post [November 6, 2005, "Promising partnership"]. From the article, "Colorado lawmakers have high hopes that the extraordinary coalition they formed to pass Referendum C will have a lasting influence during the upcoming legislative session. Republicans joined Democrats and millionaire business executives lined up with labor-union workers to support the ballot measure that lets the state keep extra revenues estimated at $3.7 billion over the next five years. Voters approved Referendum C on Tuesday. While the group won't continue meeting on a regular basis, they said they have created a fragile foundation for future negotiations."</p> <p>John Andrews is still attacking supporters of Referendum C and <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181153">distorting the facts</a> in his column in today's Denver Post [November 6, 2005, "Voters defang the TABOR-toothed tiger"]. He writes, "Opponents of Referendum C counted on voters rejecting a bigger tax bite, $3,100 for the average family in the next five years, under the pressure of high prices for gasoline, home heating, health care and housing. We appealed to people's skepticism that the Democrat-led legislature would use the new money responsibly. Polling even last weekend suggested proponents hadn't made the sale."</p> <p>Coyote Gulch would remind the former state legislator that the $3,100 figure was thoroughly debunked during the campaign along with the claim that it was driven by Democrats. Mr. Anderson, it's time to get off the talking points and look at what happened. Do the science. We do love the "fact" that you're a "Reagan conservative" while Governor Owens is now a "Bush Conservative." It'll be a while before those wounds heal and that's healthy for our state Republican party.</p> <p>Bob Ewegen <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ewegen/ci_3184290">weighs in</a> on Referendum D's defeat last Tuesday [November 6, 2005, "Voters cancel state's credit card"]. He writes, "Caldara, in contrast, fought the third and fourth letters of the alphabet from the git-go. But he believes that D's defeat in what he calls a 'split decision' still means the state can build new highways on a pay-as-you-go basis. 'By defeating Referendum D, we just took away the state's credit card. They can still build new roads, they just can't borrow the money,' Caldara said. That's the same position Gov. Bill Owens and transportation chief Tom Norton are taking - that the voters want better highways as long as they aren't paid for with borrowed money."</p> <p>The Denver Post editorial staff is <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181280">singing the praises</a> of State House Speaker Andrew Romanoff and Governor Owens today [November 6, 2005, "Colorado well served by fiscal leadership"]. From the editorial, "The battle for Referendum C was won thanks to inspired leadership from Coloradans to whom we tip our hats for pragmatism and principle. At the top of the list is Gov. Bill Owens and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff. They worked hard to craft the substance of the fiscal measures and campaigned tirelessly to protect Colorado's future. They're not exactly best buddies, but they got the job done even while incurring the wrath of partisans who can't imagine the benefits of bipartisan cooperation."</p> <p>Here's an editorial from today's Denver Post claiming that the people have gotten back some <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181279">faith in government</a> and that the Referendum C vote and other revenue issues shows it [November 5, 2005, "Voters invest in local services"]. From the editorial, "While all eyes were on the state revenue battle known as Referendum C, voters were approving more than two-thirds of the local tax issues put before them across the state."</p> <p>Fred Brown discusses Tuesday's election <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3181276">winners and losers</a> in his column from today's Denver Post [November 6, 2005, "Election's winners and losers"]. He writes, "Sen. Norma Anderson and other centrist Republicans, including Steve Johnson and Nancy Spence, restored credibility for the old-fashioned moderate wing of the Republican Party. For years, "moderate" has been a dirty word in some GOP circles, but they proved that occasional negotiation works better than constant confrontation."</p> <p>Here's a look at the vote for <a href="http://cortezjournal.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/05/news051103_1.htm">Referendums C and D</a> from the Cortez Journal - serving the tri-small towns of Dolores, Mancos and Cortez. From the article, "In a mirror image of the statewide vote on C and D, electors of Montezuma County gave state Referendum C a thumbs up in Tuesday's election, but voters said "no" to its companion measure, Referendum D."</p> <p>Coyote Gulch thinks that Montezuma county may move into a role as a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bellwether">bellwether</a> for future statewide votes. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/smiley.gif"></p> <p><a href="http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=1350">Elevated Voices:</a> "The article also discusses the racism and hyperbole behind the demonization of marijuana."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/06.html#a3634 Sun, 06 Nov 2005 14:10:25 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/05.html#a3633 <p>Here's a historical look at <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4214378,00.html">one item from the history of marijuana in Denver</a> from today's Rocky Mountain News [November 5, 2005, "Pot considered 'murder weed' in 1937"]. From the article, "On Oct. 2, 1937, in the somewhat shady Lexington Apartments at 1200 California St. in Denver, Samuel R. Caldwell became the first person in the United States to be arrested on a marijuana charge. Caldwell, a 58-year-old unemployed laborer moonlighting as a dealer, was nailed by the FBI and Denver police for peddling two marijuana cigarettes to one Moses Baca, 26. If you're wondering why it took the U.S. government so long to bust a pot dealer, it's because until the Marijuana Stamp Act was passed - on you guessed it, Oct. 2, 1937 - cannabis wasn't illegal."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/05.html#a3633 Sat, 05 Nov 2005 21:58:27 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/04.html#a3629 <p>Denver is in the worldwide spotlight because of voters passing <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4211301,00.html">Initiative 100</a> on Tuesday, according to the Rocky Mountain News (and the Coyote Gulch referrer logs) [November 4, 2005, "Pot vote prompts worldwide attention"]. From the article, "Denver voters may have legalized adult marijuana possession Tuesday, but the political fuming, fighting and 'Mile High' fun-poking is just firing up. Passage of Initiative 100 by 53 percent of voters ostensibly changed city law to legalize private adult possession of 1 ounce or less of pot. But city law enforcement and political leaders say the vote was merely symbolic, because state law trumps local ordinances. Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and police officials warn that pot possession will continue to be prosecuted under state law as a petty offense punishable by a maximum $100 fine. Now, Denver officials are feeling heat and heckling, both from residents outraged that leaders are ignoring the will of the voters and citizens worried the city is going to pot."</p> <p>I'm sure that Councilman Charlie Brown agrees with this quote, attributed to Mo Udall, "The people have spoken, goddamn them." The councilman is very upset at the spotlight shining on the Mile High City. Hat tip to <a href="http://newmexiken.com/archives/2005/11/006687.php">NewMexiKen</a>. <p>Here's an article about the efforts of the Pro-Referendum C <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4211774,00.html">crowd</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 4, 2005, "Ref C victory came down to sweat, little sleep"]. From the article, "'My goodness, I don't think I've ever worked harder on any campaign,' said Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez. 'I've got bags under my eyes from lack of sleep.' His four-county district in southwestern Colorado rewarded him by supporting Referendum C. 'My county, Montezuma, which votes Republican, voted for it,' Larson said Thursday. Rec C passed in Montezuma with 51 percent of the vote. That's the story all over Colorado."</p> <p>Bill Johnson writes about his surprise that <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_4211267,00.html">Referendum C</a> passed [November 4, 2005, "Johnson: Referendum C victory is defeat for fear"]. From the opinion piece, "Had I been a true gambling sort, I would be without a home today because I certainly would have bet that Referendum C, the TABOR refund-suspending ballot measure, would lose. I would hardly have wagered my home, I must tell you, on an up or down vote on the referendum's merits. I cannot remember the last time a ballot issue or candidate was ever decided on that basis. No, I simply figured fear would, once again, win out, that we would again retreat into that ugly, dark part of ourselves, clinging to yet another nebulous, supposed threat that voting in favor of Referendum C would make real. I can still hear the radio ad I first noticed about a week ago, driving my son to school. It was the one with the woman who described herself as a mother and "former crime victim," who urged us in her lilting voice to vote against Ref C because it would benefit illegal aliens. My jaw dropped, my brain nearly fell out and I just about wrecked the truck. That's what passes as the ultimate fear factor these days: Illegal aliens! Heavens."</p> <p>The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_4210374,00.html">declares</a>, "The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights is not 'as good as dead,' as House minority leader Joe Stengel mistakenly told leaders of the national tax-limitation movement this week in the wake of Ref C's passage...Rather than point out that Ref C backers did precisely what TABOR envisioned in asking voters for permission to keep a portion of refunds, these critics are depicting any breach of the refund base as the equivalent of a TABOR repeal. It's idiotic, frankly, and we don't use that term often." [November 4, 2005, "An imaginary death for TABOR"].</p> <p>The Denver Post editorial staff <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3180414">chimes in</a> [November 4, 2005, "Reports of TABOR's death ..."]. <p>State Democrats are promising that they won't blow <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3180962">all the cash</a> the voters are letting them keep, according to the Rocky Mountain News [November 4, 2005, "Dems promise fiscal restraint despite allure of C's windfall"]. From the article, "The Democratic majority this winter will adhere to the spending areas spelled out in Tuesday's Referendum C, which authorized a $3.7 billion spending increase over the next five years, party leaders said Thursday. Republicans say they don't trust Democrats to restrict themselves to spending on K-12 education, higher education and health care. But they will, Democratic Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff said."</p> <p>State legislative leaders say that the passage of Referendum C will not trigger a <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3180890">spending spree</a>, according to the Denver Post [November 4, 2005, "Lawmakers caution that Ref. C no pot of gold"]. From the article, "Colorado's top lawmakers have little wiggle room in writing next year's state budget, even though voters this week agreed to let the state keep more taxpayer money over the next five years. The state barely has enough to prevent deep cuts in existing programs - not a pot of gold that will pay for new programs, said top legislative Democrats a day after reports surfaced of tension over the money."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/04.html#a3629 Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:08:22 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/03.html#a3627 <p>Colorado's recent election is big new back east according to <a href="http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=1344">Elevated Voices</a>. Jeralyn Merritt writes: " The national press has been following Colorado's election closely on Referendums C and D. Today the New York Times has an editorial, How Colorado Got Its Government Back."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/03.html#a3627 Fri, 04 Nov 2005 06:12:36 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/03.html#a3620 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/referendumscandfinal.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/referendumscandfinal.jpg" width="64" height="126" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named referendumscandfinal.jpg"></a> <p>Things are getting back to normal here in Denver after Tuesday's election. The people have decided regarding their TABOR refunds and now the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3176799">losing side</a> is shopping for an activist judge to overturn the decision, according to the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "Foes of C weigh lawsuit to stop spending"]. <i>Politics in the 21st century</i>. From the article, "They lost the fight over Referendum C, but Colorado's small-government activists may not be out of tricks yet, they said Wednesday. The leaders of the movement are considering their legal options, they said. They could move quickly and seek a court order stopping the legislature from spending any of the $3.7 billion to be generated by the five-year suspension of Taxpayer's Bill of Rights refunds. Or, they could wait until the referendum's statutory fix to TABOR's so-called ratchet effect kicks in, a tweak to the TABOR amendment that critics say will be unconstitutional."</p> <p>Here's an article about the Pro-Referendum C troops <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4208266,00.html">and their star-power</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 3, 2005, "Key to C: Big names, bipartisan support"]. From the article, "Two Republicans, two Democrats. The governor (Owens). The walk-on-water mayor of Denver (Hickenlooper). The head of the state's flagship university and political legend in GOP circles (Hank Brown). The boy wonder speaker of the Colorado House (Andrew Romanoff). Opponents of the measure, including Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, on Wednesday credited the influence of the Four Horsemen for passage of the measure, which will let the state override strict spending limits established by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights."</p> <p>Political junkies will want to tune in to the Colorado Pols weblog today for a <a href="http://coloradopols.com/archives/2005/11/lynn_bartels_qa.html">Q&A with Lynn Bartels from the Rocky Mountain News</a>. Make sure to click on the link for a preview of today's Q&A. Ms. Bartels has already answered some preliminary questions.</p> <p>You would think that State Representative Joe Stengel</a> had never been on the losing side of an election before. Here's an <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3176882">article</a> from the Denver Post about his reaction to Tuesday's election [November 3, 2005, "Anti-taxers ring knell for TABOR"]. From the article, "The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights is dead in Colorado, Joe Stengel told more than 40 small-government activists and conservative lawmakers from around the country in a national conference call Wednesday. 'It frankly will eliminate TABOR,' he said about the vote in the conference call organized by Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist in Washington, D.C. 'TABOR's as good as dead.'</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4208407,00.html">coverage</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 3, 2005, "Lawmaker: TABOR is kaput"].</p> <p>Coloradans told the state it would be OK to keep their TABOR refunds for five years but balked on letting the state go in to debt to spend the dough before it was collected. Here's an article from the Denver Post detailing the effects of the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3176517">defeat of Referendum D</a> on Tuesday [November 3, 2005, "CDOT must map future without boost of D"]. From the article, "Colorado's roads were the big loser Tuesday as state voters narrowly rejected Referendum D. If approved, the measure would have accelerated construction of 55 of the state's most critical highway projects using $1.2 billion in borrowed money."</p> <p>The battle over Referendum C lined the pockets of consultants and media outlets according to this <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3176518">article</a> from the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "C, D battle among the costliest"].</p> <p>More <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4208384,00.html">spending information</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 3, 2005, "Rich Dems anted up"]. <p>If you're planning to move to Denver to take advantage of our new laws regarding the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3176877">use of marijuana</a> you might want to think it through some more, according to the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "Police likely to ignore pot vote"]. From the article, "As Denver officials react to Tuesday's vote to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, they can look to two West Coast cities where similar initiatives won approval. Voters in Oakland, Calif., and Seattle told police to make possession of small amounts of marijuana the lowest priority, but each city responded differently. In Seattle, the number of people prosecuted for pot possession has plummeted since voters approved an initiative in September 20."</p> <p>The Denver Post editorial staff <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3176074">weighs in</a> on Intiative 100 [November 3, 2005, "Marijuana vote sends message"]. They write, "Denver's approval of a ballot measure to legalize adult possession of small amounts of marijuana isn't really going to decriminalize the drug in our city, but it sends a simple message to federal and state authorities: it wouldn't be reefer to madness to finally debate and resolve the issue...The Post supports ending the 70-year-old federal ban on marijuana and instead strictly regulating and taxing its sale. We think scarce public resources could be put to better use fighting violent crime or treating substance abuse. But that can't happen unless federal laws are relaxed to allow states to regulate marijuana as they see fit. Seattle, Oakland and a few college towns already have passed laws making marijuana possession the lowest law-enforcement priority. Oakland citizens also voted to require the city to develop a plan to license and tax the sale, use and cultivation of marijuana...The war on drugs has been as dismal a failure as Prohibition, which banned alcohol from 1920 to 1933 but didn't keep Americans from drinking and only increased disrespect for the law. That's not to say we don't have some concerns about the effects of marijuana use. We wouldn't want someone who had just lit up to get behind the wheel of a vehicle any more than somebody who's had too much to drink."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4208491,00.html">coverage</a> from the Rocky [November 3, 2005, "I-100 author smokes foes"]. From the article, "It's not even noon and Mason Tvert already has hit seven television and five radio news shows in his post-election victory lap as the architect behind an effort to make Denver the first U.S. city to legalize adult marijuana possession. Tvert has drawn international coverage by turning the tables on the drug war. He calls marijuana the "safer alternative" for society and criticizes the "hypocrisy" of elected officials who condemn pot while condoning alcohol use, despite studies showing that alcohol fuels deadly violence, car wrecks and abuse. He even hounded Denver's super-popular, brewpub-owning mayor, John Hickenlooper, to debate - a challenge the mayor ignored."</p> <p>Backers of Referendum C credit the efforts of the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_3176384">Denver Chamber of Commerce</a> for giving the yes side a boost in helping to build the bi-partisan coalition that worked on the issue, according to the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "Chamber muscle, cash gave C a lift"]. From the article, "Emboldened by its victory on the FasTracks transit measure last fall, the chamber moved forward with its goal of fixing the state budget shortfall. But it didn't want to see the spending restrictions in the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights dismantled. Key in the chamber's early efforts was data from pollster David Hill on what voters would accept in a ballot measure. That information, along with numerous meetings, helped forge a bipartisan compromise. The backing of the chamber and other business groups made it easier for Republican Gov. Bill Owens to take the political risk of breaking with more conservative factions in his party to deal with Democratic legislators, Romanoff said."</p> <p>Here's an article from the Denver Post about <a href="http://denverpost.com/news/ci_3176426">ProComp</a> and teacher reaction [November 3, 2005, "DPS teachers optimistic, cautious toward pay plan"]. From the article, "If the Internet is an accurate gauge of Denver teacher interest in a new pay-for-performance plan, so far there is a lot of shopping but not a lot of commitment. A day after Denver voters approved a $25 million annual tax increase to fund ProComp, an innovative compensation plan for teachers that rewards them for how well students perform, school leaders said they had 500 to 600 hits an hour on the pay measure's website. But only 15 teachers called expressing interest in committing."</p> <p>Political coalitions are a fragile and vulnerable construct. Coyote Gulch however thought the Pro-Referendum C bunch would last more than a few hours after Tuesday's election. He was <a href="http://denverpost.com/news/ci_3176880">wrong</a> according to the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "Referendum recriminations fly"]. From the article, "The war is over. Let the fighting begin. A flurry of political posturing consumed the Colorado Capitol on Wednesday, one day after voters gave the state permission to keep $3.7 billion in taxpayer refunds over the next five years. Republicans attacked fellow Republicans. They also attacked their Democratic opposition in the statehouse. And advocates for public education didn't wait for the final ballot count before they claimed that Referendum D - a bonding measure that would have let the state borrow an additional $2.1 billion - would have passed if more of the money had been set aside for schools and not roads. With so many disputes erupting, there was hardly time for the backers of Referendum C to celebrate their hard-won victory."</p> <p>The Denver Election Commission is considering moving to <a href="http://denverpost.com/news/ci_3176496">voting centers</a> (again), according to the Denver Post [November 3, 2005, "Denver weighing switch to voting centers"]. From the article, "Instead of going to their usual polling places next year, Denver residents may be headed to super voting centers placed in recreation centers and police stations throughout the city. The recommendation from the Denver Election Commission was part of its revised budget, which the City Council's finance committee narrowly moved to a full council vote Monday. Denver would join four other counties in Colorado - Larimer, Weld, Adams and Otero - that use voting centers."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/03.html#a3620 Thu, 03 Nov 2005 11:51:21 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/02.html#a3618 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/bestguvnr.gif"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/bestguvnr.gif" width="64" height="84" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named bestguvnr.gif"></a> <p>Here are the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/election/results.asp">election results for Denver County</a> from <a href="http://www.denvergov.org">DenverGov</a>. Congratulations to the DPS School Board members, Jill Conrad, Michelle Moss, Jeanne S. Kaplan and Kevin Patterson. Denver helped carry Referendum C by going 65% to 35% in favor. The statewide vote was 52% to 48%. Denver voters were also in favor of Referendum D by 63% to 37%. Referred Question 1A - Lodger's Tax won approval by 66% to 34% while Denver De-Bruced for another 10 years at 64% to 36%.</p> <p>ProComp, the new plan to provide incentives for teachers in DPS also passed by a wide margin, 58% to 41%. The district certainly needs a boost for many reasons and Denver voters stated, again, that they are ready to help. Last night at the <i>Yes on C and D</i> shindig Coyote Gulch reminded a couple of his friends over at DPS that four generations of Gulch's have gone through DPS. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/smiley.gif"></p> <p>Here's the coverage of <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4204809,00.html">Referred Issue 3A - ProComp</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 2, 2005, "Backers celebrate ProComp plan victory"]. They write, "Passage of ballot Issue 3A, a $25 million property tax increase, is the final step in six years of work to create the Professional Compensation System for Teachers, better known as ProComp. The system scraps the traditional way of paying teachers based on experience and education, typical in most school districts across the nation, and instead rewards teachers based on sharpening their skills, increasing student achievement and agreeing to work in Denver's toughest schools. Denver teachers can begin to opt into ProComp on Monday, and have up to seven years to decide to join. New hires after Jan. 1 will automatically be enrolled in ProComp. Educators across the nation have been watching the progress of the plan, which was endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association but largely ignored by the National Education Association."</p> <p>Denver voters also made a statement of sorts to law enforcement about the drug war by passing Initiated Question 100 - Marijuana Law, 53% to 47%.</p> <p>Colorado voters surprised many with their <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4205608,00.html">generosity</a> yesterday, according to the Rocky Mountain News [November 2, 2005, "Voters give nod to C"]. From the article, "Colorado voters were in a giving mood Tuesday, saying 'yes' to Referendum C - which will let the state keep and spend $3.7 billion instead of refunding it to taxpayers - and a bevy of other tax increases, including a groundbreaking plan that will offer merit bonuses to some Denver teachers. And some voters were apparently in a partying mood, too: Denver approved an initiative legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. But the battle over Referendum C and its companion measure, Referendum D, were the headline-grabbers Tuesday - just as they had been through a controversial and contentious battle that sparked intraparty warfare among Republicans."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3171985">coverage</a> from the Denver Post [November 2, 2005, "Voters say yes to C"]. <p>The Denver Post details the reaction from <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/localpolitics/ci_3173633">opponents of Referendum C</a> [November 2, 2005, "Opponents of C and D had hoped for an upset"]. From the article, "Douglas Bruce arrived in Denver Tuesday night like a conquering hero but left defeated, having seen voters suspend a key provision of his Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. The author of the 1992 TABOR amendment came from Colorado Springs with a prop wrapped in paper that he ultimately refused to unveil. As it became clear that Referendum C had passed and that the opposition campaign event at the Jackson's Hole sports bar in LoDo would not be a victory celebration, his mood clearly sank."</p> <p>Here's another look at the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/localpolitics/ci_3173632">battle over Referendum C</a> from the Denver Post [November 2, 2005, "Vote a battle of money and message"]. From the article, "The better-funded, more centrally organized campaign won the fight over Referendum C, despite having a more complicated message to sell to voters, experts said Tuesday night."</p> <p>Mike Littwin <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_4205610,00.html">pats Governor Owens on the back</a> in today's Rocky [November 2, 2005, "Littwin: Owens did it his way, the right way, on C"]. He writes, "Owens is a politician who took a huge gamble, with no obvious motive. And because he did, Ref C passes, the anti-government zealots lose and Colorado avoids turning into Mississippi. Owens had little to gain by the passage of Ref C, other than helping to save the state's, uh, bacon. (Note to Jon Caldara - I'm available when you have the pig roast.) You tell me where the motive is. He has only a year left in office, so it isn't as if he'll get to spend the billions that Ref C guarantees. By pushing Ref C, he actually boosts the Democrats who control the legislature and who invested so much in this plan...But it was Owens who pushed this over the top. He campaigned as if his legacy was at stake. That's exactly how Hickenlooper saw it. 'He took the heat,' Hickenlooper said. 'Give the man credit. He stepped back and looked at what was best for the state and what he wanted his legacy to be.' He would be governor of a state that was worth governing - a state that, in the end, decided that government is actually worthwhile, a wealthy state that decided, finally, that it was time to invest in it own future...This race came to stand for low-tax government vs. irresponsibly low-tax government. Out-of-state money poured in. The race got ugly - with Ref C opponents claiming your money would somehow go to illegal immigrants. Responsible government won."</p> <p>Jim Spencer <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3173592">weighs in</a> on the Governor in his column in today's Denver Post [November 2, 2005, "Gov. Owens wins election and respect"]. He writes, "The Republican governor took every cheap shot the extreme wing of his own party offered and survived with his reputation - and his political future - intact."</p> <p>More about the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3173638">Guv's future</a> from the Denver Post [November 2, 2005, "Verdict out on governor's future"]. <p>Here are the Rocky's <a href="http://news.rockymountainnews.com/election/tot_results.cfm">election results</a>.</p> <p>Here's a story from today's Rocky about the <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4205590,00.html">coalition</a> that built the winning campaign for Referendum C. Coyote Gulch admits that it was a bit surreal seeing Bruce Benson, Andrew Romanoff, Governor Owens, Mayor Hickenlooper, Joan Fitz-Gerald, Norma Anderson and many other Republicans and Democrats in a group hug at the <i>Yes on C and D</i> party last night. From the article, "At the Pinnacle Club in downtown Denver, where supporters of the two referendums gathered, the old adage that politics makes strange bedfellows came to life. Chamber of commerce types in three-piece suits embraced trade union leaders, and Owens greeted many Democratic politicians warmly. When asked how he felt celebrating with many figures in the local business establishment, Randy Atkinson of the Denver firefighter's union laughed. 'I don't even think we agreed on everything when it was terrorism,' he said."</p> <p>Here's a <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4205589,00.html">recap</a> of the potential political fallout from the passage of Referendum C from the Rocky Mountain News [November 2, 2005, "Owens wins, loses on C"]. From the article, "Two years ago, pundits touted Owens as a possible 2008 presidential candidate. At the height of the Ref C fight, they pronounced his political career dead. Republican primary voters, they reasoned, wouldn't support someone who backed what they saw as a tax hike."</p> <p>Here's an article from the Denver Post about the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/localpolitics/ci_3173599">DPS School Board</a> races [November 2, 2005, "Conrad captures at-large seat on Denver's school board"]. They write, "Denver voters on Tuesday delivered the hotly contested at- large school board seat to union candidate Jill Conrad, considered by many to be an underdog to architect Brad Buchanan."</p> <p>Here's a short article from the Rocky about the <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4204770,00.html">DPS School Board</a> races [November 2005, "Conrad beats Buchanan in pricey DPS board race"].</p> <p><a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4205588,00.html">Initiative 100</a> coverage from the Rocky [November 2, 2005, "OK of pot issue gives new meaning to Mile High City"]. From the article, "Marijuana advocates scored a breathtaking victory in the Mile High City as Denver voters legalized adult possession of small amounts of marijuana. 'I think it just goes to show that people in Denver were fed up with a law that prohibited adults from making a rational, safer decision regarding what they put into their bodies,' said Mason Tvert, the 23-year- old Denver man who spearheaded the Initiative 100 campaign. While other big cities, such at Seattle and Oakland, Calif., have passed laws making adult pot use a low police priority, supporters said passage of I-100 would make Denver the first major city to legalize adult pot possession of 1 ounce or less. Denver officials maintain amending local law changes nothing, because the vast majority of marijuana possession busts will continue to be prosecuted under state law."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3173687">coverage</a> from the Denver Post [November 2, 2005, "Denver pot issue passes by thin margin"].</p> <p>Here's a short article about <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4204768,00.html">Referred Question 1B - Denver TABOR and Referred Question 1C - City Charter Changes</a> from today's Rocky [November 2, 2005, "Denver vote lifts TABOR limit"].</p> <p>Here's a short article about <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4204811,00.html">Referred Question 1A - Lodger's Tax</a> from today's Rocky [November 2, 2005, "Higher tax at Denver hotels"].</p> <p>The Rocky is <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4204850,00.html">still in love</a> with my boss [November 2, 2005, "Hick's picks turn out golden"]. They write, "It appears hizzoner still has the golden touch. Or, at least, no less than silver. Mayor John Hickenlooper's name wasn't before the voters, but he invested his considerable political capital and actively campaigned this fall for no fewer than four different issues. Three of the four were winners, led by the hotly contested statewide Referendum C. Its companion measure, Referendum D, was the only Hickenlooper-backed question defeated."</p> <p>The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_4204713,00.html">weighs in</a> on yesterday's election [November 2, 2005, "Breathing room for Colorado"]. They write, "Tax hike or not, Coloradans want it. They're willing to give the state their TABOR refunds for the next five years. They're in favor of resetting the state's spending base and fixing the downward 'ratchet.' They're skeptical of politicians and their promises, but they're not utterly cynical. Once again, in other words, Coloradans proved they're not the reflexive anti-government automatons that TABOR's enemies have so often suggested for the past 13 years. Give Coloradans a good reason to boost a government's budget, and that's what they'll do."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/02.html#a3618 Wed, 02 Nov 2005 12:30:18 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3617 <p>Coyote Gulch was howling with the <i>Yes on C and D</i> kids tonight. He fully expected to be consoling the principals in the campaign owing to the low polling numbers for the referendum over the last week. But...</p> <p>The party at the Pinnacle Club grew more rowdy by the minute as we sensed a victory. The Ol' Coyote was swept up in the emotion as the numbers came in and the political movers and shakers arrived to celebrate. For some of us the thrill winning an election is as good as it gets. Congratulations to the ground troops that won the election with phone calls, yard signs and knocking on doors - a grassroots effort that worked. The $7.5 million raised by Bruce Benson's troops helped a bit also.</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3617 Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:36:53 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3616 <p>The <b>real reason</b> that Coyote Gulch follows political campaigns. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/smiley.gif"></p> <p>In Denver:</p> <p>Join the fun at tonight's Yes on C/D Victory Party. Details:</p> <p>WHAT: Election Night Celebration</p> <p>WHEN: Tonight, 1 November, 7:01pm (after the polls close)</p> <p>WHERE: Pinnacle Club (formerly The Petroleum Club) 555 17th Street, Suite 3700. On 17th Street between Welton and Glenarm. The 37th floor of the Qwest Building.</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3616 Tue, 01 Nov 2005 20:24:54 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3612 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg" width="64" height="62" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named vote.jpg"></a> <p>Don't forget to <b>vote!</b> Here's the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/denvermaps/report.asp?rpt=elect&cat=cgov&me=3106976%2C1644364%2C3255209%2C1761837">precinct finder</a> from <a href="http://www.denvergov.org">DenverGov</a>. Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/electioncommission/">Denver Election Commission website</a>. You can also download voting addresses <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/admin/template3/forms/Official%20Pathfinder_A.xls">here</a>.</p> I know you've all been eagerly awaiting the announcements of the <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/2003/05/04.html#a499">Gulchie Awards</a>. Gulchies are awarded to the campaign in each election that demonstrates the best use of Internet technologies. An understanding of technology is key to the success for today's elected officials. Technology is essential to the democratization of government and can help lower costs, provide better information and service, along with helping to spread the message of inclusion that we all should want from government.</p> <p>The Internet efforts during this election cycle were pretty weak overall with the notable exception of the campaigns for and against Referendums C and D. Coyote Gulch did not find websites from many of the school board candidates. Email updates were non-existent and event schedules nowhere to be found.</p> <p>The winner of the Gulchie for the Referendums C and D debate is <a href="http://www.voteyesonc-d.com/">Vote Yes on C and D</a>.</p> <p>The winner of the Gulchie in the DPS School Board Director at Large race is <a href="http://buchananfordps.com/">Brad Buchanan</a>.</p> <p>The winner of the Gulchie in the DPS School Board Director District 3 race is <a href="http://webster4dps.com/">Matt Webster</a>.</p> <p>The winner of the Gulchie in the Initiative I-100 issue is <a href="http://www.saferchoice.org/"a>SAFER</a>.</p> <p>Thanks to everyone that submitted nominations for Gulchies. We could not have done the evaluations fairly without your input.</p> <p>After all of the rancor stirred up by Referendum C it's nice to see the principals have buried the hatchet. Here's an <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4202428,00.html">article</a> from today's Rocky Mountain News [November 1, 2005, "Ref C adversaries campaign, keep sense of humor"]. They write, "Think tank President Jon Caldara joked Monday he planned to set himself on fire on the west steps of the Capitol to protest Referendum C. Enter Gov. Bill Owens, who offered to throw on the first match."</p> <p><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3170452">Opponents</a> of Referendum C raised a bunch of dough in October to support their cause, according to the Denver Post [November 1, 2005, "C, D foes raise $1 million in homestretch"]. From the article, "Some of the biggest opponents of Referendums C and D raised more than $1 million during the past two weeks. The Colorado Club for Growth Issue Committee raised $813,000 between Oct. 13 and Wednesday, bringing its total to $1.9 million so far this election season, said Greg Gandy, the group's treasurer. All the donations came from the Colorado Club for Growth, Gandy said. He said the group will file an official report with the secretary of state's office this morning. Vote No; It's Your Dough raised $12,000 during the same time period, according to a filing with the secretary of state's office. That brings the group's total to $288,000. The biggest donations to the campaign this reporting period were donations of $5,000 each from Jeffrey Coors, president of Graphic Packaging Co., and Ethan Eilon, a consultant with the Independence Institute."</p> <p>Here's a <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3170461">story</a> about today's election from the Denver Post [November 1, 2005, "Voters tackle fiscal issues, government contests today"]. From the article, "Colorado voters today will set state fiscal policy, elect local government officials and settle local ballot questions that ask them to consider issues involving marijuana, teacher pay, tourism and taxes. Though 35 counties are conducting this election entirely by mail, others, such as Denver and El Paso County, have established polling places. Polls will close at 7 p.m. Election officials can only count absentee and mail-in ballots received before 7 p.m."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4202429,00.html">coverage</a> from the Rocky Mountain News [November 1, 2005, "Metro voters ponder full plate"].</p> <p>The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff looks at the national attention being garnered by <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_4202386,00.html">Referendum C</a> [November 1, 2005, "Colorado in spotlight with referendums"]. They write, "Colorado has once again become the focal point for national attention because of controversial ballot measures, in this case Referendums C and D. Even The Wall Street Journal saw fit to devote its lead editorial Monday to the intricacies of this state's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, denouncing those of us who favor maintaining historically customary spending on transportation and higher education as sellouts to higher taxes. Now here's a fact that has been almost entirely ignored during this fall's campaign: If C and D pass, Colorado's income tax rate will be lowered after five years from 4.63 percent to 4.5 percent, when the surplus allows it, as it eventually will. That tax rate ought to be the source of hosannas from the Journal, not ire."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/11/01.html#a3612 Tue, 01 Nov 2005 11:54:45 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/31.html#a3610 <p>Colorado Pols <a href="http://coloradopols.com/archives/2005/10/referenda_cd_go.html">reports</a> that, "The word today from many insiders close to the YES campaign on Referenda C&D is that the measure appears on its way to failure. Poll numbers have apparently weakened over the course of the last week, and many insiders close to the campaign are preparing for the worst. The weather doesn't look like it will cooperate for the YES campaign, either. It is thought that low turnout would benefit the YES campaign more than the NO campaign, but tomorrow looks like it will be sunny and clear...just not for the YES folks."</p> <p><a href="http://coloradoluis.typepad.com/blog/2005/10/election_day_is.html">Colorado Luis:</a> "The big issue is, of course, Referenda C and D. I am not optimistic that either will pass, because the Republican media consultants who have put together the pro-C and D campaigns have failed to make any argument directed to the sixty-plus percent of Colorado voters who are not members of the Republican Party."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/31.html#a3610 Tue, 01 Nov 2005 02:05:45 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/31.html#a3608 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg" width="64" height="62" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named vote.jpg"></a> <p>Don't forget to <b>vote tomorrow</b> in Denver. Here's the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/denvermaps/report.asp?rpt=elect&cat=cgov&me=3106976%2C1644364%2C3255209%2C1761837">precinct finder</a> from <a href="http://www.denvergov.org">DenverGov</a>. Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/electioncommission/">Denver Election Commission website</a>. You can also download voting addresses <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/admin/template3/forms/Official%20Pathfinder_A.xls">here</a>.</p> <p>The Denver Post editorial staff <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3167024">blasts the Denver Election Commission</a> in today's issue [October 31, 2005, "Update election management"]. From the article, "Innovation seems to scare the commission: It originally planned to use centers where voters could cast ballots anywhere in the city tomorrow but then reverted to the same precinct voting system used in 2004 when 40 percent of all voting problems in Colorado occurred in Denver."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/31.html#a3608 Mon, 31 Oct 2005 13:35:10 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/30.html#a3606 <p>Stygius <a href="http://stygius.typepad.com/stygius/2005/10/xenophobe_phone.html">reports</a> that, "Here's some actual, first-person reporting on Stygius for once: today I got one of those cringingly bad xenophobe phone calls from John Caldara's Vote No crew. In the automated message, one Kathy Redman (sp?) a 'single working mom' and -- bewilderingly -- 'former crime victim,' tells me that voting Yes on Referenda C&D will reward government for failing to stem the flow of illegal immigration into this country. Then, a man's voice intones that the Refs will 'subsidize lawbreakers' in schools, hospitals, and jails. Hence, vote No. Jails?"</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/30.html#a3606 Mon, 31 Oct 2005 01:59:26 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/30.html#a3601 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg" width="64" height="62" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named vote.jpg"></a> <p>Don't forget to <b>vote Tuesday</b> in Denver. Here's the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/denvermaps/report.asp?rpt=elect&cat=cgov&me=3106976%2C1644364%2C3255209%2C1761837">precinct finder</a> from <a href="http://www.denvergov.org">DenverGov</a>. Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/electioncommission/">Denver Election Commission website</a>. You can also download voting addresses <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/admin/template3/forms/Official%20Pathfinder_A.xls">here</a>.</p> <p>Coyote Gulch will announce the <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/2003/05/04.html#a499">Gulchie Awards</a> for this election Tuesday morning. Please keep sending in your suggestions to the judges. Click on the link for the criteria for winning.</p> <p>Former Speaker of the House, Lola Spradley, is urging voters to <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3158045">reject</a> Referendums C and D, in a column in today's Denver Post [October 30, 2005, "Vote down C&D"]. She writes, "It is a tax increase when many families need the money for increased gasoline and utility bills and can use this money better than government. Only government could ask to keep more of your money and tell you it is not a tax increase."</p> <p>Here's the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3165217">last roundup</a> on Tuesday's election from the Denver Post [October 30, 2005, "Tug of war awaits those still on fence"]. They write, "The drumbeat is mounting. The messages will be heard on doorsteps and radio, on voice mail and street corners: Vote on Tuesday. And more than that, 'Vote our way.' Both sides of the debate over Referendums C and D are mobilizing to make sure their supporters vote before 7 p.m. Tuesday and are trying, if still possible, to win the minds of the undecided. 'This is all a matter of turnout now. If 80 percent of our people come out and 90 percent of theirs do, they win,' Gov. Bill Owens said outside a campaign stop last week."</p> <p>The Denver Post editorial staff asks voters to approve <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3162743">Referendums C and D</a> yet another time [October 30, 2005, "C, D will calm fiscal hurricane"]. They write, "A storm has been brewing in Colorado over the past three years - ever since the 2001-02 recession reduced state revenues by 17 percent. Like other states, we adjusted to the circumstances by cutting services. There simply wasn't enough money to do more. As the economy recovered and revenues returned to regular levels, the other 49 states have been able to rebuild such programs as health care, education, highways and parks. Colorado, however, is stuck in a fiscal twilight zone. Revenues are growing again, but an oddball clause in the 1992 Taxpayer's Bill of Rights forbids a return to normal spending levels. Experts call this 'the ratchet effect,' or simply, 'the glitch.' No other state has anything like it. Referendums C and D on Tuesday's ballot give voters a chance to head off this bizarre - and completely unnecessary - budget crisis. Otherwise, Colorado soon will run short of the funds needed to keep a modern state running - the budget office anticipates a $365 million shortfall next year alone and hundreds of millions more in the years ahead. Residents will feel a painful pinch - funding will be at risk for public education, health and safety programs, roads and bridges, reservoirs and parks. State political leaders foresaw this calamity, and Republicans and Democrats buried the hatchet long enough to craft a solution. This is something of a political miracle, as if they saw a hurricane coming and passed a bill to have it stall harmlessly out at sea."</p> <p>Here's a recap of the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3158157">Denver Post endorsements</a>.</p> <p>Here's a short article about the effects of <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_3165188">TABOR</a>. Both sides in the Referendum C debate agree that TABOR has slowed the growth of government.</p> <p>Fred Brown looks at the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/brown/ci_3158027">political heavyweights</a> that have turned out for the debate over Referedums C and D in his column in today's Denver Post [October 20, 2005, "Heavyweights enter the ring"]. He writes, "There are 'A list' celebrities and 'B list' celebrities, but in Colorado, we've been overrun with 'C and D' celebrities. The nasty battle over the two referendums has embroiled a boatload of boldface names."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/30.html#a3601 Sun, 30 Oct 2005 12:13:55 GMT http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/29.html#a3596 <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg"><img src="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/images/vote.jpg" width="64" height="62" border="0" align="right" hspace="5" vspace="0" alt="A picture named vote.jpg"></a> <p>Don't forget to <b>vote Tuesday</b> in Denver. Here's the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/denvermaps/report.asp?rpt=elect&cat=cgov&me=3106976%2C1644364%2C3255209%2C1761837">precinct finder</a> from <a href="http://www.denvergov.org">DenverGov</a>. Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/electioncommission/">Denver Election Commission website</a>. You can also download voting addresses <a href="http://www.denvergov.org/admin/template3/forms/Official%20Pathfinder_A.xls">here</a>. It's in Excel format - not very inclusive of the Commission. Coyote Gulch chooses not to beat them up over it.</p> <p>However, there are many waiting to <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4195762,00.html">beat them up</a>, according to the Rocky Mountain News [October 29, 2005, "Commission promises an error-free election"]. From the article, "Hatchett said critics have overmagnified mistakes that occurred as the commission strains to respond to myriad mandates of new federal and state election laws. An on-going reorganization 'is going to alleviate a lot of the bottlenecks and staff overloads that lead to mishaps and mistakes,' she said."</p> <p>The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff urges voters, again, to vote yes on <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/opinion/article/0,1299,DRMN_38_4195759,00.html">Referendums C and D</a> today [October 29, 2005, "Yes on the state refs"]. They write, "We support C and D because they're vital to maintaining customary state support for transportation, higher education and some social programs. If you're comfortable with the likelihood of a radical restructuring of state government, then opposing the measures may make sense. But don't vote against C and D in the belief the state is frittering away vast sums of money that can be saved when the measures fail. It's not true." The editorial also includes their other endorsements.</p> <p>Tuesday's turnout is expected to be around <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,1299,DRMN_36_4195760,00.html">42%</a>, according to the Rocky Mountain News [October 29, 2005, "Early turnout 'fair' but could reach 50 percent"]. From the article, "In Denver, about 4,500 of the city's 250,000 active voters cast early ballots as of late Friday afternoon, the early-voting deadline. In addition, Denver mailed out 42,394 absentee ballots, and about 27,717 had been returned by Friday, Dillard said. Absentee ballots may be returned through Tuesday. Denver will hold a traditional election with precinct-based polling places on Tuesday. Denver expects a 42 percent turnout overall, keeping in step with previous odd-year elections, officials said."</p> <p>Coyote Gulch reminds voters that 77% of Iraqi registered voters showed up to vote last weekend under the threat of violence. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/smiley.gif"></p> <p>Jason Salzman <a href="http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_86_4195699,00.html">defends</a> the newspaper coverage of the Referendum battle in his column in today's Rocky [October 29, 2005, "Salzman: Critics of Refs C, D slam newspapers"]. He writes, "I sympathize with activists whose unconventional ideas run counter to the establishment, which has certainly lined up behind Referendums C and D. But if you're going to buck the establishment and have journalists listen, you need to have credible information and workable alternatives in hand. This is what the Andrews/ Bruce/Caldara cabal has lacked, and so many of their accusations of media bias ring hollow. They say that the Denver dailies have missed important angles on the TABOR debate. For example, in a brief interview Wednesday, Caldara said the dailies have not adequately analyzed government savings that could accrue from 'competitive contracting,' which would involve putting government services, such as health care, up for bid. But even Caldara cannot produce data showing how much could be saved with this vague idea. And it's not as if the Denver dailies have been shy about digging into the details of the C and D debate. Media critics complain that daily newspapers in America don't cover complicated civic issues like they used to. Instead, the argument goes, they're going the way of local TV news: thin and fluffy. Well, if this is true, you'd never know it from reading the Denver dailies' (ed. and Coyote Gulch) coverage of C and D."</p> <p>Bob Ewegen <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3162287">urges voters to say yes</a> to Referendums C and D in his column in today's Denver Post [October 29, 2005, "C&D for balanced transportation"]. He writes, "For months, you've been infused with information and bombarded with bombast about Referendums C and D on Tuesday's ballot. But many voters are still confused about the effect the Colorado Economic Recovery Act twins will have on Colorado's crumbling and congested transportation network. Do you think C is all about colleges and health care while D is all about highways? Wrong. Both measures include money for transportation needs - and both earmark some of that cash for mass transit. Yes, Referendum D would authorize the state to issue $1.2 billion in bonds to build 55 specific transportation projects. But C would also allocate a comparable sum for transportation needs before its five-year timeout from the Byzantine rules of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights expires in 2010."</p> <p>Category: <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denvernovember2005election/">Denver November 2005 Election</a></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0101170/categories/denverNovember2005Election/2005/10/29.html#a3596 Sat, 29 Oct 2005 14:05:25 GMT