Friday, August 25, 2006

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Bill Ritter and U.S. Representative Bob Beauprez faced off yesterday on the issue of children's healthcare, according to the Denver Post. From the article, "Ritter told the crowd of doctors and invited guests that Beauprez voted in Congress to slash $9 billion in Medicaid spending. The money, he said, would have been used to screen children for disabilities and provide basic care for poor children, including immunizations, at a time when Colorado ranked 50th in the nation in that area. 'Just examine the record,' Ritter said. 'When you're listening to people talk about health policy, make sure you look at the things that back it up as well because this is an issue that's critical to the state.'[...] "The two-term congressman shot back: 'I think they should examine the record. I actually have one.' Ritter is a former Denver district attorney with no voting record on health care issues. Beauprez said he has supported local hospitals and the Medicare prescription drug benefit. He also touted a Medicaid reform bill that he is sponsoring. It would create a pilot program to allow states to spend federal money as they see fit... "Ritter criticized Beauprez's plan to tap into tobacco settlement money instead of supporting Referendum C, saying the revenues pay for valuable programs such as visiting nurses. Beauprez said, 'I have proposed securitizing the undedicated portion of the tobacco proceeds, not pulling the rug out from under breast and cervical cancer and the nurse help line.' Both men agreed that the next governor must reform how the state reimburses doctors for care of Medicaid patients. Ritter said the state must reduce the administration cost. Beauprez said he would assess the rates and suggested that health care officials who provide care to those who can't pay be eligible for a tax credit or a tax deduction." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:55:54 AM

South Platte audit? Candidate for governor Chuck Sylvester is calling for an audit of the South Platte River, according to the Greeley Tribune. From the article, "Chuck Sylvester of La Salle took his write-in candidacy for governor to the steps of the state capitol Thursday and demanded an audit of the South Platte River. Surrounded by a handful of farmers from Weld, Morgan, Logan and Washington counties, Sylvester said he sent a letter to Gov. Bill Owens five weeks ago requesting an audit of the South Platte, but he has not received a response. Owens is term limited and cannot seek re-election... "Dan Hopkins, Owens' press secretary, said the letter had not been logged in at the governor's office, but said an audit of the river would not reveal anything more than have several studies which have been conducted by the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources. 'The fact is drought has more to do with the problems farmers are having than anything an audit would show. The river is just over-taxed,' Hopkins said. The audit request comes as several farmers along the river, such as Elmer Kobobel of Weldona, are fighting for their livelihoods after the state shut down 440 irrigation wells along the South Platte stating pumping those wells was reducing the flow of the river and damaging senior water right holders... "But Leaf, Sylvester and Chuck Miller of the Property Rights Foundation of the West, said water is being taken from farmers by cities, developers and growth demands without paying compensation, driving land valuations down. Leaf said the South Platte has an average 200,000 acre-feet of water a year now than it did in the driest years of the 1950s due to transmountain diversions, and claimed a senior ditch in the Sterling area had almost two times more water in 2002 than it has had this year. In addition, there is an estimated 10 million acre-feet of water in the river's alluvial that farmers are not being allowed to use, he said." Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "A coalition of northeastern Colorado farmers called on Gov. Bill Owens Thursday to order an audit of the South Platte River to ensure water laws are being enforced and water is not being stored illegally. More than 25 farmers and ranchers gathered at the state Capitol and urged Owens to respond to a letter sent to him July 17. Chuck Sylvester, a prominent Weld County farmer and write-in candidate for governor, said rumors are rampant in Weld, Morgan and Washington counties that water laws are being ignored and water is possibly being hoarded upstream by Front Range cities with senior water rights." Category: Colorado Water 6:30:57 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 9/14/06; 1:49:02 PM.