Thursday, September 28, 2006

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? ToTheRight.org: "The results are in from the latest Zogby/Wall Street Journal poll: Ritter (D): 45.5 percent; Beauprez (R): 42.8 percent; Winkler (L): 5.7 percent. It does seem plausible the anti-Ritter attack ads have dragged Ritter down some, but it remains to be seen if Beauprez can turn them into a positive for himself. Zogby, on average, shows this race tighter than other polling outfits. Considering the last two polls showed a 16-17 point gap, we're skeptical the race could have shifted this much and think this poll is an outlier." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:07:13 AM

Amendment 40 Here's an article about Amendment 40 from the Fort Collins Weekly. They write, "These days, there are two versions of Colorado's judicial system. One view paints a picture of fair but tough rulings made by a competent, accountable and experienced judiciary. The other is a portrait of activist judges running rampant over Colorado's most decisive issues, where the scales of justice are weighted down by those who have overstayed their welcome. The voters will do their own weighing in on the judicial system soon. Placed on the November ballot by citizen petition, Amendment 40 alters the Colorado Constitution to hold Supreme Court justices and Appeals Court judges to the same retention as elected officials-and feasibly change the face of the state's judicial system. "The amendment not only puts term limits on the judges, allowing them to serve for up to 10 years, it would also send five of seven Supreme Court justices and seven of 19 Court of Appeals judges packing by the end of 2008. John Andrews, former state senator and creator of the amendment, says the courts are 'out of control and need to be held accountable.' But the retroactive clause that ousts a number of the judges almost immediately has many in the state worried... "Kicking out 12 judges, [Dan Muffly, president of the Larimer County Bar Association ] and others say, would throw the Colorado judiciary into disarray and eliminate the most experienced and knowledgeable judges in the state. Currently, judges have unlimited terms and are ultimately chosen by the current governor. Amendment 40 would feasibly let whoever is serving as governor every 10 years appoint a bulk of the judges. Politics, critics say, would infiltrate the judicial system... "But to Andrews, allowing some to wield a gavel without term limits is allowing for activist judges who 'rewrite the law instead of interpreting it.' 'Term limits on legislators and governors rate very high with citizens as a protection against abuse of power,[per thou] says Andrews, who is the chairman of issue committee Limit the Judges. 'There is a loophole in term limits: many judges serve for life. This closes that loophole.' He says the Colorado Supreme Court has taken away the citizenry's right to vote on immigration, trampled on property rights, shown leniency to murderers and trapped impoverished children in failing schools... "A study shows that on average, Supreme Court justices serve 8.76 years and appellate judges serve 7.64 years. Only Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, 19-year veteran, has served longer than 10 years." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 5:49:53 AM

Beauprez for governor? Summit Daily News: "Conservation groups named Republican Bob Beauprez to their 'Dirty Dozen' list Wednesday, the latest development in a Colorado governor's race in which the environment is playing a prominent role. Tony Massaro of the Washington-based League of Conservation Voters made the announcement during a news conference in Rifle, the heart of one of Colorado's natural gas fields where development is booming. The two-term congressman's endorsement of tax breaks and exemptions from certain environmental laws for the oil and gas industry were among the votes that earned him his latest placement on the list issued every election year, Massaro said. Beauprez was on the 2004 list after getting a score of only 10 percent out of a possible 100 percent based on his votes on environmental issues... "The widespread natural gas drilling and possibility of oil shale development have turned energy and the environment into some of the hottest issues in the governor's race. Both candidates are courting hunters and anglers, many of whom have taken vocal stances on protecting wildlife and pristine backcountry. Some of the loudest debate can be heard in western Colorado, where record gas drilling rates are generating jobs and tax revenue for local governments. The activity is also producing concerns about the potential impacts on the landscape and huge deer and elk herds that draw hunters and tourists... "In August, Beauprez unveiled a plan to offset the impacts of gas development on Colorado's large elk and deer herd and other wildlife. The plan would use some revenue from mineral severance taxes to start a fund to improve and restore wildlife habitat. Some wildlife and outdoors groups have criticized the plan for focusing on offsite improvements rather than avoiding drilling in critical wildlife habitat. 'Bob Beauprez is the only candidate for governor who's put forward a plan to protect wildlife habitat, specifically in energy-impacted areas, that balances the needs for energy-impacted communities,' said John Marshall, Beauprez's spokesman. Marshall said Beauprez consulted state wildlife officials and western Colorado hunters and anglers about his plan. He characterized the environmentalists criticizing Beauprez as people 'who every once in a while put on their blue jeans and try to pretend they're not big city liberals.'" Category: Denver November 2006 Election 5:41:08 AM

Ritter for governor? Here's an article about Bill Ritter's appearance before the Denver City Club from the Denver Daily News. From the article, "While most campaign speeches are anything but short, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter made his address to the Denver City Club short and to the point yesterday. The always neutral and objective City Club invited the former Denver District Attorney's opponent to join the discussion, but Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez was busy with business in Washington. His campaign could not find a proxy to fill in for the congressman. "Instead, Ritter stuck to his side: Taking Colorado through the 21st century with an emphasis on investment. 'Our strategies are entwined in investment, our strategies speak to investing in the people,' he said of his campaign. He said that across the state, all Coloradans are interested in the same issues from education to the economy. But he said all those issues relate to one another, and, therefore, to find a solution, there needs to be an effort to find a correlation. Ritter cited wind-powered farms in Colorado's most rural areas as an example... "In short, Ritter would like to keep conserving and recycling water, evaluate transportation needs without necessarily widening the state's highways, support non-profits, remain nonpartisan in office, and provide additional health care by looking into systems across the state and eventually adopting a system that works for Colorado." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 5:35:48 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 10/1/06; 8:47:17 AM.