Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Amendment 38 Fred Brown (via the Denver Post): "The right to petition government is not as widely recognized as the First Amendment - or supporters of Amendment 38 - might suggest. Fewer than half the states have some form of citizen initiative process, and only 15 - including Colorado - allow direct citizen access to both the state constitution and the statute books. There is no national petition process. None. In Colorado, Amendment 38 would make an already easy petition process even easier. The state constitution, now roughly six or seven times as long as the Constitution of the United States, could grow even fatter. And more local governments - including schools, counties and special districts for water, sewer, fire protection, recreation and other amusements - would be added to the list of entities subject to petition. In theory, this is a good thing. It's a way for dissatisfied citizens to make changes the legislature is too fearful or hidebound or lobbyist-addled to make... "Yet only three states - Colorado, Massachusetts and Nevada - don't differentiate between statutory changes and constitutional amendments in the number of signatures required, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado's requirement - 5 percent of the most recent vote for secretary of state - is one of the more lenient. Most states require many more signatures to petition for a constitutional change. Virtually all states require voter approval of constitutional amendments. But legislators can change statutes, even those approved by voters, by majority vote. Amendment 38 would make that very difficult, while making it easier for citizens to change either laws or the constitution. It doubles the period for collecting signatures and requires judges to rule quickly on challenges to ballot issues. It bans state election officials from using 'technicalities' to invalidate petition signatures." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:33:52 AM

Referendum E The Denver Post editorial staff is urging voters to pass Referendum E. They write, "Several thousand among us in Colorado are veterans who've sacrificed their health to serve their country. Many of these disabled veterans, unable to work, have a difficult time financially. Referendum E on the Nov. 7 ballot would provide modest assistance by easing their property tax burden, and we heartily encourage voters to support it. The measure, sparked by retiring state Sen. John Evans, R-Parker, would reduce property taxes for some veterans by exempting part of the value of their homes from taxation. Only those who are permanently and completely disabled would qualify. "The state's Legislative Council estimates that about 2,200 veterans would qualify. Their average reduction would be $466, and other taxpayers would pick up the tab, estimated to be about $1 million annually, beginning with the 2008 budget year. The tax break would reduce the taxable value of a qualified veteran's home by half of the first $200,000 of the home's value. So, a disabled vet living in a home valued for tax purposes at $200,000 would pay taxes on only $100,000 of value. The state offers such a break now to homeowners older than 65 who have lived in their homes for 10 years... "Referendum E is among seven questions the legislature referred to the ballot, and could be easy to overlook. We hope voters will give the issue careful consideration, and support Colorado's disabled veterans." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:30:14 AM

Coffman for Secretary of State? The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff has endorsed Mike Coffman for Secretary of State. From the opinion piece, "In many years, it might not matter much who is elected Colorado secretary of state. The position typically calls for an administrator who can effectively handle the processing of government documents and the like. "Vision" doesn't seem to be a requirement for the job. But 2006 is different, as anyone who's paid attention to the controversy surrounding the certification of voting machines can attest. The next secretary of state needs to regain the public's trust in the reliability of the technologies used to tabulate ballots. The office demands a person who possesses leadership, experience and independence. So we're delighted that a candidate so clearly qualified for the job as Mike Coffman is on the ballot this year. Coffman - who served for nearly a decade in the legislature and is finishing his second term as state treasurer - is capable, well-informed and has a detailed plan for how the office should be run. He's clearly the top choice in this race. A Republican, Coffman has built a distinguished record as a policy innovator and an advocate for fiscal responsibility. As a lawmaker, he was the author of the state's welfare reform in the 1990s, and his interest didn't die with passage of the bill. He pushed, prodded and consulted with counties around the state to ensure that it worked." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:19:29 AM

Referendum I: Domestic partnerships? The Denver City Club held a forum on Referendum I yesterday, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "State Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R- Berthoud, contends the domestic-partnership ballot initiative could lead to a radical change in family culture and court-ordered creation of gay marriage. Ted Trimpa, a top adviser to the domestic-partnership campaign, argues that the measure would give gay couples legal rights they can't get now and would create stronger protections for their children. The two prominent voices in the gay-rights argument met Tuesday in a debate over Referendum I at a City Club luncheon at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver. More than 50 people listened to the discussion, which focused, at times, on the government's role in marriage and families and whether gay couples are good parents. Referendum I on the Nov. 7 ballot would allow gay couples to register as domestic partners and obtain many legal rights and responsibilities given to married couples. Trimpa, political adviser to gay philanthropist Tim Gill and a lawyer with Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, said Referendum I would acknowledge that gay couples have families and would establish legal parameters for them to follow... "Lundberg predicts that, if Referendum I is approved, a judge will later say that gay couples should be allowed to marry." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:16:18 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Here's a recap of last night's televised gubernatorial debate from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Bill Ritter and Congressman Bob Beauprez engaged in a bitter exchange over illegal immigration Tuesday, with Beauprez claiming Ritter had allowed "alien" felons to roam the streets of Denver when he was district attorney and an angry Ritter accusing Beauprez of trying to 'demagogue' the issue. The debate, held at KMGH-TV Denver's 7, brought both contenders for governor together just five weeks before the Nov. 7 election. Beauprez, who has been trailing Ritter in the polls, went on the attack, accusing Ritter of plea-bargaining with legal and illegal immigrants who should have been deported... "Ritter accused Beauprez of doing nothing to solve the immigration problem during his time in Congress. He said Beauprez had distorted a handful of cases out of thousands handled by his office. 'The next governor of the state of Colorado ought to have more than a cocktail party familiarity with the criminal justice system,' Ritter said. He then confronted Beauprez over his vote in Congress to allow banks to accept 'matricula consular' cards issued by the Mexican government. Many banks allow illegal immigrants to use the cards to open accounts, including Heritage Bank, which was founded by Beauprez. Beauprez said he voted for the bill as part of the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. He criticized Ritter for supporting in-state tuition 'for people here illegally.' Colorado is one of the states that prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition. Ritter said he would support allowing the children of illegal immigrants to have in-state tuition, saying it was cruel to deny education to kids who spoke English and had grown up in this country." Here's the coverage from the Denver Post. They write, "Ritter said that if some of the defendants involved in plea agreements with his office were in the country illegally, they were 'deportable no matter what they plead to - and they should be deported.' 'That's a bunch of spin,' Beauprez retorted, saying Ritter offered the deals to help immigrant criminals stay in the country... "Federal immigration officials, Ritter said, told him they didn't have the resources to deport illegal immigrants convicted of felonies. He blamed Congress for not giving immigration authorities the funding necessary to do their job." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:11:43 AM

Referred Question 1A The Anti-Defamation League is urging Denver voters to reject Referred Question 1A (.12% sales tax increase for early childhood education), according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "The league's Mountain States Regional Office came out against the measure because they say it violates the principle of separation of church and state. "'Although the goals of the Denver preschool plan are laudable, the proposed tax increase would raise serious church/state separation issues because it permits government funds to go to religious institutions to teach religion, without any restrictions or guidelines whatsoever on the use of those funds,' said Bruce DeBoskey, the league's regional director, in a statement. But Zack Neumeyer, co-chair of the Mayor's Leadership Team on Early Childhood Education, said the measure 'isn't about indoctrinating kids' but preparing them for the future." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 6:07:36 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Here's a report about the gubernatorial candidated from YourHub.com. From the article, "The South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the Colorado gubernatorial candidates at a pair of forums held for the Chamber's leadership. Democratic candidate Bill Ritter spoke on Tuesday, September 26 and Republican candidate Congressman Bob Beauprez appeared on Monday, October 2. Ritter spoke on a variety of topics including economic development, wind farms, transportation, water and unprecedented growth. The main emphasis of his presentation centered on education reform and how it relates to economic growth... "The Democratic candidate also addressed the future of water use in Colorado. He emphasized re-using, recycling, storage and shared use of water... "Governor Bill Owens appeared at the Chamber to introduce Congressman Bob Beauprez and to show his support for the Republican candidate. Congressman Beauprez emphasized his reputation for hard work and accountability. He spoke about his Colorado Accountability Pledge, which is a five-point plan that specifies what the administration will accomplish and an invitation to hold him accountable. He gave the leadership a handout of the pledge, including a plan of action... "Immigration reform is an issue he highlighted to the Chamber members... "Congressman Beauprez also touched on his opponent's performance as district attorney as well as on issues such as education reform, health care reform, stem cell research and economic development. The forums were sponsored by Brownstein Hyatt & Farber, P.C." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 5:57:35 AM

Oil and gas drilling The BLM is being honest with property owners, green conservatives and environmentalists about potential impacts of drilling in the Piceance Basin, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "A proposed ExxonMobil natural gas field expansion project west of Meeker could slightly reduce water flows in Piceance Creek, impact area air quality and destroy sage grouse habitat, according to the Bureau of Land Management. But those impacts are typical of natural gas development in the region, agency spokesman David Boyd said. The BLM on Monday issued an environmental assessment of ExxonMobil's plans to construct 1,080 new natural gas wells on 120 well pads in the 28,800-acre Piceance Basin Development Project Area, each containing up to nine wells per pad. ExxonMobil also proposes to construct a new gas plant and new pipelines in the area. If the BLM approves ExxonMobil's expansion plans, approximately 1,740 acres could be disturbed with well pads, roads and other facilities for approximately 20 years. The area's gas fields have been operating since the 1950s. Environmentalists worry the assessment doesn't account for the overall impacts of surrounding energy development... "According to the assessment, ExxonMobil's project could slightly reduce visibility in the Flat Tops Wilderness for as many as 20 days each year. Northern goshawk and greater sage grouse habitat could be lost during project construction and cause nest abandonment and death during nesting season. The BLM reports the ExxonMobil project's long-term impacts to surface and ground water could cause salt and organic compounds to build up in the soil and in shallow ground water adjacent to the company[base ']s evaporation ponds. ExxonMobil may withdraw water from Piceance Creek, which could reduce water flows by nearly 6 percent in dry years, possibly affecting endangered species habitat downstream. Such a water withdrawal can be typical of a natural gas development, EnCana spokesman Doug Hock said. EnCana is another major natural gas producer in the Piceance Basin... "David Merritt, chief engineer for the Colorado River Water Conservation District, said the project[base ']s impact on water flows in the lower Colorado River will be negligible, but overall water demand from regional energy development eventually could reach 50,000 to 100,000 acre-feet annually." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:51:28 AM

Immigration FreeNewmexican.com: "President Vicente Fox's spokesman criticized the U.S. border fence proposal Tuesday, and predicted the two countries would eventually reach an immigration accord. The comments came the same day that Mexico's Embassy sent a letter to Washington criticizing a U.S. Senate vote authorizing 1,125 kilometers (700 miles) of new fencing along the border. It must still be signed into law by President George W. Bush. Mexico is lobbying the U.S. leader to veto it. U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said Tuesday the U.S. was talking to Mexico about the issue of immigration, but he did not give details. Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said his country still wants a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow more people to migrate to the United States legally. 'The wall will be useless and unworkable,' Aguilar told reporters. He said the border fence would affect the environment and ecology, and even the reproduction of some species." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:40:04 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 11/1/06; 7:44:54 AM.