Sunday, October 8, 2006

Netroots Boston Review: "The netroots are becoming a power in the Democratic Party, but they aren't under the control of any one person or clique. And while many netroots bloggers describe themselves as progressive, they are generally not leftists in the conventional sense. Certainly they aren't committed to any program of fundamental political and economic reform. As Benjamin Wallace-Wells and Bill McKibben have both documented, the netroots aren't complaining that the Democratic Party isn't radical enough; they're complaining that it's losing elections." Thanks to Ed Cone for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 12:38:22 PM

Referendum I and Amendment 43 The Cortez Journal looks at Referendum I and Amendment 43. They write, "Coloradans can vote for and against gay rights at the same time next month, due to two ballot issues. Referendum I would establish a new legal status called domestic partnerships, so gays and lesbians can enjoy some of the same rights as married people. Amendment 43 asks voters to change the state constitution to declare that marriage is between one man and one woman. Advocates for domestic partnerships say there's no contradiction." Be sure to check out the article online - they have a great synopsis of both intiatives. Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:46:50 AM

Amendment 44 - Legal Marijuana? The Rocky Mountain News is urging voters to rejectAmendment 44. From the opinion piece, "There must be hundreds of things that sensible Coloradans believe would benefit this state, but surely one of them is not an infusion of more illegal drugs. Yet here we are, thanks to Amendment 44, poised as a state to vote on whether we should make it easier to get high on marijuana. It's an atrocious idea and deserves a resounding defeat. Amendment 44 would legalize under state law the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults who are 21 and older. But of course federal laws involving marijuana would remain in place. And it would still be illegal under a variety of statutes to buy or grow marijuana (except for medicinal use), so the only way someone could 'legally' possess the substance would be by breaking other laws." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:41:29 AM

Beauprez for governor? The Denver Post fact checks the latest Ritter attack job on Bob Beauprez. From the article, "As a congressman in 2003, Beauprez co-sponsored HR 25, also known as the 'Fair Tax Act of 2003.' That bill, which was introduced but not voted on, called for repealing income and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and enacting a national sales tax. The bill would have levied a 23 percent sales tax on purchases of consumer goods and services. Beauprez did not co-sponsor a similar bill in 2005. As a candidate for governor, Beauprez has proposed a sales tax increase to replace the current gasoline tax. To make up for the 22 cents a gallon that consumers pay when buying gas, Beauprez would increase the state sales tax from 2.9 percent to about 3.7 percent - an increase of more than 25 percent. Beauprez has also supported deregulating state colleges and universities, which would remove lawmakers and the governor from the process of approving tuition rate increases." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:26:27 AM

Ritter or Beauprez for governor? Here's a look at the gubernatorial candidates and their views on business and economic development from the Denver Post. From the article, "Beauprez opposes health-care mandates for employers, arguing that companies 'ought to be free to offer or not (offer) as they deem necessary to compete in the labor marketplace.' Beauprez advocates so- called health savings accounts - which are akin to 401(k) investment plans. Ritter supports health savings accounts but says they do not go far enough. He said he is open to discussing health-care mandates on employers and insurance companies and that he intends to form a commission to identify solutions. "One health-care proposal that failed this year, and is likely to return, would have Colorado join other states in bulk-purchasing prescription drugs at a discount. It could save $1.3 million a year, but critics say it would create a new bureaucracy. Ritter is for the program. Beauprez opposes it... "A statewide ballot initiative would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 a hour to $6.85 an hour, beginning Jan. 1. The initiative includes an automatic cost-of-living increase tied to inflation in future years. If approved, the initiative would become part of the state constitution. Beauprez voted for a federal hike in the minimum wage, which failed in Congress. He opposes the Colorado initiative because it would be embedded in the state constitution and 'ties the hands of business by raising wages every year regardless of economic conditions. It is bad for business,' he said, 'and it will hurt Colorado's economy.' Ritter also expressed concern about including the minimum wage in the state constitution. Even so, he said he supports the initiative because the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour has not increased since 1997." Meanwhile, where do the candidates stand on abortion and gay marriage? From the article, "Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Bill Ritter are Roman Catholics who say they would sign bills banning abortion, though Ritter said such legislation is not part of his agenda. On gay marriage, the candidates are split. But both have tripped over the issue - Ritter for apparently flip-flopping on whether it should be legal and Beauprez for picking a running mate who compared gay marriage to beastiality... "Beauprez supports and Ritter opposes Amendment 43. A complicating factor is Referendum I, which would recognize domestic partnerships between same-sex couples and could motivate Democratic voters. Ritter supports and Beauprez opposes the referendum." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:06:37 AM

Denver Post: Statewide races poll The Denver Post is running a story about a recent Mason-Dixon poll of the state races. From the article, "Democrat Bill Ritter leads Republican Bob Beauprez for governor by 15 percentage points, according to a new poll. Ritter is beating Beauprez in every region of the state, including Beauprez's own congressional district and Republican strongholds like the Western Slope and Colorado Springs. The poll, conducted for The Denver Post by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, shows Ritter leading Beauprez 50 percent to 35 percent. The former Denver district attorney has siphoned Republicans from Beauprez and has collected the majority of unaffiliated voters. It also shows Beauprez's unfavorable rating at 40 percent, 8 percentage points higher than those who view him favorably. As a result, political watchers say Ritter should continue what he's doing, but they also predict the final four weeks of the campaign season will be ugly... The poll has Mike Coffman leading Ken Gordon 39% to 33% with 28% undecided. In the State Treasurer race Mark Hillman leads Cary Kennedy 38% to 32% with 30% undecided. John Suthers leads Fern O'Brien 30% to 28% in the State Attorney General race with Dwight Harding polling at 7%. 35% of the voters are undecided in this race. Category: Denver November 2006 Election 8:00:53 AM

Denver Post: Labuda in HD-1, Frangas in HD-4, Romanoff in HD-6 The Denver Post has endorsed Jeanne Labuda for State House District 1. They write, "Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson. Democrat Jeanne Labuda is our choice to replace term-limited Fran Coleman. Labuda has a long record of public service ranging from being a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia to a lawyer in the Colorado attorney general's office. She faces Republican Aimee Rathburn." They've also endorsed incumbent Jerry Frangas in HD-4, "Denver. Democratic incumbent Jerry Frangas has a strong record on mental health, child abuse and smart growth issues. He faces Republican Rick Nevin." Andrew Romanoff is their pick for HD-6, "Denver, Arapahoe. Speaker Andrew Romanoff has been fair and effective as leader of the House Democrats. His imaginative approach to consensus building has earned him respect on both sides of the aisle. He faces Republican Jeffrey Hecht." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 7:38:49 AM

Romer for Senate District 32? The Denver Post has endorsed Chris Romer in State Senate District 32. They write, "Democrat Chris Romer, son of the former governor, will bring a strong background in tax and budget issues to the Senate. He faces Republican Dave Lewis." Category: Denver November 2006 Election 7:30:42 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 11/1/06; 7:46:01 AM.