Colorado Confidential: "The paid petition circulators are already out in force. Standing with their clipboards in front of King Soopers and Safeway and Target stores, they are asking people questions like, 'Do you want to ban discrimination in Colorado?' and, 'Do you favor equal rights for women?' Opponents of Colorado's Amendment 31 decry such tactics as misleading at best; proponents say it's time to eliminate "preferences.' Welcome to the complexities of Amendment 31. In a nutshell, if it makes the ballot and is passed by Colorado voters the measure would ban programs that are largely considered to be the remaining remnants of affirmative action - programs designed to help women and minorities in education, business and public health. The 37-word ballot proposal appears fairly straightforward: 'The state shall not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.' But, opponents say that if voters pass Amendment 31 a laundry list of current programs would face obliteration in Colorado, including diversity and outreach programs in higher education, the recruitment of women and minorities in business and the elimination of K-12 programs that encourage girls' and minorities' interest in math, science and technology. The effort is being organized not by a Colorado group but by Ward Connerly, the California millionaire who successfully passed a similar anti-affirmative action measure there 12 years ago. He and his supporters have since gone on to other victories in Michigan and Washington state."
Category: Denver November 2008 Election
8:40:53 AM 
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