Denver November 2004 Election
Referendum 4A is the subject of this opinion piece from the Rocky Mountain News [September 28, 2004, "Speakout: FasTracks practical and ready to go"]. From the article, "There is a good reason the FasTracks plan enjoys overwhelming civic, business and grass-roots support. In addition to its obvious transit improvements, FasTracks is a powerful business and community development tool. New and existing businesses will gravitate to rail station locations due to excellent access and the predictability that a regional rapid transit system provides. Growth, when intelligently planned and implemented, can be a positive thing. However, we do not want to strangle on our own traffic, prompting existing businesses to move and new businesses to avoid an auto-clogged metropolis. We must be receptive and encouraging toward business growth and FasTracks is a critical part of an emerging economic engine."
Here's an article about Referendum 4B the proposed extension of the tax for the Scientific and Cultural District from the Rocky Mountain News [September 28, 2004, "Poll: SCFD is popular"]. From the article, "A poll conducted earlier this month by Public Opinion Strategies for the Rocky Mountain News and News4 indicates the measure has good support. The 279 registered voters interviewed who said they were likely to vote in November's election supported the measure 63 percent. Among voters with a post-graduate degree, 73 percent supported the measure. Interviews were conducted Sept. 12 and 13. The margin of error is plus or minus 5.87 percentage points."
The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff is urging voters to reject Amendment 37 [September 28, 2004, "Amendment 37 puts energy bills at risk"]. From the editorial, "Of course, if the amendment's authors had truly been interested in protecting consumers from rising energy costs, they'd have included a mandate that new renewable energy projects be fully cost competitive with any alternative. The fact that they didn't is the tipoff that energy bills don't particularly concern them. Their purpose is not to enhance the market for electricity but to short-circuit it with a top-down political mandate. If Amendment 37 passes (and recent polls show it comfortably ahead), utilities serving 40,000 or more customers will have to generate 10 percent of their electricity with renewables by 2015. Four percent of that renewables production will have to be in solar energy. At the moment, about 2 percent of the state's electricity comes from such sources."
The Rocky editors are opposed to Amendment 35 [September 28, 2004, "Tobacco measure has one fatal flaw"]. From the editorial, "Voters will be asked in November to consider another tobacco-tax initiative, Amendment 35, which would raise Colorado's 20 cents- per-pack cigarette tax to 84 cents, just above the national median. While the proposal has many more positive features than its ill-fated predecessor, it still incurs our disapproval because it writes new spending requirements into the state constitution."
Here's an article, from Sunday's Denver Post about Amendment 36 [September 25, 2004, "Dividing Colorado's vote"]. The amendment would change the way the Colorado allocates it's electoral college votes. The Post includes arguments for [September 26, 2004, "YES: Empower each voter"] and against [September 26, 2004, "NO: We'd be insignificant"].
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