Colorado
updated
7:00 p.m.
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We, along with the Denver Post and various other amused parties, have talked quite a bit about GOP Senate candidate Jane Norton's call to 'abolish' the federal Department of Education. The Post's examination of the issue last December found that Norton was pretty distantly behind the times with this Reagan-era canned prescription for "reform," and it's not a talking point we expect to see ...
Colorado Pols - 4:48 p.m. - 3 clicks 
Louie Psihoyos, the Boulder photographer and ecological activist turned filmmaker behind "The Cove," isn't giving up the spotlight just because the Academy Awards have passed....
Elevated Voices - 2:01 p.m. - 2 clicks
The phase "Creative Destruction" coined by Schumpeter, a big picture economist, refers to the fact that those who lead new economic revolutions are rarely the ones who were the leaders before those revolutions. As a case in point , the tech bust of 2001 utterly overhauled the ranks of Colorado's big businesses. About two-thirds of their combined lost value came from reduced shares prices for Q...
Wash Park Prophet - 1:22 p.m. - 2 clicks
Details here: http://publicpolicypolling.blo... Long excerpt: John Hickenlooper is bucking the trends that have Democrats trailing right now in most of the major races across the country, and that makes him the early favorite to be Colorado's next Governor. Hickenlooper leads Scott McInnis 50-39. He's up 48-34 with independents, making this only the third race we've polled since November wher...
SquareState - 12:43 p.m. - 2 clicks
The Denver Post reports (in a buried short on the business page) that the holding company for the Colorado Springs Gazette has filed for bankruptcy. Reportedly, secured creditors will take about 60 cents on the dollars. The details of the plan's impact on other creditors and shareholders was not discussed. Normally, in a bankruptcy where secured creditors do not receive payment in full, non-p...
Wash Park Prophet - 12:26 p.m.
Colorado public radio's KCFR program Colorado Matters had an interview (audio only) today with Liesl Begnaud about a homelessness prevention program of the Homelessness Prevention Coalition that she manages targeted at families in financial distress in the metro Denver area. The program focuses on weekly counseling sessions with the families, usually at their homes, designed to help them acce...
Wash Park Prophet - 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
The state of Lewis-Palmer School District 38, headquartered in Monument, just north of Colorado Springs, seems unfortunately typical for a local district these days....
Elevated Voices - 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
The rockslide that has shut down Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon has effectively cut Colorado---and the nation---in half for motorists....
Elevated Voices - 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
The Twitterverse has been wild with posts about Amazon's decision to dump its Colorado-based associates because of a new bill that imposes an online sales tax....
Elevated Voices - 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
Of the medium- or large-sized cities in the U.S., Denver ranks number four for telecommuting, according to a new survey commissioned by Microsoft Corporation....
Elevated Voices - 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
Colorado has had it's share of non-media savvy candidates and campaigns over the years, with Republican Senate candidate Jane Norton's campaign leading the way in 2010 where screwing up the earned media side is concerned. But for all the mistakes of candidates like Norton and " Master of the Terrible Press " Ali Hasan , nobody has quite gotten bad media relations down to a science like Cali...
Colorado Pols - 11:49 a.m.
Journalists may be doing 17 things at once, but if they're going to write a story quoting not one, not two, but three opponents of bills in the state legislature, you'd think they would at least quote one proponent of the proposed legislation. But in a Feb. 26 article in the Denver Business Journal , three opponents of health-insurance-related bills in the Colorado Legislature were quoted-while ...
Colorado Pols - 11:49 a.m. - 2 clicks
. First, this is Colorado Springs, perhaps the most conservative district in the nation. There are a lot of people involved with "Tea Party" type groups. About 1,000 attended last night. Second, while almost everyone there would agree that the GOP is corrupt and beholden to a narrow group of special interests, they also are convinced that they are powerless to change that, a...
Colorado Pols - 10:23 a.m. - 5 clicks
Details here: http://publicpolicypolling.blo... Long excerpt: John Hickenlooper is bucking the trends that have Democrats trailing right now in most of the major races across the country, and that makes him the early favorite to be Colorado's next Governor. Hickenlooper leads Scott McInnis 50-39 . He's up 48-34 with independents, making this only the third race we've polled since November wh...
Colorado Pols - 10:23 a.m.
The state representative is taking heat for missing a vote on a water bill that's crucial to his eastern Colorado district....
Elevated Voices - 10:07 a.m. - 2 clicks
Last night, the University of Northern Colorado Bears had a chance at accomplishing something no Colorado men's college basketball team has in four years....
Elevated Voices - 8:22 a.m.
How about this for a question: Are Colorado Gov. Ritter and Lt. Gov. O'Brien as keen on firing teachers in Colorado as President Obama is for terminating teachers' employment in Rhode Island? Considering Ritter's and O'Brien's obsequiousness towards the so-called......
Dave Chandler - 5:20 a.m. - 4 clicks
COLORADO SPRINGS- The Colorado College chapter of the SDS staged a die-in on March 8 to mark the 1,000 US death in Afghanistan. Students wore names and brief bios of both soldier and civilian casualties of the continuing war. ...
Not My Tribe - 1:04 a.m. - 2 clicks
State Rep. Cory Gardner, the Republican frontrunner for the 4th Congressional District, missed a vote on a water bill critical to his district Tuesday because he was on a campaign-related trip to Washington, D.C., according to Jessica Fender at the Denver Post. "Senate Bill 52 nearly died in the House this morning, only to be resurrected at the last minute on a narrow 33-30 vote. It would protec...
Colorado Pols - Tue 8:28 p.m. - 3 clicks
It's time to cast those votes on the caucus process. Click below to vote, and remember: As always, we want to know your best educated guess. For example, can Sen. Michael Bennet still be considered a "winner" after Tuesday even if it looks like Andrew Romanoff got more pledged support? You could say yes, considering that the caucus is supposed to be Romanoff's real base; but you could also sa...
Colorado Pols - Tue 3:06 p.m. - 2 clicks
Way back in 2004, Colorado voters approved the state's first Renewable Energy Standard: 10% by 2015. Xcel Energy was among the large group of critics of that measure, trotting out the usual arguments against any kind of standard or regulation - the industry would collapse, the standard couldn't be met by 2015, thousands of jobs would be lost, yada, yada, yada. As proponents predicted, none ...
SquareState - Tue 2:44 p.m. - 3 clicks
One plus one really does equal two sometimes, even in politics. The knee-jerk tendency to tack to the right by almost every Democratic politician in sight: "I don't think that the scientific community has decided with certainty that climate change is as catastrophic as so many people think," said John Hickenlooper , a former geologist in the energy industry. Plus the undeniable truth stated b...
SquareState - Tue 2:44 p.m. - 3 clicks
CIA Director Leon Panetta says four high-profile al-Qaida suspects arrested in the United States last year were not on the radar of the agency. One of them was Najibullah Zazi, the former airport-shuttle driver from Colorado....
Elevated Voices - Tue 2:07 p.m. - 3 clicks
Sucks to be Buck. Ken Buck's campaign was dealt a huge blow today by Attorney General John Suthers' endorsement of Jane Norton for Senate. Aaron Blake of The Hill reports that Suthers issued a statement saying: "She has a proven track record of experience in tackling and solving big issues, and I believe she is the right person to stand up for Colorado's law enforcement community in our nati...
Colorado Pols - Tue 2:07 p.m. - 2 clicks
National Energy Rebate Fund, a company led by a former Grand Junction man, wins the dubious honor of having the highest number of consumer complaints through the state Attorney General’s Office....
Elevated Voices - Tue 1:42 p.m. - 3 clicks
Worth a look if you haven't already, the Denver Post reports: A new website that will provide taxpayers estimates of how their taxes are spent and allow them to vote on whether that amount is appropriate was unveiled Sunday. The Tax Tracks program is the first of its kind in the country, said state Treasurer Cary Kennedy. Users enter their income and can see, for example, how many of their ...
Colorado Pols - Tue 1:23 p.m. - 2 clicks
A new deal worked out between Governor Bill Ritter and Xcel Energy is sure to complicate some GOP election-related talking points, and at the same time be a really great move economically and environmentally. The Grand Junction Sentinel reported over the weekend: Gov. Bill Ritter announced a major piece of legislation Friday that would boost the use of natural gas in the state. In an ag...
Colorado Pols - Tue 1:23 p.m. - 2 clicks
In recent years, efforts to bring greater regulation to the payday-loan industry have been defeated, but last night, a Colorado house panel approved Bill 1351....
Elevated Voices - Tue 11:48 a.m. - 4 clicks
On Sunday, Republican Don Beezley kicked off his campaign to attempt to unseat popular incumbent State Representative Dianne Primavera in Colorado's House District 33. Unfortunately, he kicked off is campaign in the wrong district . The event was held in Jefferson County (House District 29) not Broomfield County (House District 33). Lynn Bartels of the Denver Post takes over ...
Colorado Pols - Tue 9:20 a.m. - 4 clicks
Ha ! On behalf of the Executive Committee of the El Paso County Democratic Party I am pleased to announce that Christy LeLait has accepted the position of Executive Director of our County Party. This marks the beginning of a new era for the EPCDP. We are stepping up our efforts to move forward with a Democratic Party presence in what is perceived to be a Republican stronghold. ...
SquareState - Mon 8:43 p.m. - 3 clicks
The 'Dimocrats' deserve to lose their majorities in the Colorado legislature ... and the governorship, too. Last month, the Dimocrat majority in the legislature and the Dimocrat governor of this state enacted into law a provision that now places an......
Dave Chandler - Mon 4:44 p.m. - 7 clicks
Aurora may join Colorado Springs in getting rid of police and leaving public safety up to the whims of the criminals: AURORA - City officials are revisiting the current mandate that requires two police officers for every thousand residents. Only this time, there seems to be some chance the requirement could go away - courtesy of the slumping economy. Voters in 2003 approved a quarter-percent ...
SquareState - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 3 clicks
Okay the Dog has had it right up to here with Republicans saying that unemployment assistance keeps people from finding work. Only a party that is the refuge of scoundrels and the ultra-rich could possibly think this. As one of those folks who is trying (and failing) to get by on the unemployment benefits, let the Dog lay it out for you. In the state of Colorado, you are entitled to 60% of your ...
SquareState - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 4 clicks
This is a detail from a gruesome photograph taken of a 1919 lynch mob posing around their burning victim, African-American Will Brown. 10,000 Nebraskan grandfathers and great-grandfathers recorded the moment for posterity at the intersection of 17th and Dodge in Omaha. ...
Not My Tribe - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 3 clicks
As Colorado gets ready for what will likely be a contentious political battle over Rep. Tom Massey 's HB10-1284 , Massey and three of his colleagues in the legislature (Sens. Romer and Spence, and Rep. McCann) are signing a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to place a temporary moratorium on the DEA's raids of Colorado medical marijuana facilities until the state can sort out the...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 4 clicks
What is it with Colorado's local municipalities and chickens? The Littleton City Council is considering " rules for urban chicken enthusiasts " after a neighbor's complaint led to an investigation by the city. Last month, the Greeley City Council voted nay on a backyard chicken ordinance . The Greeley Tribune reported on the decision in one of the more entertaining news stories we've read i...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 3 clicks
The sample and breakdown are much more thorough in sample size, and in analysis of voting groups. March 1, 2010 Michael Bennet and Jane Norton are running neck and neck, 41% Bennet to 40% Norton in combined results from two surveys conducted in January and February among a statistically robust sample of 1,213 likely Colorado voters statewide (margin of error 2.8%). Both surveys draw upon ...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 4 clicks
It's illegal for children to collect signatures for ballot initiatives in Colorado. So my jaw dropped when I heard radio talk show host Bob Enyart, during a live broadcast Thursday, say, "So, my son today got 20 signatures so far. My son, he's 12." Enyart has been imploring his listeners to gather 20,000 signatures needed to place an initiative on the Colorado ballot that would define human life...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 4 clicks
UPDATE #3: HB10-1351 passes Judiciary Committee 7-4. UPDATE #2: : Check out this list of likely NO votes . From what we hear, you can add Democrat Independent Rep. Kathleen Curry -- a former co-sponsor of Payday Lending Reform -- to the list of likely "NO" votes (Curry is not on the Judiciary Committee, but we're keeping a list of likely "NO" votes). ----- UPDATE: HB10-1351 is schedul...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 5 clicks
Gilpin County Commissioner Jeanne Nicholson announced last weekend (Feb. 26) that she was running for the open SD-16 seat being vacated by State Sen. Dan Gibbs. From the press release published in the Weekly Register-Call and Gilpin County News : Today, Senate President Brendan Shaffer endorsed Nicholson and said, "I'm very excited Jeanne has decided to run for the state Senate. Both as a nu...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 5 clicks
UPDATE #2: Don't get mad, send emails! Click here to contact Amazon.com and then select the "email" tab. ----- UPDATE : Video response from Sen. John Morse after the jump. ----- Local participants in the Amazon.com Associates Program woke up this morning to an interesting and, we have little doubt, most upsetting email: Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate: We are writing from the ...
Colorado Pols - Mon 3:29 p.m. - 4 clicks
CO-Sen: Ras Sees Path to Victory For Dems-- Through Romanoff? In an interesting new poll out at the end of the week from Rasmussen, the prolific ones show a tightening race in Colorado for the U.S. Senate. The catch: that tight race only exists if the current challenger in the Democratic primary, former state legislator Andrew Romanoff, is the nominee. If incumbent Senator Michael Bennet holds ...
SquareState - Sun 12:08 a.m. - 9 clicks
Happy Art Saturday everyone! This week's piece of Denver public art is "Dancers" by Jonathon Borofsky. It consists of two seventy foot tall dancers made of steel and fiberglass. The sculpture sits behind the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and is visible all along one stretch of Speer Boulevard. The lesson I learned this week is that art has to be viewed the way the artist inte...
SquareState - Sat 2:04 p.m. - 9 clicks
(Denver) – State Representative Dianne Primavera’s (D-Broomfield) House Bill 1252 will ensure that the decisions about mammograms will be made between individuals and their provider. The bill allows for anyone, regardless of age to have their mammogram covered by their......
Colorado House Democrats - Sat 2:04 p.m. - 5 clicks
(Denver) –Representative Dianne Primavera (D-Broomfield) wants to help Haiti and other victims of natural disaster, receive the critical medications they need. Senate Bill 115 will send unused prescription medicine to those affected by natural disasters. The bill passed in the......
Colorado House Democrats - Sat 2:04 p.m. - 8 clicks
Denver, CO – State Rep. Buffie McFadyen (D-Pueblo West) and representatives of Colorado’s Corrections Officers spoke out at a news conference today to oppose what they called “The Republican’s Cut Without Consequences” budget proposals that would put corrections officers, inmates......
Colorado House Democrats - Sat 2:04 p.m. - 6 clicks
WHAT: Press conference discussing the effects budget cuts have had on correctional officers, public safety and inmate safety. WHERE: Third floor press conference room at the State Capitol WHEN: Friday, March 5, 2010 1 p.m. WHO: Rep. Buffie McFadyen (D-Pueblo......
Colorado House Democrats - Sat 2:04 p.m. - 7 clicks
2 Medical marijuana bills are wending their way through the Colorado Legislature this week. Senate Bill 109 would bar doctors from writing recommendations inside dispensaries that sell medical marijuana and requires a full physical exam before recommending marijuana for patients. Critics claim that government officials with no formal medical training are demonizing and second-guessi...
DailyKos (Colorado) - Fri 8:41 p.m. - 3 clicks
Tom Udall said it right at the end of Bill Press' show today: Tom Coburn (R-OK) has a filibuster-threat hold on 260 of the 290 bills passed by the House that are awaiting action in the Senate. Tom Coburn was a guy whom Barack Obama said he could work with in a bipartisan manner. We know that Obama's view of the senate is somewhat idealized by now. The filibuster has been abused by Re...
SquareState - Fri 9:20 a.m. - 6 clicks
A group called Scenic Colorado has organized in Denver mostly, it seems, to push for a ban on electronic billboards that the City and County of Denver is considering acting as an ordinance. Earlier this week, I got a flyer for them, warning me that without my action, billboards everywhere could be replaced with electric ones. My reaction? "So what?" There is an electric billboard right out...
Wash Park Prophet - Thu 10:26 a.m. - 5 clicks
Empower MetroDenverGreens.org! It is time once again to pay our $200 bill for hosting and domains. If you obtain helpful and empowering information from www.MetroDenverGreens.org, you can empower our continuing efforts! Your support is appreciated....
Metro Denver Greens - Mar 1 - 4 clicks
Attention Westminster shoppers: do your buying in Westminster! Attention Wheat Ridge shoppers: do your buying in Wheat Ridge! Attention Denver shoppers: do your buying in Denver! That's the message the Arvada city government is sending to folks in the metro......
Dave Chandler - Mar 1 - 6 clicks
