The line allegedly comes from one of the earliest handlers
of Richard Nixon, when he first entered politics to run for Congress. These
early hucksters today are called campaign managers and spin masters. When
speaking about Nixon’s personality he said, “With enough money I could make
tuberculosis popular.”
So now you’re witnessing progressive politics in the State
of Colorado — they managed with a tremendous amount of money from a small
number of individuals — to make tuberculosis popular.
There is a rebellion brewing. In the book “The Andromeda
Strain” when they knock on the doors of the men and women on the designated
response team the agent would say, “There’s been a fire.” That was the signal
for the team to gather to begin to investigate.
To all of us, there’s been a fire. Our small but powerful
710 KNUS radio station and audience were able to change the course of a mighty
river and defeat the buffoons who wanted to bring in heroin injection sites.
It’s not missed by me that the appointed Colorado Civil Rights Commission ends
all of its attacks on a very decent man, Jack Phillips. Hard to believe that
one morning they all wake up and unanimously vote to leave Jack alone at the
same moment John Hickenlooper throws his hat in the ring to be president.
There’s a fire.
Next is the Red Flag Bill. Sheriffs, County Commissioners,
and town councils are rejecting a bill which could give the government the right to come and
take your firearms, a proceeding where you don’t even get to face your accuser
as they come for your guns. The rebellion is brewing in 34 of 64 Colorado
counties.
There’s a line that runs through history — “When coming for
my guns make sure you bring yours.” What’s going to happen in Weld County when
the Sheriff refuses to abide by an anti-second amendment judge? Will Jared
Polis bring in the National Guard or will he assign the young men and women of
the Colorado State Patrol to go after you?
These same people want to tax people to babysit other
people’s children. They also want to show third graders how to put a
prophylactic on a banana. And seal up gas wells and fracking points. For the
first time since the late 1950s our country is no longer reliant on the tyrants
of the Middle East for our gas and oil needs. That’s exactly the time now for
General Polis and the axis of the evil Boulder and Denver to plug those wells.
This is a clarion call. On its heels comes the right to
squat, where some homeless person or persons can seize the land adjacent to any
public greenbelt and occupy it. Just wait. These people will have people with
substance abuse, unemployment, and poverty have the right to go to parks,
sidewalks and lawns, pitch a tent, put up a box and be allowed to stay
indefinitely. And it bounces back on you if you dare open your big fat mouth
and say this car has four flat tires and God knows how many people in there and
I would at least like a welfare check. When that happens, someone will dub you
as crazy and the next day they’re going to come seize your guns. There are
recall efforts.
There are angry people that no longer want this kind of
nonsense handed out to them. But said and done this speaks to the Colorado
State Republican Party. This insipidness began with the Owens Administration and
these are the people that brought you the gubernatorial hopefuls like Bruce
Benson, Both Ways Bob Beauprez and the pasta resistance (but our piéce de
résistance), Walker Stapleton. If the Republican Party could get its collective
poop in a group, you may see some different outcomes. In the meantime, watch
the skies.
Meetings To Explain Plan’s Impact Haven’t Occurred; Lowry’s Christine O’Connor Named Person Of The Year
by Glen Richardson
Community Advocate: Christine O’Connor who has led the Lowry United Neighborhoods for a decade was named INC’s Person of the Year.
Denver’s Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation or INC passed a resolution Feb. 8 to postpone bringing the city’s “Denveright Plan” to a City Council vote until after the upcoming city elections. Little more than a couple of weeks earlier on Jan. 23, the organization named Christine O’Connor INC’s Person of the Year.
The voluntary coalition of registered neighborhood organizations representing two-thirds of Denver households urged the delay because the next City Council shouldn’t be accountable for a plan voted in by a prior council. Furthermore they say that, “the process did not include all neighborhood voices.” The Plan is currently scheduled for a City Council vote on April 15.
Delay Demanded: Denver’s Department of Community Planning & Development is behind the Denveright campaign that INC wants stopped until after the upcoming city elections.
O’Connor received the Virginia Oredson Memorial Award during the 33rd Annual Awards Dinner held at the Holiday Inn Denver-Cherry Creek. For over a decade, she has led Lowry United Neighborhoods and worked with the broader east Denver neighborhoods on environmental and development issues on the former Lowry Air Force base property. In presenting the award the organization described her as, “An amazing and courageous community advocate and friend to so many.”
Daunting Documents
Delegate Dutcher: Elyria-Swansea neighborhood’s Drew Dutcher was named Outstanding Delegate of the Year.
INC declared at its February Delegate Meeting that the sheer volume of the “Denveright” plan documents has been daunting for most neighborhood organizations and interested citizens to respond to thoroughly and intelligently by City-set deadlines. The documents total more than 1,000 pages, with over 100 goals, nearly 300 policies and recommendations, and more than 450 strategies addressing development through 2040 as Denver’s population increases.
The resolution also alleges, “meetings with neighborhoods to explain impacts of the documents have not occurred throughout the city; further, the city’s official website listing information received through citizen and neighborhood comments is missing many individual comments that were formally submitted.”
Public Safety Winners: This groups’ legal win for a public health study related to environment health connected to the I-70 expansion won them INC’s Public Safety honors. They are from left: Lloyd Burton, Colorado Sierra Club; Ava Farouch from Earthjustice, an environmental law firm. Also, Becky English from the Colorado Sierra Club; Lisa Calderon and Ean Tafoya from the Colorado Latino Forum; Chaffee Park Neighborhood’s Lucas Merrigen; and Drew Dutcher from Elyria-Swansea.
Also, the group asserts, “Information identifying changes made to the plan documents for the second draft are divorced from the materials listing specific requests for changes and additions received from the public.” Finally, according to INC, plan documents continue to be incomplete and vague in terms of addressing impacts on the city’s budget and work program, especially with the more than 450 proposed strategies.
Fights For Citizens
Person of the Year O’Connor has worked tirelessly to support the needs and desires of some of Denver’s most burdened neighborhoods, such as Cole, Globeville and Elyria/ Swansea. She currently serves as INC’s representative to the Citizens Action Group to the I-70 Superfund Site.
She worked with neighbors across north Denver, and participated in litigation regarding the Platte to Park Hill Drainage Project and Denver’s taking of City Park Golf Course to support expansion of I-70.
More recently, O’Connor became one of the leaders in initiating a 2019 ballot measure called “Let Denver Vote.” This ballot measure, if approved, will allow Denver to pursue a future Winter Olympics’ bid only if spending is first approved by Denver voters. What Christine says she values most about INC is “the powerful link it provides among neighbors citywide and the opportunity to work on issues that go beyond one neighborhood.” Her hope for INC is that the “newer members will take the helm and pour their hearts and souls into bettering our City in the decades to come!”
City Wide Awards
Drew Dutcher of the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood was named Outstanding Delegate of the Year. The honor credits him “for his outstanding representation from his neighborhood and representation on behalf of INC to Citizen Advisory Boards connected to city endeavors.”
Public Safety honors were given to four groups for their, “legal win for a public health study related to environment health connected to the I-70 expansion.” They were the Chaffee Neighborhood, Elyria-Swansea Neighborhood, Colorado Latino Forum and the Colorado Sierra Club.
Ronnie Crawford from the Overland Park Neighborhood was presented with the Sustainability Award for his efforts to work with the city to sustain the environment connected to river ways, specifically the Platte River.
Sundial Star
Sundial Star Sanderson: INC presented 10 Neighborhood Star Awards including one to Hilltop’s Denise Sanderson for her fundraising efforts to renovate the Cranmer Park Sundial & Plaza.
Hilltop resident Denise Sanderson received a Neighborhood Star Award for her leadership of the Save the Sundial Committee and the significant fundraising efforts that were necessary to complete renovation of the Sundial & Plaza.
She was instrumental in getting the Sundial & Plaza put on Colorado’s “Most Endangered Places” list, giving the fundraising project more visibility and a sense of urgency. After years of raising awareness and funding to save this historic landmark, in early 2014, the Committee turned to The Park People, who adopted the project, taking the outreach and fundraising to another level.
It took nearly a decade, but the effort came to a celebratory close last year on Oct 3 when the Cranmer Park Sundial & Plaza officially reopened after completing nine months of restoration work. Now the Denver neighborhood park with a sweeping view of the Front Range has a solid foundation for generations to come.
More Valley Stars
Nine other residents were also given Neighborhood Star Awards for their work on specific projects that impacted the community. They are in alphabetical order:
Anne Callison, Winston Downs’s neighborhood, for her balanced leadership regarding information and education for a liquor-cabaret dance license at a cemetery.
Glenn Harper of the Sun Valley neighborhood for opening his restaurant to support a food bank and education to future chefs in his neighborhood.
John Robinson in the Harvey Park neighborhood for work on the Loretto Heights redesign and neighborhood festival fundraiser.
Greater Park Hill’s Blair Taylor for her activism in representing all neighborhood voices in projects that impact her area.
Diane Travis, Uptown on the Hill (Swallow Hill) for her education of residents and city on how to efficiently save historic flagstone sidewalks and for getting her suggestions adopted into city sidewalk planning.
Michelle Valeri from the Colfax Business Improvement District for her success with the Colfax Works program that employs the homeless.
Phyllis Ward of the University Park Community for her dedication to ensuring the neighborhood newsletter was distributed.
Brooke Webb in the Virginia Village-Ellis area for her efforts to improve the public image of the Ellis Elementary School and PTA.
Ann White of Montbello 20/20 for her leadership in health awareness and representing Montbello on the WorkNow program.
Economic Forecast Breakfast: Over 400 business owners and entrepreneurs kicked off the new year at South Metro Denver Chamber’s annual “Economic Forecast Breakfast” held at CU South on January 18, 2019. The sold-out event’s two speakers exhorted attendees to collaborate with each other, to see the opportunities for the area’s growth and to understand the challenges that might obstruct that growth.
The invitation to this year’s South Metro Denver Chamber’s “Economic Forecast Breakfast,” held at CU South, said attendees would learn “how Colorado businesses will fare under the new [Democratic] legislature.” But speakers at the January 18 event eschewed partisan concerns and concentrated on the big picture. J.J. Ament, CEO of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, painted the positive half of that picture, describing past successes and a limitless future, while economist Henry Sobanet lobbed gentle warnings to the sold-out crowd: the world has changed, and Colorado must change with it.
Education And Transportation
Moderator, Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet, began the discussion — “How can we be successful, as a state, as a region? We can accomplish so much as a collective!” sounding a theme of collaboration that presenters would echo, in different ways.
Millet introduced Sobanet (“I always learn something when Henry talks!”), currently CFO for Colorado University, previously budget chief for Colorado governors Bill Owens and John Hickenlooper; Sobanet did, in fact, explain economic concepts in an unusually clear fashion.
“The world does not look like it did 10 years ago,” Sobanet began. “Ways of making a living have changed. The model of retiring after 30 years with one corporation, — certainly changed. Demographics have changed …”
Sobanet showed how the 65-and-older demographic will grow disproportionately by 2025, as will the 85-and-older set, previously not considered significant. Another rapidly growing group: those just entering the workplace.
“Fifteen to 20 years of globalization, a lot of automation and these demographic shifts … These are the forces underpinning economic issues.
“The aging population and the resultant impact on revenue and spending … are going to collide with an incoherent school finance system and insufficient money for infrastructure,” Sobanet outlined, then simplified: “The challenge going forward is education and transportation.”
Bad People Or Bad Systems?
The knotty heart of the matter, Sobanet offered, is three Colorado laws: the Gallagher Amendment, which in 1982 changed the way property tax was configured; TABOR (taxpayer bill of rights), which in 1992 began limiting the amount of revenue Colorado can retain and spend; and Amendment 23, which in 2000, changed how Colorado funds public schools.
As intently as everyone stared at Sobanet’s slides of pie charts and percentages, many found it difficult to grasp exactly how they connected. “I’m a financial person and even I didn’t quite understand,” said Louis Llanes, founder of Wealthnet Investments. But Llanes, like everyone, got Sobanet’s gist: these laws will prevent Colorado from getting the revenue it needs to thrive.
“Isn’t TABOR set up so if Colorado needs cash, they can ask the voters?” someone asked.
Yes, said Sobanet, who pointed out it wasn’t sensible to put these decisions on voters’ shoulders. “The laws, you’ve seen, are complicated. And for politicians to say they want taxes raised is political suicide.
“I’d like you to entertain a hypothesis,” Sobanet offered. “Is it bad people or bad systems?”
Colorado Loves Business!
J.J. Ament took the floor in typical upbeat fashion — “Let’s talk about economic growth!” — and recalled just how rapid Denver’s growth has been. “Back in the ’80s, you could drive a car from Union Station to the State Capitol Building and not worry about hitting a soul.
“Now, everyone wants to live here,” beamed Ament. “The Denver International Airport flies more places non-stop than any other airport! Denver is a brand!”
The potential for economic growth is endless if we do it right, Ament opined. “Denver is comprised of some 70 communities. But we have to take a regional approach. Businesses go elsewhere if they see we can’t get along.”
When Amazon put out requests for proposals in 2017, Ament gathered business leaders and submitted a package, including a film he showed that morning: ordinary and famous Coloradans happily claiming, “Colorado loves the outdoors!” “Colorado loves the Broncos!” “Colorado loves business!”
Amazon chose to build elsewhere but Ament, unfazed, regards the submission process with pride. “We spoke with a collaborative voice. Not with 70 different voices. One voice.” He shared other companies that recently relocated to Colorado, “like the VF Corporation, which brought 6,800 jobs.
“This is our goal,” Ament stressed. “The creation, recruitment and retention of good jobs.”
Takeaways
“My biggest takeaway was how we’re sweeping problems under the rug,” said Tom Skelley, of Evolution Communications Agency in Littleton, adding, “I really liked something J.J. said. ‘In between Utopia and the Apocalypse, we need legislators who make decisions based on facts, not ideology.’”
“I am one politician,” said Millet, “who advocated for sales tax to pay for transportation.”
“Colorado’s one of the top five states,” said an attorney on his way out the door. “But we got a C+ rating for infrastructure.”
“Now that you know a little bit more about how the systems work,” Sobanet said, “tell your public officials you would back them to change the system …
“The whole purpose of coming to an event like this is not just to make your business better. It’s making it all better.”
Not Here
Attendees began walking to their cars. Under the big Colorado sky, statues of bears and wolves dotted the snowy, quiet campus. “I’ve heard Henry has been pushing to raise taxes for years,” said a realtor who owns her own agency. “But it’s not gonna fly. Not here. There’s got to be another way.”
