Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca is a favorite of ours on the Denver City Council. It is not that we agree with all of the positions or actions of the self-identified Marxist, but she actually tries at times to make a difference in improving the lives of everyday Denverites. Over half of the City Council is owned and operated by high-density developers who, of course, also control Mayor Hancock.
CdeBaca is leading the fight to save Park Hill Golf Course as open space against Council members like Kendra Black, Chris Herndon and Stacie Gilmore who can’t wait to turn Denver into a fully paved urban jungle for the fun and profit of high-density developers.
Thanks to CdeBaca’s unwavering support, Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer’s proposal that the City Council must approve mayoral appointments will go to ballot this fall, a badly needed reform we strongly endorse.
CdeBaca has many other ideas and reforms and she is the exact opposite of the do-nothing City Council members during the first eight years of Hancock’s maladministration. One idea of CdeBaca is to replace the Denver Police Department with an unarmed “Peace Force” without the power to arrest. That idea went down by an 11 to 1 vote, most Council members giving their usual excuse that they had not had enough time to consider the same.
For decades the Denver City Council has approved paying out tens of millions to settle police excessive force lawsuits without ever considering what could be done to remedy the problem. As reporter Robert Davis points out in this issue [Deep Roots: Why It’s So Hard To Fire A Police Officer For Misconduct In Denver, starting on page 5], the problem goes way back in Denver’s history.
Getting rid of the police may sound nice to some, but the actual results would not be pretty. In Seattle’s so-called “Chop Zone” this summer there were no Seattle police, but that did not result in a “Summer of Love” as predicted by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, but rather a melee with plenty of violence. We doubt that CdeBaca’s “Peace Force” will bring peace, but rather privatized violence which will drive the average citizen out of Denver.
But that does not mean we should do nothing. The reforms instituted by the State legislature this past summer are a good start, but are not enough to solve Denver’s police brutality problems. Some huge percentage of the brutality cases come from an amazingly small number of police officers in Denver. Everyone knows who they are, but no one can drive them out of the police force.
The solution is surprisingly simple. Change the City Charter and abolish the “Civil Service” system which only apples to the Denver police and fire departments. All other city employees come under the regular “Career Service” system. The Civil Service system was put into the City Charter in 1904 by then Mayor Robert Speer to protect all of the brutal and corrupt police and fire employees that he once was in charge of as police commissioner and fire commissioner. He depended upon them to become mayor. So he wanted to make sure they could not be fired.
Get rid of the 116-year old Civil Service system and put it under the Career Service system and abracadabra the entire extremely expensive Rube Goldberg contraption to protect corrupt and brutal cops goes away. Of course, firing a bad average Denver employee is not easy, but is comparatively simple compared to getting rid of a bad cop under the Civil Service system. The reform will save millions in lawsuit settlement costs.
Will any Council member dare to take on the relatively simple solution. Well certainly not the Mayor’s cronies on the City Council, but Council members like Candi CdeBaca and Amanda Sawyer just might have the guts to do so. Here’s hoping.
There were high hopes when 13-year Denver police veteran Paul Pazen was appointed the Chief of the Denver Police Department (DPD) following the retirement of the highly controversial Robert White. White’s seven-year reign was marked by controversy after controversy and he was largely detested by the police officers themselves. Mayor Hancock’s appointment of Pazen from within DPD was popular with the rank and file. A former Marine, Pazen has an attractive appearance and seems to have at least average intelligence. Until July of this year, he generally received plus marks from the press and the public at large.
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen
He has now, however, proven himself to be dishonest and a coward to all concerned. Those attributes have brought shame on the DPD at just the wrong time, when police departments across the country are under attack.
Every year, for the last five years, attorney Randy Corporon and organizer Ron MacLachlan have held a “Back the Blue Rally” at Civic Center Park in mid-July, without incident. When Corporon obtained a permit for this July, Pazen told him he did not want a rally this year, asserting it could get his officers hurt. Corporon responded in shock, indicating this of all year’s his officers needed support and that citizens have a First Amendment right even if Pazen didn’t believe in the same.
The rally attended by approximately 250 people, including celebrity Michelle Malkin and House Minority Leader Patrick Neville, started off with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, when a mob of approximately 750 ANTIFA and BLM supporters smashed into the event blaring horns and attacked the rally participants. Women. including Michelle Malkin, were punched and beaten with batons. MacLachlan was badly bloodied with bull horns and skateboards. Dozens of DPD officers did literally nothing while the carnage was occurring. A grand total of one arrest was made for “public fighting.” Only after all of the rally participants had left, and ANTIFA and BLM rioters went after the police themselves did the DPD use pepper spray.
It was one of the most shameful moments in the history of the DPD. It was obvious that the officers were ordered to stand down by Pazen who had marched earlier in the summer arm and arm with BLM.
But if the event which made national news wasn’t bad enough, Pazen’s performance on media to justify his actions bordered on criminal. He appeared on the Steffan Tubbs show on 710 KNUS and the Dan Caplis Show on 630 KHOW claiming his police had been valiant in defense of the citizens and moreover it was the fault of the rally organizers. He claimed under permit orders for an event in the City and County of Denver, you must supply your own barricades and security. He also claimed that the organizers had said they had 200 security personnel for the event which was obviously a lie by him. According to Pazen, if you are a group of citizens in the City and County of Denver and want to express your First Amendment rights you must provide your own street army to bloodily battle it out with those who want to squash your freedom of speech. According to Pazen, Denver is no different than Berlin in the 1920s where deadly street battles were a common occurrence.
It is not clear whether Pazen is indirectly supporting the BLM position that the police need to be abolished. If they won’t protect its citizens from attack, who needs them? Devious, dishonest and cowardly, Pazen is a bad political hack for the mayor. If the police in the City and County of Denver ever want any support from anyone, Police Chief Paul Pazen needs to be removed and the sooner the better.
Denver’s food scene has taken a hard hit, caused by the recent pandemic, with long standing restaurants such as Old Chicago, formerly located at 1280 S. Colorado Boulevard, permanently closing their doors. However, conversely the Mile High City is welcoming its newest food hall, Junction Food & Drink, just down the road at 2000 S. Colorado Boulevard. The new food hall is managed by National Food Hall Solutions, a Texas-based company founded in 2018 that owns and operates various food halls.
Interior seating at Junction Food and Drink, photo provided by Lincoln Property Company.
This addition comes as part of the enhancement project at the Colorado Center, which includes a Dave & Buster’s, an IMAX theater, and the Colorado Boulevard light-rail station. Colorado Center is a mixed-use, transit-oriented development located between Downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center. It comprises four Class A office towers totaling approximately 713,000 square-feet with a rooftop event space and 11,569 square-feet of high-end retail.
The 12,220-square-foot food hall will feature 10 food stalls, the Denver-based Sonder Coffee & Tea stand, plus a 40-foot bar and seating for 400 people, which will include both indoor seating and a 4,000-square-foot outdoor patio. Aside from its unique collection of chef-driven food vendors, one of the food hall’s biggest perks is its abundance of parking. The nearby parking garage offers ample space for parking with unlimited parking on the weekends.
With focus on small businesses, Pat Garza, the President and CEO of National Food Hall Solutions, wanted to feature vendors focused on local, quality-driven, authentic foods. From California-style street tacos to Nashville-inspired fried chicken, there is something that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
Exterior of Junction Food and Drink, photo provided by Lincoln Property Company.
Vendors include the following:
Big Wave Taco Shop: Founded by Chef Troy Guard, Big Wave Taco Shop, part of the Denver-based TAG restaurant group, will feature California-style tacos with various salsas, chips and queso.
Bird on a Wire Southern Chick’n: Nashville-style chicken and Southern favorites from the Garner Brother’s family-owned restaurant. Choose from fried chicken sandwiches, southern smoked wings, chicken tenders, plus sides including fried pickles, coleslaw, waffle fries and more.
Ebisu Ramen and Sushi food stall at Junction Food and Drink, photo provided by Lincoln Property Company.
Ebisu Ramen and Sushi: Chef Soon Choi, a former head chef from Sushi Den, brings Ebisu Ramen and sushi with a menu of small plates, sushi rolls, sushi bowls and ramen.
Grind and Grill Burger: A family-owned elevated burger concept, Grind and Grill Burger offers a wide variety of burgers, fries and shakes.
Lazo Empanadas: Serving traditional Argentinian, farm-fresh empanadas, Lazo is a local favorite with four other locations in Denver.
Mr. Miner’s Meat & Cheese: With its first location at Golden’s Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery, Mr. Miner’s Meat & Cheese will open its second location at Junction Food & Drink. The menu will include meat and cheese charcuterie boards, salads, sandwiches and a variety of shareables.
Paciugo Gelato: Using the freshest fruits and all-natural ingredients, Paciugo Gelato serves up gelati and sorbets the traditional Italian way. Their menu will feature gelato, frappes, gelatee and pastries.
Pete’s-A-Pie of Denver: A chef-driven purveyor of pizza using fresh, all-natural ingredients, Pete’s-A-Pie of Denver will feature New Haven-style pizza by the slice and whole pie.
Shawarma Shack: A Mediterranean food experience where patrons get front row access to the mesmerizing slow cooked meats roasting on spits, Shawarma Shack will also offer vegetarian and vegan options.
Smok Barbeque: With a focus on classic barbecue from across the county, including special notes from Austin, Texas and Kansas City, Smok will feature BBQ sandwiches, a variety of smoked meats and tasty sides, plus brisket and pulled pork tacos.
In addition to the food stalls, the Junction Food & Drink bar will offer a line-up of local craft beers and wine, plus a full bar serving up refreshing summer drinks.
Junction food hall is set to open early August with all the proper standards in place for social distancing. Adhering to all guidelines, each table will be six feet apart, with additional tables outside for eating and drinking. They will also offer curbside pick-up for food to go.
For further information, visit their website at junctionfoodanddrink.com. Junction Food & Drink at Colorado Center is a project of the partnership between ASB Real Estate Investments and Lincoln Property Company.
Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer is the Denver City Council representative for District 5. You can follow her on social media at @Denver Council5 and sign up for her newsletters at bit.ly/council5news.
This time last year looked very different in Denver. Run-off election results were just coming in, and the citizens had spoken loudly and clearly. When the dust settled, Mayor Hancock had won a third term, but three challengers had unseated incumbent Councilmembers — something almost unheard-of in our City that left political insiders scratching their heads and with mouths agape. What did it all mean?
As one of the winners who came into office riding that wave of political discontent last June, I believe that when the citizens of Denver chose new City Councilmembers they were saying they wanted to bring checks and balances to local government, more accountability and transparency, and more communication from their leaders.
My first year in office, I have worked hard to live by those values and bring them back to our government in a number of ways. I’ve researched how other cities with strong-mayor forms of government (like Denver’s) function, and what kinds of processes and procedures these cities use to bring balance, transparency and accountability to their communities. In my research I found something very interesting: the majority of Denver’s strong-mayor “sister” cities in the U.S. — those cities we look to when considering similar policies — participate in a process where their City Councilmembers have some form of approval power over the Mayor’s appointees. Denver is the only strong-mayor system in the State of Colorado that does not follow this practice. It’s time we institute it in Denver.
This month, I am introducing an amendment to the Denver Charter that, if referred to the voters by City Council, will require City Council approval of all Mayoral Cabinet appointees, as well as confirmation of the three heads of Denver’s Safety departments. This proposal gives Denver residents a voice through their independently elected City Council representatives. It respects our strong-mayor form of government while bringing a bit more balance to the system. If approved by voters in November 2020, it would mean that in addition to the Chiefs of Police and Fire, and the Denver Sheriff, a majority of City Councilmembers would have to approve the Executive Directors of: Aviation, City Attorney, Community Planning & Development, Dept. of Public Health & Environment, Dept. of Transportation & Infrastructure, Excise & License, Finance, General Services, Human Services, Parks & Recreation, and Safety.
This proposal is not popular with Denver’s current Mayor and his camp. Their concern is that this may overly-politicize the process and deter qualified candidates from applying for these positions. Those are valid concerns, but those risks already exist even without this Charter amendment in place. These are political appointments and public positions. These are jobs with salaries set by ordinance, and whose emails are subject to the Colorado Open Records Act. In short, they are jobs that enjoy a lower expectation of privacy than an ordinary job, and any candidate applying for one of these positions is aware of that.
Furthermore, every executive-level job search has an element of this risk associated with it, no matter whether the position is in government or the private sector. Council approving Mayoral appointments is analogous to a situation in the private sector where corporate boards approve C-suite appointments in a corporation. If a candidate for one of the most powerful positions in Denver cannot garner the support of seven members of a 13-member City Council, they shouldn’t be in the position in the first place. Instituting a process that brings more balance, transparency and accountability to our strong-mayor form of government makes sense. It is good governance. It is a policy that many other strong-mayor cities follow successfully, and it is time to bring it to Denver. This proposal will go before City Council’s Finance & Governance Committee on June 9, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. I urge you to reach out to your local City Councilmember and ask them to refer this initiative to the November 2020 ballot so that the citizens of Denver can vote on it.
Dan Himelspach is running for a seat in Colorado House District 6, and he could have never predicted the circumstances he would be facing when he was one of the first to launch his campaign for the primary set for June 30, 2020. COVID-19 has impacted the plan to reach voters but that is not stopping Himelspach. “What we’ve tried not to do is whine and cry in our beer,” said Himelspach. “How can we still accomplish our goal? Those that do the best can adjust to it and live in the new world we are in.”
Creative Campaigning: Dan Himelspach is running for State House District 6 in Denver and has had to alter the way he gets his message out to voters. He hosted a Zoom Town Hall with officials from Rose Medical Center on April 1, 2020.
One of the things Himelspach did was organize a Town Hall via Zoom with Denver City Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer that invited the community to learn more about Rose Hospital during this pandemic. Joining Himelspach and Sawyer was Ryan Tobin, President & CEO at Rose Medical Center and Andrew Weinfeld, MD, Chief Medical Officer.
“Rose [Hospital] is such an important part of this community and I wanted them to toot their horn,” said Himelspach. “I want them [Rose Hospital] to succeed but I also want everyone in the district and neighborhood to know what they truly have to offer. They’re a phenomenal organization that’s been here for a long time. The community, to a large extent, grew up around them. They are one of the major anchors in this community.”
Himelspach is one of those community members who has been around a long time. He is a Denver-based Colorado business leader and practicing attorney with over 30 years of experience specializing in mediation and negotiation. Living in House District 6 for over 40 years, Himelspach has formed several successful businesses including a family-owned business that sells high tech products to brain researchers all over the world. Not a professional politician hoping to climb the political ladder, Himelspach is running for office in the spirit of servant leadership with a hope to bring his unique mixture of negotiation and business skills to Colorado’s legislature.
Himelspach hopes to be one of the elected leaders to help Denver get through the pandemic. “Leadership is going to make a difference,” said Himelspach. “Strong leadership will go a long way.” Dan also has respect for people and this country. “People really by and large want to do the right thing,” said Himelspach. “This country is a strong country and we have a lot of resources compared to other countries around the world. We’re going to be fine and the individual spirit is strong here but it’s going to be a struggle for two or three years I think.”
It appears that some segments of American society are unaware that various flus sweep through this country, starting late fall each year, killing 30,000 to 70,000 people. Even though flu shots are provided free every year, approximately half the population does not even get vaccinated. True, the flu vaccines are only approximately 46% effective, but to cut your risk of getting the flu in half would appear to be an extremely good idea.
Now comes the coronavirus (for which there is no vaccine yet), as well as, an assortment of other flu viruses. The coronavirus appears to be highly contagious but not particularly deadly for anyone other than seniors with weakened immunological systems.
At least some of the persons who have died from complications of the coronavirus would also be at high risk if they contracted any of the other flu viruses going around this year. Many also had relatively short longevity expectations.
What has been unique about the coronavirus is the governmental response to it, both here in the United States and abroad. Here in Colorado, Governor Polis ordered all ski resorts closed for at least 30 days, all dine-in services at bars and restaurants, as well as closing gyms, casinos, theaters, coffeehouses, cigar bars, brewpubs and distillery pubs. All schools have been closed until at least April 17, 2020. None of the seven states contiguous to Colorado have adopted all of these draconian measures.
In 2009/2010 the swine flu, that originated from Mexico, infected 60.8 million Americans and killed 12,429. However, in Colorado, no such drastic measures were undertaken. Why? Some millennials point out that the swine flu overwhelmingly affected and killed the young while the coronavirus devastates those in the boomer generation and older. Millennials also note that the brunt of the economic hardships in Colorado that result in inevitable recession as a result of the economic stoppage will be borne by younger adults who are just starting new businesses or just entering the workforce. Conversely, they note among most of the politicians’ leadership positions in Washington, both parties are septuagenarians.
Governor Polis declared at his press conference announcing the mandated shutdowns that “Colorado is open for business.” Really? Is he talking about internet businesses where he made his tens of millions or perhaps the business of building high density apartment complexes throughout the Front Range? For the most part other portions of the economy are going to be very much challenged. The oil and gas industry, already reeling from ever-increasing restrictions imposed, is going to be further decimated by record low prices across the world. Tourism in Colorado is all but shut down for an indeterminate period of time, along with it the hotel and resort industry in Colorado, and, of course, the sports sector of the state economy.
Trump at the national level can just simply print another billion dollars in stimulus money while adding more billions of dollars to the national debt. But Polis on the other hand, cannot deficit spend at the state level. He will find that by a stroke of a pen, he can close businesses throughout the state, but he has little or no power to revive an economy spiraling into a recession.
While the number of coronavirus cases are increasing at a rapid rate in Colorado, they are far eclipsed by the all-time record-breaking rate of those attempting to claim unemployment in the state in response to the Governor’s proclamation. “We’re seeing one-day or likely one-week and two-week spikes like we never saw in the Great Recession,” Jeff Fitzgerald, the state’s unemployment insurance director notes. Rest assured the ripple effect from the governor’s proclamations are just beginning.
Is the economic devastation of the State of Colorado necessary? On the one hand it is difficult to blame politicians like Polis for fearing political retribution if they don’t get ahead of the curve on the spreading worldwide pandemic. Politicians started forbidding gatherings of more than 500, then 250 and now no more than 10. Countries like Italy have quarantined the entire population, while others like South Korea did not shut down the economy but mandated the wearing of face masks. Despite what some in the media are telling you, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) respirator masks, made to the specification of N95 or greater, can be effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. To date, South Korea has been more effective in controlling the spread of the virus than Italy, with all of its quarantines.
In addition to accepting the 34,100 flu deaths last year Americans also accept the fact that 38,800 die on our roads every year without an afterthought because we do not want to go back to the horse and buggy days. At some point rather than simply forcing the closing of business after business and forcing a recession on what was once a vibrant economy, those who make the decisions in Colorado, need to study what works and what does not. Politicians need to start making the hard decisions and not simply taking the easy out. The coronavirus deaths in Colorado as well as the much more numerous flu deaths will begin to recede as spring turns to summer while the self-induced economic recession will not.
