Colorado has an abundance of solar and wind energy, yet it is EXPENSIVE! Going green shouldn't just be for the wealthy, which is why affordable financing for mainstream Colorado is so critical.
If we make renewables accessible for most folks, there is an enormous potential for job creation while greening up our grid.
I'll be introducing the Renewable Energy Finance Act tomorrow.
Continuing our, uh, continuing coverage of the debacle that has become of the great El Paso County/Colorado Springs "drown government in a bathtub" experiment.
As The Denver Post reports, El Paso County is considering - GASP! - repealing TABOR. Seems ideology isn't as cool when it turns out to be terribly damaging to your own people:
A battle is brewing over a possible ballot measure that would repeal the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in Colorado Springs, home of the author of the law that limits government taxing and spending.
The City Council is expected to meet Tuesday with a volunteer group that's been studying how the city raises and spends money.
The council likely will decide whether to put a plan repealing TABOR to a vote in the April election.
Yes, TABOR is so awesome that the land where it was invented wants to get rid of it. We've said it before and we'll say it again; TABOR wasn't a bad idea in theory, but it has been a miserable failure in practice. Those who continue to defend it to the death will see exactly that: the death of their communities.
Americans overwhelmingly voted for change just a few months ago, and today, as we open the 111th Congress, our job and that of the incoming Obama Administration, is to deliver on that change. As the Dean of the Delegation, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Colorado and in Congress on bipartisan measures to stabilize our economy, reestablish cutting-edge research, ensure access to quality health care, and develop a comprehensive energy plan. I am optimistic that with hard work and support from you, great things can be accomplished for Colorado. My agenda reflects that of the American people - priorities that will benefit not only our state, but the entire country. As Chief Deputy Whip and the Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I have the unique opportunity to play a significant role in some of our nation's most pressing debates:
· Expanding stem cell research so millions of patients and their families can have hope for a life-saving cure;
· Enhancing and expanding the children's health care program to provide coverage to millions of low-income children who live daily without health care;
· Reforming our nation's health care system so all Americans have access to health care, and as a result, live healthier and longer lives;
· Ensuring the safety of our food supply so tainted foods are removed from our store shelves immediately;
· Developing a comprehensive energy plan that addresses global climate change, ensures the safety of our drinking water, protects Colorado wilderness, and invests in alternative sources of energy.
Roland Burris was denied entry to the Senate chambers on Tuesday as he tried to claim the seat once held by President-elect Barack Obama.
Burris said the secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials, and therefore he would not be allowed access to the floor.
Timothy W. Wright III, an attorney for Burris, said the rejection of Burris' credentials was unlawful.
"Our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate. We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath, all of which we think was improperly done and it is against the law of this land," Wright said
Apparently, since Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has refused to sign the certificate of appointment signed by Blagojevich, the Senate doesn't consider the appointment legal yet. But that's it.
I'm no constitutional scholar, or even a lawyer, but this doesn't sit well with me.
A group of Republican lawmakers concerned that the Colorado Supreme Court has favored Democrats in recent decisions demanded Monday that the chief justice address the issue before the legislature.
Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey is scheduled to talk to lawmakers Friday about the state of the judiciary.
The lawmakers listed several court decisions they believe justify their concerns.
"Favoritism to political party, partisan ideology and results- oriented judging should not be an issue," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma.
"After looking at some of the court's recent decisions, we increasingly are concerned that the Mullarkey Court has abandoned its duty of interpreting the law and instead has embarked on a course of partisanship and political activism."
But Democratic Rep. Terrance Carroll, who will become the House speaker Wednesday, said Republicans should be worried about creating jobs instead of "manufacturing allegations against the court."
"I find it interesting that they want to try to trump up charges in what is one of the worst economic crises in history," said Carroll, a Denver attorney...
Although Republicans frequently point out that Mullarkey is a Democrat, judges in Colorado are nominated by a nonpartisan committee and appointed by the governor. The voters then decide whether to retain or reject the judges, whose party affiliation does not appear on the ballot.
It should be encouraging for Democrats to watch Republicans lead off the new session with the same John Andrews hand-wringing about judges that they pull basically every year. Should help clarify whether or not they've learned any lesson at all from the last three stringing defeats in as many elections--guess not. This is not what sells, voters find it a petty concern at best. Remember the drubbing of Andrews' judicial term limits amendment at the polls in 2006? So why keep prattling on about it? Why make an overtly partisan, not to mention meaningless (what, are they going to impeach?) tantrum the first big push of the year?
Between traction-free perennial grandstands about judges not ruling the way they'd like, way too public abortive "retirements," divided leadership, and red-on-red ethics allegations, Democrats may be able to sit back with some popcorn and enjoy the self-immolating show. For, well, how many sessions does this make again?
Southern Colorado politicos scratch heads over the selection of Michael Bennet to fill Ken Salazar's Senate seat, as the Pueblo Chieftain reports:
"Who is this guy? I haven't a clue," said Gilbert Ortiz, Sr., a businessman and a member of the Pueblo Area Labor Council. "I've been active in state politics for 30 years and I've never heard of him. I would have thought the governor would have picked someone Democrats were used to working with."
Former Pueblo County Democratic Chairman Chuck Rodosevich called the choice "a stunner." "Wow. That was my first reaction," Rodosevich said. "When I heard the governor had picked Bennet, I made some calls to other Democrats to find out if they knew something I didn't. Who is this guy? We were all expecting Ritter to pick someone with name recognition going into the 2010 election. (Former House Speaker) Andrew Romanoff was an obvious choice because he's campaigned all over the state. I'd imagine the Republicans are pretty excited about this choice."
...Pueblo County Democratic Chairman Terry Hart said a Bennet visit can't come too soon.
"I'm flexible and willing to find out who this guy is and what he stands for," Hart said. "But he needs to get started shoring up that base.
"Personally, he and the governor have a lot of work to do introducing Michael Bennet to Democrats. My phone rang all weekend and the general feeling from local Democrats was who is this guy and why did he get picked?"
Local educators, on the other hand, seem pleased, as the Chieftainreports in a separate article:
John Covington, superintendent of Pueblo City Schools, said, "The appointment of Michael Bennet to fill Sen. Salazar's seat will be a positive step for public K-12 education for both Colorado and on the national level...
"President-elect Obama has stated as one of his priorities to make significant improvements to the infrastructure of public schools in America. Michael Bennet will bring critical perspectives on systemic change, such as a longer school day and longer school year, which will complement the president-elect's plans to improve public education," Covington said.
School District 70 Superintendent Dan Lere also said he was impressed with Ritter's choice...
"I'm impressed that a superintendent of schools could be looked on as a person who could go to the Senate. If someone called me with that offer, I'd say I don't think I'm ready to do that. But you're a lot more involved in state-level politics in Denver than you would be in Pueblo.
"I'm just going to wait and see how he does. If he does as well as a senator as he did as a superintendent, things will turn out very well."
A panel of three Democratic legislators and two Republicans will decide whether further investigation is warranted into vote-buying allegations against GOP Rep. David Balmer.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, appointed the panel this week to look into a complaint filed against Balmer on Dec. 16 by House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker.
Balmer, R-Centennial, has until Jan. 8 to submit a written answer. May's complaint alleges Balmer may have coordinated with a lobbyist to offer campaign donations and a future committee chairmanship to another legislator in exchange for supporting Balmer in his race for minority leader.
A separate complaint has been filed against the lobbyist, who has given a sworn statement that he did not talk or coordinate with Balmer.
You'll recall this spat from a couple of weeks ago--Balmer stands accused of his improprieties, but somebody else took the opportunity afforded by Minority Leader Mike May'sabortive resignation to anonymously remind the press about Balmer's well-known crackup and disgraceful exit from North Carolina politics after allegations of resume embellishment in 1994.
We don't pretend to know how the ethics complaint will play out (they usually don't), but this story is more interesting for the simple mystery: who got offered the plums? Who dished the goods on Balmer? Rep. May filed the ethics complaint against Balmer--does May by any chance know who got fed up about Balmer's checkered past at just the right moment?
And above all, is there any angle on this story that makes Republicans look good? And what about the lobbyists involved? Because there seems at a glance to be more than enough ignominy to go around, "perps" and "victims" alike.
The Rocky Mountain News reported today that Sen. Ken Salazar plans to meet with Sen. Mark Udall and incoming Sen. Michael Bennet to, among other things, make a recommendation for Colorado's next U.S. Attorney.
U.S. Attorneys are typically selected by the President in power, though usually at the suggestion of a particular state's Senator(s) - providing that they are of the same political party, of course. Current U.S. Attorney Troy "I'll Run for Anything" Eid is expected to resign before he is formally asked to leave by the Obama administration.
Two names have garnered strong consideration for U.S. Attorney: CU Regent Michael Carrigan and Adams County District Attorney Don Quick. Both are well-qualified and would be solid choices, though Quick is also considering running for Attorney General and is not thought to be in a hurry to leave his current position given the investigation into the recent murder of one of his deputy DAs.
In the halls of the Colorado State Capitol, state legislators will soon bounce echoes of deals off the stately columns and heavy wooden doors, and most of it will involve saving Colorado from a deep recession.
But how legislators do that in conjunction with Gov. Bill Ritter depends on whom you ask. Some Democratic lawmakers think Colorado needs fees or a modernization of the gas tax to help pay for things such as transportation maintenance and capital construction while Republicans say government needs to tighten its belt to make up for what could be a nearly $600 million Colorado budget shortfall.
But it must be sort of difficult to gauge just what you should cut or do with the budget when analysts disagree about just how much Colorado could be short this year. That figure ranges from $80 million to $600 million, depending on who you ask...
In an interview with the Greeley Tribune Editorial Board, [House Speaker-designate Terrance] Carroll said the recession might mean a retool of the economy and a mix of small-business jobs, urban and rural jobs and so-called "green-collar" environmentally sound jobs.
And cuts, and new taxes? Everything has to remain on the table, Carroll said.
Colorado, hamstrung as we've said repeatedly by decades of interlocking, counter-reinforcing, mostly Republican-engineered budgetary restrictions, is looking more screwed this year than at any time since the passage of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in 1992. The hope of emergency federal stimulus aid from the incoming Obama administration is one of the last left to cling to.
Democrats can't really do anything to remedy this situation without a statewide vote of the kind that was tried and failed last year with Amendment 59. 2005's Referendum C was a temporary finger in the dike, and even it barely passed--with significant (moderate) GOP support. So when your trusted representative or senator tells you there's no money for the priorities you hold dear (health care, education, transportation, etc.), please don't assume they're just spinelessly capitulating to the Doug Bruce frame. The whole state capitulated years ago, and the bill for our collective hubris is merely coming due.
(Just because this is so deliciously entertaining. Hehehehe. - promoted by Laughing Boy)
As I said earlier, it's pretty clear that Michael Bennet was appointed to the U.S. Senate solely because of his aristocratic credentials - ie. connections to money and Establishment power and Beltway insiders. It had almost nothing to do with his relevant experience, because if that was the basis for an appointment, every other major candidate had more of that. And, as the Denver Post notes, it had absolutely, positively nothing to do with his public positions on issues:
But while everyone from business leaders to political heavyweights to education reformers agree that Bennet is almost always the smartest guy in the room, his positions on nearly every key issue facing the country are completely unknown.
"Soon," Bennet said both during and after the official announcement.
Foreshadowing the hard-fought senate race expected in 2010, state GOP chair Dick Wadhams seized on Bennet's silence.
"His continued refusal today to state his positions on issues suggests someone who isn't clear where he stands," Wadhams said. And then he demanded to know Bennet's stance on an upcoming measure in the Senate that would eliminate the secret ballot in union votes.
One of two disconcerting realities is at work here: 1) Bennet's positions are known by the Establishment forces that got him the Senate job, and those positions aren't threatening to that Establishment (read: they are corporate conservative) or 2) Bennet himself doesn't yet have positions on the major issues.
I guess the latter would be better than the former in that it would hold out the possibility that Bennet will end up being a solid Democratic vote on issues like health care, ending the war, and the Employee Free Choice Act. But the fact that Colorado now has a senator whose never held elected office and therefore has no voting record*; has lived most of his life in D.C. and not in state; has served as a key adviser to a right-wing billionaire; and hasn't stated any public positions on key issues before the Senate highlights just how odd - and troubling - Ritter's appointment is.
*Note: I think having served in elected office - or at least having run for such office - should be a key qualification for a Senate appointment not as much for political/reelection reasons, but because in having served/run for office, a candidate has built up something of a public record on many issues (whether that public record is actual votes or public statements) and therefore the citizens being represented by said candidate at least have some idea of where that appointee actually stands.
Engineering has a principle called KISS -- Keep It Simple Stupid. I guess there is no corollary in the law or in Ritter's experience. Choose the most qualified, experienced, skilled and willing candidate who can run a campaign, serve the constituency well and keep getting elected. Every opposition candidate's nightmare.
Ritter had at least a half-dozen candidates that fit the bill.
Ok, so Ritter's contrary enough to reject the easy way to solidify Democratic party gains in Colorado. What's next?
Not much there yet (you'd get suspicious if there was), but you can sign up for updates. We took a posterity screenshot so you can watch it grow. The domain was registered on New Year's Eve.
There's also a quickie press kit up that features the 2007 New Yorkerprofile you've no doubt read by now.
And hurry up with the online donations! He is rich, but...
Mr. Bennet, flanked by his wife, Susan Daggett, and their three young daughters, said he would focus on health care, the economy and education, andhe promised to provide more policy details in the coming weeks. His positions on most prominent issues are relatively unknown.
"Innovative thinking, pragmatic problem solving and bringing people together have been the hallmarks of my career," he said.
Mr. Ritter's choice of Mr. Bennet, 44, came as a surprise when it was first reported on Friday, as several higher profile Colorado Democrats had been mentioned as possible candidates...
Despite earning high marks in education circles, Bennet is not regarded as a political meteor, and Obama passed him over for the education secretary job last month. Bennet has also worked as managing director of Anschutz Investment in Denver, as a lawyer in the Clinton Justice Department and as Hickenlooper's chief of staff.
Colorado political observers were shocked by the pick, noting that Bennet's low statewide profile and untested fundraising skills could put a hard-won seat in jeopardy in two years, when Salazar's term expires. Bennet intends to run for a full term in 2010 and has launched an election Web site.
"What the hell?" exclaimed the popular site ColoradoPols.com. ". . . By all accounts Bennet is a brilliant guy who also happens to be fabulously wealthy from his days working with super-rich dude Phil Anschutz, but being smart and rich doesn't make this a wise choice." [Pols emphasis - we're popular!]
President-elect Obama is giving N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson the "Rev. Weaver push."
Richardson announced that he has withdrawn his name for secretary of commerce because of an investigation into a company that has done business with N.M., according to the AP.
From the wire story, complete with blessings from President-elect Barack Obama--full Obama statement follows after the jump:
Gov. Bill Ritter on Saturday appointed Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet to fill a Senate vacancy that will be created by the promotion of Sen. Ken Salazar to interior secretary in the Obama administration...
Ritter praised Bennet, 44, as a proven leader and problem-solver in the both public and private sectors.
"This is a critical time in history. The economic challenges facing America and Colorado are unprecedented," Ritter said in a written statement. "Our challenges are so serious that it will take a new generation of leaders, a new way of thinking and a bold new approach to problem-solving to steer us through this."
In a statement from his office, Obama called Bennet an excellent choice who will be "a breath of fresh air in Washington."
"Michael Bennet perfectly reflects the qualities of the ruggedly independent state he has been chosen to serve," Obama said.
With Michael Bennet being named to succeed Senator Ken Salazar, DPS will have to find a new Superintendent. Perhaps this is a good time to consider the terrible state of public education in our State.
As it stands now, we are creating a disaster in human, financial, and collateral damage terms by what is happening to particularly the minority students that enroll in our public schools.
Let's look at some numbers and get some opinions...
Poudre School District Superintendent Jerry Wilson said Bennet has displayed his political and negotiating skills in heading DPS, the state's largest school system, which has faced years of performance issues.
"In urban districts, those political skills are vital to the success of the district," said Wilson, who said he's had "limited interactions" with Bennet...
Bennet's position on teacher pay is a break from orthodox Demo-cratic policies, which generally have been resistant to merit-based pay for teachers, said Kirk Brush, chairman of the Larimer County Republican Party.
"From a Republican perspective, the fact that he's willing to look at different options for education is encouraging," Brush said.
Brush's Democratic counterpart, Adam Bowen, said Bennet appears to be the type of moderate Democrat - like Salazar, Ritter and Rep.-elect Betsy Markey - who performed well in recent years in Larimer and Weld counties.
"It is surprising, and hopefully he'll surprise us," said Ted Textor, political director of the Colorado Council of Teamsters, which backed another applicant.
"I think you've got people who are personally unhappy, but there isn't a large faction that would be unhappy," Denver City Councilman and former Democratic legislator Doug Linkhart said of the pick.
"If (Gov. Bill Ritter) had appointed somebody with a long track record - let's say against labor, for example - then labor would have been mad. But Michael has never been in a position to vote on anything. That's a plus for him. He doesn't have a whole bunch of people who oppose him."
Bennet, superintendent for the Denver Public Schools, lacks legislative experience to truly succeed in Washington, according to Mike Hesse, a Republican political consultant.
Hesse said Bennet's lack of statewide name recognition will leave him in danger at the polls in 2010.
"Even the average Denver resident, if you walk down the street, wouldn't know who he is," he said.
Mark Hillman, a member of the Republican National Committee and a former state senator, praised Bennet as "a sharp guy," but said his lack of legislative experience will be a boon for Republicans.
"Bill Ritter is the governor that keeps on giving to the Republican Party," Hillman said...
Former Congressman Scott McInnis, R-Colo., said unlike some of the other contenders for the U.S. Senate appointment, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Congressman Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., Bennet is a moderate.
"Mike's very capable," McInnis said. "I think he's fairly moderate ... and he'll be pretty strongly seated two years from now."
While we try like hell to get our collective heads around Governor Bill Ritter'sdaring (he hopes) selection of DPS superintendent Michael Bennet to fill the seat of promoted Sen. Ken Salazar, and stand by our assessment that this pick defies all political common sense, we are always willing to consider possibilities.
The chief pushback we're hearing to criticism of Bennet's selection is that his admitted brilliance and ability to rise to major new challenges are being underestimated. This comes to us from sources who know and have worked closely with Bennet, and who insist there is something to be seen in him that hasn't been able to shine given the positions he's held so far.
There is a certain leap of faith required to fully accept this, and that's the problem given the alternative of at least equally qualified--and better known--candidates looking ahead to 2010. We want to be clear that our issue is not with Bennet's personal ability to campaign well, but his ability to do as well as candidates with fewer name-ID hurdles and a base of support already in place. Bennet is a risk, and an entirely unnecessary risk at that; it's not like Republicans picking an untested candidate as a way to shake up a race after years of losing.
But consider this: when Sarah Palin exploded onto the national stage, she went from photogenic nobody to immensely popular superstar in a matter of days--until they let her talk without a script. Can the similarly photogenic and novel Bennet do the same, succeeding where she tanked by not colossally blundering through his first interviews?
By now we've all heard the news that Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet will be named Colorado's next U.S. Senator tomorrow. Our reaction?
What the hell?
Governor Bill Ritter surely (hopefully) has a good reason for choosing Bennet to replace Ken Salazar, but from where we're sitting it's damn near impossible to see what that reason might be. By all accounts Bennet is brilliant guy who also happens to be fabulously wealthy from his days working with super-rich dude Phil Anschutz, but being smart and rich doesn't make this a wise choice.
UPDATE #4: Rep.-elect Jared Polisapplauds Bennet's selection in a comment below: "I have known Michael through our work in education for several years. He brings extensive business experience to the job, which is what we need more of in the US Congress, and particularly in our Democratic party as we work to get the economy going again. I've never been one to say that we need a Congress of businesspeople, but if you look at the Democratic caucus, business people are under-represented relative to attorneys and career politicians."
UPDATE #3: Liberal activist group Progress Now just sent out a brief statement praising Ritter's selection of Bennet. Says Director Mike Huttner, "Michael Bennet is an outstanding choice to fill the seat vacated by Senator Salazar. I have known Michael for many years as someone who has tremendous integrity and epitomizes Colorado values. He has distinguished himself as a talented and dedicated public servant who can work with people across the political spectrum."
UPDATE:Rocky Mountain News update: "Sources: Bennet will be new Colorado senator." Can this possibly be for real? Initial confirmations say it's legit, we are picking our jaws up off the floor.
Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet is expected to be named Saturday as the future U.S. Senate replacement for Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar, according to two Democratic sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to name his U.S. Senate replacement pick on Saturday, ending a brief but frenzied period of speculation about who will take the seat of Interior Secretary nominee Ken Salazar.
Original post follows.
--
As the Rocky Mountain News reports, Gov. Bill Ritter will announce his choice to succeed Ken Salazar in the Senate tomorrow.
On the eve of that announcement, we hear that Rep. Ed Perlmutter has been told by the Governor that he is not the choice, which likely means that the decision comes down to two: Andrew Romanoff or Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
