December 14, 2021 11:21 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Tuesday (Dec. 14)

• 2 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

One year ago today, the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccinations arrived in Colorado. Let’s Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of an audio learner, check out The Get More Smarter Podcast. And don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter. 

CORONAVIRUS INFO…

*Colorado Coronavirus info:
CDPHE Coronavirus website 

*Daily Coronavirus numbers in Colorado:
http://covid19.colorado.gov

*How you can help in Colorado:
COVRN.com

*Locate a COVID-19 testing site in Colorado:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 

► In case you missed that first sentence, today marks the one-year anniversary of the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Colorado. As the Governor’s office explains in a press release, here’s how the first year of vaccines has gone in our state:

♦ 76.2% of Coloradans age 5 and older vaccinated with one dose of COVID-19 vaccine (4,142,280 people).

♦ 68.8% of Coloradans age 5 and older now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (3,739,632 people).

♦ 25.9% of children age 5-11 in Colorado vaccinated with one dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (119,738 people).

♦ 64% of children age 12-17 in Colorado vaccinated with one dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (284,659 people).

♦ 1.2 million eligible Coloradans have received a booster dose (43.5% of those fully vaccinated).

In other COVID-19 news, studies are indicating that a new COVID-19 pill is successful in protecting against severe infections from the virus.

Researchers are also finding that the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant is resistant to monoclonal antibody treatments (and also, presumably, ‘monicronal antibiotics‘). In other words, you should definitely get vaccinated.

► Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs) was first elected in 2006 and has regularly made it back to Congress every two years despite the fact that he usually faces a Republican Primary (Lamborn has only avoided a Primary fight twice). State Rep. Dave Williams of Colorado Springs is the latest Republican challenger who will attempt to knock out Lamborn. 

► As The Aurora Sentinel reports, Arapahoe County commissioners will vote today on whether to become the third (and final) county to withdraw from an agreement to continue funding the Tri-County Health Department:

The demise of what was once the largest health department in the state, during the biggest public health crisis in state history, puts Aurora in a precarious position. If split-up is completed, Aurora, which straddles three counties, will be under the auspices of three health departments.

Officials in all three counties have signaled an openness to contract some services from what remains of or could be rebuilt from Tri-County Health. The department, like others across the state, is responsible for a vast array of services and regulatory tasks, mostly mundane and uncontroversial.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman was adamantly opposed to the split, saying earlier that the breakup of Tri-County would be “just awful” for Aurora.

► As Colorado Newsline reports, Democratic governors are pushing the U.S. Senate to act quickly on voting rights legislation.

Click below to keep learning stuff…

And Now, More Words…

► Unwittingly or not, State Rep. Matt Soper does a fine job of trolling Congressperson Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert (R-ifle).

► According to a press release, Adams County Commissioner Charles “Chaz” Tedesco has been endorsed by the United Steelworkers Union in the race for Congress in CO-08.

► Chris Cillizza of CNN looks at the 11 Democrats who could potentially replace Joe Biden as the Democratic Presidential nominee in 2024. 

► As Megan Verlee reports for Colorado Public Radio, Colorado lawmakers hoped to get some long-awaited priorities included in the new Defense Spending Authorization. Things didn’t work out that way, unfortunately.

► As POLITICO reports, the Senate looks like it will increase the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion. Democrats were able to open debate today on a party-line vote.

► The House will likely vote to hold former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in contempt for refusing to respond to a subpoena related to an investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection.

► Republican Senate candidates across the country seem to be rebelling against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — in large part because former President Donald Trump is mad at McConnell. This list includes Colorado Republican Senate candidate Ron Hanks. 

► Congressperson Lauren “Q*Bert” Boebert keeps saying that she has “moved on” from the controversy surrounding her anti-Muslim remarks last month. Of course, Boebert can’t seem to stop talking about it herself.

► Axios Denver reports on the response from Gov. Jared Polis to concerns about Colorado’s mental health infrastructure.

► As The Pew Research Center finds, the most popular religion in the United States is now “unaffiliated.” 

► Um, yeah…not good. As The Washington Post reports:

► Unite for Colorado will pay $40,000 in fines related to campaign finance violations, as Marianne Goodland reports for the publication formerly known as the Colorado Statesman:

According to the complaint, Unite spent $4 million to persuade voters to approve three ballot measures on the 2020 ballot: Proposition 116, which reduced the state’s income tax rate; Proposition 117, which required voter approval for new state-run enterprises; and Proposition 113, which sought to overturn the General Assembly’s passage of the National Popular Vote. Voters okayed the first two and rejected the third.

Unite is registered as a 501(c)(4), which under Internal Revenue Service rules is classified as a “social welfare” organization that engages in educating the public. In practical terms, so long as the organization spends less than 50% of the money it raises on political activities, it doesn’t have to disclose its donors. Unite was formed in November 2019 and led by Dustin Zvonek, now an Aurora City councilman.

The complaint against Unite said its only purpose was to engage in political activities. In addition to paying for petition circulation for Propositions 116 and 117, the complaint noted a YouTube video by Unite that criticized former Gov. and now-U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper for his ethics problems, but then moved on to seek online support for a ballot measure that would extend the amount of time citizens have to file complaints with the state Independent Ethics Commission. That ballot measure never moved beyond approval of the ballot title.

► Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters is now opposed to working with an elections services company that she herself recommended not long ago.

► Weld County Commissioners have forbid the county from posting anything about COVID-19 on social media. This should definitely make the pandemic go away.

► A new study finds that 1-in-8 Coloradans are in some form of medical debt.

► Closing a coal plant in Montrose County did not, in fact, destroy Montrose County.

► Hey, look: A Gold King Mine settlement!

Say What, Now?

Congressman Ken Buck (R-Greeley) is mad that the United States is COLLECTING tax revenue?

Your Daily Dose Of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

► You would think that the “most notable quote” of 2021 would be something that the speaker would be a little more proud of saying.

► Via “The Onion“:

ICYMI

► If you still haven’t yet read Alex Burness’s weekend story about the Colorado Republican Party for The Denver Post…well, just stop what you’re doing and read it now.

► The cat that was stuck on top of a pole in Aurora is now safe.

► This week on The Get More Smarter Podcast, hosts Jason Bane and Ian Silverii predict the future…or at least the part involving the 2022 election in Colorado.

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