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5 of Colorado Statesman’s “Top 12 Races to Watch” are in Jeffco

Posted on February 28, 2012February 28, 2012 by Colorado Pols

The Colorado Statesman’s inimitable Ernest Luning last week gave his rundown of the top 12 tightest legislative races to watch in 2012.

Lo and behold, nearly half of all of those races are in Jeffco.

From Luning:

It’s just four months until Colorado voters cast ballots in the June primary, and already the battle for control of the General Assembly is taking shape.

Following last year’s contentious reapportionment fight, which scrambled districts statewide and resulted in an unusually high number of competitive districts – at least as measured by voter registration statistics – both Republicans and Democrats are vying for majorities in the state House and Senate. Republicans currently hold a one-vote margin in the House, and Democrats control the Senate by five votes, but an unprecedented turnover in the chambers means those majorities could be entirely up for grabs this year.

The Colorado Statesman has compiled a list of the 12 legislative races – including a handful of primaries – to watch this year, based on interviews with party strategists, campaign operatives, candidates and neutral observers. At the end of each month up to the election, we’ll update the list to reflect changes in the ranking based on what’s sure to be a dynamic campaign year.

…

1. Senate District 22 – Democratic state Rep. Andy Kerr vs. Republican state Rep. Ken Summers

This is the marquee legislative race this year because it pits two solidly partisan, veteran lawmakers against each other in a quintessential swing district smack in the middle of bellwether Jefferson County. It’s also the contest that has seen the most twists and turns on the way to the final line-up, promising plenty of excitement right down to the wire. Reapportionment maps crowded state Reps. Kerr and Summers, along with Democratic state Rep. Max Tyler, into the same House district, leaving Kerr and Summers to emerge as candidates for the open Senate seat.

Rated: A pure toss-up.

…

3. House District 29 – Incumbent Republican state Rep. Robert Ramirez vs. Democratic challenger Tracy Kraft-Tharp

Even if this north Jefferson County district weren’t one of the most evenly divided in the state, it would still feature one of the most hotly contested races if only because of its symbolic value. This was the seat that flipped control of the House from Democrats to Republicans in 2010 when Ramirez toppled state Rep. Debbie Benefield by a mere 197 votes. Since that win, House Speaker Frank McNulty has been touting Ramirez as the linchpin for Republicans. Though he briefly flirted with a run for his Senate seat, by all appearances he’s working as hard to keep his seat as he did to win it the first time around, facing a strong challenge from lawyer Kraft-Tharp, a Democratic Party stalwart.

Rated: Pure toss-up.

…

6. Senate District 19 – Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Evie Hudak vs. Republican challenger Lang Sias

Republicans want this Arvada and Westminster seat in a big way, evidenced by a flurry of TV ads – yes, TV ads! – already unleashed on Hudak in an attempt to soften her up for past congressional candidate Sias. The ads went after Hudak for supporting last fall’s failed ballot initiative Proposition 103. It would have raised state taxes by $3 billion to fund education, a hot-button issue Democrats aren’t too worried will irreparably damage the former teacher, whose views on education funding are hardly a secret. On the heels of his losing primary to run against U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, Sias brings campaign experience and the past backing of U.S. Sen. John McCain to the suburban battleground.

Rated: Hudak’s familiarity with district gives her a slight edge, but Sias could benefit from sour voter mood.

…

7. House District 28 – Republican Amy Attwood vs. the winner of a Democratic primary between Brian Carroll and Brittany Pettersen

By the numbers alone, this Lakewood district ought to be a safe Democratic seat, but the combination of a combative Democratic primary and a seasoned Republican candidate make the outcome less predictable. Attwood knows the district inside and out, having run a failing bid for Lakewood City Council and gotten a jump on the partisan side as an aide to state Rep. Ken Summers, who is running for an open Senate seat. She’ll have the advantage of campaigning unobstructed through June while the Democrats slog through a primary. Campaign organizer Pettersen jumped in the race last week at the urging of local Democrats who feared Carroll had burned too many bridges during his short-lived primary challenge last fall against state Rep. Andy Kerr, when Carroll ran as the first openly gay veteran to launch a bid following the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military rule.

Rated: Pettersen looks strong out of the gate, and if primary isn’t too bruising could hold the advantage in November.

…

8. House District 23 – Incumbent Democratic state Rep. Max Tyler vs. Republican challenger Rick Enstrom

Touted as a top example of Republican legislative candidate recruitment efforts this year, Enstrom’s bid to unseat Tyler could give the Democrat his first real race in the central Jefferson County district. The candy man brings a solid record of public service and mainstream GOP positions to a race Republicans hope to turn into a referendum on Tyler’s more liberal approach to government.

Rated: Leans Tyler, but Enstrom will make him work for it.

We think Luning is spot on in almost all of his analysis. The campaign between Kerr and Summers isn’t simply the most compelling in Jeffco, it’s an incredibly important indicator of Colorado’s political temperature as 2012 progresses. There’s good reason it’s the top race to watch.

We disagree, however, that the race between Kraft-Tharp and Ramirez is a toss-up. Kraft-Tharp is outraising the sitting representative, after all. Ramirez’s brief exit from the House race only bolsters the perception that Kraft-Tharp is the candidate to beat, and that perception will only lead to increased fundraising. Luning’s right that the dynamics of this race may very well change between now and November – Ramirez will no doubt receive a healthy amount of outside support from those wanting to preserve the razor-thin GOP majority in the House – but we think Kraft-Tharp is currently enjoying a definite edge. Ramirez knows it, too.

As for the House District 28 campaign, we agree that Pettersen is making the best case for the Democratic nomination right now in part because of her backing from prominent “local Democrats.” If Carroll can argue, however, that he’s learned from his past indiscretions and if he continues pulling in enough money, he’ll swiftly fill the gap. He’ll also need to demonstrate that he didn’t move into Lakewood just to run for office.

Either way, we give Attwood the advantage against either Democratic candidate. Unlike both Carroll and to a lesser extent Pettersen, Attwood is well-known in Lakewood. Yes, she lost her last campaign for Lakewood City Council, but that only gives her impetus to work that much harder for the house seat. And we suspect that many Lakewood voters wish Attwood had won her last election, given Councilman Dave Wiechman’s recent problems.

Denver Council to Hold Public Meetings on Redistricting

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Colorado Pols

Often lost in the media frenzy surrounding reapportionment and redistricting is the fact that local municipalities also have to redraw their political subdivisions to match the newest Census data.

Most cities in Colorado have redistricting provisions buried in their city charter, and Denver is no different. Some municipalities go so far as to contract the entire redistricting process out to a third party, but the Mile High City is keeping it decidedly in house – the Denver City Council is taking charge of the line-drawing and will present finalized maps by the end of April.

While it’s unlikely that any sitting councilmembers will draw their own residences out of any district, the Colorado legislative reapportionment process soundly demonstrated that just about anything can happen when new lines are drawn.

To keep citizens involved in what could end up being a very complex process, then, the Denver City Council will be hosting a series of town-hall meetings in the coming weeks for input on proposed maps.

(DENVER) The Denver City Council will hold five public meetings beginning February 29, 2012, in the different quadrants of the City to collect public input on several proposed redistricting maps. All Denver residents are encouraged to attend and provide feedback.

At least once every 10 years, the Denver City Council must redraw its district boundaries, based on the latest U.S. Census data. In order to comply with the Charter, Denver City Council must adopt an ordinance establishing new council district boundaries by the end of April 2012. The new map will be effective for purposes of the 2015 municipal election.

On September 26, 2011, Council adopted Resolution 11-0661 stating its principles and procedures for the redistricting process. In accordance with this resolution, five public meetings have been scheduled to explain the redistricting purpose and process to the public, present proposed maps, and gather public input.

Citizens will have the option of attending the meetings in person, or e-mailing their questions and/or comments to the City Council. E-mail may be sent to:

redistricting@denvergov.org.

Citizens will have until the last public meeting on March 10th to submit questions or comments.

More information related to redistricting can be found on the Denver City Council website at: www.denvergov.org/citycouncil (click on the Redistricting tab at the top of the page).

The schedule for the public meetings follows.

Central Quadrant:

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

City & County Bldg., Room 391

1437 Bannock St.

5:30-7:00 pm

Southwest Quadrant:

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Southwest Improvement Council (SWIC) Bldg.

1000 S. Lowell Blvd.

5:30 – 7:00 pm

Northeast Quadrant:

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Central Park Recreation Center

9651 E. MLK (Martin Luther King) Blvd.

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Southeast Quadrant:

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Police District 3 Station

1625 S. University

6:00 – 7:30 pm

Northwest Quadrant:

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Historic Delmonico Hall

3220 Federal Blvd.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

District 9:

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Historic Delmonico Hall

3220 Federal Blvd.

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Always Renew Your Domain Names: Jeanne Labuda Edition

Posted on February 26, 2012February 26, 2012 by Colorado Pols

If you’re a candidate for any public office, one of your first steps should be registering a domain name that consists of your first name and last name – nothing more, and nothing less.

The reasoning is simple: when voters first get their ballots and they see an unfamiliar name, they’ll turn to Google before they try to remember what they saw on the mail piece they threw out three weeks ago. If you’re a candidate or any sort of public figure, then, it’s important that the information you’ve crafted be the first info they see on the web and equally important that those supporting your opponent can’t use your own name against you.

HD-1 Rep. Jeanne Labuda has a fairly unique name and as a result her campaign website, jeannelabuda.com, has dominated the Google search for her name. That’s a pretty good URL for Labuda to have: it’s literally as easy to remember as her name, and it’s not so long or obscure – think of something to the tune of Labuda4HD1Rep.com – that it would look out of place on mail or yard signs.

The problem with jeannelabuda.com, however, is that Jeanne Labuda no longer owns it. She used to own it, as evidenced by her campaign filings with the Secretary of State’s Office. Sometime between now and last October, however, Labuda (or whoever was managing Labuda’s website) forgot to renew their domain registration. Now, jeannelabuda.com is a headache-inducing blend of green, red, and white hocking LASIK eye surgery in Japanese. The first thing voters will click on when the Google search Jeanne Labuda, then, is a spammy-landing page that has nothing to do with their representative.

All things considered, this isn’t the end of the world for Labuda. She’s re-located her campaign website to jeannelabudaco.com – it’s not nearly as good as her original URL, but at least her name is still in there somewhere.

Still, this is one of those things that Labuda should never have let happen. Any yard signs or campaign literature that had her old domain on it are now useless, not to mention that Labuda’s website is nowhere near the first (or tenth) page of a Google search for her name. Juxtapose that with primary opponent Corrie Houck, who controls the first page of a search for her name, and it’s clear that Labuda should’ve just paid the 10 or 15 bucks to keep her url. Having a workable, searchable domain name is one of those things that doesn’t give your campaign any perceivable edge but really hurts when you neglect it.

Of course, it’s a simple, easily avoidable mistake like this that really showcases why Houck is challenging Labuda in the first place. If Labuda can’t even organize her campaign such that her domain name doesn’t lapse, the argument goes, she may be equally likely to make similar mistakes throughout 2012. The difference is that those mistakes matter; if Labuda hasn’t crafted a campaign organization now, who’s to say she’ll have one by the time she actually needs to defend her seat?

Has Andrea Merida Paid Back Her Overages Yet?

Posted on February 13, 2012February 13, 2012 by Colorado Pols

In September of last year, it was revealed that DPS Board Member Andrea Merida had charged over $12,000 of personal expenses – ranging from fast food to phone bills to flowers – to her district provided and taxpayer funded credit card.

Merida at first refused to pay back any of the $7,500 she spent beyond her $5,000 allotment before she begrudgingly agreed to reimburse the district.

Now, over 5 months later, the question remains: has Andrea Merida paid back her overages?

Merida claimed to have repaid the district in October and that her repayment was “rejected.” That claim was summarily dismissed by Board President Nate Easley and other DPS administrators.

Merida wasn’t pressed on the issue again until last month, when the Denver newspaper editorial board again asked that she make amends and repay DPS.

Instead of pledging to reimburse the taxpayers, Merida instead took issue with the paper’s observation of two recently-incurred charges for Netflix and Xbox Live.

The board member claimed that those charges were “fraudulent” and the credit card company agreed, reversing the transactions and crediting that money back to the district.

In defense of those fraudulent charges, Merida went on to say that:

Even though board policy does not require me to make any payments to the district, I am covering my own normally-allowed expenses and have brought spending down to zero. By the time my first term is over, the district will have saved at least $15,400. I do this because I respect the sacrifice the taxpayers of my district have made, though the record shows that past board members neither curbed their own spending nor improved the policy. This board did, unanimously. It is truly unfortunate that this situation has been spun for political gain, while our district buckles under the weight of risky investment schemes that drain millions in unbudgeted dollars from our classrooms.

It’s very admirable that Merida is covering her “normally-allowed expenses” and that she’s “brought spending down to zero.” Neither of those statements, however, answer the one question at the heart of this whole ordeal: has Merida paid the district back yet?

Merida is using very carefully crafted language to imply that she’s done everything required of her – and more – in an effort to be a transparent and responsive elected official. The district will have saved $15,400 by the end of her term, after all! Absent in all of Merida’s statements, of course, is the one stating that she’s fulfilled her September pledge to repay the school district.

If Merida is serious about putting this story behind her and if she’s tired of the “situation being spun for political purposes” then the solution is very simple: pay back her much-lambasted expenses and make an absolute statement communicating that those expenses have been paid in full.

Until Merida does both of those things, this issue will continue to linger and further pollute her term on the Board. She made a rather unequivocal pledge – after equivocating, of course – to repay the district and all she needs to do to put this entire issue behind her is make that repayment. Maybe she has repaid it. If that’s the case, then instead of writing about “respect for the sacrifices of the taxpayer” all she has to say is that she’s fulfilled her obligation.

Unless she does, however, all of her complaints about “political spin” look little less than political posturing.

Greener Pastures for Wil Alston

Posted on January 24, 2012January 24, 2012 by Colorado Pols

Wil Alston, who mounted an unsuccessful 2011 campaign for City Council in District 8, is stepping down from his role as communications director for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

That’s the latest word from the Denver newspaper, at least. Alston will instead handle communications in a newly created position at the Denver Department of Finance under the leadership of Denver’s CFO Cary Kennedy.

Alston told the Denver paper that he wanted to “do something with a more strategic focus” – whatever that means.

We doubt that Alston will have half the strategic impact in the Department of Finance as he did in the Mayor’s office. But it’s because his new title will have fewer responsibilities that we suspect Alston is ultimately taking the cut in influence and pay.

Alston made several critical mistakes in shepherding the Mayor’s underlying communications strategy, ranging from rumored clashes with Evan Dreyer to the much maligned (and immediately reversed) decision to ban recording devices from background briefings. Not to mention the implementation of a communications strategy designed to garner Hancock a national profile.

These mistakes made it clear that Alston wasn’t prepared to handle communications for what is arguably the most high-profile elected position in Colorado. Whether Alston, Hancock, or Chief-of-Staff Janice Sinden came to that realization is immaterial – Alston was in over his head.

That Alston is instead landing in a newly-created (and still relatively well-paid) position somewhere else in city government is testament to the strong relationship he has with Hancock. If Alston wasn’t stepping down either on his own accord or on the best of terms, we doubt he’d have had a position created especially for him. That’s not to say friendship blurred Hancock’s vision: Alston’s a talented communicator and even if he lacked the leadership to run an entire communications shop on his own, he’ll likely still be incredibly valuable as an advisor.

A search for a new communications director is underway. It’ll be interesting to see whether Alston’s successor will also be Alston’s boss – all communications coming from the Department of Finance, we presume, will likely be crafted in part by the Mayor’s office.

Until then, hopefully Alston will work to make sure Hancock’s economic policy initiatives sound a little less like investor brochures.

Lakewood Police Escort All-America Quilt

Posted on January 17, 2012January 17, 2012 by Colorado Pols

That’s the headline, at least, from the All-America City Quilt’s recent visit to Lakewood, Colorado.

From 9News and and the National Civic League:

Lakewood, Colorado rolled out the red carpet for the arrival of the All-America City Quilt this week. In fact, the quilt was given a police escort.

NCL President Gloria Rubio-Cortés was on hand to congratulate Mayor Bob Murphy and a group of community leaders.

The quilt has been making rounds of cities that were finalists in the 2011 All-America City Awards. Lakewood was named a 2011 All-America City last June at an award ceremony and celebration in Kansas City, Missouri.

The fact that Lakewood won the 2011 All-America City Award – as well as the first ever “diversity” award – from the National Civic League is testament to the work Bob Murphy and his allies on City Council have done in making Lakewood an “inclusive community” as well as revitalizing West Colfax and the city as a whole. Still, there’s something delightfully campy about the whole process that just screams “small town America.”

A police escort? For a quilt? Well, the All-America quilt is incredibly valuable. Perhaps Murphy was cold and couldn’t wait to cozy up his office. Or perhaps Lakewood was worried about Arvada or Sheridan getting their dirty hands on such a coveted tapestry. Better safe than sorry, right?

Not to mention the presentation Lakewood made to win both the All-America and the right to steward the accompanying quilt. If you haven’t seen it – and you really should – Murphy, some members of City Council, and other community leaders march up on stage wearing matching white t-shirts and talk about what makes Lakewood great while a light guitar ballad plays in the background. It’s a beautiful “kumbaya” moment, with little kids talking about playground inclusiveness and other speakers extolling Lakewood’s values in Spanish.

It’s almost a cliche – when someone says “presentation to the National Civic League,” we can’t imagine them meaning anything other than a song and dance number about some town in Colorado.

Still, in the NCL presentation, you can tell that Murphy and his companions really believe everything that they’re singing (or chanting). They believe that Lakewood really is a thriving economic destination notable for its diversity, inclusiveness, and responsive government. Perhaps that’s exactly why Lakewood deserved the award, and why Murphy has been such a successful mayor. With Lakewood, what you see is what you get. The city’s elected officials really do believe in making their home a great place to live. There are no ulterior motives.

So yes, it’s ridiculous. A quilt probably shouldn’t have a police escort. But Murphy and the rest can be proud of winning the All-America City award. Even if its cliche or campy, they deserve their moment: superfluous police sirens and all.

Jeffco’s Own “Top Ethical Failure” of 2011

Posted on December 28, 2011December 29, 2011 by Colorado Pols

We’ve previously written about Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission’s investigation surrounding former Jefferson County Commissioner Kevin McCasky.

Colorado Ethics Watch filed a complaint with the Ethics Commission alleging that McCasky lobbied for an increase in county funding to the Jefferson Economic Council while at the same time applying for his current position as president there.

As it turns out, that was (or at least looks like) an incredibly corrupt – not to mention asinine – thing to do. While it may have earned McCasky the job and a pretty pay check, he’s now facing the kind of scorn that will almost certainly smother any future political aspirations. In fact, his actions have earned the rare qualification of “top ethical failure.”

From Colorado Ethics Watch:

Ethics Watch, a nonpartisan, nonprofit legal watchdog group, today released Ethics Roundup: Top Ethical Failures of 2011, the organization’s fourth annual report highlighting Colorado’s public officials, agencies and municipalities who have either committed ethics violations or shown significant lack of judgment that places their behavior in the top tier of ethical failures in the state in the past year.

“Only by paying attention to the actions of our government agencies and officials, identifying ethical lapses, and shining a light on them will we be assured to have what Colorado voters have demanded – transparent and accountable public leaders,” said Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch.

…

Golden Parachute: After submitting his resume for a highly paid position at the Jefferson Economic Council, Jefferson County Commissioner Kevin McCasky voted to approve a $400,000 grant, an increase of $20,000 over the previous year, from Jefferson County to that organization.

Pior to his tenure at the Jefferson Economics Council, McCasky’s name was often brought up as a potential Republican candidate for CD-7. The commissioner was twice elected countywide despite being by and large perceived as culpable in most of Jeffco’s famed ethical troubles. With this recent investigation, however, McCasky’s name is forever tarnished – he’ll never be able to live down the potential mailers or television ads labeling him as corrupt and making mention of his “golden parachute.”

Unless, of course, he figures out a way to buy a seat in Congress using public funds. It sounds impossible, but it’s par for the course in Jefferson County, where elected officials are the most innovative when determining ways to waste taxpayer dollars.

Tim Allport to Take on Libby Szabo

Posted on December 23, 2011December 23, 2011 by Colorado Pols

With Dianne Primavera itching to take back her old House seat, all eyes turned to former State Representative Sara Gagliardi. Gagliardi narrowly lost her 2010 election to Republican Libby Szabo.

Of course, Primavera likely decided to run after 2010 winner Don Beezely announced he wouldn’t be seeking a second term. But Szabo is running for re-election, and her incumbency is probably enough to ward off a battle weary Gagliardi.

Gagliardi probably had a better chance than most to win her seat back for the Democratic caucus, but HD-27 has always been a tough nut to crack. Even after reapportionment, the Arvada seat is fairly favorable to Republicans. Treasurer Cary Kennedy lost the district with 47% of the vote in her 2010 campaign, and Republicans hold an 8% lead in registration numbers. Though it was a critical 2010 win for Frank McNulty, it’s less likely that Mark Ferrandino will pour resources into the seat in 2012 – there are easier ways to gain back the majority.

Still, Democrats need a candidate capable enough to bolster races up-ballot despite a daunting fight to win the seat. Who, then, is going to run against Szabo?

Cue Democratic activist Tim Allport:

Having served the people of Colorado as a public employee and as an active member of the community, I have a unique background and a strong passion to serve. As a long-time advocate for working families, I have seen Coloradans struggle during this long Recession. I am passionate about finding ways to get them back to work in good-paying jobs and providing a quality education for their children so that they grow up to have a real chance at finding success in America.

My family was always engaged in the political process and while my views have evolved, be assured that my commitment to civic responsibly is stronger than ever. I will work hard to improve our district, our community and the state of Colorado. Like most people who run for office, I have core beliefs, but am committed to getting things done. I will achieve results, respond to everybody and do a great job for the people of House District 27 and the City of Arvada, Colorado.

Thank you for your support.

Allport is a familiar face to many Democrats both in Arvada and the Denver Metro Area. He’s the current chair of the Colorado Democratic Party’s Labor Initiative and a staple of Democratic fundraisers across the county.

But can he win? Allport’s certainly connected enough to the activist core of the Colorado Democratic Party, and we suspect that every notable Dem in Jeffco will at least go canvass for the labor leader. Whether or not he poses a serious threat to Szabo, however, all comes down to his fundraising. If Allport’s numbers are competitive, HD-27 might be useful in the Democratic attempt to regain the House.

If Allport doesn’t pull in the amount of money he needs to, however, it gives good reason for Democrats to ignore HD-27 and focus on easier ways to recapture the speaker’s office. The next few weeks, then, will be critical to the overall viability of Allport’s campaign as he both picks off low-hanging fruit and reaches out to new donors.

Paging Ted Stevens: Jeffco’s Bridge to Nowhere

Posted on November 11, 2011November 11, 2011 by Colorado Pols

We highly recommend you check out 9News’ Kyle Clark’s two pieces on Jeffco’s “Bridge to Nowhere” for examples of truly great investigative reporting.

Clark centers his story on the pedestrian bridge located at Wadsworth Boulevard and Bowles Avenue in South Jeffco, which links Southwest Plaza and Bowles Crossing shopping centers. We’ve seen that bridge before, but we’ve never seen anybody actually use it. Neither mall is really vibrant, and we have a creeping suspicion that the bridge will remain standing much longer than the shipping centers it links.

The most bizarre aspect of this story, though, is that Jefferson County can’t even justify the $3 million they spent on the bridge. At least, they can’t justify it privately.

From 9News:

As Jefferson County publicly defended a $3 million pedestrian bridge at Wadsworth Boulevard and Bowles Avenue as a “lasting asset,” the county’s engineer on the project privately acknowledged it was expensive and unnecessary, 9Wants to Know has learned.

Internal emails obtained by 9Wants to Know using Colorado Open Records Act show county officials struggling to justify the pedestrian bridge, completed in the spring of 2011 using a combination of federal and local tax dollars.

The bridge spanning Wadsworth just north of Bowles, connects two aging shopping malls, Southwest Plaza and Bowles Crossing. Some citizens, including resident Gary Michelson, have dubbed it: “The Bridge To, And From, Nowhere.”

When Michelson wrote to county leaders calling the bridge a “terrible waste of funds,” he received a stock answer from project engineer Brad Bauer that was similar to the two-page defense of the project sent to other concerned citizens. In one such response, Bauer writes the bridge will be a “lasting asset” that will “significantly improve the pedestrian safety at the intersection.”

That is not what the county’s point-man on the project was saying behind the scenes.

After an email exchange with Michelson, Bauer emailed his supervisor on June 22 saying he was “having a hard time coming up with any good response,” adding that he could agree with Michelson’s points about “the bridge being an expensive unnecessary expense.”

Just to make it clear: the liaison for the project is unable to respond to constituent complaints about the bridge, because he agrees with them.

Clark interviews Kevin French, with Jeffco’s Transportation and Engineering Department, and French is about as eloquent as Rick Perry in his most recent debate performance. You really have to watch the interview to get the full effect, but French doesn’t really answer any of Clark’s questions. When asked how French’s department can justify, well, their justification of the bridge to concerned taxpayers, French responds “it’s the best we have.” That’s the answer he finally comes to, at least, after first responding that he “wasn’t sure he had a good answer to that.” If you’re a big fan of deer caught in headlights, it’s a must watch.

This is one of the most asinine government decisions we’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something for Jefferson County. $3 million for a bridge? The August 2009 resolution which Clark discusses is even worse: then Commissioners Kevin McCasky and Kathy Hartman voted for it, as did current Commissioner Faye Griffin. They approved an “expenditure of an amount not to exceed $376,600.00 to Muller Engineering Company, Inc. for final design, and additional services as needed.”

Nearly $400,000 for the “final design,” huh? 400 grand for a couple of drawings of a bridge? We assume the “additional services as needed” are in case Muller Engineering ran out of graph paper or erasers.

This is an important story for champions of good, transparent government, of course. But it also carries with it political implications. The folks in south Jeffco – those who see this bridge during their daily commutes – historically support the election of Republicans to the Board of Commissioners. But this same bridge, this “monument of government waste,” was approved with the votes of Republicans Kevin McCasky and Faye Griffin. If the vote on this bridge was before 2008’s election, we’re not sure if McCasky could’ve recovered.

Laundry List of Politicos Line Up Behind Kerr

Posted on November 2, 2011November 3, 2011 by Colorado Pols

If Brian Carroll and Andy Szekeres had any hopes that there would be at least a few elected officials backing Carroll’s intent to put Rep. Andy Kerr into a primary, they’re probably long gone now.

Kerr’s first e-mail invite to his high profile fundraising event at State Senator Pat Steadman’s home read like a who’s who of Colorado’s GLBT advocacy community.

The follow up e-mail, though, reads like a who’s who of Democratic politics:

Sen. Betty Boyd • Sen. Morgan Carroll • Hon. Terrance Carroll • Rep. Edward Casso • Rep. Lois Court • Rep. Rhonda Fields • Hon. Sara Gagliardi • Rep. Deb Gardner • Rep. Millie Hamner • Sen. Rollie Heath • Sen. Mary Hodge • Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst • Sen. Mike Johnston • Rep. Matt Jones • Rep. Daniel Kagan • Rep. John Kefalas • Hon. Robin Kniech • Rep. Pete Lee • Rep. Claire Levy • Hon. Alice Madden • Rep. Beth McCann • Rep. Wes McKinley • Rep. Joe Miklosi • Hon. Dominick Moreno • Sen. John Morse • Rep. Dan Pabon • House Minority Leader Sal Pace • Hon. Dianne Primavera • Hon. Joe Rice • Hon. Andrew Romanoff • Rep. Su Ryden • Sen. Gail Schwartz • Senate President Brandon Shaffer • Rep. Judy Solano • Rep. John Soper • Rep. Nancy Todd • Rep. Max Tyler • Rep. Angela Williams • Rep. Roger Wilson • Rep. Dave Young

Anthony Aragon • David Beller • Brian Boyles • Mike Brewer • Bobby Clark & Shaun Cartwright • Brad Clark • D.J. Close • Adam Crowley • Will Coyne • Jessie Danielson • Lauri Dannemiller • Preston Dickey & Jon Corrigan • Adam Eichberg • Dennis Hamann • Phil Hayes • Andy Kabza • Courtney Law & Sonja Semion • Scott Martinez • Lynne Mason • Pete Maysmith • Bob Nogueira • Dr. Christopher Ott • Paul Rosenthal • Amy Runyon-Harms • Dan Schoen • Roger Sherman • Andrew Short • Jeff Thormodsgaard • Dr. Mark Thrun • Terry Todd • Ted Trimpa • Jamie Van Leeuwen & Matt Derrington • Jen Walmer • Benjamin Waters • Linda Weinerman • Darrell Watson & Mike Wenk • Julie Whitacre • Andy White • Karen Wick • Gary Wockner • Jess & Addison Woodrum

cordially invite you to a fundraiser in support of pro-equality hero

Andy Kerr

Kerr’s event is being co-hosted (even if honorarily) by nearly every noteworthy Democrat involved with the legislature in some capacity. If Carroll and company didn’t take the hint before, they’re certainly paying attention now. It’s a hard message to ignore: Democrats support Andy Kerr, and they don’t support Carroll’s primary challenge.

Of course, Carroll probably does enjoy the implicit support of at least one state representative: Ken Summers. We’re sure the Republican is overjoyed at the prospects of Democratic in-fighting in the race to capture his seat.

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