Home > Political Notebook
Forum to probe state’s colliding interests in an energy boom
If you’re free Thursday evening, swing by Mesa State College for what is shaping up to be an informative policy debate over Colorado’s competing industries and interests during the current energy boom.
The panel discussion, sponsored by The High Country News, will include a number of local experts on the topic, including state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, IPAMS Director Marc Smith and former Daily Sentinel publisher George Orbanek.
The discussion, which centers around one of the biggest issues of the day for the Western Slope, will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Moss Performing Arts Center’s recital hall.
If the program is as interesting as the panelists, this should be worth your time.
*Rig photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Congressional bid sidelines heavyweight consulting firm
A media consulting firm active in Western Slope politics, including the campaigns of Rep. Al White, R-Hayden, and Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, has closed shop.
If you visited the Web site of Maxtera, you’ll see this message: “Due to other commitments Maxtera, LLC is not accepting new business at this time.”
Maxtera has been one of the more successful political and media consulting firms in Utah and Colorado, taking in tens of thousands of dollars since late 2003, according to records filed with the Colorado Secretary of State.
The firm might have become a victim of one of its founder’s successes: Indeed, over the weekend, Maxtera President Jason Chaffetz showed his own political savvy in nearly locking up the GOP nomination in his bid for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District.
Chaffetz’s near victory, however, is particularly remarkable because he is running against incumbent Republican Congressman Chris Cannon.
* * *
Chaffetz’s near victory in mind, we contacted the consulting firm’s other top man, Grand Junction resident Alex Chaffetz, and asked him what was up with the firm’s status.
In an e-mail, Alex said: “Jason’s running for Congress. So Maxtera, LLC takes a break!”
Alas, this is sure to upset some local politicos who have relied on the firm to handle their campaign media during previous election cycles.
Around this time last year, Alex told Political Notebook: “He’s removing himself from anything that would be anything but his run for Congress. So he’ll be focused on that and we’ll continue to do our ad business and we’ll see what happens.”
At the time, the firm’s former clients, including state Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, said they hoped the firm continued on, even if Chaffetz captured the congressional seat.
King, Penry and their peers probably are hoping that even if their former consultant wins his primary and general election challenge, Maxtera will continue on.
*Chaffetz photo from the Associated Press.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Winners and losers
Over the weekend, we rolled out our look back at the winners and losers of the 2008 legislative session, which Coloradopols noted and reprinted.
In short, we named Gov. Bill Ritter, Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, and Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, as winners this year.
We also named Rep. Doug Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, the state’s transportation system and drunken drivers as the year’s losers.
* * *
So, we must not put the question to you: Did we miss something or someone, such as Secretary of State Mike Coffman or Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver? Or did we get something wrong or place a loser on the winners list or vice versa?
The comments section awaits your input.
*Capitol photo shot by Political Notebook. Bruce photo from the Associated Press.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘A well-liked moderate with strong crossover appeal’
Will Congressman Scott McInnis, R-Colo., run again for statewide office?
While there is no definitive answer, The Denver Post certainly stoked the fire this weekend in an article that mentioned the former U.S. Senate candidate.
The article stated: “Some Democratic strategists say they were much more worried that they’d face former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis, who’s closer to a GOP version of the Democrats’ recent champions: a well-liked moderate with strong crossover appeal and a solid base on the Western Slope.”
When Political Notebook last spoke with the six-term congressman, he left the door open to a possible gubernatorial bid in 2010, saying, “You never say never.”
Though his name recognition might not be strong outside western and southern Colorado, if Democratic strategists were “worried” about a McInnis candidacy in 2008, they probably still will be in two years when U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and others comes up for re-election.
McInnis still has more than $811,100 in federal campaign funds on-hand.
*McInnis photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
An exercise in subtlety
As The Daily Sentinel and others noted in their Saturday editions, Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Bob Schaffer challenged his Democratic opponent, Mark Udall, to a series of seven debates between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Schaffer’s request by letter, while typical politicking, was also remarkable given its subtlety. (I’ve pasted the letter at the bottom of this posting so you can see it for yourself.) Granted the thrust of the letter — “debate me” — is fairly straightforward, there is more to this than that message:
—> First off, by modeling the debate after those between Republican Abraham Lincoln (one of the most often cited and fondly recalled members of the party) and Democrat Stephen Douglas, Schaffer’s camp is making some historical allusions. Specifically, the campaign is drawing a direct line between Schaffer and Lincoln — and possibly drawing a similar link between Udall and Douglas.
—> Second, you will note in the letter’s “to” section, it is addressed to a Boulder location. This is noteworthy because it subtly links Udall to the liberal area of Colorado — despite the fact that the Udall campaign has a Denver headquarters.
—> Finally, the letter’s mild tone strikes a sharp contrast with the Schaffer camp’s public comments in recent weeks. Nowhere in the letter does the phrase “Boulder liberal” appear. Nor does the letter take a swipe at The Denver Post or that newspaper’s very able political reporter covering the campaign.
Udall declined to participate in Schaffer’s plan and sent this statement to Political Notebook:
“I’m looking forward to a strong and substantive series of debates in this campaign. I firmly believe that the debates we do should allow us to answer questions from the people of Colorado about the issues that are most important to them, but Bob’s proposed events do not. I hope in the coming weeks that we can work together to develop a schedule of debates for the summer and fall that reaches every corner of the state and gives Coloradans an important role in the process. I’m pleased to see Bob taking an interest in discussing the issues with Coloradans; he could start by answering simple policy questions from reporters and putting information about his positions on his Web site.”
Yeah, that’s not so subtle. Then again, Udall’s team has responded in kind to the Schaffer camp’s constant use of “Boulder liberal” label, so the tone of the reply is, perhaps, not all that surprising.
As promised, here’s the letter:
*Schaffer photo from The Daily Sentinel archives. Udall photo shot by Political Notebook.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Penry: Movin’ on up
As we detailed in today’s edition of The Daily Sentinel, state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, is considered by his peers to be a frontrunner to replace outgoing Senate Minority Leader Andrew McElhany, R-Colorado Springs.
McElhany himself told Political Notebook as much yesterday: “We’re expecting some great things from Josh.”
“He’s very comfortable with the political process,” McElhany added, “and he’s got the unusual attributes of being both interested and creative on policy and good at the political side as well.”
So my question to you, the readers, is where do you think Penry will land next after his stint in the state Senate — either as a senator or in leadership.
*Penry photo from The Rocky Mountain News.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Side effects of confronting English language competency
State Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said lawmakers are often confronted with a conundrum when pushing for English-language proficiency requirements for high school graduates.
Romer said what made Senate Bill 212, co-sponsored by Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, different was the bipartisan nature of the bill.
“He and I both used a very practical but determined voice on pushing the concepts of English competency, which we think is key to the civic dialogue for our country,” Romer said. “And I think when Republicans do it, there’s always a risk that people argue that it’s racist and anti-Hispanic.
“You know, when a Democrat pushes this, it’s like, ‘How dare you talk about English only.’”
The legislation requires that state policymakers, “describe the level of English language competency that a student must demonstrate in order to demonstrate postsecondary and workforce readiness,” and incorporate that competency requirement into the state’s content standards.
A similar measure from Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, and Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, died in the House Education Committee at the end of the session. The measure would have allowed school districts to implement stricter English-language competency standards than set forth in Senate Bill 212.
*Romer photo shot by Political Notebook. Penry photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Allard fires back: Oil shale criticisms ‘unfair and incorrect’
Outgoing U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., argued today, in a letter to the editor, that a recent editorial unfairly criticized his position on oil shale development in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.
Here is the text of Allard’s letter, as printed on GJSentinel.com’s community Web site:
“The Daily Sentinel’s May 5 editorial, ‘Congress is pushing another shale sham,’ insinuated that either I don’t understand or don’t care about the issue of oil shale development in western Colorado. This is unfair and incorrect.
“Beneath the lands of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming lay roughly 1.5 trillion barrels of potentially recoverable oil — more than the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia. New technologies are emerging that will allow us to responsibly extract this oil in order to help meet our nation’s demands. The long-term benefits to Colorado, and to the American economy, could be tremendous.
“I vividly remember ‘Black Sunday’ in May, 1982, and the hardship it brought to western Colorado. During my tenure as a U.S. senator, I have advocated a ‘go-slow’ approach on oil-shale development, and that approach has been saluted in previous editorials by The Sentinel.
“My position has not changed. Crafting regulations does not authorize commercial leasing or the development of any project. Years from now, when leases are sold in Colorado and projects are actually proposed, each project will be required to go through the full NEPA process and will be subject to public comment.
“The Sentinel editorial contradicts the widely held sentiments I’ve heard for years from citizens and elected officials in numerous meetings throughout western Colorado. It also contradicts the requests I have received from Western Slope representatives in the Colorado Legislature, who believe as I do, that Western Slope communities have much to gain from responsible oil shale development.
“Allowing the Interior Department to issue the regulations necessary to establish the ‘rules of the road’ simply makes good sense. Ignoring the need to develop these rules would be ignoring the citizens and elected officials of western Colorado.”
*Allard photo shot by Political Notebook.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘All about the Doug-ster’
My Capitol colleagues at The Rocky Mountain News have put together a nice video boiling down the 2008 legislative session into a digestible nugget.
Check it out.
My only complaint is that Chris and Alan should have considered going into TV news.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
McInnis donated thousands to Mesa State, charities in Q1 of 2008
Former Congressman Scott McInnis, R-Colo., gave away more than $11,000 in charitable contributions from his federal campaign committee, the Western Way, during the first three months of 2008.
According to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission, McInnis’ largest benefactor was Mesa State College, which received $10,000 in January.
Here are the details of McInnis’ donations to Mesa State, Friends of McInnis Canyons NCA and the Western Slope Center for Children.
*McInnis photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Ritter argues for using severance tax revenues for scholarships
Gov. Bill Ritter told the Capitol press corps today he thinks the state should fund scholarships using part of the roughly $200 million a severance tax ballot question could generate because of the needs of low- and middle-income families.
The ballot measure, which has come under fire from some in the higher education community, would use a portion of the revenues of eliminating a property tax credit to fund “Colorado Promise” scholarships.
(The ad valorem tax credit, which the ballot question would eliminate, allows energy producers to credit 87.5 percent of their property tax bills from the previous year against what severance taxes they owe on their current-year production.)
Ritter said the measure, which he supports, sends the message to kids: “If you stay in school there’s really something … a promise at the end of the horizon.”
“I think that is something that should absolutely happen,” Ritter added.
He said part of keeping Colorado’s children in school is providing them with a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Coupled with that, he said, is the need to ensure attending one of the state’s public colleges or universities remains affordable for families of lesser means.
“This is meaningful money,” the governor said. “This money that will go to these families … and they can understand how they (can) put their son or daughter through a public institution and get a higher education degree at the end of the day.”
*Ritter photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Freshman Rep. Scanlan preps for ‘an interesting race’
The Western Slope’s newest state legislator, Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Dillon, said she is looking forward to her 2008 electoral contest against Republican Muhammad Ali Hasan.
“It’s going to be an interesting race,” she said.
Scanlan, who was appointed to fill a vacant seat in House District 56 last year, said she only knows Hasan through press clippings — some of which we’ve blogged about here.
“I’ve never met him. I don’t know him,” Scanlan said. “I only, obviously, know what I read in the papers.”
*Scanlan photo provided by the House Majority Office.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
A bulky ballot ‘dilemma’
State Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, said he and other lawmakers are going to experience somewhat of a “dilemma” this election cycle because of the deluge of ballot questions voters could be faced with in November.
“It gives me just a little bit of a dilemma, because there’s going to be 25 things on the ballot this year,” Buescher said. “And my assessment right now is that 22 of them are going to be bad.
“It’s going to be real tempting to say, ‘Vote no on everything.’”
Holding him back, Buescher said, are the good ballot questions, including one recently approved constitutional-reform question, sponsored by Rep. Al White, R-Hayden.
He said he is still looking at a proposal from outgoing Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, as a possible addition to his “good” list.
*Buescher photo shot by Political Notebook.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Political Notebook turns 1
Today Political Notebook celebrates one year of existence.
While we’re not going to make too big a deal out of this milestone — after all, Junction Daily Blog is well into its terrible twos — but here’s a look back at some of our favorite postings from the past year:
April 8’s What’s in a name?
March 5’s Converting the home front
Jan. 14’s Jason Elam has nothing on Rep. Doug Bruce
Jan. 9’s Gardner’s corner office
Dec. 6’s Acquafresca: De-Bruce severance tax revenues
Oct. 29’s Let’s not be friends … on paper
Sept. 24’s T-shirts from the political graveyard
Sept. 11’s Udall tries to untie his Hsu
Aug. 1’s Cronyism’s shadow?
* * *
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these postings and other as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.
*Obama eating (birthday?) cake photo from the Associated Press.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
Salazar endorses ‘tough choices’ in pursuit of energy
Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo., renewed his support Tuesday for ethanol production as the best way to make the United States energy independent, even if it does cause some short-term problems.
In a conversation with Political Notebook about Congressman Mark Udall’s plan to lower gasoline prices, the two-term congressman said even if increased ethanol production is causing some problems now, the long-term benefits are invaluable:
“Really what we need to be looking at in the near term and in the long term is pushing forward to make sure we get programs that will help increase our ability to work with renewable energy resources: solar, wind and ethanol as well.
“In the interim, I know … some people are concerned about ethanol production, but sometimes we have to make some tough choices in order to have good long-term effects.
“I do support moving forward to (become) an energy independent American moving forward. We can do that by investing in alternative and renewable energies.
“I think a big key is going to be cellulosic-based ethanol.”
*Salazar photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘Sixteen great years’
Outgoing, term-limited state Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs, thanked his colleagues for making his 16 years at the state Capitol among the most enjoyable of his life.
“When I started, I never dreamed I’d stay another 16 years,” Taylor told his colleagues.
However, in bidding farewell, Taylor challenged his colleagues to maintain their personal integrity in the years to come.
He said when a lawmaker commits to supporting a bill, he should stick with it.
“I want to leave you with a challenge. … It bothers me how the process has changed,” Taylor said.
Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, praised Taylor for that same integrity prior to his speech, calling Taylor one of the few class acts at the Legislature.
“Jack is fair,” Groff said. “He is moderate.”
He said Taylor was always a lawmaker Democrats could go to when they were in the minority and get a fair shake and a chance to pick up a vote.
“I always respected that from him,” Groff said.
*Taylor photo from the Associated Press.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘This is not a partisan issue’
As we noted last week, former state Rep. Gayle Berry, R-Grand Junction, will publicly oppose a proposed constitutional amendment to define life as beginning at the moment of conception.
Today, Berry via the Protect Families Protect Choice coalition put out this statement:
“There’s no denying that this amendment would open the door to government control over some of the most personal choices facing Coloradans today. This is not a partisan issue. Both sides of the aisle can agree that if this amendment passes, Coloradans will lose the right to make decisions about their own families.”
Colorado for Equal Rights has until mid-May to gather at least 76,047 voters’ signatures.
*Berry photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
GOP seizes upon climate change resolution at Capitol
Republican state senators attacked global warming as an assumption today during a debate over a resolution to honor the Colorado scientists who shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on climate change.
State Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, attacked Senate Joint Resolution 35 as a measure loaded with assumptions about climate change. Specifically, the resolution included these statements:
—> “There is consensus among leading scientific organizations and researchers around the world that global warming is one of the most serious and important environmental issues of our time.”
—> “The global average temperature increased by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit during the last century, 11 of the past 12 years were the warmest on record worldwide since the year 1850, and temperatures are expected to continue to increase.”
—> “In Colorado, global warming could likely bring shorter and warmer winters with a thinner snow pack and earlier spring runoff; a higher risk of drought and longer and more intense wildfire seasons; an increase in insect-borne diseases such as the West Nile virus; increased soil temperatures and evaporation rates that would affect the state’s agriculture industry; and substantial impacts on tourism activities such as skiing, fishing and hunting.”
Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, responded that there might be debates around the edges of global warming science, but the core findings that humans are the root cause of the problem is a widely held.
“It’s OK to say we do have a debate,” Romer said. “We do have a legitmate debate as the science comes in and confirms these facts.”
He said political leaders should move beyond the debate and work to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Quit scaring the children that are here today,” Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, responded.
“Science is something you can prove. Science is not consensus,” Senate Minority Leader Andrew McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, added.
The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, said he was afraid the GOP would turn his simple resolution into a political debate.
“I feared we would have this debate,” Tupa said. “That’s why I didn’t invite the scientists down (to the Capitol).”
*Mitchell, Romer photos shot by Political Notebook.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘This proposal means progress’
Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said he is unclear what effect his proposed ballot measure will have on close races this fall, including those in Mesa County.
Nonetheless, he said he expects voters — even in conservative areas — to get behind his proposal, which has the backing of Republican Attorney General John Suthers and former Speaker of the House Doug Deans, R-Colorado Springs
Here’s an excerpt of our conversation:
Political Notebook: What effect do you think having this on the ballot this election cycle will have on close races or contested seat as those out here in western Colorado that perhaps traditionally are Republican but are currently blue?
Andrew Romanoff: I don’t know. I’ve traveled around the state a lot the last several months and the last several years and what folks tell me in different corners of Colorado is our schools are struggling, our bridges are breaking, our colleges have been cut. We want you to do something about it.
We want the right to vote on taxes, but we also want to shore up our schools and colleges and repair our roads and bridges. This proposal means progress on those fronts, so I think if folks are willing to fix the mess we’ve create din our constitution, we can help the state move forward.
If the proposal gets bogged down in ideological warfare like we’ve seen in this building, then I think its prospects are not as good.
[…]
PN: At this point, do you think your citizen initiative will be worded the same or substantially the same (as your referred measure)?
AR: Yes.
PN: So you’re not going to be changing anything?
AR: No. The measure’s not identical. The title’s the same and the framework is the same. It is virtually identical.
*Romanoff photo from The Rocky Mountain News.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Schwartz to join Capital Development Committee
State Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, soon will have a Western Slope peer joining him on the Capital Development Committee.
Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, announced at this morning’s subdued committee hearing on a Department of Human Services request that Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, will join the committee.
Schwartz, he said, will replace outgoing, term-limited Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, who has sat on the Capital Development Committee since 2001.
*Schwartz photo from the governor’s press office.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
‘A virtual wasteland’
In arguing for stronger regulation of commercial wastewater pits, state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, renewed his criticism of De Beque’s Black Mountain Disposal facility.
“The Black Mountain (Disposal) facility, in my district, is a virtual wasteland,” Penry said.
His comments came as he found himself in a confrontation with his traditional ally on energy issues, Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs.
Taylor, via an amendment, was trying to remove language from House Bill 1414 to allow clay liners for the wastewater disposal pits. The amendment would have tweaked the bill’s language for “mandatory fabricated (pit) liners.”
Taylor cited some industry experts who told him clay liners sometimes work better than synthetic liners.
Penry, joined by Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, lambasted the amendment as an attempt to undermine one of the bill’s key features.
“The safest route to go is to have synthetic liners,” said Hagedorn, who heads the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Taylor’s amendment died on a voice vote. Penry’s bill, on the other hand, passed.
*Penry photo from The Daily Sentinel archives. Taylor photo shot by Political Notebook.
Latest comments
Oh please NO
... read the full comment by Sally | Comment on ‘A well-liked moderate with strong crossover appeal' Read ‘A well-liked moderate with strong crossover appeal'
We never meant to imply there was something underhanded or insidious in the letter. The letter’s finer points are actually quite remarkable.
The tone of the letter and the Udall campaign’s response are what they are. You be the judge
... read the full comment by Political Notebook | Comment on An exercise in subtlety Read An exercise in subtlety
It’s going a bit overboard to make the assumption that Bob Schaffer had a secondary goal of insulting Mark Udall by comparing him to Douglas. First of all, with exception of people who are purposefully trying to make Schaffer look bad, no one would
... read the full comment by J | Comment on An exercise in subtlety Read An exercise in subtlety
Congratulations Mike
Political Notebook is the best source for the real information on local politics and politicians.
I wouldn’t start my day without it.
... read the full comment by Gene | Comment on Political Notebook turns 1 Read Political Notebook turns 1