Here’s something you don’t hear often: Political observers are anxiously awaiting the upcoming meeting of the Colorado Farm Bureau.
Seriously. Mark your calendar for Aug. 19. Backers of Referendums C and D – the two November ballot initiatives to reform Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights – are hoping the influential farm bureau will endorse the two measures.
The farm bureau commands a lot of political clout in Colorado’s rural communities, and backers believe its support could help cement support for the referendums.
Gov. Bill Owens and Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament appeared before the board last week to argue the merits of C and D, while Jon Caldara of the Independence Institute rolled out his “Vote No It’s Your Dough” campaign.
Supporters are optimistic the farm bureau will endorse the measures, which would allow state government to keep about $3.1 billion more of the revenue it collects over the next five years.
Romer in deep?
Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer has found himself in an awkward spot in Los Angeles, where he heads the nation’s second-largest school district. The new L.A. mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, is backing state legislation that would allow him to appoint his own school superintendent and school board members.
It comes as Romer is catching flak for creating a nonprofit to counter what he called “brutal” political attacks against the Los Angeles Unified School District. He declined to divulge the names of donors to his Friends of L.A. Schools Inc. for most of this year, but revealed the list under pressure in mid-July. Most of the money came from construction firms, textbook publishers and others doing business with the huge district.
“Decisions [on contracts] are supposed to be based on merits, not on who’s giving to Roy Romer’s fund,” Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, told the Los Angeles Daily News.
Romer defended his actions, saying he’s only trying to defend the district. However, the Daily News, a sister paper to The Denver Post, doesn’t agree. “Romer ought to spare us the Mr. Innocent act,” an editorial says. “… Because either )(he’s) as clueless as he claims, or he’s corrupt – and neither one bodes well for the LAUSD.”
Yikes. The guv may be longing for his Colorado days, when the big issue was runaway growth.
New start for Cole
Northeast Denver parents were notified by letter last week that the school formerly known as Cole Middle School will have a new principal when it re-opens Aug. 15. Cole College Prep. Sidra Smith Wahaltere was promoted to principal in mid-July after Chris Clemons unexpectedly resigned as principal after taking a medical leave.
The school, Colorado’s first to be converted to a charter because of lagging test scores, will be run by the successful Knowledge is Power Program Foundation, better known as KIPP.
Party like it’s 2008
Ready to party? Denver Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth wants the city to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She mentioned it to DNC chairman Howard Dean when he was in town a few weeks ago, according to The Colorado Statesman newspaper.
Given the tremendous security surrounding conventions in this post-Sept. 11 world – one study estimated Boston’s net economic impact for hosting the 2004 Dem convention at only $14.8 million – there might not be many cities in the race. And if Sen. Hillary Clinton is the nominee in 2008, Democrats would surely love to have a purple state like Colorado as a backdrop for her nomination.
Defending the homeland
Don’t look for Matt Mayer to come back and run Republican Rick O’Donnell‘s campaign for congress. Mayer, O’Donnell’s deputy when he was director of Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies, helped run his 2002 bid but last week was appointed counselor to the deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Dan Haley is a member of The Post’s editorial board.
