Coal in their stockings – that’s what some Christian conservatives feel President Bush has given with the White House cards that send “happy holiday” greetings and no mention of Christmas. The White House explanation is that the cards are “sent to people of all faiths.” Gov. Bill Owens and First Lady Frances Owens also left the word “Christmas” off their cards, opting for a more generic greeting: “May peace, love, joy and prosperity bless your home and family this holiday season.”
Owens spokesman Mark Salley said the governor, a practicing Catholic, is not “bashful about Christmas at all.” The lighted tree at the Governor’s Mansion is, after all, a Christmas tree, Salley said. And the governor frequently greets people with a “Merry Christmas” this time of year.
Deck the halls
Speaking of the holidays, the construction scaffolding is down and the state Capitol is adorned for the season. After a summer full of hardhats and jackhammers, the stately building is sporting a new set of marble stairs near the northwest corner. The stairs will open to the public in January. They run from the third floor to the basement without interruption, supplementing existing stairs that aren’t contiguous and often leave tourists baffled. The new staircase is part of a $30 million fire-safety renovation to be completed over the next few years during times when legislators aren’t in session. The legislature convenes for 120 days between January and May.
Gubernatorial whispers
Tech millionaire Jared Polis denies he’s leading an effort to find another Democratic candidate to run for governor. Former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter is the only announced candidate on the Dem ticket so far. A number of Democrats say Polis has commissioned a survey to determine voters’ wishes on abortion and other issues, given the strong opposition in some quarters to Ritter’s anti- abortion stance. Polis, vice chair of the Colorado Board of Education, says he “won’t comment about any survey.”
He will say this: “I have very high regard for Bill Ritter. I also think there are great potential candidates out there.” One of them – not a surprise – just might be Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. The same Democratic insiders who say Polis is paying for a survey claim Hickenlooper has agreed to reconsider his previous decision not to run, depending on the outcome of the poll. Said Hickenlooper spokeswoman Lindy Eichenbaum Lent: “… any change in his perspective would never be the result of any poll.” Doesn’t sound like “no.”
Setting an agenda
Democratic lawmakers plan to start unveiling their agenda for 2006 the first week in January, ahead of the legislature’s Jan. 11 opening. Mary Alice Mandarich, chief of staff to Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, said the key issues will be affordable health care, education – both K-12 and higher ed – and illegal immigration. “I think it’s going to be the hot issue,” Mandarich said. But affordable health care is the No. 1 issue on people’s minds, she added.
Tackling mortgage fraud
Another thorny topic for the new session will be regulation of mortgage brokers. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies is recommending to the legislature that mortgage brokers register with the state. In a new report, DORA cited 18 case studies and numerous complaints against mortgage brokers in recent years, from lying on documents so people could get bigger loans to finessing phony appraisals. Taken together, they “demonstrate the types of harm Colorado consumers are suffering at the hands of unscrupulous mortgage brokers and that this harm occurs alarmingly often,” the report said.
In addition to mortgage fraud, unscrupulous mortgage brokers also might be in the business of stealing people’s identities, the report hinted. Under the recommendation, mortgage brokers would have to submit to background checks and post $100,000 bonds. Look for lobbyists on both sides of the issue to turn out in force at the Capitol.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
