Now you see it, now you don’t. Crisanta Duran, who is running for a state House seat, has lost the endorsement of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. That’s mildly interesting, until you realize her father, Ernie Duran Jr., was the former president of the union. And she was legal counsel for the union. So why did the union yank its endorsement? Officially, no one is saying. But new union president Kim Cordova called the endorsement “deceitful” in a letter to Duran. We’ve got to wonder whether it has to do with Ernie Duran’s having been accused of nepotism for hiring his daughter and son to high-paying positions at the union. Or lavish union expense account spending. Or the Ford F-350 pickup truck he received as a parting gift. Hmmm, take your pick.
So, this explains those new $8 fees for blankets . . . The Federal Aviation Administration is close to wrapping up a two-year investigation of safety violations at American Airlines that could result in one of the largest fines in the agency’s history — perhaps $10 million, according to reports. Could charging for air be next?
Tip of our cap. After 23 years on the bench, Larry Naves is retiring. The Denver District Chief Judge presided over some high profile cases, including the Ward Churchill civil trial and the homicide case of Raul Gomez-Garcia. We thank him for his service and wish him well in his new life as an arbiter.
When the DA is away . . . the kids will play. A vacation for Pete Hautzinger, the district attorney in Grand Junction, was interrupted when he was notified that his teenage sons held a party in which 26 teenagers received summonses for underage drinking.
The court won’t be the only law the boys will be facing.
“My kids will be taking full responsibility for their actions, both in court and behind closed doors in the house,” Hautzinger said.
Dream of Californication. Gov. Bill Ritter declared Friday “Colorado Loves California Day.” It’s a good thing he’s not running for re-election. What’s next? Colorado Loves Texas Day? Colorado Loves the Oakland Raiders Day?
Short Takes is compiled by Denver Post editorial writers and expresses the view of the newspaper’s editorial board.
