When Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper sets up shop at the state Capitol, he will have a veteran lawmaker by his side helping him maneuver the halls, and the politics, of the statehouse.
Hickenlooper’s wise choice of Rep. Christine Scanlan as his legislative lobbyist was particularly inspired because of Scanlan’s solid reputation on both sides of the aisle. Even Republicans have come to respect the Dillon Democrat, who recently was described by statehouse colleagues as “smart,” “independent” and “a woman of integrity.”
It also will be beneficial for Hickenlooper, a newcomer to statehouse politics, to have someone like Scanlan who already is well-versed in the pressing issues percolating under the gold dome as his director of legislative affairs and strategic initiatives. Besides leading the administration’s legislative strategy, Scanlan also will oversee statewide initiatives on issues such as economic development, education reform, Interstate 70 transportation and forest health, according to a recent Post story by Lynn Bartels.
Now that he’s picked his lobbyist, it’s time for Hick to pick some weeds. The Denver mayor’s civic pride is a bit tarnished after it was discovered that a West Highland rental house he owns has a yard full of weeds. The unsightly property has even drawn a handful of official complaints in recent years.
But now that the yard’s been featured in the media, the mayor says he’s on it. “I am the landlord and should have done a better job keeping up with it,” Hickenlooper told The Denver Post.
The current occupant of the home has health problems and the mayor’s been relatively busy of late, but even minor rules are the rules. So we’re glad to see the state’s most powerful elected official owning up to them. Now, where did he put that weed digger?
If only they had fired Dan Hawkins earlier . . . Boulder recently was named the happiest and healthiest city in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll. The massive study concluded that Boulder, with its recreational opportunities, good jobs and healthy behaviors, was tops for general well-being and quality of life. If only the Buffaloes had beaten dreaded Nebraska on Friday . . .
And another reason Boulder is so happy . . . An appeals court rejected disgraced former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill’s demand to be reinstated at the school. Churchill, made infamous by his essay comparing the victims of 9/11 to Nazis, also was found to be an awfully poor academic. After a 25-member panel of scholars reviewed the ethnic studies professor’s work, it was discovered he engaged in both plagiarism and simply making things up in published writings.
Last year, Denver District Court Judge Larry Naves ruled that CU was justified in stripping Churchill of his duties. This week, a three-judge panel at the Colorado Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with that assessment.
Boulder residents ought to rejoice that Churchill can no longer tarnish CU’s reputation. We hope Churchill gets the message and finds something better to do — start , for example, and rant there — than continue tying up the judicial system with his petty complaints.
And a tip of our cap to . . . all of the Coloradans reaching out and helping those less fortunate over this holiday weekend.
Short Takes is compiled by Denver Post editorial writers and expresses the view of the newspaper’s editorial board.
