CD7: In-depth analysis of campaign finances - and by extension, the race itself

Money tells a lot about a candidate. In that spirit, we have analyzed the contributions in the City Council District 7 race to tell a more complete story of this highly-competitive race.

Currently, Nevitt and Watters are battling for supremacy in terms of total dollars raised:

Chris Nevitt $65,209
Shelly Watters $52,723
Julie Connor $21,800

But of course, such raw numbers tell only a small part of the story. Trends over time and changes within the donor base are also crucial. For instance, even at the beginning of the race, there was a great deal of money ($41,775 to be exact). Since then, the scale of monthly contributions has risen somewhat unevenly: Shelly Watters' contributions have diminished while Nevitt has surged and Julie Connor is increasing the pace.

Chris Nevitt has the lead in the total number of contributions, with an especially big surge in March.

But the most significant difference between the candidates is their reliance on big-ticket donors. Whereas both Julie Connor and Chris Nevitt have a roughly even split among their donor base, more than 80% of the contributors to Shelly Watters campaign have donated $250 or more.

Who are the primary donors financing this race? A small number of stalwarts are the real power behind each candidacy, giving maximum $1000 contributions. Below is a list of "maxed out" donors for each candidate:

Shelly Watters: David Kenney, Brad Buchanan, Doug McKinnon, Elaine Berman, Eric Miller, Evan Makovsky, Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher, Greg Stevinson, Harold Grueskin, Harvey Deutsch, Howard Greinetz, Jay Kamlet, Jennifer Watters, Joyce Foster, Marcia Robinson, Marilyn Schwartz, Mark Goldberg, Medical Property Holdings, Norman Brownstein, Paradise Properties, Sage Hospitality, Sheldon Steinhauser, and Sherri Way

Chris Nevitt: Audrey Nevitt, Robert Nevitt, Carpenters Union 55, Chris Mygatt, Colorado Machinists, CSCEW, Firefighters Local 858, Int'l Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Int'l Union of Painters, James Mauro Jr, Jessica Brady, Joanie Condoret, Jon Condoret, Journeyman Plumbers, Kristen Stoever, Local 720 PAC, NECA, Refrigeration & AC Assoc, Service Employees Local 105, Sheetmetal Workers, Teamsters Municipal PAC, and Transit Union Workers #1001

Julie Connor: Ajay Kapoor, Denver Police, Michael Stratton, Tom Connor, United Food & Commercial Workers

These folks can no longer give. But will they support another candidate? It appears unlikely. Although we often assume that donors give money to multiple candidates ("playing the odds," as it were), that phenomenon has been remarkably limited in this campaign. Of the 799 contributors, only 14 have (so far) given money to more than one candidate.

David Cole ($200 to both Julie & Shelly, $50 to Chris)
Sherri Way ($1000 to Shelly, $250 to Chris)
Jim Jones ($500 to Shelly, $250 to Chris)
Rich Delanoy ($350 to Shelly, $250 to Julie)
Sharon Withers ($250 to Shelly, $50 to Chris)
Charlotte Winzenburg ($200 to Chris, $50 to Julie)
Gertie Grant ($200 to Chris, $25 to Julie)
Joe Cannata ($100 to both Chris & Shelly)
Lynn Pressnall ($100 to Chris, $75 to Julie)
Jeff Leventhal ($100 to Chris, $25 to Shelly)
Brenda McHenry ($50 to Julie, $25 to Shelly)
Sheila Robinson ($50 to Chris, $40 to Shelly)
Tom Parsons ($50 to both Chris & Julie)
Charlie Busch ($50 to both Julie & Shelly)

In the end, we are left with several strong impressions:

• Chris Nevitt has a strong lead in campaign financing, not only because he has the overall margin but because he has energized a wide base of donors. He also has the most institutional support through a variety of union connections.
  
• Shelly Watters' financial backing is dominated by wealthy, business-oriented contributors in the legal and land-development communities. Her initial lead is now lost, and neither the percentage of "maxed out" donors nor the small number of ordinary contributors bodes well.
  
• Julie Connor has the highest percentage of small dollar donations and the smallest percentage of "maxed out" donors. Her finance options are therefore the most promising, with an opportunity to exploit her attractiveness to ordinary voters and/or squeeze higher dollar values from her base. But this financial gap needs to be closed for uninvolved or undecided voters to hear her message.

SAFER seeks answers from "Mayor Chickenlooper"

The marijuana legalization activists at SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) are at it again, spicing up a dull political scene with an initiative that's both humorous and instructive.

Their press release is below:

The SAFER Chicken made its inaugural appearance this evening at the first of Mayor Hickenlooper's campaign forums (collectively titled "A Dialogue with Denver").

For some reason the dialogue included primarily the Mayor's talking points and rehearsed answers to "tough" questions (snow removal and immigration). He kicked things off by announcing the event was an open forum and they wanted people to ask questions, but alas the questions had to be written down and submitted to a moderator, who then picked which questions to ask (after consulting numerous times with campaign staff).

Of course, when it came to the recently revealed increase in Denver marijuana arrests, Hizzoner refused to answer any questions about it -- so much for the dialogue. According to reporters covering the story, the mayor's office also did not return any calls on this issue.

The SAFER Chicken will be appearing at tonight's (Wed.) installation of "A Dialogue with Denver," as well as all the remaining three, until he addresses this issue and explains why he is so scared of upholding the will of Denver voters and allowing adults to privately possess/use a drug less harmful than the one he sells.

They also provided the following flier:

Dear Denver supports Bailey in CD8 race

In the City Council District 8 race, Lisa Jones of Dear Denver is endorsing Sharon Bailey.

In the process, she also discusses some video clips of candidates Paul Lopez and Antoinette Alkire in Council District 3.

Blogger supports Sandoval

Lisa Jones of Dear Denver has endorsed Kathy Sandoval in the City Council District 3 race.

POLL: Ballot question 1A (District Attorney term limits)

Shall the elected office of the District Attorney in and for the Second Judicial District of Colorado (the Denver District Attorney) be limited, as are the offices of the Mayor of Denver and the members of the City Council of Denver, to no more than three consecutive four-year terms, thereby lengthening the term limitation set forth in the Colorado constitution by one term, for any District Attorney elected or appointed on or after January 1, 2001?

Get Free Opinion Polls

Official Disclaimer: Internet polls are not scientific and anyone who suggests otherwise is a fool.

CD8: Carla Madison and accusations of neglect

Denver Direct is concerned about recent events in the City Park West Neighborhood Association. An article today indicates that organization president and Council District 8 candidate Carla Madison has canceled the Association's meetings for December, March, and April, and conducted what he called "a questionable election" in January.

See the full details at "City Park West Neighborhood Association Goes Dark."

Measuring performance in the Auditor's office

Denver Post reporter George Merritt offers an window into the Denver Auditor's race, reviewing charges from challenger Bill Wells against incumbent Dennis Gallagher. The article is entitled "Auditor hopeful takes jab at Gallagher."

Bill Wells said a survey done by a government auditing organization showed [Auditor Dennis] Gallagher's office performed below best practices in 15 of 17 auditing categories.

"Were I auditor," Wells said, "this is where I would start. I would use this as our measure of professionalism."

But the Association of Local Government Auditors said the information Wells used was not intended to assess performance.

...[Dennis Gallagher] noted that his office received the "highest standard of evaluation" during a peer review by the same organization.

CD9: Support for Benevidez at NoIllegals.com

Folks over at Americans for Legal Immigration are trying to drum up support for City Council District 9 candidate Waldo Benevidez:

You folks on the front range (and elsewhere) might do what you can to help one of ours in the Denver City Council Race. Waldo Benavidez is a Leader in the Colorado YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME movement.

He was the first signature on the illegal immigration petition last summer. He signed with ex Govenor Lamm on the capitol steps last summer.

Waldo has debated against illegal immigration around Colorado. A fine man. He has good standing in the Latino community in Denver. All might do what you can. His opponent is an incumbent here in the sanctuary city of Denver and will be a tough match up.

Reach out and help where you can.

Further information on the You Don't Speak for Me movement is available online.

Meet the candidates

All of the announced candidates in Denver's 2007 municipal elections are briefly profiled online on Channel 8's Denver Decides site.

Only three biographical facts are provided: Education, Occupation, and Family. But I really enjoyed the photos.

View all of your prospective candidates online at Denver Decide's "Meet The Candidates."

A sudden rush for information

TO: Candidates in Denver's 2007 municipal elections
FROM: Denver Politics
DATE: 9 April 2007
RE: Reaching voters via the Web

In case you wondered whether Denver voters would actually use the Web to gather political information, the graph below may be instructive.

Today's hit count on this site has soared. Why? Because the ballots are reaching voters, and voters are reaching out for information.

There's no other reason for this sudden surge. Our posting patterns remain unchanged and we have no new links to boast. People are simply seeking more objective information about the candidates for whom they are now beginning to vote.

All of this comes in the absence of any coverage in the Denver dailies, with no mention of any municipal race or candidate in this weekend's editions, reflecting a shameful disregard for the public process.

This site is intended to provide a forum for your views, supplemented by our own analyses and reflections. Feel free to provide updates on news or avail yourselves of prospective voters on this site. Today's only the first day of voters scrambling for information, and we hope to provide the answers they seek.

Update (04/10): A current image showing further escalating interest below...

CD7: Environmental endorsement for Nevitt

Will Coyne, the program director of Environment Colorado, goes on YouTube to explain why he's endorsing Chris Nevitt for the City Council District 7 seat.

Candidate forums online

Denver Decides has added many new forums online, so voters can see their respective City Council candidates in action. Among the community forums are the following:

Mayor
Auditor
At-Large Council 3/29
At-Large Council 3/29
Council District # 3
Council District # 4
Council District # 5
Council District # 7
Council District # 8
Council District # 9

Profile: Dennis Gallagher (Auditor)

Dennis Gallagher successfully faced off against Bill Wells and others in 2003. Below is an excerpt from The Colorado Statesman written in March 2003 by Ken Freed. The full title is "Auditor Candidates Seeing Red at Neighborhood Forum."

...Dennis J. Gallagher was the last candidate to speak. The former state legislator with a Colorado budget amendment named after him is the term-limited Denver City Council representative for District 1, northwest Denver. He's also a speech communication professor at Regis University.

"I've directed performance audits of state agencies while a state senator," he said, "and I'd like to see the same done for all Denver agencies." He'd also "like to see what can be done" for Denver's neighborhoods and small businesses in city services.

"I remember hearing how the new city office building would feature a 'one-stop shop' for all permits and licenses, but it's not there. As Auditor I could ask why and do something about all the money being wasted."

If elected Auditor, he promised that he would his own car instead of a city vehicle, and he questioned if so many in the city government staff even need vehicles. "Are they racing to some crime scene or a fire in the middle of the night?"

And on top of all that, he said, he's the only member of term-limited city council members in the Auditor's race who will give back to the city 30 percent of his budget.

Denver City Council members have traditionally rolled forward unused funds from year to year, and the tallies for some council members have grown over time.

"I'd have to face any ethical challenges about spending a million dollars before I left office," he concluded. "So just remember the name of Gallagher."

Profile: Bill Wells (Auditor)

Folks searching for information on Auditor candidate Bill Wells will have a devil of a time. Mr Wells has no campaign website, his public appearances have been few, and media mentions are rather rare.

He did, however, run for Auditor back in 2003 against Debbie Ortega, Ed Thomas, Landri Taylor, and Dennis Gallagher. Below is an excerpt from The Colorado Statesman written in March 2003 by Ken Freed. The full title is "Auditor Candidates Seeing Red at Neighborhood Forum."

...Bill Wells lowered the mic slightly. With his white hair and black suit, he stood relaxed before the audience, resulting from years of training and leadership in Toastmasters with involvement in Optimists and Rotary and Mensa.

Wells spoke about nine years as a management analyst in the Denver Budget and Management Office, he did not mention additional experiences as the purchasing agent for Arapahoe County.

He's chief concern that night was making sure the audience knew he had done and could do effective performance audits.

He's worked with Denver Health in establishing auditing standards now being adopted nationally. But this is not his only sign of merit.

"I've personally exposed waste in the city fleet," he said. His audit proved that replacing some vehicles would be cheaper than maintaining them. Wells did not mention that he knew about cars from being president and CEO of Smethport Auto and Truck Parts.

"I'm the only candidate who has actually done the job of a city auditor," Wells said.

...Closing statements from the candidates repeated the messages in all but one case. Wells placed a capstone on the forum with his own disclosure.

"I'm the only one here who has never before run for public office or led a political campaign," he said. "I'm the only one here who does not think of the job as a step to higher office."

He paused, looking almost serene for a moment. "Budgets and audits may sound boring to some of you, but the idea of being Denver Auditor has been a passion of mine for a long time. This is my dream. That's the kind of person I am."

Profile: Danny Lopez (Mayor)

Articles on YourHub.com are often jejune and unhelpful, but this afternoon's post by James Syring is important enough to quote in its entirety. The topic and style of the story are clearly indicated in the title: "Lopez For Mayor."

Danny Lopez is somewhat of a rarity in politics. He's a native of Colorado and not a carpetbagger. He was born in Alamosa and grew up in the Denver metropolitan area. He's lived in North Denver and Montbello and presently lives in Bear Valley. He went to Thomas Jefferson, graduated from Ranum and attended The University of Colorado.

I like the idea that he has lived in regular neighborhoods and not some enclave of million dollar lofts or scrape-offs. Another thing I like about him is that he comes from a working class background. His folks were both union workers and he's a long time employee of the Denver Department of Public Works. I feel strongly about elected officials having his kind of background because I believe that people like Danny have more in common with the majority of the citizens of a city like Denver and they understand what it's like to try and get by in a city where the movers and shakers are more concerned about what upscale restaurant to take their friends to instead of worrying about rising property taxes or how safe the neighborhood streets are.

Danny and I talked about what he thought he could accomplish for the city. One advantage he felt he had was that since he didn't have any big time contributors, he wasn't obligated to anyone who had their own agenda and he could concentrate on what was best for all the people of Denver.

As a city worker, he feels strongly that there should be what he calls a "Trickle Up" economy. He thinks that there is a greater chance to improve the local economy if workers get raises and if Denver raises the minimum wage. Forty percent of city workers have not had a raise since the Webb administration. Danny feels that now that the economy has rebounded to the point where the present city administration is ready to spend 1.7 million dollars for a miniature golf park and raises have been given to the city council, that working folks should also benefit.

He agrees with the "Broken Windows" system of policing that relies on prosecuting minor crimes in order to head off major crime. As part of this program, he would like to see harsher penalties for graffiti vandals.

A long time coach of youth sports, Danny has seen the benefits for young people and he would like to see more affordable youth programs. His acronym for dealing with youth crime is: PETA. Prevention, Enforcement, Treatment and Aftercare.

He disagrees with the closing of Manual High and believes that the community should have been responsible for devising a plan to restructure and save the existing school.

He thinks that the people who believe that a city should be run simply as a business, too often overlook the importance of the culture and values of individual neighborhoods.

Danny Lopez knows that his chance of winning the election is slim but I reminded him that he has one big advantage over his opponent and that's the fact that, with his experience at Public Works, he knows a heck of a lot about how to handle snow removal and that might be enough for us to give him a shot at the job.

Profile: Waldo Benevidez (CD9)

Waldo Benevidez has been running for City Council for a long time. Decades, in fact. As a historian, I recently reviewed some old Denver newspapers for information about this candidate and discovered dozens of articles. Below are some excerpts from the archives.

In 1991, Benevidez ran for the City Council District 9 seat against incumbent Deborah Ortega, Gary Castillo and Joe Herrera.

Denver Post, March 30, 1991

...Benavidez, a 51-year-old Democrat who works as executive director of the Auraria Community Center, calls dispersed housing "social engineering. ... I don't think the Denver Housing Authority should be in the business of buying single-family homes.

...On other issues, Benavidez said he's against a subsidy for a convention center headquarters hotel.

And he thinks the large retail project proposed by the city's urban renewal agency for downtown should be replaced by a plan calling for shops that would appeal more to students and downtown workers.

Rocky Mountain News, May 9, 1991

... District 9. Incumbent Debbie Ortega may be steamrolling toward another term, but challengers Waldo Benavidez, Joe Herrera, and Gary Castillo are mounting spirited attacks. Our favorite is Wally Benavidez, whose pro-business ideas include selling off Winter Park and investing the profits in more beneficial projects. While the conventional wisdom says it's Ortega all the way, Benavidez's ideas promise greater development in the Ninth.

Then in 1996 he ran for Colorado House District 2 against Gloria Leyba. Leyba was initially left off the ballot for failure to file the necessary paperwork in time. Leyba was elated in the article below when a federal judge ruled in her favor.

Denver Post, June 26, 1996

...Benavidez was less enthused.

"I don't think it's right that the judge should put her on the ballot," he said from his home. "She didn't get her papers in on time because she was too busy trying to keep me off the ballot."

After Benavidez won a spot on the ballot through a petition drive, Leyba challenged some of his petitions last month, but Buckley dismissed the challenge.

In the end, Gloria Leyba won with 71%: 2,445 total votes against Benavidez's 980. He ran again in 2004, and again encountered issues with the ballot.

Rocky Mountain News, June 29, 2004

A Denver man hoping to run for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives failed to submit sufficient signatures to make the August primary, a state election official ruled Monday.

But Waldo Benavidez, executive director of the Auraria Community Center, said he intends to challenge that finding in court and is not giving up.

"As long as my name is on the ballot, I'm going to campaign," said Benavidez, 65.

Deputy Secretary of State William Hobbs ruled Benavidez lacked sufficient signatures on petitions to participate in the primary, falling 19 short of the 579 names needed to become a Democratic candidate in Denver House District 2.

...Benavidez initially was placed on the ballot when state election officials ruled 733 of the 1,037 signatures that he submitted were valid.

However, Hobbs struck 173 more, leaving Benavidez with only 560 valid signatures - 19 short of what he needed.

The bulk of the signatures rejected - 158 names - were tossed out because they were obtained by two petition circulators who were declared not to be residents of the district. as required by law.

Denver Post, August 6, 2004

Democrat Waldo Benavidez is putting on a conservative hat and challenging incumbent Rep. Mike Cerbo for the Democratic nomination to represent state House District 2, which includes Denver's west side.

Benavidez, executive director of the Auraria Community Center, and Cerbo, a union official with the Hotel & Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union, are the Democratic primary candidates.

Support for school vouchers could make Benavidez a stranger in his own party, but he said families in his district deserve school choice and higher-quality education.

"Parents are upset with how their kids are being treated in the public school system, and school choice is an alternative," said Benavidez, who started a group a few years ago for parents in west Denver to push for vouchers. High dropout and expulsion rates in the public schools in his district are a problem, Benavidez said.

But Cerbo argues that K-12 education has already been squeezed enough.

...Benavidez has had a roller- coaster ride to get on the ballot by petition. The secretary of state's office first ruled in June that he did not have enough signatures. A Denver judge then ruled in July that all votes cast for Benavidez in Tuesday's primary would be counted.

In the end, Cerbo won re-election with 65% of the vote. Benavidez received 1,246 votes. By 2006, Benevidez was in the middle of the immigration debate.

Denver Post, January 5, 2006

[Defend Colorado Now] are here to introduce an anti-illegal-immigration initiative that will probably be on the ballot in 2006.

One of the group's leaders, former Gov. Dick Lamm, lends the debate intellectual firepower and left-wing credibility. His "liberal case" to control the border is a well-crafted argument against "illegal immigration," not "the illegal immigrant."

Defend Colorado Now's initiative would amend the state's constitution to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving publicly funded services that are "not required under the law."

Question: If Colorado is already "not required under the law" to provide these welfare-state services, what's the purpose of the initiative?

Why not just follow the law?

"It's a mandate," Lamm explained. He expects the passage will send a message to legislators that Colorado voters are getting impatient. "Listen. Voters matter."

Unfortunately for Lamm, his arguments were corroded by the presence of another leader of his group, Waldo Benavidez, director of the Auraria Community Center.

We've seen the ugly underbelly of the isolationist, right-wing crowd - and, no, not everyone who is concerned about illegal immigration falls in this category - but wait until you hear the left-wing case for closed borders as presented by Benavidez.

There is no other way to say this: Benavidez's rhetoric was two parts nonsense and one part paranoia, sprinkled liberally with economic illiteracy. Benavidez threw so many inane anti-business clichés around that, by the end of the speech, you had to wonder why any Mexicans would risk their lives coming to this dreadful country.

Other than to sell us drugs, of course, in Benavidez's world.

GOPUSA.com, April 28, 2006

“Enough is enough,” said Waldo Benavidez, a Denver social service agency director and leader of the ballot measure. “I’m tired of people protesting in our streets demanding rights that they’re not entitled to.

“This initiative is the first volley of Colorado citizens fighting back,” he said. “It’s about preserving our way of life. In the final analysis, it is all about cheap labor and denying the middle class their piece of the American dream.”

For more information, visit Defend Colorado Now.

YouTube videos on election neutrality in Denver

As reported earlier by Colorado Confidential, former Denver Election Commissioner Jan Tyler is offering a 10-part series of videos on YouTube on the topic of election neutrality.

Feel free to peruse her entire list of videos, or simply review some of the recent topics:

• Common Cause and inactive voters
  
• Same-day voter registration
  
• Benefits of an election commission
  
• Problems with mail ballots
  
• Illegality and neutrality in elections

CIty Council Attendance Rates

In a recent Park Hill forum, Council District 5 candidate RJ Ours indicated that his campaign was stimulated in part by a Rocky Mountain News article regarding attendance at City Council meetings.

The article in question ran on September 5, 2006. Political beat reporter Daniel Chacon penned the investigative piece, entitled "Council missing in action."

You should really read the full article, as it discusses whether attendance records indicate anything important with regard to the dedication or effectiveness of City Council members. For the sake of convenience, however, the calculated figures are provided below.

Councilperson // District // Meetings // Missed // Percent
Carol Boigon, at-large 289 81 28
Judy Montero, Dist. 9, north Denver 261 77 30
Marcia Johnson, Dist. 5, east Denver 269 73 27
Michael Hancock, Dist. 11, NE Denver 276 72 26
Charlie Brown, Dist. 6, southeast Denver 291 68 23
Kathleen MacKenzie, Dist. 7, S.Denver 249 56 22
Rick Garcia, Dist. 1, northwest Denver 298 48 16
Jeanne Robb, Dist. 10, central Denver 311 43 14
Doug Linkhart, at-large 300 35 12
Peggy Lehmann, Dist. 4, SE Denver 279 23 8
Jeanne Faatz, Dist. 2, southwest Denver 237 21 9
Elbra Wedgeworth, Dist. 8, NE Denver 51 25 49*
Rosemary Rodriguez, Dist. 3, W. Denver 142 18 13*

CD05: Poindexter, Ours, and Johnson Square Off in Campaign Forum

The campaign in Council District 5 has received even less attention than all of the other competitive races. To remediate the problem, Denver Direct has videotaped a campaign forum held last week at the new police station at 39th and Holly.

To get a glimpse into the insurgent candidacies of Mitch Poindexter and RJ Ours as well as the policy prescriptions of incumbent City Councilwoman Marcia Johnson, take a look at "District 5 Denver City Council Candidates Forum - Bonus Footage!"

And then come back here to vote in our poll regarding Council District 5 candidates.

CD2: Faatz campaign finance figures were in error

Our recent posting on current financial status of Denver's municipal candidates has been revised with updated information for one of the candidates.

We originally indicated that Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz had $77,008. However, the Faatz campaign explained that the correct number is much less.

The issue arose from the Faatz financial disclosure for 2006 including roughly $55,000 which the campaign determined should not have been added. That figure was reportedly added to her disclosure form in error, as it represented 2003 financial contributions unrelated to the current race.

Her January 2007 disclosure and the amended January 2007 disclosure revised the figures. Subsequent disclosures have followed the same tack, indicating that her campaign has now raised a total of $20,680 instead of $77,008.

We at Denver Politics are not campaign finance experts. Far from it. However, it seems to us that the Faatz campaign should submit a revised form for 2006, because that report remains in error... and can't be corrected simply by revising a subsequent form. But again, we're not experts, and so have simply updated our figures above to match the campaign's internal figures - with apologies to all for the confusion.

Further clarifications and ideas appreciated.

CD8: Candidates address issues of Latinos in Council District 8

Denver Direct caught an impassioned audience member asking candidates in Council District 8 what they would do regarding the growing Latino community in the Park Hill neighborhood.

Sharon Bailey, Carla Madison, Darrell Watson, and Greg Rasheed all responded. View the comments at "What's Up With That?"

POLL: City Council District 5

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Sunday press mentions Rodriguez

Blogger Medillmatic mentions that recently-resigned Council District 3 representative Rosemary Rodriguez was mentioned on national TV yesterday. Referencing "PBS Sunday," he explains that "former Denver city council member Rosemary Rodriguez is mentioned by one commentator as someone who has talked about female representation."

More information on her brief moment in the national spotlight appreciated.

Tribune highlights "inactive" list

Guerin Green of the North Denver Tribune has written an article entitled "One hundred thousand voters disenfranchised for May election" which summarizes the current controversy, as well as efforts to have the policy reversed:

Following the Denver Election Commission’s decision to make 117,038 registered Denver voters “inactive,” local advocacy groups are strongly urging the City and County of Denver to reverse the decision and grant voters the ability to cast their ballots in the May 1st, 2007 election. Those voters can request ballots from the Election Commission, but many will face the inconvenience of going downtown to exercise their rights. Compounding the issue is the sonorous nature of this year’s contest, where in most of the city, there is little campaign activity.

Voters face an April 20 deadline to “activate” themselves and receive a mail ballot, but they won’t receive one automatically like those who weathered hours-long lines to vote in 2006.

“With more than 20,000 voters leaving the polls in Denver on November 7th, 2006, the Denver Election Commission’s decision to not mail ballots to the additional 50,000 voters who voted in 2004 is adding insult to injury,” said Rich Pelletier, Colorado State Director for America Votes. “It is all of our sincere hope that the DEC will reverse its decision and not multiply the awful effects of the 2006 election here in Denver.”

Mayor John Hickenlooper continues to incur criticism over Denver’s election mess, though he is only partially responsible for the Election Commission, with one appointee to the otherwise elected troika. That criticism has emboldened gadfly John Wren to attempt to rally write-in candidates against the Mayor.

Denver Election Commission spokesman Alton Dillard says the Election Commission has ordered four hundred thousand ballots, enough for all of the “inactive” voters. Voters in Denver unsure of their status can call the Election Commission at 720-913-8683 to reactivate or confirm their status.

Rocky supports ballot initiative 1A (DA term limits)

This year's ballot initiative has drawn virtually no attention, so many folks wouldn't even know that the proposition is debatable. I, for one, have not yet read any opposition. So it's helpful to see that today's Rocky Mountain News describes the initiative, even as it urges a 'Yes' on Denver 1A. Below is an excerpt:

...why are we endorsing Denver Referred Question 1A, which would allow the Denver district attorney to serve three terms instead of the present limit of two?

Because every other office in Denver - including the mayor and city council - is allowed three terms, thanks to voters' decision seven years ago extending the limit from two to three. The district attorney wasn't included at the time in part because there was lingering debate whether term limits even applied to that office, although no such doubt exists today.

To be sure, Colorado voters rejected a referendum in 2002 that would have lifted term limits across the state for DAs. But Denver's 1A would not eliminate term limits. It would simply give the DA the same latitude enjoyed by other city office holders. A decade ago Denver voters likewise refused to simply eliminate all term limits.

For the record, we opposed three terms for city officials and still doubt the wisdom of the voters' decision. Without open offices created by retiring incumbents, elections tend to be listless affairs, with most races uncontested. That's precisely the sort of election that's occurring right now in Denver, where the mayor, auditor and most council members face only nominal competition, if any at all.

Virtual bull-session at ColoradoPols

The folks over at ColoradoPols.com are having an virtual bull-session about several City Council races. Among the highlights:

• Mountain Man predicts victories for Shelly Watters in CD7 and Carla Madison in CD8. Others tout Chris Nevitt and Julie Connor.
  
• Is CD8 really a "black seat"?
  
• The under-the-radar CD3 race gets some attention.
  
• Cuervo71 dreams of Charlie Brown's defeat in CD6.
  
• Mtnpublius imagines a race between Rick Garcia and Andrew Romanoff in US Congressional District 1.

CD09: Waldo Benefidez misleads regarding Denver's immigration policy

Waldo Benevidez, candidate for City Council in Council District 9, has spouted off on "The Peter Boyles Show."

Benevidez hasn't raised a dime for his candidacy (as shown in the April 5 candidate disclosure statements) but apparently is important enough figure to win an invitation to Peter Boyles radio program.

As he is wont to do, Boyles again fostered the myth that Denver is a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigration, and Benevidez followed along.

The below quote from the conversation indicates the obfuscation:

BOYLES: Do you think Denver, Colorado, is a sanctuary city?

BENAVIDEZ: It is a sanctuary city. I remember back during the Webb administration when they had a -- the city council met and passed an ordinance regarding that.

CD At-Large: North Denver Tribune endorses Doug Linkhart

The endorsement of Doug Linkhart by the North Denver Tribune helps us to understand what some North Denverites may be thinking about this race:

Politics generally rewards the loudest voices, not the deepest thinkers. Thus the dilemma for the most serious man in Denver city government, Doug Linkhart. Linkhart has served as a thoughtful and considered conscience on the Denver City Council for the past four years, filling an at-large seat that represents the whole city. Denver voters should send him back for another term.

Linkhart has brought a focus on safety, kids and economic development for four years. He has embraced a role that gives City Council a perspective on city-wide issues when most members are focused intently on the narrow issues affecting their districts. Linkhart is true testament to the wisdom of at-large representation, leavening the debate and lifting the discourse.

Beyond that, Linkhart is a smart and savvy policy guy in a city that could use more. Voters choosing Linkhart are voting for a long-view, investment-based future for Denver. More a role player than a rock star, Linkhart would metaphorically be a key ingredient in a championship basketball team. As Denver’s focus seems slightly adrift in this age of consensus government, Denver needs Linkhart’s vision and perspective to take on the changing needs of a changing city.

War chests for City Council incumbents

The Rocky Mountain News's Daniel Chacon has written: Council's one-horse races in money: Incumbents who lack opponents build war chests.

CD08: Goodbye, Elbra

One member of the Cole neighborhood offers a farewell salutation from an insider's neighborhood perspective: Good Riddance, Elbra.

CD01: Garcia's lonely campaign

George In Denver takes Councilman Rick Garcia to task for the numerous signs of ostensible campaigning despite the fact that Garcia is formally unopposed. Read Northwest Denver’s WOOHOO! Council Race - Gimme a Yard Sign!

CD08: Darrell Watson press release mangles the facts

The Darrell Watson campaign continues its miscues.

Yesterday Wanda James sent out a press release entitled "Darrell Watson The Strongest Candidate District 8." The evidence for this statement was found in campaign finances, with Watson raising over $19,000 in March, more money than any of his competitors had raised during the entire race.

Trouble is, that's factually incorrect.

1) The Watson campaign did not raise "over $19,000" during March. The exact figure was $18,347.55. Why they would fudge the numbers like that is beyond me.

2) Numbers for the other candidates were also wrong. They claim "the closest competitor has raised less than $17,000 for the entire race." In fact, Carla Madison has raised $26,385.99, according to the latest disclosure forms.

3) Not only did Watson fail to overwhelm his competition by the generosity of his followers, he didn't even win the monthly battle. Watson's $18,347.55 for the month of March came in behind Carla Madison's $18,873.99.

4) Finally, instead of showing that "Watson shows huge lead in fundraising" (as claimed in the article's subtitle), the March numbers showed only a slim financial lead: $31,554.91 vs $26,385.99.

Perhaps the Watson folks were being disingenuous, trying to compare Watson's April numbers with the other candidate's numbers only up to March. Or perhaps they were discounting a gift from Carla Madison to her own campaign - even though Watson gave money to his own campaign as well. All such gifts from candidates are listed under the same "Form A, Report of Contributions" as used for external contributions.

Whatever the case, the Watson campaign clearly had access to the correct information. Their financial disclosure was stamped 2 hours after Carla Madison's disclosure and the press release came out 20 hours later (just 3 hours before this posting). Yet they chose to be "Clintonian" in their parsing... or as the British would say, "too clever by half."

The full numbers are available online, and may be compared with full text of the Watson press release below.

For Further Information Contact:
Wanda James
(303) 388-8797
info@electwatson.com

DARRELL WATSON THE STRONGEST CANDIDATE DISTRICT 8
Watson shows huge lead in fundraising and in endorsements

Denver, CO – Thursday, April 5, 2007 – Denver County Clerk and Recorder reported today that District 8 candidate Darrell Watson has raised over $33,000 during course of his campaign. Over $19,000 was raised in this reporting period alone! His closest competitor has raised less than $17,000 for the entire race

The Watson campaign is also showing a tremendous amount of support in key endorsements including labor, business and elected officials. Former Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, Chris Gates has recently endorsed Watson.

“The support we have received has been incredible,” stated Watson. “We are gathering widespread support from all over the district and all over the city.”

About Darrell Watson

Darrell is a 13-year resident of City Council District 8 and a life-long Democrat. As President of the Whittier Neighborhood Association, Darrell fought to protect the character and history of his neighborhood, by insisting on enforcement of zoning ordinances, supervising the planting of over 350 trees, as well as coordinating the revitalization of all five neighborhood parks.

Darrell has served as the chair of the Biased Policing Task Force and forged a partnership between the police, community, and elected officials to create a new training program for Denver police officers, as well as to increase community policing across Denver. He has also served as Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Colorado Democratic Party, on the Board of Trustees for the Denver Foundation, and on the Land Use Transportation Advisory Committee.

Supporting an increased economic opportunity within Council District 8, Watson collaborated with the community, developers, and city leaders to build the first residential mixed use property in Whittier along the 30th and Downing Light Rail. This development created affordable housing, much-needed retail space, and the home of the Whittier Neighborhood Community Center.

About the 8th District

City Council District 8 sits north of Colfax Road, and south of 40th Avenue. It extends from Speer to Holly Street and many neighborhoods including Five Points, City Park, Cole, Whittier, Clayton, Skyland, North Capitol Hill and Northeast Park Hill. Elbra Wedgeworth is our current representative, but is unable to run again due to term limits.

Campaign contributions

The candidates have filed their March 2007 campaign finance reports, and the results are unsurprising.

Mayor John Hickenlooper has the most money by far, with nearly $600,000 in campaign contributions. Other candidates with deep pockets include Councilman Charlie Brown, Auditor Dennis Gallagher, Councilman Michael Hancock, Councilman Judy Montero, and Councilman Carol Boigon - all with more than $100,000 in contributions so far.

Unsurprisingly, all but one of the above (Boigon) lack any serious competition.

Also unsurprisingly, the best way to get elected is to already be elected. Incumbent City Council members have raised an average of $88,676. Their direct challengers have raised an average of $2,353.

Challengers thus not only face the battle of name recognition, but also must overcome the 40-to-1 disadvantage in contributions necessary to get their names known. (Nor can it be said that the Denver media helps in this regard. No wonder Denver municipal elections have a slightly higher rate of re-election than in the old Soviet Duma.)

As for the open City Council seats, Council District 7 is the most competitive with $146,681 raised by current and expired candidacies. By contrast, Council District 8 has managed only $67,395 and Council District 3 will be the cheapest seat in the house at a combined total of just $28,634.

Further analysis will be forthcoming, but in the meantime enjoy the numbers below and visit the Denver City Clerk's campaign finance site online for more detailed information.

DENVER MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
AS OF 03/31/07

Council District 1
Rick Garcia $75,830.00
Unopposed

Council District 2
Jeanne Ryan Faatz $20,680.00
Unopposed

Council District 3
Paul E Lopez $15,595.00
Ben Romero $7,994.57
Mark Gerard Roggeman $2,100.00
JoAnn Phillips $2,050.00
Kathy E Sandoval $895.00
Niccolo Casewit $0
Antoinette Alire $0

Council District 4
Peggy Lehmann $47,510.00
William Arthur Rutherford III $6,088.29
Ike Kelley Jr $0

Council District 5
Marcia Johnson $63,781.83
Mitchell Poindexter $3,550.00
Ronald J Ours Jr $325.00

Council District 6
Charlie Brown $164,546.00
Unopposed

Council District 7
Chris Nevitt $65,208.63
Rochelle Watters $52,723.00
Julie Ann Connor $21,800.00
Dennis Smith $0

Council District 8
Darrell B Watson $31,554.91
Carla Ann Madison $26,385.99
Sharon Bailey $9,365.00
Greg Rasheed $0

Council District 9
Judy H Montero $128,565.00
Waldo Benevidez $0

Council District 10
Jeanne Robb $44,567.00
Unopposed

Council District 11
Michael Hancock $130,700.00

Council At Large
Carol Ann Spickler Boigon $125,120.78
Doug Linkhart $85,460.00
Carol E Campbell $8,858.38

Clerk & Recorder
Stephanie O'Malley $20,020.00
Jacob Werther $450.00

Auditor
Dennis Gallagher $136,854.57
Bill Wells $0

Mayor
John Hickenlooper $592,860.06
Danny Lopez $0

UPDATE (04/09): This posting originally indicated that Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz had $77,008, but that number is incorrect. Councilwoman Faatz explained that her financial disclosure for 2006 unwittingly included more than $56,000 in financial contributions for the 2003 race. Her subsequent January 2007 disclosure and the amended January 2007 disclosure both indicated a revised figure of $0 for that time period. Her February and March disclosures followed the same form, indicating that her campaign has raised a total of $20,680 instead of $77,008. It seems to Denver Politics that the Faatz campaign would still need to submit a revised form for 2006, because that report remains in error... and a rather significant error at that. However, we're not experts in campaign finance, and so have updated our figures above to match the campaign's internal figures.

CD8: Serious questions for Council District 8 candidates

The folks over at Denver Direct have spent a lot of time videotaping candidates forums and trying to stay abreast of the news.

Now they've got some questions they want answered. Hard questions for each and every City Council candidate in Council District 8. Plus some advice on presentation style and answer format for future forums.

Candidates are advised to review and respond directly to their "Unsolicited Advice and Unanswered Questions for the Candidates for Denver City Council District 8."

Sample questions below:

To Lynn Smith
1. What was the “technicality” that kept you off the ballet?
2. What was your total development activity in the last 10 years?
3. Isn’t your candidacy based on your reaction to difficulty you’ve had working with the City bureaucracy? Since Hickenlooper promised to fix that, and apparently didn’t, how can you have any effect on it?

To Greg Rasheed
1. What did you conclude when you were told “we know who you are”?
2. Please get real. You can’t meet 26,500 people face to face. What will you actually do to foster communication? Radio? Internet?
3. Do you have the knowledge of the workings of City government that well enable you to “hit the ground running” or will it be more like “on the job training”?

To Sharon Bailey
1. Your biography indicates that you were a consultant for 12 years after and before government jobs. Isn’t this the revolving door they talk about?
2. You mention being elected to the Denver School Board. Are the current sad state of Denver Schools (high-drop out, low scores, closed) your legacy?
3. Are you trying to prove something to your husband?

To Carla Madison
1. You’ve seemed apologetic for being “nervous”, “smarter than you seem”, and “white”. Why are you running for this “black seat”?
2. Some of us thought your husband Paul started the Festival of the Arts, now you say it was you. Why did CPWNA pay Paul to run the festival?
3. Didn’t the City waive its $50,000 fee from CPWNA, control, direct and implement the overlay and achieve “unanimous participation” only after allowing all dissidents to have their property removed from the overlay?

To Darrell Watson
1. Why aren’t you gay enough?
2. What do you actually do at your day job, and how are you connected to foundations and boards of directors of other organizations?
3. Serious accusations have flown your way, and people are now accusing you of exaggeration and taking credit for others work. Yet, you refuse to respond. What gives?

Official notes regarding Denver's "inactive" voters

Below is an informative email sent out by the Denver Election Commission, forwarded to Denver Politics by State Representative Anne McGihon:

Current Voter Registration Statistics for Denver County
Active Voters: 186,029
Inactive Voters: 175,794
Total Registered: 361,823

Why voters are “inactivated” for failing to vote:

• On February 2, 2007, 117,038 voters move from “Active” status to “Inactive” status, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-2-605(2) which states, “A registered elector who is deemed "Active" but who fails to vote in general election shall have the elector's registration record marked "Inactive (insert date)" by the county clerk and recorder following the general election.”
  
• Confirmation Cards were mailed to these 117,038 voters, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-2-605(6)(a), which states, “No later than ninety days after any general election, any registered elector whose registration record is marked "Inactive" and who has not previously been mailed a confirmation card shall be mailed a confirmation card by the county clerk and recorder.”

Who can receive a mail ballot in a Mail Ballot Election:

• Only Active Registered Voters can be mailed a mail ballot, pursuant C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(a) which states that “Not sooner than twenty-five days before an election, and no later than fifteen days before an election, the designated election official shall mail to each active registered elector…”
  
• The Denver Election Commission must have ballots available in office for “Inactive” voters, pursuant C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(c), which states “No sooner than twenty-five days prior to election day, nor later than 7 p.m. on election day, mail ballots shall be made available at the designated election official's office, or the office designated in the mail ballot plan filed with the secretary of state, for eligible electors who are not listed or who are listed as "Inactive" on the county voter registration records...”

An “Inactive” voter can become “Active” and receive a ballot by taking one of the following steps:

• Return the confirmation card mailed in February or the post card that will be mailed within the next week.
  
• Contact the Denver Election Commission to request a ballot for the May 1, 2007 General Election.
  
• Please note, to have a ballot mailed to the voter, the voter must reactivate on or before April 20, 2006, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-7.5-107(3)(a), which states “Not sooner than twenty-five days before an election, and no later than fifteen days before an election, the designated election official shall mail to each active registered elector, at the last mailing address appearing in the registration records and in accordance with United States postal service regulations, a mail ballot packet, which shall be marked "DO NOT FORWARD. ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED", or any other similar statement that is in accordance with United States postal service regulations; except that with prior approval from the secretary of state, the packets shall be sent no later than ten days before election day.” (For a Municipal Election, the discretion to extend the deadline to mail ballots from 15 days to 10 days before the election falls to the Denver Election Commission.)(The ten day deadline to reactivate is Saturday, April 21, 2007. However, pursuant to C.R.S. 1-1-106(5), which states that “If the state constitution or a state statute requires doing an act in "not less than" or "no later than" or "at least" a certain number of days or "prior to" a certain number of days or a certain number of months "before" the date of an election, or any phrase that suggests a similar meaning, the period is shortened to and ends on the prior business day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, except as provided in section 1-2-201 (3).”
  
• If a voter reactivates after April 20, 2007, the voter will have to come to the Denver Election Commission to request and receive a ballot.
  
• An “Inactive” voter has until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to request a ballot.

Proactive Steps being taken by the Denver Election Commission to reach out to those who were inactivated for not voting in the November 7, 2006 General Election:

• In addition to the Confirmation Cards that were mailed out to inactivated voters requesting they reactivate, we are mailing that same list of voters another mailing asking them to reactivate and including a brochure about the election. (Please note, this mailing will not include those voters who have already returned their Confirmation Card or those voters whose ballot was returned as undeliverable in the January 30, 2007 Special Municipal Election.)
  
• The Denver Election Commission will continue to send alerts to media outlets asking voters who are unsure of their status to call the Denver Election Commission as soon as possible to ensure they are able to exercise their right to vote.

CD7: Shelly Watters phone calls

I received the following email, which I will post without comment:

I was troubled by a phone call I received earlier today. I am quite used to getting phone calls from candidates and parties, but they always immediately identify themselves. I received a phone call today from someone wanting to ask questions about the upcoming election, sort of making me think it was a think tank or newspaper, immediately asked about the race for District 7 and who I would vote for in that race, starting to list off names. I then asked whom she was calling on behalf of and was told they were paid by Shelly Watters. I had made no decision about that race, but now have about her. It may be legal, but I found it quite shady for her to have those calls made without having the caller immediately identify themselves as being with and/or hired by her campaign. She may just be naive, but that was really shady.

Ballots Are Dropping

Argue all you want that online media campaigns don't matter, but the Chris Nevitt campaign for Council District 7 has certainly found a creative way to alert potential sponsors that their ballot will soon be in hand.

Visit The Ballots are Dropping on YouTube.

Where's the money?

Things at Dear Denver are heating up, as they investigate the campaign contributions being made (especially in the Council District 7 race) and the source of the anonymous donations arranged by Mayor Hickenlooper's office (the Piton Foundation and Denver Police Foundation are discussed).

More on campaign finance details will be reported here after the March numbers are released. Stay tuned!

Cowboy Linkhart

Westword's daily blog has reported on a racial and potential fashion makeover for AT Large City Councilman Doug Linkhart, in an article entitled "Cowboy Up":

Denver City Councilman Doug Linkhart found himself in a bit of a fashion conundrum last week. After being called a racist in a letter to the Rocky Mountain News — based on his statement about kids who wear “saggy, baggy pants all over the place” – Linhart’s campaign manager joked that his boss consider a makeover. Maybe a grill?

In December 2003, Cat gave the good councilman a new look – and damn if the clothes didn’t make the man! In fact, Cat noted in Off Limits that week that “Leftie Linkhart” looked downright H-O-T in his new duds from Rockmount Ranchwear. [see article for actual image]

Maybe he’ll break them out again now that he’s running for re-election. A well-defined ass never hurt any campaign.

POLL: Funding governmental services through private donations

Get Free Opinion Polls

Official Disclaimer: Internet polls are NOT scientific and anyone who claims otherwise is a fool.

Funding Governmental Programs with Private Money, revisited

We recently published news of the philosophical conflict between the Mayor's office and several members of Denver City Council regarding the use of private funds to sustain governmental initiatives.

Colorado Confidential's Erin Rosa has now weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the Mayor's initiatives are irresponsible and unethical.

Review her concerns online at the post entitled "Funding Conflicts of Interest." And to witness some of the history of this concern in the Denver Police Department's "broken windows" campaign, visit "Police Group Paid For Crime Consultants In Denver."

Characteristics of a Good City Council Candidate

Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie was recently asked about the characteristics voters should consider in the upcoming May 2007 municipal elections. The article, found at DU Today and written by Richard Chapman, was entitled "MacKenzie weighs in on election."

Denver City Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie doesn’t know who her successor in District 7 will be, but she has some strong ideas about how voters should sort through the candidates.

Here’s what voters should look for, MacKenzie says: responsiveness to questions, evidence of hard work, bravery and brains.

“One of the things I would ask of who succeeds me — one of the things I would judge them on — is their willingness to confront powerful people.

“When I was having those battles with (former DU Chancellor Dan) Ritchie, I thought ‘What are you doing, here’s a man who’s a giant in our community, don’t knit-pick.’

“But you have to be willing to say, ‘Yeah, you know you’ve done a lot of good things, but there are problems there.’ I don’t think politicians do that enough.”

Evaluate brains, she says, as if you were interviewing the person for a job. Measure responsiveness to questions by what makes sense and whether the answers seem “forthright and honest.”

Lastly, MacKenzie advises, look at how much effort they put into their campaigns.

“You want somebody who is going to be a hard worker.”

This article originally appeared in The Source, April 2007

Profile: Julie Connor (CD7)

DU Today has published an article outlining the policy positions of city council candidates in three areas. The article by Richard Chapman is entitled "Candidates vie to replace MacKenzie in District 7," and includes profiles of both Council District 6 and Council District 7 candidates.

Below is the response of CD7's Julie Connor:

Experience you consider most relevant to Denver City Council service:
My current position as aide to Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie makes me the only candidate with exactly the experience and knowledge needed to represent District7 residents. Additionally, my stint in Peace Corps provided community development experience in an especially challenging atmosphere.

The University of Denver describes itself as a “private institution for the public good.” If the University were to ask you for suggestions as to how this could be accomplished in the years ahead, how would you answer?
First and foremost, get students out of their cars. (And the city can work on getting non-students out of their cars.) The tree-planting program in conjunction with the Park People is a stellar community service. A couple off-the-cuff ideas for enhancing the public good using university resources would be to find ways to incorporate into the curriculum students serving on city task forces, and establishing citizen academies (dealing with topics such as urban design, small-business planning, legal workshops, etc.) that could be facilitated by students.

What are the top three issues affecting District 7 that you intend to tackle after being elected to City Council?
I’ve got four: 1) Focusing on zoning as it pertains to keeping stable neighborhoods stable and directing investment to neighborhoods that desire it; 2) Enhancing public safety vis-à-vis police technology, infrastructure improvements and code compliance enforcement; 3) Fostering local business and neighborhood schools; and 4) Promoting environmental principles.

Profile: Chris Nevitt (CD7)

DU Today has published an article outlining the policy positions of city council candidates in three areas. The article by Richard Chapman is entitled "Candidates vie to replace MacKenzie in District 7," and includes profiles of both Council District 6 and Council District 7 candidates.

Below is the response of CD7's Chris Nevitt:

Experience you consider most relevant to Denver City Council service:
The previous five years I spent running the Front Range Economic Strategy Center, a public-interest nonprofit focused on the Denver municipal economy and dedicated to creating better jobs, more affordable housing, and facilitating more robust community participation.

The University of Denver describes itself as a “private institution for the public good.” If the University were to ask you for suggestions as to how this could be accomplished in the years ahead, how would you answer?
I would challenge DU to: a) Strengthen DU’s relationship and deepen its involvement with Denver Public Schools. The expertise of DU’s faculty and staff and the wealth of DU’s facilities could help make DPS the stellar urban school system it can be. b) Bring DU’s intellectual resources more directly to bear on the policy debates and policy development taking place in the public/private arena — among policy nonprofits, in the business community and in government itself.

What are the top three issues affecting District 7 that you intend to tackle after being elected to City Council?
1) Promoting responsible, quality development and protecting the character and quality of life of our neighborhoods from the opposite; 2) Making Denver a better partner with Denver Public Schools; 3) Making Denver a national leader in clean energy and sustainability.

Profile: Shelly Watters (CD7)

DU Today has published an article outlining the policy positions of city council candidates in three areas. The article by Richard Chapman is entitled "Candidates vie to replace MacKenzie in District 7," and includes profiles of both Council District 6 and Council District 7 candidates.

Below is the response of CD7's Shelly Watters:

Experience you consider most relevant to Denver City Council service:
I have lived in the district for over 30 years and have raised a family here. I have been active on my neighborhood association and have served on the board for the last four years. I have been a council aide for seven years to two city councilwomen — Carol Boigon and Joyce Foster. I believe I have the most experience in understanding the issues of the district and city and have a record of bringing people together to find solutions.

The University of Denver describes itself as a “private institution for the public good.” If the University were to ask you for suggestions as to how this could be accomplished in the years ahead, how would you answer?
I would like to see more DU departments and schools working with city departments to offer students more hands on training. A lot of projects around the city could also benefit from the expertise of the faculty and should involve more of them on more taskforces and committees.

What are the top three issues affecting District 7 that you intend to tackle after being elected to City Council?
1) Safety: Fighting crime, from graffiti to gangs, to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods; 2) Neighborhood character: Maintaining our neighborhoods while allowing for thoughtful redevelopment; 3) Transportation: We need to make Denver more bike and pedestrian friendly and improve access to light-rail stations.

Profile: Dennis Smith (CD7)

DU Today has published an article outlining the policy positions of city council candidates in three areas. The article by Richard Chapman is entitled "Candidates vie to replace MacKenzie in District 7," and includes profiles of both Council District 6 and Council District 7 candidates.

Below is the response of CD7's Dennis Smith:

Experience you consider most relevant to Denver City Council service:
Member (since 2005) Denver Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, teacher of immigrant and inner-city high school students, citizen advocacy: increasing hours of Denver outdoor pools, getting a disc (Frisbee) golf course built in Denver, slowing down traffic in my neighborhood.

The University of Denver describes itself as a “private institution for the public good.” If the University were to ask you for suggestions as to how this could be accomplished in the years ahead, how would you answer?
Continue DU’s community outreach programs under the “service learning” class requirement. As a South HS teacher, I have 15–20 DU graduate and undergraduate students visit my classroom for immigrant English tutoring every week. I know these tutoring sessions help my students and I suspect the DU students are enriched as well. DU academics should weigh in more on issues confronting Denver and the metro area via editorials, TV and radio interviews, and other mainstream media. Challenge the various government entities and planning boards.

What are the top three issues affecting District 7 that you intend to tackle after being elected to City Council?
1) Making pedestrian crosswalk lights responsive. Push the button and the light should switch to walk within 90 seconds; 2) Add crosswalks (with lights) on busy pedestrian-oriented streets (Evans, for example); 3) City services should accommodate working citizens: pools, libraries and rec centers open on evenings and weekends.

Profile: Charlie Brown (CD06)

DU Today has published an article outlining the policy positions of city council candidates in three areas. The article by Richard Chapman is entitled "Candidates vie to replace MacKenzie in District 7," and includes profiles of both Council District 6 and Council District 7 candidates.

Below is the response of Charles V Brown, an incumbent who is running unopposed:

Experience you consider most relevant to Denver City Council service:
I have served as a Colorado state representative, president of an award-winning public relations firm, chief lobbyist for a statewide medical society, assistant public affairs director for an international trade union and a teacher at the secondary and college levels.

The University of Denver describes itself as a “private institution for the public good.” If the University were to ask you for suggestions as to how this could be accomplished in the years ahead, how would you answer?
Continue the community-oriented education programs that draw local citizens and business community members to the University for continuing education, and encourage students to learn about and become a part of the community.

What are the top issues facing District 6 that you intend to tackle after being re-elected to City Council?
Continue supporting public safety and economic development.

"Dear Denver" debutes

New blogs to cover the Denver municipal elections are now racing onto the scene. Last week saw the entrance of Typepad's Dear Denver.

The author of this blog is Lisa Jones. Her analytical and often informative posts last week included the following:

• First, the municipal elections
  
• How gay is Darrell Watson?
  
• I'd vote Bailey in District 8
  
• Salaries of elected officials
  
• City council, not student council

Welcome to the blogosphere, Lisa!

Community forum transcripts online

Candidate forums are going on throughout the city. You're encouraged to attend at least one in your community, so as to get a firsthand view of the prospective City Council candidates for your district.

Should this prove impossible, however, you can still review the transcripts of previous community forums. Channel 8's "Denver Decides" coverage not only has made these forums viewable online, but also is beginning to provide forum transcripts, enabling potential voters to review a two-hour forum in just 15-20 minutes.

Currently online are transcripts from both the Council District 7 forum (West Washington Park Neighborhood Association, March 14th) and the Council District 8 forum (Colorado Black Women for Political Action, March 20th).

Upcoming Candidate Forums

Gerald Trumble is helping to direct voters to numerous upcoming candidate forums. Go ahead and meet them, and ask your most difficult questions.

We're a democratic republic, after all, and you need to know who will best represent your concerns.

Below is an abbreviated list of forums. For the full version, visit Denver Direct.

Date - Time - Location - Sponsor
Apr02 - 7:00pm - 2401 Welton Street - Curtis Park Neighbors
Apr05 - 6:30pm - 3921 Holly Street - Greater Park Hill Neighbors
Apr11 - 6:00pm – 1330 Glenarm Street - CHUN, INC, League of Women Voters [UPDATED]
Apr12 – 6:00pm - sw corner of 21st & Humboldt - Merchants at 22nd and Humboldt
Apr14 – 9:00am - 2900 Downing Street - InterNeighorhood Cooperation
Apr19 – 7:30am - TBD - Denver Downtown Partnership