I
received my ballot in the mail last week.
While
there is the top of the ticket, there are also several downballots that deserve
just as much attention.
I am
equally concerned about who occupies 200 East Colfax Ave ZIP Code 80206 as much
as who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and who controls Capitol Hill.
Many
require a deeper analysis and I will announce my findings about those issues in
several upcoming posts.
For
now, these are some of elections that are on the ballot specifically in Denver
that I am endorsing.
HERE COMES THE JUDGE
Consult
your 2016 State Ballot Information Book (Blue Book) for information on whether
to retain or dismiss judges. Based on the recommendations, I have selected to
retain all judges.
RTD DISTRICT A, E
I do
not live in either of these districts, they include portions of the City and
County of Denver. Still, I feel the need to voice an endorsement. RTD District D is not listed because it is an uncontested race.
In RTD
District A, I encourage a vote for
Aaron Goldhamer. I have had a couple of conversations of with him, most
recently at a watch party for the second presidential debate. It was mainly me
listening to him about politics and he is knowledgeable about a whole variety
of issues. By day he is an attorney and I believe that he will apply his
passion to the law in addressing Denver’s varying transportation needs.
For
RTD District E, I encourage those that
live in that district to strongly research the two candidates, Claudia
Folska and JM
(Maria J) Fay, and make the choice of the person they feel best represents
their issues.
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOARD OF REGENTS
I voted for Jack
Kroll in the Democratic primary and plan to do so in the general election because Kroll
will address the issue of increasing tuition rates and was
a founding member of CU-Denver’s Military Student Day.
The
issue on college affordability is also why I
encourage a vote for the at-large regent, Alice Madden.
CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER
BALLOT QUESTIONS 2A, 3A, 3B, and 4B
2A
supports the Denver Preschool Program so that is a YES vote.
3A
& 3B concerns the funding of Denver schools. 3A is about the hiring of
personnel needed to address the diverse needs of Denver’s school-aged children
and prepare them for a 21st century job market while 3B is about the
construction and maintenance of the buildings. Definite YES votes.
Denver
is a large diverse cosmopolitan city and people seem forget that given that it
is landlocked in the Rocky Mountain region. 4B addresses maintaining that
notoriety by supporting the Denver Metropolitan Scientific & Cultural
Facilities (SCFD).
I
support the various arts, be it performance like plays, the physical such as
paintings, the scientific, and social. The local VFW Post in Denver holds their
meetings in an art gallery on Santa Fe and just recently
restored a neon sign that is both a piece of art and historical significance. So, a YES vote on 4B.
DENVER
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Advocates
of criminal justice reform and death penalty abolition need to understand that
this is where the most impact can happen.
It
matters who your district attorney is. In nearby Arapahoe County, District
Attorney George Brauchler rejected the plea bargain in the 2012 Aurora theater
shooting and instead opted for a trial in hopes of getting a death penalty
conviction for the shooter. The strategy
was condemned and seen
as a ploy to possibly increase Brauchler’s political profile.
I
voted for a different candidate in the June
primary but I will be voting for
Beth McCann. She is my current state representative and in
this May Denver Post op-ed by McCann she states that she opposes the death
penalty, is looking for alternatives to sentencing where it is available, and is
a strong victim rights advocate citing her legislative record.
AMENDMENT T, U
Vote YES on Amendment T.
While
the arguments for Amendment U are sound in that the administrative cost at
times exceed the tax collection, to
me personally it sounds like a tax cut for businesses that use government land
for private benefit. I encourage a NO on Amendment U.
COLORADO’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT
The Denver
Post recommends that Representative Diana DeGette returns for another
2-year term in the House citing her work to increase funding for stem-cell
research and willingness to work with Republicans on immigration reform. I echo
that support and encourage a vote for
Diana DeGette.
COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The
general assembly divides Colorado into 65 state House and 35 state Senate
districts.
Unfortunately,
I live in very strong Democratic state legislative districts so the voting
power only goes so far in determining who receives Colorado’s 9 electoral votes
and other statewide elections. Definitely a change from living in strong
Republican districts in Texas.
In
the June primary I knocked on doors for Leslie Herod and stated my reasons
why I supported her in a previous post.
Even
though she represented HD-7, Angelia Williams won the SD-33 primary by a nearly
5-to-1 margin despite grumblings by some Democrats that she is not liberal
enough. Well, apparently the Democrats that participated in the primary think
she is and would best represent their interests.
So
for the following Denver based districts I encourage the following votes
Senate
District 33: Angelia Williams
House
District 8: Leslie Herod
House
District 1: Susan Lontine
House
District 2: Alec Garnett
House
District 4: Dan Pabón
House
District 5: The next speaker of the Colorado House, Crisanta Duran
House
District 6: Chris Hansen
House
District 7: James Rashad Coleman
House
District 9: Paul Rosenthal
I expect
to see them in the general assembly come January 2017 working on getting things
done for Colorado.
I
still remember the words from Omar Narvaez at a
Dallas Stonewall Democrats meeting and it is why I advocate.
“Obama
is going to give me (a gay Latino) my equality. But he ain’t going to fix the
potholes on Harry Hines Blvd.”
Currently,
Mr. Narvaez is a member of the Dallas County School Board.
These
elections matter too.
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