FACE THE STATE

Congressman John Salazar, a Democrat, has received his first Republican challenger for the 3rd Congressional District in 2010.
Martin Beeson, of Glenwood Springs, currently serves as district attorney in the 9th Judicial District, a region covering the western slope region of Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties.
While Salazar has won the seat by comfortable margins the past three cycles, district registration remains competitive and with the right candidate, strategists believe the seat could bring a Republican pickup in the next election. “What the 2010 outcomes will depend on is public perception of the incumbent and how the Democrats are doing in Washington,” said political consultant Katy Atkinson. “You can never rule out the possibility of the public having a ‘throw the rascals out’ kind of attitude. That is probably [Beeson's] best hope.”
Beeson could not be reached before press time.
Salazar, who was first elected in 2004, was only one of three Democratic pick-up seats in the 435-member House of Representatives. He beat Republican Greg Walcher 50 percent to 46 percent, with independent candidate Jim Krug picking up 3 percent, and George W. Bush winning the district by 55 percent. In 2006, after a bruising GOP primary where some Republicans voted for Salazar out of protest, he trounced Republican Scott Tipton 61 percent to 36 percent. In 2008, Salazar also easily won re-election, beating Republican Wayne Wolf 61 to 38 percent. Previously, Republican Scott McInnis held the seat for 12 prior years. The district, which includes Republican-leaning Grand Junction and Democrat stronghold Pueblo, was redistricted in 2000 to make it a more competitive district.
Out of the gate Monday, Beeson attacked Salazar for abandoning his roots as a farmer and a veteran, after Salazar resigned from the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committees for what Beeson called a “fat-cat seat” on the House Appropriations Committee. There, Salazar then voted for “trillions of dollars of new debt and taxes in his first 60 days without even reading the legislation,” Beeson told the Aspen Daily News.

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Video Credit: State Bill Colorado

By Don Knox, STATEBILL.COM

DENVER — An African tribal greeting – “How are the children?” – received frequent mention at a bill signing ceremony Tuesday at Colorado’s capitol.
The bill, which creates a $700,000-a-year “academy” to systematically train county-level social workers, comes after the 2007 deaths of 13 Colorado children whose cases had been brought to the attention of child-welfare workers.
“How are the children? The answer to that question says as much about our moral condition as adults as it says about the well-being of our children,” said the Colorado Council of Churches’ Rev. Dr. James Ryan at a signing ceremony for Senate Bill 164. “With the signing of this bill, the governor can truly say the children of Colorado are better off today than they were yesterday.”
Ritter, recalling the children’s deaths, said, “We didn’t manage to protect them. We didn’t manage to allow the safety net to be sufficiently woven so that they were caught.”
The bill, one of the administration’s priorities for 2009, arose out of the Child Welfare Action Committee, a 25-person panel appointed last year.
“The committee … was born out of the notion that we hadn’t lived up to our responsibility for the most vulnerable,” Ritter said.
The new program is expected to begin in January and to train 400 new social workers online and in person during 2010, said Karen Beye, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The General Assembly appropriated money only for next year; Beye hopes money will be available in future years to train both recruits and current county social workers.
Despite the infusion of money, which will come out of the state’s general operating fund, only about 12.5 percent of the current population of 3,000 social workers will undergo training.
County social workers already undergo training, Beye said, but the training isn’t consistent and is one of the first things to be cut in times of fiscal crisis. Additionally, without the new academy, the state couldn’t hold counties or social workers accountable for their participation. The state already has begun developing training curriculum, and private vendors will be allowed to bid to provide the training itself, she said.
Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, recalled hearing about the deaths before her election to the Senate.
“Like a lot of people in this room, when I first heard of the child fatalities, I turned off my television and went to bed so sad, thinking, ‘Where were the protectors of the children?’ It became increasingly clear something had to be done. My sadness turned into anger.”
Newell was joined at the signing ceremony in the Capitol’s west foyer by bill co-sponsor Rep. Joe Miklosi, D-Denver, and bill supporters Rep. Cindy Acree, R-Aurora, and Ken Summers, R-Lakewood.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Meredith Knight, MILEHIGHNEWS.COM

GOLDEN — As state Rep. Gwyn Green’s (D-Golden) last day in the legislature approaches June 1, the Jefferson County Democratic Party is gearing up to fill her seat Wednesday, May 27.
Green’s vacancy committee must fill the seat by June 30, according to Ann Knollman, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party.
“If it’s not filled by then, the governor has five days to appoint,” Knollman said.
As of press time, Max Tyler, a small business owner from Lakewood, was the only person to formally inform the 62-member committee of his intent to run for the seat.
“I’ve been on the outside. It’s time for me to step up and take the vote,” Tyler said.
People who are interested in the position have until the May 27 meeting date to step forward. During the meeting, people can be nominated from the floor, as well.
“You never know what can pop up,” Knollman said.
All Democratic Party elected officials working in House District 23 will vote in the vacancy committee. Half of the committee must be at the meeting to have a quorum.
The candidate who wins the majority of the votes will fill Green’s seat for the remainder of her term.
Green resigned from her House seat April 27, citing health issues and wanting to spend more time with her family as the reasons for her resignation.
Green suggested Tyler, 61, as a possible successor. Tyler served as House District 23 chairman in 2006 and helped Green win the election.
“I’m in a position I can help move Gwyn’s agenda forward,” Tyler said.

Green’s Seat
The vacancy committee to fill state Rep. Gwyn Green’s seat will hold its official meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, at the American Legion Hall, 1655 Simms St. in Lakewood. Members of the public can come and observe the proceedings.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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FACE THE STATE

HIGHLANDS RANCH — At its state convention Saturday, Colorado’s Libertarian Party elected new leadership, including a new party director. The theme of the day: helping craft a party message that will help Libertarianism become a more viable alternative in the eyes of more Colorado voters.
About 60 people were in attendance Saturday at Platte River Academy in Highlands Ranch, 49 of whom were voting members of the party. They elected the party’s former legislative director, Dave Williams, as the new chair. He beat out Golden political activist Steve Gallant. Several newcomers also joined the leadership team, including Justin Longo of the Independence Institute as the new legislative liaison. Also filled for the first time in over two years was the position of fundraising director, which is now held by Deni Cates.
Williams, who spoke at the Tax Day Tea Party in April, is optimistic the party will build on the momentum of the tea parties and capture voters who are frustrated with current Democrat and Republican leadership.
“Americans will look for alternatives to the existing two-party system that does nothing but expand government power and restrict individual liberty,” said Williams. “The Libertarian Party is that alternative. The state party’s growth in the past year has been tremendous and we are ready to take in everyone else who believes freedom is more important, and far more productive, than government.”
Currently, Libertarian Party registration in Colorado stands at roughly 12,000. Williams hopes to grow that number to 20,000 by the 2010 election. Traditionally, libertarians have been divided into two groups, “small l” or “big L” libertarians, the difference being those who believe in small government philosophy, and those who actually register with the party.
Other priorities will include utilizing new media communication methods and promoting Libertarians for local leadership positions, elected or otherwise. According to Williams, having Libertarian representation at various levels of government, from school boards to city councils and county commissions, is vital for the party to spread its message of smaller government and more individual liberty.
As the 2010 elections ramp up, Libertarians are also preparing to enhance their position as a legitimate party. Former party director Travis Nicks has frequently rejected the claim that Libertarians cost Republicans votes. Also in attendance Saturday was Denver Republican party chair Ryan Call, who is interested in working with Libertarians on many of the shared goals between both parties.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS

DENVER — As transit officials search for a new Regional Transportation District chief, one state lawmaker is hoping that the agency reconsiders performance bonuses.
RTD General Manager and Chief Executive Cal Marsella is stepping down by July 31st to pursue a career for a California-based private transportation company. But concerns have been raised about his almost $300,000 salary and nearly $30,000 in performance bonuses.
Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, says she is most concerned with the performance bonuses given to transit employees, and is hoping that RTD officials and board members reconsider the practice.
“This is public money and I think it’s wrong that people in public entities are getting performance bonuses for doing a job that they’re hired to do,” said Tochtrop. “When you’ve got a public entity with taxpayers’ money, getting performance bonuses, to me, is inherently wrong.”
RTD says the general manager’s salary, including bonus, is based on a compensation survey of transit chiefs in comparable, peer transit agencies. The average of those compensation packages is used to determine the RTD head’s salary.
“(That) ensures that the RTD General Manager is paid a competitive market-based compensation that will be in line with that of general managers at comparable transit agencies,” RTD spokesman Scott Reed recently told the Denver Daily News. “Cal (Marsella’s) current salary and compensation package is reflective of 14 years of exemplary performance and attendant increases, and repeated renegotiations in recognition by the Board that they wanted Cal to remain at RTD.”
But a Denver Daily News investigation in 2006 found that RTD officials were being paid as much as 33 percent more than their counterparts in comparable markets. For the report, the Denver Daily looked at comparable transit agencies such as Seattle and Salt Lake City, as well as New York City, which is a much larger market.
Senior level management salaries for RTD were higher based on the salaries themselves and the cost of living in each city.
The general manager of the King County Department of Transportation in Seattle will make only $179,395 this year, according to spokeswoman Linda Thielke. The Seattle transit agency has a daily ridership of more than 300,000, equally comparable to RTD.
The Denver Daily News attempted to obtain the salary of the general manager of the Utah Transit Authority, but Utah requires an official request to be made, which did not meet the deadline for this story.
Tochtrop is calling for a performance audit of RTD to examine salaries and bonuses. She wants to ensure that the transit agency is actually paying its employees salaries that are comparable to “peer transit agencies.” She said the audit would be scheduled for June.
The senator points to contract negotiations between the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001 and RTD officials. The union, which represents 1,900 drivers, mechanics and service workers, is seeking a “modest” cost of living increase, while RTD is hoping for a three-year wage freeze instead. The two sides have entered into binding arbitration.
“What upsets me more than anything is the fact that right now the transit workers are trying to negotiate a contract, and all they’re asking for is that they maintain their bonus packages and 3 percent over three years, which isn’t even a cost of living increase — it doesn’t even keep up with inflation,” said Tochtrop. “They have to fight for everything that they get, and then you’ve got big management that’s getting this big money and it’s the people that are doing the work that are hurting with this.”
Tochtrop says the audit would reveal whether RTD salaries and bonuses are appropriate. She added that if the audit reveals concerns, she would consider legislation that would either limit or prevent public agencies from handing out performance bonuses.
Considering the governor of Colorado only makes $90,000 per year and state lawmakers make only $30,000 per year, Tochtrop says there is reason for alarm.
Jon Caldara, president of the fiscally conservative Independence Institute and a former RTD board member, said RTD should absolutely look to cutting salaries.
“If they can’t find somebody to do his job for half the price, I don’t think they’re looking very hard,” Caldara recently told the Denver Daily News.
Tochtrop and other critics of RTD salaries also point out that the RTD FasTracks light rail project is facing a $2.2 billion budget shortfall. RTD officials are considering asking voters for another four-tenths of a cent sales tax increase to pay for the project.
As a result, Tochtrop wrote to State Auditor Sally Symanski asking the office to look into RTD’s “perceived fiscal irresponsibility relative to the General Manager’s benefit and bonus packages.”
RTD maintains that it is already subject to numerous audits.
But Tochtrop says the agency could use greater accountability, especially when it comes to performance.
“Transparency in government is what it’s all about,“ she said.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS

DENVER — The Denver City Council on Monday was to introduce a bill that would exempt three groups from a controversial ordinance that impounds the cars of unlicensed drivers.
Victims of automobile theft, rental car companies and automobile lien holders such as credit unions and other vehicle financing enterprises would not have to post a $2,500 bond to release a car that was impounded when a driver was found to be driving without a valid license. A citizen initiative to impound the cars of unlicensed driver was approved by voters last year.
Councilman Doug Linkhart called the ordinance reckless and said the City Council is trying to fix some of its many problems.
“We’re trying to address some of the negative consequences of the initiative,” he said. “I don’t know what the sponsor of the initiative intended, but he got a lot of people who don’t feel like they should have an impound bond assessed to them.”
The initiative’s founder, Daniel Hayes, said he doesn’t have any objections to exempting victims of automobile theft and rental car companies to the ordinance.

Main goal: Getting illegals off road
Hayes said his main goal with the initiative was to get unlicensed illegal immigrants off the road, not to have a grandmother be towed in the middle of the night.
“I don’t oppose (City Council’s) idea, but if they start throwing in things like you can loan it to your neighbor who is unlicensed, then I have a problem,” he said.
Hayes plans on resubmitting his impound initiative for the November 2009 ballot, saying the police are towing everyone right now except illegal immigrants. Rental car companies and victims of theft will be exempt in his revised initiative, he said.
“It will be a better ordinance that has teeth in it,” he said. “We’re covering everything.”

War vet’s car impounded
The unlicensed car towing ordinance came under fire recently when an Iraq war veteran had his car impounded in Denver. Brian Furman had recently returned from serving in Iraq when his car was towed because his driver license expired in 2006.
Linkhart said he hopes City Council will eventually get around to broaden the impound bond exemptions to include people like Furman.
“I think part of the intent was about immigrants, and these other (people) were caught up in the process,” he said. “There is a much broader conversation that is going to take place.”

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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Editor’s Note: Gov. Ritter today issued this veto message.

May 15, 2009

Honorable Colorado House of Representatives
67th General Assembly
First Regular Session
State Capitol
Denver, CO 80203

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am filing with the Secretary of State House Bill 09-1180, “Concerning allowing valid Colorado concealed handgun permits to satisfy background check requirements for transfers of firearms.” I vetoed this bill as of 1:47 p.m., and this letter sets forth my reasons for doing so.

House Bill 09-1180 would exempt a firearm purchaser from the criminal background check requirement upon the presentation of a concealed handgun permit and one other piece of identification. Current law requires each person who desires to purchase a firearm to undergo a criminal background check. Under current law, a person is denied the privilege of purchasing a firearm if he or she fails a criminal background check. The circumstances that will result in a failure of a criminal background check include, but are not limited to: conviction of burglary, arson, or any felony involving the use of force or the use of a deadly weapon; conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; conviction of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; being adjudicated mentally ill or committed to a mental institution; being dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces; and being subject to a court order that restrains a person from harassing, stalking, threatening, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner or the partner’s child in reasonable fear of bodily injury, if the court order was entered after a hearing meeting certain procedural conditions. See C.R.S. § 24-33.5-424(3)(a); 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).

In addition, a person is barred from purchasing a firearm if he or she has been arrested for, charged with, or indicted of any crime that, if convicted, would be a bar to the purchase of a firearm. See C.R.S. § 24-33.5-424(3)(b); 18 U.S.C. § 922(n). Such an arrest, charge, or indictment is a bar so long as there has been no final disposition of the case or the final disposition is not noted in a criminal database. Id.

There are numerous troubling aspects to this bill. First, this bill contains inadequate safeguards to ensure that those who should not be able to purchase a firearm promptly surrender their concealed handgun permits upon the occurrence of a disqualifying event, such as an arrest for a violent felony or the entry of a protective order for harassing or stalking a spouse. Although current law requires a sheriff to revoke a permit if the permittee is no longer qualified to purchase a firearm and section 5 of the bill requires a sheriff to confiscate a concealed handgun permit upon revocation, there is nothing in the bill that assures that revocation will take place promptly upon a disqualifying event. See C.R.S. § 18-12-203(3)(a)-(c). This is because House Bill 09-1180 does nothing to help assure that a sheriff who issued a concealed handgun permit is promptly notified of a disqualifying event. In short, it is easily foreseeable that a potential purchaser will be in possession of a concealed handgun permit for a substantial period of time after the potential purchaser would no longer be qualified to purchase a firearm. Under such circumstances only a criminal background check conducted contemporaneously with a purchase would prevent an unqualified person from purchasing a firearm.

Second, there is nothing in the bill that assures that law enforcement will be aware that a person that they arrest has a concealed handgun permit. There is no central database of permittees. In fact, law enforcement agencies are expressly prohibited from maintaining any kind of statewide database of concealed handgun permittees after July 1, 2011. See C.R.S. § 18-12-206(3)(b). This lack of a readily available means of verifying whether an arrestee has been issued a concealed handgun permit further exacerbates the concern that there will routinely be a substantial delay between a disqualifying event and the surrender of a permit.

Third, there is no requirement that a firearm seller verify the validity of a concealed handgun permit before making the sale. In fact, there are impediments to doing so. For instance, current law places substantial limits on a sheriff’s ability to share information regarding who has a valid concealed weapons permit. Specifically, existing law only authorizes a sheriff to disclose the identity of a concealed weapon permittee to “another criminal justice agency for law enforcement purposes,” and even then the decision to disclose such information rests within the sheriff’s “sole discretion.” See C.R.S. § 18-12-206(3)(a). There is nothing in this bill or existing statute that clearly authorizes a sheriff to disclose to a firearm seller the identity of a person who holds a concealed weapons permit. This impediment to the sharing of information regarding permittees is a further reason that the possession of a concealed handgun permit is an inadequate substitute for a contemporaneous criminal background check.

Fourth, this bill makes it easier for those intent on illegally obtaining a firearm. Although the bill requires the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to create a permit template that is “resistant to tampering and fraud,” no identification document is impervious to forgery. Establishing a background check bypass for those with a concealed handgun permit, creates one more opportunity for those intent circumventing the criminal background check

Finally, this bill weakens the Colorado Background Check Act. One of the guns used in the shootings at Columbine high school in 1999 was purchased at a gun show by an eighteen year old “straw man” without a criminal background check. In the wake of that tragedy, Colorado passed the Colorado Background Check Act into law as Amendment 22 in the 2000 general election. Amendment 22 passed by a greater than two-to-one margin. The Act closed the “gun show loophole” by requiring those who purchase firearms at gun shows to undergo the same background checks as those purchasing firearms from licensed dealers. See C.R.S. § 12-26.1-101, et seq. By establishing a criminal background check bypass, this bill reopens the very loophole that Colorado citizen voted overwhelmingly to close less than nine years ago.

In short, House Bill 09-1180 significantly weakens the safeguards against the illegal purchase of firearms. Accordingly, I have vetoed this bill.

Sincerely,

Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor

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By Don Knox, STATE BILL COLORADO

DENVER –- At least nine people will vie Wednesday night in a Democratic party vacancy committee election to succeed Jennifer Veiga as Colorado senator from District 31 in south and central Denver, including downtown, and in Westminster.
Veiga announced earlier this year she would step down from the seat to move to Australia. She’s one of three Denver Democrats –- along with then-Senate President Peter Groff and Rep. Anne McGihon — to leave the General Assembly this year. Others, including Rep. Karen Middleton and Sen. Jim Isgar, may follow.
The high number of candidates for Veiga’s seat makes it probable that no one will garner 50 percent of the votes in the first round, which would lead to successive rounds of voting. The top four vote-getters in the first round will move onto the second round, and the top two vote-getters (including ties) will proceed to the third.
“Every one of these candidates is great,” Senate District 31 Chair Edward Hall said. “Each of them have attended the three forums we’ve had. They’ve all shown themselves to be very capable and intent on serving the district.”
The candidates are Patrick Byrne, fiscal analyst at the Colorado Department of Transportation; Ph.D student and Denver Public Schools board member Jill Conrad; Colorado Democratic Party Treasurer Butch Hicks; business consultant John Maslanik; former state Rep. Ann Ragsdale; DPS communications director Alex Sanchez; lobbyist Pat Steadman; real-estate agent W. Douglas Williams; and John Wren, finance chair for Denver’s House Subdistrict 5B.
The vacancy committee election is Wednesday, May 20, at Morey Middle School, 840 E. 14th Ave. Registration begins at 6 p.m., and the meeting begins at 7 p.m.
More about the candidates:
• Byrne is the main fiscal liaison between the transportation department, the governor’s office and various legislative departments. He previously worked as a budget analyst for Denver and for the governor’s office. Byrne considers himself “a TABOR and tax policy expert.”
• Conrad worked as senior consultant for policy and planning at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning before embarking on her Ph.D in educational policy. From 2004-2007, she served as the statewide Director of the Colorado Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, a state and national initiative to improve and expand civic learning opportunities.
• Hicks is a bus driver for the Regional Transportation District. He is treasurer of the Colorado Democratic Party and of the Adams County Democrats. He also is a former member of the Westminster City Council.
• Maslanik is president of Frontier Capital Inc., a business consultancy and private investment company, where he manages private client investment portfolios. He’s also a member of the Citizens Advisory Commission for the Denver Justice Center Complex.
• Ragsdale was first elected in 1998 to the Colorado House, and she served four terms (when she was term-limited). She was vice chair of the State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. She has been on the Colorado Democratic Party State Executive and Central committees since 1975.
• Sanchez worked in the healthcare industry for five years before joining Denver Public Schools, where he is communications director. He also has managed a restaurant and an employment agency.
• Steadman, whom Veiga is supporting, has spent 15 years working as a lobbyist at the state Capitol, most recently for the firm Mendez Steadman. He was appointed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to the Denver Women’s Commission, the Denver GLBT Commission, and currently serves as chair of the advisory board for Denver’s Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations.
• Williams works in real estate in Denver and opposed Texas Rep. Tom Delay in his first race for Congress.
• Wren is a self-described business consultant and adult educator. He was a late entry to the race.
According to Hall, 183 people – many of them precinct committee persons – are eligible to vote in Wednesday’s elections.
In 2002, the most recent year for which data is available, the population of the district was 123,195, with 72,200 whites and nearly 40,000 Latinos. Asian- and African-Americans numbered 5,237 and 3,244, respectively.

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By Jeff Francis, MILEHIGHNEWS.COM

WHEAT RIDGE — There is some good news for the state and national economy, but it’s really only good in the context of how bad things have gotten.
That was the message expressed earlier this week by state economist Richard Wobbekind when he spoke in Jefferson County.
Wobbekind, who is the director of business research for University of Colorado at Boulder, also prepared an annual economic forecast for state leaders. He spoke Tuesday May 12 at the Enterprise Wheat Ridge breakfast.
“I’m not chronically depressed,” Wobbekind told the audience. “I’m actually a fun guy at barbecues, tailgate parties and even cocktail parties.”
Wobbekind’s preamble seemed intended to offset many of the things he would say about the state and national economies.
“It’s been ugly,” he said. “There’s no other way to describe it. We’re starting to see some upticks, but still really bad numbers.”
Wobbekind’s comments related to national employment and gross-domestic-product growth numbers. On the state level, retail sales tax revenue is dramatically down, partly because people are saving a higher percentage of their incomes more than in the past several years.
Consumer confidence, particularly in the housing market, is low, but may start to recover in fits and starts.
“I’m not telling you it’s a high level of confidence, but it’s getting a little better,” he said. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and I don’t think it’s a train.”
Amid all the downturning graph data lines, Wobbekind unveiled one that’s shot up – personal and business bankruptcies.
The Enterprise audience – many of them business-owners, appeared rapt by Wobbekind’s predictions and assessments. He pointed out that the collapse of financial markets late last year affect consumer confidence more adversely than did Sept. 11. He also said he supported the stimulus plan publicly, but has serious reservations about overly optimistic forecasts vis-à-vis the national debt/deficit.
“I’m a middle-of-the-road guy, but in Boulder I’m Rush Limbaugh,” he said.
Wobbekind said that Colorado has lost a dramatic amount of jobs the first two months of 2009, and is on track to lose 2 to 3 percent of its employment this year. However, he predicted that there may be a small rebound in 2010 that, considering the dire numbers nationwide, will put Colorado in the top 10 states for job growth.
“I do think things will get better when this is over,” he said. “I hope as a country we have learned some things with regards to savings and consumption.”
Wobbekind’s lecture, his first in Wheat Ridge, was organized by Kurt Renner, vice president of the Arvada branch of Citywide Banks.
“With the economic situation right now, I thought we would be the perfect fit to explain all this,” Renner said. “It’s on everybody’s mind. For the small business people here, it’s a 24-7 issue.”

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Jeff Francis, MILEHIGHNEWS.COM

WHEAT RIDGE – The City Council appeared perhaps weary that it would hear more requests for money at the beginning of a scheduled presentation about the Carnation Festival at its meeting April 20.
Recent years have seen the festival significantly scaled back, and fundraising efforts have lagged.
But in walked former state Rep. Cheri Jahn, who just ended an eight-year run at the statehouse and is now the new chair of the festival.
“I was really, really pleased by her presentation,” said Councilman Dean Gokey. “She had it down pat. Her organizational skills were so much better than what we’ve had in the past.”
Jahn took the reins of the festival earlier this year, and she reported having spent several weeks pounding the pavement for support.
“The committee has been stellar, these are lifeblood community members, but there could be more fundraising,” Jahn said of the state of the Carnation Festival. “I’m going after some big funders and donors. I’m taking the perspective that we have repeat donors and do fundraising throughout the year.
“It’s my top goal to turn this around,” she said.
Among ideas she listed to revamp the festival were:
• Add adult rides, as well as more adult areas such as a café.
• Increase fireworks.
“That’s been the biggest hit in all of these years,” Jahn said. “Everybody likes fireworks.”
• Add a professionally produced promotional video.
• Have a chili cook-off fundraiser with the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District.
Gokey said he the festival needs some rejuvenation.
“This is so big for our city, and if you look at it the last five years, nobody’s been asking how we can make it better,” he said. “We need to make the financing better.”
Gokey said it was no small feat for him to praise Jahn, but that if anyone can re-energize the festival, it’s her.
“I’m not a big Cheri Jahn fan. I sit on a different side of the table,” he added. “But this has nothing to do with politics. This is doing something good for the community, and she’s great at that.”

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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