For Colorado cities, dealing with the issue of medical marijuana in 2009 is a lot like being offered that first joint back in the 1960s – do you join the party or just pass it on? Pueblo City Council is stuck in that predicament at the moment, hoping that if it imposes a seven-month moratorium on licensing any medical marijuana businesses until July 1, the Legislature will get busy this spring and adopt statewide regulations on how to do just that, The Pueblo Chieftian reports.

Read the Colorado Municipal League’s survey of cities here.

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STATE BILL COLORADO
Editorial writers and commentators weighed in on the platform agreed to by gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis.

Vince Carroll, The Denver Post: The best thing about Scott McInnis’ new “Platform for Prosperity” is that it shows a respect for voters and the Colorado Constitution. That alone is cause for celebration, given the serial disregard for voters’ rights and constitutional language during the past three years. The worst thing about the McInnis platform is its budgetary vagueness.
Mike Littwin, The Denver Post: This is what we call boilerplate. Cut taxes. Cut fees. Cut spending. Improve education. Improve roads. Don’t say how you intend to pay for any of it. Don’t cite a single thing that you would actually cut yourself.
The Durango Herald: Any such manifesto at this stage of the electoral cycle is bound to consist largely of vague platitudes promising good things. But beyond that the Republican platform offers some promises that appear to be contradictory, if not impossible.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Voters deserve to know how McInnis and the Republicans plan to make road and bridge investments a priority if they are going to reduce a major source of highway funding. They also have a right to know, for instance, how Ritter plans to meet his pledge to keep higher education affordable, even as he has cut hundreds of millions for the state’s colleges and universities and some in his party are suggesting that we close some small colleges.
Westword: The pressure to come up with such a solution simulated a primary campaign, (Republican Party Chief Dick) Wadhams believes.
The Colorado Independent: (T)he platform seems to have been designed primarily to give (Josh) Penry an excuse to endorse McInnis, who in the last six months has schooled Penry in the way big-money party politics operate.

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Denver Post columnist Mike Littwin writes: “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t find time to read the Platform for Prosperity — that roll-off- the-tongue PFP — or whatever Colorado Republicans are calling their unity platform these days. This is your basic political document — and I don’t mean that in a good way — in which Republicans from Tom Tancredo to Josh Penry to Bill Owens to Scott McInnis can pretend to agree on issues great and small. They can pretend to agree because the document isn’t actually about real issues.”

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By Todd Engdahl, EDUCATION NEWS COLORADO
People who worry about parent and citizen involvement in schools might be heartened by what’s happened in Jefferson County over the last few weeks.
Four public meetings on a complicated set of school closure and pupil reassignment options drew about 3,500 people, and Jeffco Schools officials estimate they’re received more than 1,000 e-mails and had more than 500 online surveys filled out. They also received about 50 old-fashion letters.
Superintendent Cindy Stevenson, who attended Jeffco schools and has been in administrative positions there since 1985, said, “I haven’t seen this kind of turnout in a long time.”
The focus of all this parent and citizen attention is a complicated set of options for school closures and realignments that’s been prepared by a 30-member Facilities Usage Committee that was created by the school board last spring.
Facing stable enrollment and population shifts in some neighborhoods, and feeling the cold breath of future state budget cuts on its neck, the district wanted to see what sort of savings it could wring out of its buildings.
Given the sort of community anxiety that can be sparked by even mentioning school closures, the tone of the public meetings and other feedback has been civil and informed. Options that drew the largest amount of comment were moving 6th graders to middle schools and closing some middle schools.
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Stevenson, recalling past public meetings on other issues that had “lots of conflict.”
“I’m really proud of our county … people were very respectful and thoughtful.”
Phillip Infelise, co-chair of the committee, said, “I thought the turnout was absolutely fantastic. [It’s] a very positive sign that the folks are taking the committee’s work seriously.”
Good feelings notwithstanding, the time for tough choices is approaching quickly.
“People are really committed to their schools … but there are hard decisions ahead,” Stevenson said.
The full committee meets next on Nov. 30 to begin narrowing the list of options it will present to the school board on Jan. 14. Both Stevenson and Infelise expect the current set of options – up to 45, depending on how you classify them – to be narrowed to between 10 and 15. (Several options have multiple variations.)
“That’s what we’re going to try to do, to get our committee to focus on 12-15 options” that are most viable, more cost effective and least disruptive, Infelise said.
He told EdNews that committee leadership already has decided to pull from consideration options whose savings payback is longer than four years. (Those 10 options included moving some preschool and gifted and talented programs, a couple of plans to partner elementary schools and a $13.8 million proposal to close Stober and Vivian elementary schools in Wheat Ridge and move students to a new building on the Vivian site.)
Infelise said the message to committee members is that during the Nov. 30 meeting “we’re going to relook at every option on the list.”
Referring back to the public hearings, Infelise said, “People do realize that something has to give from a budget perspective, but we cannot be insensitive to the fact that people are making a case against some of the committee’s recommendations.” He said it might take another meeting in December to finish winnowing the options.
Reflecting on the public hearings, Infelise said moving 6th graders to middle school “would be on the top of my list as one of the more controversial issues.” But, he added, “The public may not realize there are already good, viable examples of 6th graders being in middle school.” (Middle schools in Jeffco’s western, mountain areas have 6th graders.)
But, both Stevenson and Infelise acknowledged that parents raised a legitimate concern about moving 6th graders in the 2010-11 school year and that the timing issue will need to be considered before final decisions are made.
There clearly are two sides to the middle school issue, as demonstrated during the hearings. Some witnesses urged moving 6th graders as a way to “save” middle schools otherwise suggested for closure.
The school board and the district face a tight timeline if they want to realize building savings in the 2010-11 budget. If the board decides to close schools, it will have to act quickly after receiving the committee’s recommendations, Infelise noted. “In some cases we will have to move on some of these recommendations quicker than the public might like.”
The timeline also will be tight for parents who may want to avoid forced moves by putting their children into choice schools or programs. The deadline for first-round choice applications is in late January, before the board may have taken final action. That’s “a circumstance we can’t avoid,” Infelise said.
The committee plans to give the board a “menu” of facilities options, not one take-it-or-leave it recommendation. There’s also no firm figure for what the district wants to save in facilities. Rather, possible facilities savings will be considered as part of overall district budget cutting for 2010-11. Stevenson said right now Jeffco is planning to cut $18 to $20 million plus use $30 million from reserves.
The final decision will be in the hands of a five-member school board that has two brand-new members, Paula Noon and Laura Boggs; a third member who’s been in office for only a few months, Robin Johnson, and a new president, Dave Thomas.
The facilities discussion is something of a new experience for Jeffco, which for decades had to cope with growth. “I don’t think we’ve ever done this,” said Stevenson. In the past “we were worried about having space for everybody.” (In earlier years that problem was solved partly by extensive use of portable classrooms. Getting rid of some or all of those is among the options under consideration.)
The district, the state’s largest, has enrollment of about 84,000, down from nearly 90,000 at the start of the decade. (It had about 75,000 students at the beginning of the 1990s.) The student population is projected to remain flat for several years and then rise slightly through 2020-21.
There are 94 elementary schools, 20 middle schools, 17 high schools and 35 other facilities, including 13 charters, in the district. According to district documents, average capacity use is 91 percent for elementaries, 72 percent for middle schools and 88 percent for high schools, but that varies widely for individual schools.
District projections for enrollment trends show 19 schools stable, 72 schools declining and 40 schools growing.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Denver resident Michael Zamora played god.
He walked up to an RTD bus stop at Colfax and Broadway on a cool, sunny Friday in October, walked into the pedestrian shelter, pulled out his trusty pocket knife and cut a man down from sure death.
Zamora had walked into a shocking scene. A fellow citizen had tied a leather belt around his neck and attempted to hang himself right there at the bus stop.
It was mid-afternoon at one of Denver’s busiest intersections. Citizens all around walked past the despondent man who was hanging from a belt in the middle of the city, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
But not Zamora. He wasn’t going to let this individual slip away into nothing. Pulling out a pocket knife that his grandfather ordered that he keep on him at all times, Zamora cut the man down, saving his life.
He then called 9-1-1 and waited with the man until police and paramedics arrived. The man was in critical condition at the time, but he has recovered.
The Denver Daily News will not release the name of the man who attempted suicide because of the personal and sensitive nature of the incident.
A nonchalant Zamora happily accepted a check for $1,000 Tuesday from the Daniels Fund for being a “Neighborhood Hero.” He described his action as a simple call of duty.
“I was more in shock than anything else,” said Zamora. “It’s not like you see that every day.”
Zamora, a chef at a local Italian restaurant, even made it into work that day — a little late, but he showed up nonetheless.
Police Tuesday called a news conference to both honor Zamora as a hero, and raise awareness to the pain and realities of suicide. Colorado ranks ninth in the nation for suicide, with a rate of 15.4 per 100,000 people.
Experts say there are certain signs to look for in diagnosing suicide risk:
• Talking or writing about suicide;
• Manic changes in mood;
• Acting anxious, depressed or angry;
• Withdrawing from family and friends;
• Too little or too much sleep;
• Engaging in risky behavior; and
• Increased use of drugs and alcohol.
Authorities say the best thing someone can do to prevent suicide is to call a prevention hotline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK, or the National Hopeline Network, 1-800-SUICIDE.
Sgt. Anthony Montoya, the supervising officer on scene when Zamora saved the man’s life, said it was remarkable what Zamora did given the fact that so many other citizens failed to jump into action.
“There was hundreds of people around him at the time this happened and he was the only one who stepped up,” said Montoya.
Meanwhile, Zamora’s family said they were surprised to hear about the incident, calling their son and brother a “very private person.”
“It’s not every day you have the opportunity to save someone’s life,” said Yesenia Zamora, Michael Zamora’s sister. “We’re very proud of him.”
Tuesday was the first time Michael Zamora had been separated from his trusty pocket knife in years, he said. Police temporarily confiscated it from him when he walked through the metal detector to attend the news conference at Denver Police Headquarters. Don’t worry, the cops gave it back after the news conference.
As for the $1,000 gift: “I guess I’ll have a little better Christmas this year,” said Zamora.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Denver’s Department of Human Services is handling child-welfare cases better since two tragic incidents in 2007 sparked a review of the agency’s practices, according to a report released Tuesday.
Since the deaths of 7-year-old Chandler Grafner and 3-year-old Neveah Gallegos – who investigators say died tragically at the hands of their adult caregivers, despite reviews by Human Services – the department is doing a better job of assessing the essential area of “risk and safety” when investigating incidents of child abuse, the report states.
The third-party review, conducted by the non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation, found that the department has made “significant progress” on eight recommendations stemming from the 2007 review with recommendations made in 2008.
But the foundation said the department still has work to do and outlined where additional progress is needed, as well as made suggestions.
“We at Denver Human Services are very proud of the progress we have made thus far in implementing change in our child welfare division, especially in the most essential areas that directly impact children and families,” Deputy Manager Jay Morein said in a statement. “With that said, we recognize there is still work to be done and we remain committed to continually improving our practices to best meet the needs of our community.”
The report, however, says budget constraints may impede on some of the progress the department is making. Denver is facing a $120 million budget shortfall.
“The review team found that despite best efforts to restructure management responsibilities, the current economic climate and budget situation have negatively impacted organizational culture exacerbating an ‘us vs. them’ environment,” states Human Services.
Despite the budget constraints, the department’s leadership shows a “commitment to put the reforms in place,” the report states.
Human Services says it has been working on “extensive” reform since 2002. The efforts have impacted several services, including hotline calls, investigations of allegations of abuse or neglect, voluntary services, filing of dependency and neglect petitions, follow-up services to children and families, organizational culture, and relationships with the community and court system.
In the cases of Grafner and Gallegos, the department was primarily accused of not doing enough in the way of follow-up services. Much of that was addresses in the recommendations made concerning risk and safety assessments.
“The Review Team found the department has made significant progress on the goals related to risk and safety assessment,” read a news release from Human Services. “The department implemented new protocols, a checklist and trained staff on use of the new system.”
The report states that Human Services still has work to be done in the areas of voluntary agreements and team decision-making.

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STATE BILL COLORADO
Colorado’s governor’s office reminded residents that Friday is the third furlough day for state workers. All non-essential personnel will have the day off. The next furlough day is New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

20091124_Furlough

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By Don Knox, STATE BILL COLORADO
Is that session of the General Assembly live, or is taped?
We’ll soon know.
An independent governmental authority has been given the weighty task of deciding which chamber gets the privilege of live coverage on Comcast Channel 165, the “Colorado Channel,” Colorado Senate Democratic spokeswoman Abigail Vacanti said Tuesday.
In previous years, the honor fell to the House, because it was the only chamber of the Colorado General Assembly set up for the video broadcasts, which were championed by former Speaker Andrew Romanoff. That will change in January, when the Senate turns its new TV cameras on for the first time.
Internet users don’t have to worry, Vacanti said. Feeds from both houses will stream “live” on the legislature’s website at www.leg.state.co.us.
But there’s only one cable channel, which requires a decision: Will the chambers receive alternating days where their sessions are broadcast live? Or alternating weeks? Or will the decision be made based on the “newsworthiness” of a particular legislative calendar?
Earlier this year, Senate President Brandon Shaffer said he didn’t know how the broadcast time would be allocated.
But it’s now known that the decision is to be made by the Colorado Channel Authority, an independent agency set up to monitor and, if possible, increase legislative and other government cable and Internet telecasts.
The authority has only recently organized and, in fact, a full list of its members was not available at the time of this report. Its chair, appointed by House Speaker Terrance Carroll, is Rep. Debbie Benefield, D-Arvada.
The authority’s next meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Monday, Dec. 7 — at which time it will consider its cable-casting options, Vacanti said.

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Colorado lawmakers can go on tours paid by corporations as long as the costs don’t exceed $50, the state’s Independent Ethics Commission said in an opinion Monday. And in a separate opinion, the Ethics Commission clarified the definition of an “independent contractor” working for the government who would be subject to the gift ban under Amendment 41, The Denver Post reported.

20091123 Ethics Independent Contractors

20091123 Ethics Tours

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Sen. Michael Bennet joined economists and community leaders Monday to make the case that the proposed Senate health care reform bill would lower costs and increase health coverage in the long term.
Bennet, D-Colo., argued that The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — the Senate’s health care reform bill that gathered the 60 party-line votes needed on Saturday to open floor debate on the plan — would contain costs in a fiscally responsible way. Bennet joined representatives from a group of consumer, labor and employer organizations to send a letter to leading U.S. lawmakers outlining their support for some of the reforms proposed in the bill.
“If we are going to solve the fiscal problems that threaten our economy and our kids’ future, we need to pass effective reform that will rein in skyrocketing health care costs,” Bennet said. “This bill will significantly reduce the deficit, bring down costs and provide affordable health insurance to all Americans.”
Americans for Prosperity State Director Jeff Crank said he’s embarrassed that someone with the business background that Bennet has would support the argument that the health care reform bill would reduce the deficit.
He thinks Bennet has become a vocal supporter of health care reform in order to help his election chances next year.
“I think Bennet is trying to figure out a way to save his political hide,” Crank said.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would reduce the deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years.
The CBO has projected that the bill would cost around $599 billion to implement from 2010-19, but factored the costs in when determining the $127 billion deficit reduction.
The health care reform bill is expected to extend coverage to 31 million more Americans. But 24 million Americans would still be left uninsured, according to CBO.
Crank argued that a bill that costs almost $600 billion to implement while still leaving 24 million Americans uninsured doesn’t count as reform.
“It’s frankly kind of offensive to the taxpayers,” he said.
Bennet and other Democrats who support the bill, however, say that the skyrocketing health care costs that have been placed on families, workers, business owners and the nation’s economy is what’s offensive.
“Now is the time to put politics and special interests aside and enact meaningful, fiscally-responsible health care reform that will put our families, our small businesses and our country on a sounder footing for generations to come,” said Bennet.
According to Reuters, the debate on the Senate health care reform bill is scheduled to start on Nov. 30 and is expected to last at least three weeks. The House has passed its version of a health care reform bill. If the Senate follows suit, the differences between the two bills would have to be reconciled in January before Obama could sign a final measure.

Colorado in good shape?
Meanwhile, a new study claims that Colorado is in better shape than other states to fix its own health care system.
The study supported by The Colorado Health Foundation and The Colorado Trust claims that Colorado has more potential for substantial health care reform than any other part of the country. The study in part attributes Colorado’s strong potential for reform to Gov. Bill Ritter establishing the Center for Value in Health Care, a commission charged with looking at how health care could be reformed locally.
In turn, Ritter said that Colorado isn’t waiting for Washington to lead on the issue.
“We’re taking aggressive steps to contain costs, improve quality and increase availability,” he said in a statement. “We’re making great progress, and this study confirms our strategy is leading us toward a sustainable, affordable and secure health care system for Colorado’s families and small businesses.”
The report, however, says that the cost of doing nothing is not an option in Colorado. Colorado has the seventh-highest health care costs in the nation; health insurance premiums comprise 22 percent of the median family income, and premiums are projected to grow 10 percent a year for workers and employers, according to the report.
“Failing to enact health reform in Colorado will lead to higher health care costs, more uninsured Coloradans and higher health spending, especially by businesses,” says the study.

Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters

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