Politically Speaking

Gubernatorial Candidates Speak Out

African Americans, as well as all communities of color are going to the polls on November 7 to vote for the gubernatorial candidate they believe will best serve their interests and those of their communities. In order to better inform them about these candidates, the Denver Urban Spectrum has posed seven questions to the candidates for the office of governor. Their answers reveal insights into their characters and policies which will, hopefully, help our readers make sound decisions when they go to the polls.

Bill Ritter
Democratic Candidate
Governor of Colorado 2006

What is your position on Amendment 42, which raises the minimum wage? I support Amendment 42. This nation decided long ago that a minimum wage was good public policy. But the minimum wage has not been increased for nearly a decade. Amendment 42 will help give all Coloradans an opportunity to earn a livable wage.

What is your position on Referendum I, the amendment that allows registration of Domestic Partnerships? I support Referendum I. I believe government ought to extend the same legal rights, protections and benefits to domestic partnerships and civil unions as it does to married couples.

What is your position on the Initiative to allow for the legalization of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 years and older?  If you are opposed, what do you think is the necessary approach to addressing the incarceration rate for non-violent drug offenses? I am opposed to the marijuana initiative. I believe one of the most effective ways to address the incarceration rate for non-violent drug offenders is specialized Drug Courts. As Denver’s former District Attorney, I launched the Drug Court program in 1994. It was the first in Colorado and one of the first in the nation. Today, roughly 700 Drug Courts nationwide serve as the place where criminal justice, drug treatment and mental-health care intersect. It costs nearly $30,000 a year to incarcerate an inmate in prison. We must do all we can to punish and treat offenders outside the walls of prison.

What is your position on Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs at both the state and municipal level? MWDBE programs have existed for years on the state and local level. While in conformance with Supreme Court decisions, MWDBE programs allow governmental agencies to use minority, women and small business status as criteria in awarding government contracts. I support MWDBE programs that are properly structured in conformance with existing laws. They are one vehicle to allow all members of the business community to participate in government contracts and especially those who historically have not had access to the markets of opportunity. 

How important do you believe it is to have diversity in governmental senior staff positions? How many people of color do you have on your senior staff, in either policy making positions or strategic planning positions?  Diversity of all kinds is extremely important. It enriches all of us in so many ways. As someone who spent three years running a nutrition center in Zambia, Africa, I learned that leadership begins with listening and understanding the diverse needs of the community. My commitment to diversity was demonstrated on my District Attorney’s Office staff and is currently shown on my gubernatorial campaign staff. About one-quarter of our paid staffers are people of color. As District Attorney, I actively recruited people of color and women, and I hired and promoted more women than men. As governor, I will bring this same commitment to diversity to state government.

Education is considered a key element to breaking the cycle of poverty.  What would you do as Governor to improve our educational system, specifically for urban schools?  Improving Colorado’s education system will be my top priority as governor. My administration will be focused on school reform that provides parents with high-quality choices for their children. We will instill a renewed sense of rigor and relevance in our schools. We will close the achievement gap, reduce drop-out rates, streamline accountability systems and develop stronger partnerships with teachers, parents and the private sector. As Denver’s District Attorney, I developed a close relationship with Denver Public Schools. I served on the district’s Secondary School Reform Commission and instituted a “Courtrooms to Classrooms” program that sent prosecutors into DPS classrooms to teach grade-schoolers about the legal system, government and civics. My wife, Jeannie, is a substitute DPS teacher and I am committed to working with DPS and our other urban school districts to improve student learning across the board.   

What message would you like to give to communities of color about your candidacy? As a Colorado native, I’m running for governor because I want to fulfill the Colorado Promise -- the promise we make to our children and grandchildren that we will leave them a better Colorado. It’s a promise based on the notion that all Coloradans deserve an equal opportunity for a high-quality education, for access to affordable health care, and for good-paying jobs. I am committed to providing these opportunities to all. You have my promise that I will always listen to the many diverse voices of Colorado, and that we will work together to overcome the 21st century challenges facing Colorado.     

 

Dawn Winkler
Libertarian Candidate, 
Governor of Colorado 2006 

What is your position on Amendment 42, which raises the minimum wage? It is the firm position of the Libertarian party to oppose government intervention in the economy, which would include arbitrary adjustments to the minimum wage; however, personally, I find that this issue must be weighed in conjunction with the issue of viable labor available to businesses. If businesses are hiring illegal immigrants to work for a wage that barely provides subsistence, a legal worker’s ability to achieve a livable wage is undermined. It is my position that the best means to insure a viable economy and high wages is to control the labor pool rather than control the economy through legislative acts imposing undo and unnecessary expenses on businesses. Thus, I would support Amendment 42 if it were not partnered with a commitment to enforce existing laws against employers hiring illegal workers.

What is your position on Referendum I, the amendment that allows registration of Domestic Partnerships? I am in complete agreement with the Libertarian party that all people have the right to equal protection under the law. For too long, there have been groups that have met with discrimination for one reason or another, and the discrimination against homosexuality is but the latest to come before the voters. With that said, I am not fond of the wording of Referendum I, as it in my opinion creates ‘separate but equal’ classes of citizens. I do believe granting benefits to all couples is a step in the right direction for providing equal protection for all citizens, but not at the cost of defining marriage; therefore, I will not support Referendum I.

What is your position on the Initiative to allow for the legalization of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 years and older?  If you are opposed, what do you think is the necessary approach to addressing the incarceration rate for non-violent drug offenses? As I mention on my website dawnforgovernor.org, the war on drugs is a dismal failure. However, I also believe that full legalization is also dangerous for our citizens. Thus, I believe that the best solution for our citizens is to rely on the judgment of our citizens. For this reason, I support the citizens of Denver who took it upon themselves to define what is best for them; it shows that people, when given the opportunity to represent themselves, make choices that are neither extreme, nor repressive

What is your position on Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs at both the state and municipal level? Obviously as a woman, mother, and businesswoman, the status of women and other underrepresented groups is a high priority for my candidacy as Governor. I believe that the best way for disadvantaged groups to be represented is through education and activism. As Governor, I would continue with programs that seek to enhance the abilities of the underrepresented to achieve goals in business.

How important do you believe it is to have diversity in governmental senior staff positions?  How many people of color do you have on your senior staff, in either policy-making positions or strategic planning positions?  As this country was founded on diverse backgrounds, I think that maintaining this diversity is essential to maintaining our strength as a nation. Now, as Libertarians, we do not enjoy the luxury of large staffs, but I can say that within my ‘inner circle’ I have several women, a person of Asian decent, and three separate religious backgrounds represented. Of course, I am always encouraging people of color and different nationalities to participate in my campaign or within the party itself.

Education is considered a key element to breaking the cycle of poverty.  What would you do as Governor to improve our educational system, specifically for urban schools? As someone who has been personally involved in education for over a decade, the state of Colorado’s education system touches me deeply. I am of the opinion that money is not the key to solving our failing school system, but rather the implementing of choices in education options is pinnacle. I favor tax breaks for home schooled children and school vouchers because I believe the best way for dealing with the diversity of our children’s needs is through a diversity of options.

What message would you like to give to communities of color about your candidacy?  If I could offer a single message to minority communities, it would be this; the Libertarian party is about reducing governmental burdens on citizens, increasing personal responsibly, and about increasing choice for all citizens. We truly represent the needs of all people, not just the established corporate interests that perpetuate the disadvantages upon those already disadvantaged. Consequently, all persons will find themselves represented better by the party that champions diversity within its citizens. Thank you.

 

Paul Noel Fiorino
Unaffiliated Candidate, 
Governor of Colorado 2006 

What is your position on Amendment 42, which raises the minimum wage? I believe it is time to bring wages up, so as the standard of living increases, so can the workers. I just spoke on Colorado State of Mind on this issue, and support the raising for all service oriented workers, waiters and waitresses also, and that the increase would bring about economic development. Income taxes still prevail in this State, and cut into the hard working citizen, sometimes with two or more jobs. Small business must be given incentives and tax breaks to meet this new demand.

What is your position on Referendum I, the amendment that allows registration of Domestic Partnerships? Registration of Domestic Partners would give rights to those who love, respect and share a similar lifestyle. This would give them also responsibility for each other and share equal rights at times of need and through their relationships, pitfalls included.

What is your position on the Initiative to allow for the legalization of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 years and older?  If you are opposed, what do you think is the necessary approach to addressing the incarceration rate for non-violent drug offenses? This was also discussed on CSOM, and the war on drugs is failing. It’s a burden to our society and judicial system to incarcerate people for a natural weed which has benefits to those who use it. Albeit it’s the gateway to other mind altering substances, and the costs associated with enforcement. Let the citizens vote with a clear mind.

What is your position on Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs at both the state and municipal level? We need to keep opportunity in front of all Colorado citizens at every level, to be entrepreneurial. Equal access to contracts, bids and enterprise is a competitive endeavor, and should not always be awarded to the less expensive, but to those who can do the job with equity in the workforce, whether minority, women or the disadvantaged.

How important do you believe it is to have diversity in governmental senior staff positions?  How many people of color do you have on your senior staff, in either policy-making positions or strategic planning positions? I will have a diverse voice of staff positions that will serve Colorado, as I have in working in the nonprofit sector which calls for diversity within the boardroom. I will bring together the best of talent to bring voice to government, in order to give back to the public, through creative policymaking.

Education is considered a key element to breaking the cycle of poverty.  What would you do as Governor to improve our educational system, specifically for urban schools? Education is first and foremost in my administration, on every level. Teaching to the test has not served well, the drop out rate is huge, and those that remain may find it hard-pressed to go into higher education. I believe we must put imagination back into the classroom, teaching teachers to teach for the 21st Century. Arts and humanities must be given a place of importance as it relates to all subjects. Physical health and fitness must be an integral part of education, with the pandemic of obesity leading to diabetes and other health concerns.  Urban and rural schools can challenge their students to innovate, if they can inspire the individual to do so, as a larger part of the community.

What message would you like to give to communities of color about your candidacy? I have lived through the 60s that brought us vision from President Kennedy and Reverend Martin Luther King. I started my modern dance career as a charter member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (1972). Traveling to Utah, Washington and performing in Denver, I believe that we can, through the arts come together. I was a principal artist with both Cleo and the Denver Civic Ballet, which in turn we produced a Nutcracker with the DSO at the Auditorium Theater, which in turn gave Denver its first diversified production.

I have dedicated my career in giving opportunity to all abilities, creeds and colors to dance and make a business of it, as well. Cleo has taught so many that love is the power, and that we can reach out with the hope of changing one's heart, mind and body. As your next governor, I have experienced rural and urban Colorado, with a concern for all. We can move this state forward with diverse, creative and energetic talents that will address our problems, and find solutions. As an Unaffiliated Candidate, we no longer can afford to let partisan politics throw the ball back and forth; we must move ahead with grace and determination together as citizens of Colorado.


School Spending, Gay Marriage, Minimum Wage Among Key Issues In 2006 Election

This November, voters will be asked to decide on statewide issues and on candidates on one of the longest ballots in Colorado history. Sadly, a minority will probably decide for the majority what direction Colorado will take in many areas. The state’s initiative process, for better or worse, allows citizens the opportunity to place issues before the voters. Normally, a small interest group with a passion for a particular issue will work to get something on the ballot. Therefore, a minority of eligible voters actually voting decides an issue of interest to an even smaller minority. Such may be the case with this ballot. 
The mission of the Denver Urban Spectrum is to educate, inform and provide thought-provoking content. In that regard, we have compiled the statewide referenda and initiatives with explanations and our positions on the issues. What follows are our endorsements. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

PETITIONS: Would make it easier for people to propose initiatives at the county government and special district level. Cities can currently have initiatives on their ballots as well as at the state level.  Would allow 12 months instead of six to gather signatures, and makes it tougher to disqualify signatures.
Oppose. This may sound like a good measure for citizen participation, but would allow many special interest groups to promote their agendas and would not allow for necessary and important discussion and deliberation of important matters. 

SCHOOL SPENDING: Requires that school districts spend 65 percent of their budget on teachers, computers, libraries, books, arts, music, athletes and field trips.
Oppose. This is a good effort at addressing the Colorado’s poor school spending, however it excludes many items such as teacher training, counselors, principals and transportation. (See Referenda J.)

TERM LIMITS: Limits Colorado Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges to 10 years in office. It would be retroactive to include currently serving judges.
Oppose. Politicizing judicial appointments is neither smart nor necessary. If passed, five of seven Supreme Court justices and seven of 19 Court of Appeals judges would be forced to retire in January 2009, with new judges appointed by the governor. Such a large turnover would create a massive backlog of cases as new judges gain experience. It is an effort to fix a problem of “activist judges” that does not really exist. 

ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT: Would limit public employees’ ability to receive gifts from lobbyists, and prohibit former lawmakers from working as paid lobbyists for two years after leaving office. 
No Position.

MINIMUM WAGE:  Raises the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.85 per hour for most workers and makes annual adjustments for inflation. 
Support. The minimum wage has not been increased in 10 years. It has not kept pace with inflation. This increase would positively affect almost 140,000 workers, keep pace with the rate of inflation and rise as the rate of inflation rises. 

MARRIAGE: Defines marriage as only a union between a man and a woman.
No Position.

MARIJUANA: Would legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Oppose. While it is true that the measure is focused on adults, it clearly would send a message to youth that marijuana is okay. Studies clearly show marijuana impedes the ability of young people to focus, study, and maintain concentration. The possible impact on youth is enough to oppose the measure. Penalties for less than one ounce of marijuana for adults remain petty offenses, less than a misdemeanor. 

REFERENDA

E – Extends the senior property tax break to disabled veterans. 
Support. This only applies to veterans who are 100 percent disabled from a service connected injury and cannot work. This would provide for the same tax break as is given to elders 65 years and older who have lived in their homes for 10 years  It is expected that only about 2,200 veterans in Colorado will qualify.

F – Modifies the constitution to removing certain deadlines from election recall efforts
No Position.

G – Removes three outdated parts of the state constitution
No Position.

H – Would eliminate business tax deductions for employers who can’t verify citizenship of employees.
No Position.

I – Provides legal protections and opportunities for same-sex couples that are currently granted to married couples. 
Support. This is not supporting gay marriage. It is supporting basic civil rights between adults, the right to decide who can make decisions for health care, who can make funeral arrangements, who have what right in property and inheritance. 

J -- Similar to Amendment 39 but allows school districts to expand the spending of the 65 percent of their budget to include principals, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers.
Support. This provides for a greater universe of items that impact students such as teacher training, principals and counselors. Colorado ranks 47th in school spending, and this measure specifically provides for student-specific spending. Schools may get a waiver if they have difficulty meeting the goals, and there are no specific penalties for failure to meet the goals.

K -- Requires the Colorado Attorney General to sue the federal government to demand enforcement of immigration laws.
No Position.

 

 

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