DISQUS

David when will there be a report on the response ad that Polis has put up?

The Eagle County Republican voter registration has been seeing a downward trend since I have been keeping records. Here is a graph I created from a spreadsheet I keep of the voter registration data from the SOS. This is a growth only chart since December 2004 that shows a huge increase for unaffiliated voters and a marked increase in Democratic voter reg. The local Republican party may have been harmed by both the Bush administration, war and the Buckley effect.
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I don't know that there needs to be worry about over levered rich people. The rich people will be fine. But the realtor that states there indeed has been affect on the Vail market, that's an important measure that we hadn't seen in the resorts yet. Everyone believes their home values are stable. Most locals that own homes, own them to live, not as investment. The real estate market was probably due to see a downturn, even in Vail.

The resort industry supports a number of small businesses and employees. That is the concern. As money dries up, the businesses can't support a full staff, they lay off. If it's severe, they close shop.

David - any news about resort economic measures other than real estate sales? I have not seen any reports from the local towns or county. Is there a general economic concern? If not, should there be?

Why didn't they just repeal HB1023 instead? Why would workers want to come from out of state to experience our form of 'toughest' anti-immigrant hospitality in the west? It's the toughest ya know. Joan Fitz-Gerald says so.

I'm having trouble with the 20 employees or more health care. Although we provide hc for our employees, they don't buy in. They can't afford it. The problem isn't that employers don't provide hc, it's the affordabililty. If employers have to pay the costs, well that would cost my small business over $250,000, a conservative estimate. Does this require employers to pay for the hc?

I don't think this is the answer. It's the cost -even group plans are no longer affordable for small biz. 100 employees or less, maybe. But 20, no way. That's bound to decrease interest for starting a business. Or all employers go the Wal Mart route and hire only part timers. Too bad. This doesn't sound like it addresses the problem - costs of hc. If hc was affordable, most employers would offer it.

I'm having trouble with the 20 employees or more health care. Although we provide hc for our employees, they don't buy in. They can't afford it. The problem isn't that employers don't provide hc, its' the affordabililty. If employers have to pay the costs, well that's would cost my small business over $250,000, a conservative estimate. Does this require employers to pay for the hc?

I don't think this is the answer. It's the affordability -even group plans are no longer affordable for small biz. 100 employees or less, maybe. But 20-no way. That's bound to decrease interest for starting a business. Or all employers go the Wal Mart route and hire only part timers. Too bad this doesn't sound like it addresses the problem - cost of hc. If hc was affordable, most employers would offer it.

Su Ryden! I worked with Su Ryden a long time ago. She is one of the coolest women I have ever met. This is great news to know she is running for office. She is one great lady.

Su Ryden! I worked with Su Ryden a long time ago. She is one of the coolest women I have ever met. This is great news to know she is running for office. She is one great lady.

Minturn and our Valley will never be the same if this project is approved. Lots of defects in this project.

Never did I say that! I have stated very clearly that the SD's should make their decisions after the primary contests have been completed.

come the end of this primary season need to get off the fence and confirm our nominee

As a DNC member who values voters, has fought for voting integrity and against voter suppression, your claim that I would disenfranchise voters is insulting. I suggest you clean your glasses and re-read the article.

Your comment is what is stunningly offensive.

Debbie Marquez aka/Greenchiledem

Nice job Erin. Blow a tube!

Well Art's resignation has done it for me. I have been an individual member of Club 20 for a few years. I am not very active, because I don't have the time to devote. I joined because many said 'we need progressives in the group' to have affect change. I haven't seen it make a difference. In fact with the O&G; interests, things are worse. I will not be renewing my membership. I'll use the $100 to donate to Western Colorado Congress or some other such organizations.

Nice story Leslie btw.

Welcome Councilman Lopez. What is the most difficult issue you have had to tackle as a new councilman?

DMarquez

Never thought about it but many I know use the health fair in the same way. Just think what the local hospitals or docs, or heaven help us the government, could do by having regular 'health fairs'. Instead, we have a big business generously making this happen, thankfully. But it's only one day a year, in most small towns.

Cheers to peaceful protesters.

Now tell me it's true that this study is NOT written by industry?  That's the first time in a long while.

Welcome DaveO. Glad to see you doing some political news again.

One correction to your story. Eagle's new Mayor Ed Woodland is an unaffiliated voter, who calls himself a Republican. But the fact is that he's been a U voter since 1999. I can't understand how someone who runs for office doesn't know how they are registered.

Anyway, the Republicans jumped on this and took the credit, but I agree with Ms. Wallace. The race for Eagle mayor was simply indicative of the voters dislike for Arn Menconi. He only received 15% of the vote. That result means even the Dems in Eagle didn't support him.

(That's what my voter file says. Unless he recently updated his registration. I know it has been brought to his attention.)

Leslie - I want to thank you for continuing to report on the O&G; industry. You are the only one with a continuing interest. We West Slopers are very interested in these stories even if we don't alway have time to comment.

Truly yours,


greeenchiledem

Big no no.

Nice report Leslie. I hadn't seen the assembly results reported until now. I am thinking that the loss of 3% for Sen. Obama at assembly would have little or no effect on the number of delegates to the CD and state conventions and in the end little change in the composition of the delegation to the DNCC. Is that your view?

So what were the Garfield results? Did Senator Obama or Clinton win?

Strong showing in Eagle ...More like an upset Although the race was even steven, Fitz-Gerald had two of our Eagle county commissioners supporting her. One of them worked very hard for her. Both Jared Polis and Joan Fitz-Gerald worked the phones, worked the delegate lists and held advance events. For Jared Polis to have won over what is probably the undecided is to his credit. He persuaded those voters because he is aligned with the issues they value in our county, like the war, education and health care. There is also a distrust of Fitz-Gerald here because of the special session, anti-immigration measure. When asked last year in during a luncheon in Eagle if she would fix the flaws in the law that were causing problems in our county, she stated, "We're not going there." There is no compassion in that statement; it's a `protect thyself' answer.

I suspect that the Fitz-Gerald campaign and our commissioner were shocked at the results in Eagle. As you stated in your story, our county was expect to be in the Fitz-Gerald column.

Everyone knew that Summit was expected to vote heavily in favor of Fitz-Gerald who did represent them in the state senate. She also has a county chair who supports her and a popular new state senator who took her place supporting her in Summit. However, to the people in Eagle, she was unknown as a representative. I don't recall any issues that she led during her years in the state house that affected our county, except bark beetle. Jared on the other hand who was on the state board of education has been a friend of education for our valley.  He has recently opened the first New Americans school outside of the Denver metro area in Gypsum. Jared Polis's family has had a home here for many, many years. I have a neighbor who taught the Polis Schutz kids to ski. But even with the ties to Vail, I would call the tie in Eagle an upset. Congratulations Jared!

Although the headline here is technically correct, a 20 delegate lead in a district with 872 delegates to be awarded is not much. The story here is the Eagle tie, not the expected Summit win, IMHO.

greenchiledem is the treasurer for the Polis campaign.

Thanks Leslie. I just did a DNCC update and included a link to forms for delegates at Square State.

Linky: http://www.squaresta...

We can't get a Dem president elected soon enough!

I'm so fed up with the raping of our Western lands to line the pockets of Dick Cheney and his corporate supporters! Sick. Sick. Sick.

To the phones people. Get your candidate elected. And don't forget to call you Congress critters too.

Fed Up I am. Fed up!

My apology to Cara. Reading from the comments, I mistook the story as hers!

I am very embarrassed about that and stand corrected.

However, as I said, Senator Clinton so much as agreed with Senator Obama this morning on This Week. That's the point. This mailer is stating the truth.

WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday she might be willing to garnish the wages of workers who refuse to buy health insurance to achieve coverage for all Americans.

Link: Yahoo News  Clinton health plan may mean tapping pay