1. Outlook for State Legislature
(A) John – As a
Republican, I was not thrilled when the Democrats took over the State
Senate. That will make it
harder for Bill Owens to continue improving our schools, cutting taxes,
and fixing the transportation mess. But
I must admit, as an American, two-party competition is healthy, and a
little time out of power never hurt anyone.
(B) Dani - How
statesmanlike-but I don't believe in the tooth fairy, and I don't believe
you either. Thankfully, that Democratic senate will be able to keep some
whacked out GOP proposals from the governor's desk. He's probably
breathing a sigh of relief himself. Hopefully Democratic lawmakers can
bring those moderate Republicans out of the wilderness to work on
thoughtful legislation this session.
(C) John – I just hated
to see the legislative campaigns get so vicious.
Pictures of a gay kiss have nothing to do with someone’s
qualifications for office. Ads
demonizing Republicans as the enemy of education and the ally of cop
killers really degraded this election.
Democratic strategist Mike Feeley admitted he should take a shower
after masterminding those smears.
Dani (D) - Senator Feeley
was referring to the sewer campaigns run by some of your GOP colleagues
and friends in Colorado for
Family Values. Conservative
Republicans and their Homophobic supporters used that gay kiss against
fellow Republicans, including the late Rep. Gary McPherson. While the GOP
fouled
2. Outlook for Congress
(A) John – Will Rogers
said that if con is the opposite of pro, then Congress must be the
opposite of progress. Scarcely
had Pat Schroeder departed than Hillary showed up. But the Republican
Congress has actually made a lot of progress, balancing the budget and
reforming welfare despite Clinton-Gore.
Now they can tackle Social Security and health care.
(B) Dani - Ha-President
Clinton's skillful use of the veto, along with Democratic and Republican
allies, forced a balanced budget and moved much of his agenda. And you
better watch it on Senator-elect Clinton, or you'll end up sounding like
that ill-bred lout, Trent Lott. Something about a strong, brilliant woman
that brings out the jerk in some men.
(C) John – Au contraire.
I’m talking to a strong, brilliant woman right now. Because of
your brilliance, Dani, I’m sure you recognize that Americans in four
straight congressional elections have now said yes to the Republican
vision of less government and more freedom.
Once again, there will be no Speaker Gephardt.
Dani (D) - What a
hypocrite. Your freedom means using government
to force reactionary religious and social beliefs down everybody's throat.
But voters haven't endorsed your nightmare vision. Gingrich imploded, and
with each election, voters decrease the GOP's numbers: the senate is
almost a 50-50 split, and Democrats gained in the House too.
Familiarity with the GOP breeds contempt.
3. Presidential Race
(A) John – An election
has been cynically defined as an advance auction of stolen goods. It’s
even worse when the election itself gets stolen, as some Americans now
feel about this year’s messy presidential race.
It’s time to require a photo ID from every voter.
Time to do away with exit polls and TV network projections.
But don’t do away with the Electoral College.
(B) Dani - It's time to
bring a bit of hi-tech into the voting booth--we've been to the moon and
Mars--what's up with cardboard ballots? Enough with this teeth knashing
over exit polls and projections. You can choose to listen to them or not.
The more important concern is that whoever"wins" this elections
limps into the White House as seriously damaged goods.
(C) John – Florida did
have my diapers in a knot for the first few days, but then I got the whole
thing in perspective. No one
man and no one election is going to sink America or save America. The greatness of this country is not its politicians but its
people. “Put not your trust
in princes” has been good advice down through the ages.
Dani (D) -You know, some
Americans, including politicians, are heroes, others are schmucks.
Right now, the schmucks outnumber the heroes in Congress. Al Gore
has the intellect, motivation and will to rise above this congressional
rabble-but not the political skill or backbone.
George Bush has neither the intellect nor motivation--he's part of
the rabble. Either way,
it’s a rough 4 years ahead.
4. GROWTH
(A) Dani - The failure of
Amendment 24 gives state lawmakers just one legislative session to come up
with a real growth management plan The governor knows this, that's why
he's already holding meetings. Problem is, he's meeting with realtors and
builders--the biggest part of the problem Try including people who really
want growth management, not just the smoke and mirrors moneybags.
(B) John – Twenty-four
didn’t just fail. The
voters crushed it. Colorado’s
problem is a transportation deficit, not excessive growth.
Bill Owens is finally doing something about roads and transit,
after decades of neglect by Lamm and Romer.
Central planning for land use would pick the pockets of working
people to benefit a few selfish yuppies.
Our state doesn’t need it.
(C) Dani - The best
election realtors, homebuilders and hysteria could buy. Moving on,
transportation deficit my eye--in the metro area we're running out of
land, and we've already run out of water. And cash-crazed local
governments are warring over tax-rich commercial developments. Senator, if
you think voters want a monster strip mall from the Wyoming border to New
Mexico, you're legislating on borrowed time.
(D) John – You of all
people, a Sierra Club elitist?
Dani, minorities and low-income people are hurt by slow-growth
policies. Jobs decline while
housing prices rise – a double whammy on the very groups you care about. Colorado should be an open door for everyone to seek the
American dream – not a place where the greenies got in and locked the
gate behind them.
5. EDUCATION
(A) Dani - Colorado voters
have once again voiced strong support for public education by passing
Amendment 23, requiring the state to fund public schools at a certain
level in
good economic times or
bad. Those dollars will have to come from other projects-but that's the
price we all have to pay for the legislature's decades-long preference for
building prisons.
(B) John – Twenty-three
will enrich the teacher union, but will it help kids learn?
Don’t hold your breath. Ever
since the ‘60s, education spending has gone steadily up while academic
results have gone steadily down. Schools
are mediocre because we run them the way the Soviets ran agriculture.
To achieve educational excellence, the bureaucratic monopoly must
make way for parental choice.
(C) Dani - A national
study ranks Colorado the 8th best state in the U.S. for educational
choices for parents. Odd that you trash public education and then get
angry when opponents throw your words back at you. There are excellent
public schools, but not enough. So educators better translate the public's
trust into the effective teachers and programs we're paying for.
(D) John – Things are
fine in Cherry Creek schools where you and I live, Dani -- but black and
Hispanic families in Denver have had it up to here with bad test scores
and dangerous classrooms. Students
even staged a protest. School
vouchers are becoming the newest civil rights issue.
