Jeffco Line Updated

by: Jeffco Pols

Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 12:15:59 PM MST

Senate District 20: Keller Endorses Jahn

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Feb 02, 2010 at 22:39:24 PM MST

As many of you may be aware, this is my last year as a state senator representing the wonderful citizens of Wheat Ridge, Edgewater, Mountain View, Lakewood, Arvada, Pleasant View and Golden. Two fine candidates are running in the Democratic primary for this Senate District 20 race for the Colorado State legislature: former State Representative Cheri Jahn and former RTD Board member, Dave Ruchman.

I am endorsing Cheri Jahn for this seat.  I have known Cheri for many years. I was her campaign manager in 2000 and we served in the General Assembly together for 6 years. We carried many bill proposals together and share a belief in good, transparent government. I know the quality of her work; her intelligence and professionalism have served us well before and, if elected, will again.

Cheri is a small business owner and mother of three adult children. Her interests include business, child welfare, strong public education, senior protections and higher education affordability.

I am proud to support Cheri Jahn for Colorado State Senate District 20.

Sincerely,
Sen Moe Keller

This doesn't come as a terrible surprise to anyone following the goings-on of this race. It's no secret that Cheri and Moe are close, and they were intense geographical allies when both were at the Capitol.

DRCOG Gives Thumbs-Up to Beltway

by: Jeffco Pols

Thu Jan 21, 2010 at 12:53:33 PM MST

The Denver Regional Council of Governments board of directors voted Wednesday night to include the proposed Jefferson Parkway toll road in the group's long-range transportation plan.

The vote - 35 for and 17 against - came after more than two hours of often passionate debate.

Jefferson County, Broomfield and Arvada have been promoting the toll highway, which would run from the Interlocken commercial complex just off U.S. 36 to Colorado 93 on the north end of Golden, as a key link for completing the beltway around the entire metro area.

Getting DRCOG to include the toll highway in its transportation plan was a prerequisite for luring private investment in the road, according to some board members who backed the measure.

"We're grateful to the DRCOG board for their commitment to serve the best interests of the entire region," said Jefferson County Commissioner Kevin McCasky, who also is board chairman of toll parkway authority.

Officials from the city of Golden and communities in Boulder County were among those opposing the effort to include the toll highway in DRCOG's plan.

Golden will bear "most of the impacts" of a toll highway that ends on the city's north side while other cities get benefits from the road, said Jacob Smith, the city's mayor and a member of the DRCOG board.

Approval of the Jefferson Parkway, as currently planned, "throws Golden off the cliff and throws a huge amount of traffic down (Colorado) 93," Smith said.

Szabo Will Challenge Gagliardi

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 12:31:15 PM MST

Well, now that's settled

by: justsaying

Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 08:45:16 AM MST

And, as long as we're updating the line (hint hint), The R's finally have a candidate in HD29.  Robert Ramirez has a PTA background, but no political experience.  Sorry, Ramirez, but you'll have to be more than a male Benefield to win in HD29.

Treasurer's race gets interesting

by: justsaying

Mon Dec 21, 2009 at 12:15:49 PM MST

Ralph Schell New County Administrator

by: Jeffco Pols

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 12:16:32 PM MST

Jefferson County commissioners Tuesday unanimously backed Ralph Schell as the new county administrator, responsible for balancing an annual operating budget of more than $488 million.

Schell replaces Jim Moore, who was fired Thursday without a severance package, according to spokeswoman Kathryn Heider.

Schell, who has worked for the county for 12 years, left his position as director of community resources and open space last week to assume the role of interim administrator. As administrator, he will make $150,000 a year.

Amy P. Ito, manager of planning and development for open space, has replaced Schell as acting director.

Schell said he was looking forward to the new opportunity and providing "more effective leadership."

Jim Moore Shown the Door

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 15:55:44 PM MST

Jefferson County administrator Jim Moore has been fired, weeks after the county paid out $766,000 related to age- and sex-discrimination cases involving him.

The three commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday night to oust Moore, who assumed his position four years ago and was on track to earn about $150,000 this year.

Commissioners declined to comment. Jeffco spokeswoman Kathryn Heider said the reasons for the firing would not be revealed because it is a personnel matter. The commissioners met in secret to discuss their decision, then voted in public on the firing, as required by Colorado law.

Moore's firing also came only hours after a federal jury delivered a verdict in favor of Mike Zinna, who sued former commissioner Jim Congrove for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights. Moore testified on behalf of Zinna.

Moore could not be reached for comment.

Ralph Schell, director of the county's open-space department, has been named interim administrator. He said Thursday that he "was looking forward to the new challenge."

Hundreds of County Workers Underpaid; Top Staff, Not So Much

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 17:26:52 PM MST

A long-awaited Jefferson County government-compensation study shows that 324 workers and 558 sworn sheriff employees are underpaid, while 66 workers are overpaid compared with employees in similar counties and cities in the West.

Yet the study - which cost the county $180,000 - does not take into account bonuses awarded by the county and how they affect how much money employees are taking home, especially for those already paid above market. The Sheriff's Office does not award employee bonuses, but those given to workers in other departments, many of them top managers, have risen by more than 700 percent in four years.

The price tag to bring all the underpaid workers up to market rate is $1.1 million. The study did not tally how much could be recovered if the county sought to cut the pay of employees whose compensation is above market rate.

The county's nine elected officials have total discretion in awarding bonuses as long as they stay within the money allotted to their departments for that purpose. There are no written policies or objective guidelines.

County administrator Jim Moore said the contract with the Waters Consulting Group Inc. was intended to examine base salaries and pay structures, not bonuses.

"Once we install a new compensation system, we will look at guidelines for bonuses," he said.

The county has decided not to put a freeze on bonuses this year.

Commissioner Kathy Hartman, who has consistently opposed awarding county employees bonuses, said many government employees have expressed their frustration with being underpaid. With a tight budget, she said, she is worried that those who are significantly underpaid won't get what they deserve.

"We should have an objective basis for what a job is worth, which hopefully we now have, and pay it," Hartman said. "I'm very concerned about those who are overpaid and getting bonuses."

County Commissioners, aside from Hartman, have always been all too happy to award hefty bonuses to hand-picked staff, even in tough economic times. Perhaps this survey will finally put an end to that nonsense.

Parsing Election Results Across Jeffco

by: Jeffco Pols

Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:30:22 PM MST

Jahn Shoots Self in Foot

by: Jeffco Pols

Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 10:20:33 AM MST

A Pols reader sent us this newsletter from Democrat Cheri Jahn, who is running for Senate in SD-20 (Moe Keller is term-limited), and, well, let's just say it opens up a wound you might have thought Jahn would have preferred closed:

Washington just doesn't get it!  An amendment was added to the Health Reform bill that would drastically increase the cost of medications for many Americans. I was outraged when I read the news. This amendment would extend brand-name prescription drug exclusivity from five years to twelve years, and in the process block affordable generics from being developed. Working families and our elderly would be hit especially hard with the increased costs of their medications if this amendment isn't stripped from the House version of the Health Care Reform Bill.

Too many Coloradans can't afford to pay the premium prices on brand name medication just to fatten the wallets of the big pharmaceutical corporation executives. We need to be working to make prescriptions MORE affordable - not less! In the Colorado State House I worked to do just that, and in the State Senate I'll keep fighting to make sure that everybody can afford the medications they need to stay healthy. [Pols emphasis]

That's all well and good, except that Jahn's vote essentially killed a prescription drug reform bill when she was in the State House in 2006:

The state House on Tuesday rejected a key Democratic measure to lower the cost of prescription drugs for some uninsured Coloradans.

The 35-30 defeat of House Bill 1100 raises doubts about whether Democrats will be able to deliver on their promise to provide discounted drugs to the uninsured...

...Democrats had planned to send both Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1100 to Owens with the hope that at least one would become law. But the leadership lost support for House Bill 1100 when pharmacies, HMOs and a business coalition joined lobbying forces against it.

Democratic Speaker Pro Tempore Cheri Jahn said she opposed the bill because not all the groups affected were involved in the negotiations.

Besides, she said, the bill offered discounts that are already available in the private market.

"I do not think it's fair to ask one industry to pay for the bill - pharmacies," she said. [Pols emphasis]

Whoops!

Golden City Council Line '09

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:12:28 PM MDT

Just a few months have passed since Golden was spared a costly and pointless recall election, the city is set to hold its regularly-scheduled election next month. Below is a rundown, "The Golden Line," if you will, of how those races look from here.

Lakewood City Council Line '09

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 23:06:19 PM MDT

Jeffco Line Updated

by: Jeffco Pols

Fri Sep 25, 2009 at 13:40:15 PM MDT

Arvada, Lakewood City Council Candidate Forums

by: Jeffco Pols

Mon Aug 31, 2009 at 12:04:58 PM MDT

ARVADA
Friday, Sept. 18
7:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Arvada Center

LAKEWOOD
Thursday, Sept. 10
7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design
(1600 Pierce Street)