Former Brighton Mayor Jan Pawlowski runs for county commissioner
January 19th, 2012 | 
Author: Former Brighton Mayor Jan Pawlowski is hoping to return to life in public office.
Pawlowski, a Republican, is challenging embattled County Commissioner Alice Nichol, who has been linked to a scandal involving Quality Paving. Nichol, who was first elected county commissioner in 2004, is up for re-election this fall.
Pawlowski served as mayor of Brighton for eight years before leaving because of term limits. Prior to becoming mayor, she also served six years on Brighton’s City Council.
In a statement, Pawlowski said she hopes to restore integrity to the office of county commissioner.
“Adams County has been my home for the past 45 years, and it distresses me to see the negative publicity the county is receiving,” Pawlowski said. “We need change and I feel my political and community experience will bring a positive change to the board of county commissioners.”
Nichol, a Democrat, would be seeking her third term as county commissioner in District 2. She was elected to the Board of Commissioners in November 2004, re-elected in November 2008, and currently serves as vice chairman.
Joey Kirchmer: 303-954-2650 or jkirchmer@denverpost.com
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Lawmakers share ideas for session
The state legislative session started this week, and lawmakers representing Adams County are ready with bills reflecting their political and personal outlooks.
Democratic Rep. John Soper, facing term limits in House District 34, has a proposal born of his own frustration. ”I went to pay a deposit for my daughter and they said they wouldn’t take currency,” Soper said. “It’s just a petty little thing but it rubbed me wrong.” Under Soper’s plan, if someone incurred fees for a cashier’s check or money order because a business refused to accept legal tender, the business would be responsible for paying those extra costs. ”Usually I run bills for other folks,” said the outgoing lawmaker. “This year I’m going to run one for me.”
Republican Rep. Kevin Priola also is ready with a bill stemming from personal experience. Priola, an off-road-vehicle enthusiast who represents House District 30, wants to allow the titling and plating of such vehicles so they can be used on dirt roads in the wilderness. As the situation exists now, an off-road vehicle rider can go four or five miles along a permitted trail, then be legally prevented from riding a short distance to the next trail. “It’s a real barrier to access,” Priola said. “Look at the map. It’s almost like a Swiss cheese effect.”
The Worst Economic Recovery Since The Great Depression
1/12/2012
The record of President Obama’s first three years in office is in, and nothing that happens now can go back and change that. What that record shows is that President Obama, with his throwback, old-fashioned, 1970s Keynesian economics, has put America through the worst recovery from a recession since the Great Depression.
The recession started in December, 2007. Go to the website of the National Bureau of Economic Research (www.nber.org) to see the complete history of America’s recessions. What that history reveals is that before this last recession, since the Great Depression recessions in America have lasted an average of 10 months, with the longest previously lasting 16 months.
When President Obama entered office in January, 2009, the recession was already in its 13th month. His responsibility was to manage a timely, robust recovery to get America back on track again. Based on the historical record, that recovery was imminent, within a couple of months or so. Despite widespread fear, nothing fundamental had changed to deprive America of the long term, world-leading prosperity it had enjoyed going back 300 years. Read the rest of this entry »
Old regime county commissioner to leave office rather than face voters again
Adams County Commissioner Skip Fischer announced this week that he will not seek reelection for a third term. One of two commissioners now on the board with ties to the county’s scandalous history, Fischer saw the writing on the wall and will slip into history rather than go down in defeat in November.
As a commissioner representing the county’s District 1, Fischer did manage to avoid many of the scandals that plagued current commissioner Alice Nichol and former commissioner Larry Pace. Fischer however was intimately involved and voted on many questionable deals that have come to light.
The list of scandals that have disgraced the county in recent years is long and not-so distinguished. While Nichol and Pace were truly the bad seeds on the board, Fischer found himself caught in the middle. Read the rest of this entry »
Saturday, February 11th is the next NSRF meeting
Our next meeting is from 9:30-11:30 am, Saturday, February 11th featuring all announced candidates running for political office in the north metro area. We meet at our new location, the Anythink Huron Street Library community room, 9417 Huron St, Thornton, 80260. We’ll have a continental breakfast with coffee and water so come join us and bring a friend. $20 annual dues for 2012 will be collected along with the $3 per meeting cost.
Upcoming speakers/topics for the NSRF
Here are the upcoming speakers/topics for the NSRF:
February 11th: All announced candidates for County and State races
March 10th: The Independence Institute’s Jon Caldara speaking about Colorado politics
April 14th: An update from your House and Senate legislators about what’s happening during this session
May 12th: An update from County and City Council members about their city or county
June 9th: Board of Education members discussing issues in their school district
Pass the word so you can stay informed in the north metro area and join us on the second Saturday of each month from 9:30-11:30am at the Huron Anythink Library at 9435 N. Huron Street in Thornton. A continental breakfast is included for your $3 meeting cost and yearly membership is only $20.
Free People, Free Markets: Principles of Liberty class
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Adams County individual precinct maps
The new Adams County precinct maps are out. You have to poke around to find out your precinct. Select your old precinct and look at the map showing the surrounding precincts. Click here to go to the page.
Every ten years congressional and State Legislative district boundaries are redrawn to accommodate population shifts. Adams County elections staff is currently in the process of implementing the approved changes. If you have questions regarding new precinct or district boundaries, please contact us at adams.elections@adcogov.org or by telephone at (720) 523-6500. We are open Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. New precinct and district information will be available on this page as soon as we have finished implementing the approved changes.
Former Quality Paving executive found guilty of 62 felonies
By Monte Whaley
The Denver Post
BRIGHTON — The former vice president of Quality Paving was found guilty Wednesday of 62 felonies involving the theft of Adams County funds.
Dennis Coen, 58, was found guilty of 20 counts of theft, 19 counts of conspiracy to commit theft, 21 counts of forgery and two counts of attempt to influence a public servant.
Jurors found Coen not guilty on seven other charges — four counts of forgery, two counts of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of theft.
The jury returned its verdict at noon after three weeks of testimony and 2 1/2 days of deliberations.
District Attorney Don Quick declined to comment on the verdict, which came a day before former Quality Paving owner Jerry Rhea is scheduled to go on trial for 23 counts in the scandal. Read the rest of this entry »
CO Illegal Immigrant Tuition Bill Introduced Again
DENVER – Colorado lawmakers will try again to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants who graduated from state high schools.
Democratic Sen. Michael Johnston of Denver is introducing the legislation Wednesday. Five previous attempts have failed but lawmakers have made modifications over the years to make the proposal more appealing to Republicans. This time the bill would give colleges the option to opt-out of giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition.
The out-of-state tuition rate can be three times more expensive than the in-state rate. Supporters of the legislation say the higher rates illegal immigrant students have to pay is a roadblock to education. Republicans say the bill incentivizes illegal immigration.
