Transcript Golden
GOLDEN 1.17.12
January 17, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 147, Issue 7
Tighe questions service cuts
WINTRY GLIDE
New commissioner welcomed at first briefing By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
David Hach of Boulder descends while paragliding with friends off Lookout Mountain Sunday in Golden. Photo by Andy Carpenean
What was scheduled as a simple staff briefing to say hello to newly sworn in Jeffco Commissioner Casey Tighe turned into reconsideration of recent nonprofit funding cuts. Democratic Tighe defeated appointed incumbent and Republican John Odom in November, to take the 2nd District seat on the commission. He was sworn in, along with other county officials, earlier that day (Jan. 8), and had then attended the first Board of County Commissioners meeting of the year, where he was greeted by his two fellow commissioners. ”You fought a good race. You won, and now you’re being punished,” joked 3rd District Commissioner Donald Rosier. “I have to tell you, I didn’t know what to expect, and I’ve loved it.” ”This is going to be fun,” assured 1st District Commissioner Faye Griffin. ”We can’t always please everyone, but we do the best we can.” On the subject of not being able to please everyone, later that day at the commissioner’s staff briefing, Tighe asked if it would be possible to revisit the county’s 2013 budget in hopes of reversing $688,000 in cuts to human services that has drawn criticism from service advocates and state legislators.
The funding cuts were to three nonprofit agencies, which all contract with the county to provide the public — Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Family Tree and the Senior Resource Center. ”When we have tough economic times, it’s counter intuitive, but those services are more in demand,” Tighe said. The request did not receive clear support from the other two members of the board, but did lead to a conversation about how the county funds nonprofits in general, when Rosier mentioned that the three nonprofits were specifically included in the county’s human services budget. ”When you look at all the nonprofits out there, why were those three designated? I don’t pretend to know,” Rosier said. County Administrator Ralph Schell said his staff would look into a formalized system, or set of criteria for getting county dollars to nonprofits, instead of leaving them as line items within a county department budget. Rosier said he liked that idea because it would move nonprofit funding “out of the entitlement type of programs.” Schell cautioned that no matter the system, some of the services currently provided by the nonprofits have been mandated by the federal government, meaning the county would have to take over services if the nonprofits lost funding. He said the commissioners would receive a staff report on the subject in the coming weeks.
Governor outlines challenges State of State covers gun control, civil unions, marijuana, economy By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Gov. John Hickenlooper acknowledged that “there are no easy solutions” to issues involving guns, but said a debate on how best to deal with firearm-related violence is something “our democracy demands.” The Democratic governor, addressing the General Assembly during his annual State of the State speech Jan. 10, also proffered his opinion on one area of gun control that is certain to be one of the most passionately debated topics lawmakers will take up this legislative session. “Let me prime the pump,”
Hickenlooper said. “Why not have universal background checks for all gun sales?” That suggestion certainly caught the attention of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. “It is just completely unenforceable,” House Minority Leader Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, said of Hickenlooper’s call for all sales of guns — including those involving person-to-person transactions — be contingent on background checks. But Democrats applauded the governor’s stance. “He made some risky points,” said Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, DArvada. “He wasn’t afraid to jump into that.” Gun control, one of many issues that legislators are expected to take up over the next five months of the session, was just one area that Hickenlooper addressed. Economic matters, civil
POSTAL ADDRESS
unions and, of course, regulating the marijuana industry were also touched on during his 40-minute remarks.
Common ground sought
Taking on the issue of gun violence is a top agenda item for this Democratic-controlled General Assembly, especially on the heels of last year’s Aurora theater killings and the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. But just talking about guns has always been a dicey political issue, as the governor acknowledged. “Some point to guns, others to a violent culture,” he said. “Still others believe that the line between community security and individual freedom must be redrawn.” In spite of those varying viewpoints, the governor urged action. “Surely, Second Amendment advocates and gun control supporters can find common ground in support of this proposition: Let’s examine our laws and make the changes needed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.” Hickenlooper also sought “support for a comprehensive overhaul of our state’s mental health system,” something that he hopes can help mentally ill individuals get treatment before they commit
Sen. Evie Hudak, right, hugs Sen. Linda Newell Jan. 9 in the Senate chambers on the opening day of the legislative session. Photos by Courtney Kuhlen gun crimes. Republicans said there is a bipartisan consensus on dealing with mental health issues, but Hickenlooper’s calls for universal background checks on gun sales is problematic. Rep. Bob Gardner, RColorado Springs, called such an effort “a regulatory regime” that won’t do anything to curb gun violence. “It makes people feel good, but it doesn’t do anything to solve the
problem,” he said. Gardner also said that it’s unrealistic that “drug dealers on street corners are going to abide by that regime.” Governor continues on Page 17
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