Podcasts about Denver City Council

Does Denver have too many parking spaces? Or too few? It's a controversial topic guaranteed to start an argument, but in recent years the idea of reducing parking has become increasingly popular among transit activists and policy circles. Then earlier this week, a Denver City Council committee passed a bill that would eliminate something called “parking minimums.” So what the heck does that mean? And would it go far enough? Host Bree Davies posed those questions and more to CU Denver professor Ken Schroeppel last March when this whole parking debate was first starting to heat up.  This episode first aired on March 18, 2024, before the state bill Bree and Ken discuss passed into law.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Would you support Denver eliminating parking minimums? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this May 20th episode: Denver Health “Meet Sunny!” - City & County Denver Tech Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the tide turning against oil and gas in Colorado? Last week, Denver City Council turned down a $25 million contract with Suncor, the Commerce City oil refinery that has been the subject of scrutiny by neighborhood groups and climate activists for decades over pollution issues. But one industry leader dismissed the move as “political grandstanding.”  So host Bree Davies is talking to Denver Post environmental reporter Noelle Phillips, who has been covering the Suncor debate for years to talk about why the pushback is coming now and what it's really going to mean for Denverites.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think should be done about Suncor? Shut it down and risk higher gas prices? Or let the market do its work? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this May 15th episode: CU Denver's Jake Jab Center for Entrepreneurship Levitt Pavilion Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been seven years since the e-scooter companies unceremoniously dumped fleets of Limes and Birds onto the streets of Denver, and many Denverites are still upset about it! But at the same time, many others have grown to rely on these micro-mobility machines. Councilman Chris Hinds, in particular, has been pushing for tougher regulations for years, and last week he put forth a new proposal to the rest of City Council, citing Denver Health data showing a huge increase in scooter-related accidents in 2024. So we reached out to Lime to hear their side of the story and where they see scooters fitting in Denver's constantly evolving transportation ecosystem.  What do you think about scooters after hearing from the Lime guys? Have you ever tossed a scooter into the creek? Or do you love using them to get around? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ We also reached out to talk to the other company licensed to operate scooters in Denver, Bird, and here's the statement they sent us: “We at Bird are excited to work with DOTI and Denver City Council to bring the very best technology and vehicles to the Denver program. We look forward to working collaboratively with our partners to provide feedback on the draft micro-mobility ordinance to fine tune the details, but we are aligned with the vision of continuing to develop a last-mile mobility solution that focuses on safety, equity, and access.” Get your tickets to HEYDAY now! We're putting on an indoor fair with urban flair, like a classic county fair but with a very cool Denver twist. Join us on March 8 for classic carnival games, vintage arcade games, Denver-themed balloon art, and a full day of grandstand entertainment, featuring some of your favorite guests from the podcast. It's family friendly, too, if you wanna bring your kids. Get those tickets now at www.heydaydenver.com. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this March 3rd episode: Arvada Center Clear Creek Makerspace JCC Denver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing about 1 in 5 of all deaths; the rate is similar in Colorado. During the Great American Smokeout -- when the American Cancer Society encourages people who smoke to make a plan to quit -- we look at a proposal in Denver's city council that aims to address the issue, calling for an end to the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the city to protect kids and advance health equity. Then, we speak with a vape shop owner. Also, quitting smoking is hard, but there are health benefits to be found with success, and the impact of menthol cigarettes on communities of color.

It's Friday and we're looking back at a big week in Denver. First, the wind! Xcel Energy preemptively shut off power to thousands of residents of the metro area ahead of last week's windstorm, and that… didn't go over well. So we've got CSU climate geographer Lauren Gifford joining producer Paul Karolyi and politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to talk about Xcel, some controversial proposals to change public comment at Denver City Council, as well as this week's wins and fails.  Justine talked about The Village and La Plaza CO. Lauren mentioned about this First Friday staple. Paul discussed the “chile crunch” trademark, Nathan MacKinnon's MVP night, the Drip Coffee protests, and native plants in city parks. What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Wanna win a couple of free VIP tickets to an amazing new wine fest? Wine Spectator's Grand Tour in Denver on May 11, and we want to see you there! All you've got to do is join our membership program today. We'll select the 5th new member to win the tix. But every single member will receive a discount code for $100 off the price of admission on Monday. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/Denver.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Visit Meow Wolf! Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While keeping items like processed chicken nuggets, french fries, and corn dog bites on the kids menu, Denver City Council voted to restrict restaurants from putting beverages other than milk or water on those menus for kids to order. Juice and soda pop would still be available by request, but what are Democrats trying to accomplish with this edict?Also, there is an epidemic of impaired and distracted driving and it's costing lives on Colorado roads. What should be done to curb this trend?

It's Tuesday and we're looking at the biggest stories of the week. First, it's been five years and the Avalanche and Nuggets still aren't available on most Denver TVs! Kroenke Sports & Entertainment just hired a new guy who is promising to end the Altitude Sports vs. Comcast dispute for good, so can he pull it off? Then, Denver City Council is considering a proposal to ban sugary drinks in kid's meals at fast food restaurants, which one man says is just politicians attempting to “micromanage” their constituents. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi dissect these stories and share listener comments on The Epoch Times's billboards and how, exactly, you're supposed to eat oysters.  We went deep on the Altitude/Comcast dispute with our pal Jake Shapiro from Denver Sports back in 2021. Bree mentioned an episode of the If Books Could Kill podcast about the book “Nudge” by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. What do you think about a ban on sugary drinks? We want to hear from you (especially if you work for Pepsi)! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today! Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lathan Watts, vice-president of public affairs for Alliance Defending Freedom, joins Dan to discuss his most recent op-ed for National Review, entitled 'The state of Colorado is considering European-style repression of religion,' pertaining to the state's continued persecution and targeting of Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips.Danielle Jurinsky of the Aurora City Council joins Dan to discuss the influx of illegals to Denver spilling over into Aurora and surrounding communities like Lakewood, Monument and others. Unlike Denver, however, Aurora is making it clear that they are NOT a 'sanctuary city' and should cease and desist transporting said illegals into Aurora's city limits immediately.The Denver City Council, by a 7-3 vote, passed a resolution stating, "The City Council affirms remaining a Non-Sanctuary City and asserts the City does not currently have the financial capacity to fund new services related to this crisis and demands that other municipalities and entities do not systematically transport migrants or people experiencing homelessness to the City."

In a very insightful discussion over two segments, Dan asks Denver city councilwoman Amanda Sandoval (District 1) about the city's priorities for the massive wave of illegal migrants bused in from Texas - whom she terms as 'newcomers.' She contends they deserve the same consideration, as fellow humans, as the city's taxpaying citizens and believes we have the room and capacity to remain a city that is welcoming to those here without legal status. Callers and texters react strongly as Dan engages with them in a very important conversation with national implications.

What does it take to run for office as a person with a disability? Rebecca LaMorte We talk to Rebecca Lamorte, who ran for city council in New York on a platform on disability rights.  Listen as she talks about her experiences running for a major office in the Big Apple. We also talk to Ventura City Council Member Liz Campos about working at a city hall that is inaccessible, her challenges finding accessible housing, and how she ran a successful campaign on only $3,000. Liz Campos Lastly, we talk to Denver City Councilman Chris Hinds about the unique challenges of being Colorado's first elected official with a physical disability. Chris Hinds This episode of Pushing Limits is hosted and edited by Denny Daughters, and produced and written by  Jacob Lesner-Buxton. Check out this database of elected officials with disabilities.    Add your favorite politician with a disability to the list. Rebecca Lamorte Website Campaign website for Liz Campos Website for Council Member Chris-Hinds Transcript Denny Daughters:  Welcome to Pushing Limits, KPFA's program by and about people with disabilities. We air every Friday afternoon at 2.30 p.m.  I'm Denny Daughters and I'll be voicing a script written by Jacob Lester Buxton. According to a 2019 estimate by Rutgers University, 10.3% of elected officials serving in federal, state, or local government have a disability.  People with disabilities are twice as likely to serve as local officials rather than as state or federal representatives. Today we will be talking to people with disabilities who have run for public office at the local level. Our first guest is Rebecca Lamorte.  She's a lobbyist for a labor union and she lives in Manhattan. In 2021, she ran for a seat on the New York City Council.  There were a total of seven candidates.  Unfortunately, she lost the election, coming in at third place. We asked Rebecca.  What motivated her to run? Rebecca Lamorte:   Anger, honestly. When I was pushed on the subway, I was 22 years old.  And I had just finished college.  I had just moved in to my first apartment alone in New York City. You know, I had my student loans, I had my bills, I had my friends. And in an instant, everything changed for me where I went from taking my body for granted and not looking at a flight of stairs, for example, and thinking twice about them to not being able to really leave my own apartment building for a long time because it had stairs and dealing with rude and invasive questions and comments and being faced with discrimination on the job and in public places. The most egregious thing for me that really made me and pushed me to take that step to decide I am gonna run for office is one day I was at New York City Hall for work.  I'm a lobbyist, I work for a labor union, and I have for 12 years now.  And at City Hall that day with union members, I was there with my cane and security told me if I couldn't walk up the stairs, maybe I didn't belong there.  And I got so angry.  I almost couldn't speak.  I was so angry because I felt if this is happening to me, what's happening to other people? Who cares about us?  Who's fighting for us?  Who else is experiencing this?  And so angry and so upset right now when they're just living life and going about their day like everybody else.  And I wanted to take my anger and do something positive from it.  And for me, working in the government space and being interested in politics, that was running for office to give disabled people like myself and others a seat at the table where decisions are made.   Where I was now witnessing and now very aware that those decisions were being made in ways that harmed us and harmed our community and ignored our needs, ignored accessibility, ignored disability rights and the inclusive society and city we could have.  And that's what made me throw my hat in the race for 2021.   Denny:   Lamorte put disability front and center of her campaign.  It raised some eyebrows among political people in the city. Rebecca:  Yes and no.  So, there have been some people in public office with disabilities.  Not everyone has been comfortable speaking about their disabilities, which I very much so understand.  You know, not many people go out every day in the world and get asked about their bodies and have people expect that we'll respond and share everything that's happening with us. But that's unfortunately reality for people with disabilities.  And there have been people in elected office in New York that haven't been comfortable speaking about their life, speaking about their accessibility needs, speaking about their lived experience as a person with a disability because of that stigma and discrimination, which is really unfortunate and keeps other disabled people from speaking out, feeling that commonality, knowing they have an ally in government. But outside of that, we've had some really great people in office right now. We have our first disabled New York City council member, a woman named Shahana Hanif from Brooklyn.  We used to have another amazing woman, Yuh-Line Niou in the New York State Assembly.  She unfortunately isn't there anymore, but we have some other great people out there fighting for us and making sure we have a seat at the table. But we need some more people.  Just having, you know, between five and 10 people with disabilities in office isn't going to change the conversation.  We need more voices in the chorus for us.   Denny:  To create the campaign she wanted to run, Rebecca first had to look inward.  There's the nitty gritty stuff, filing your paperwork to run for office.  Like you said, I made my decision and then I was like, well, what do I do now?  Like how do I make it a reality?  I'm, I'm, I'm here. I'm going to run, but what do I do? And so I did the like the nitty gritty stuff, file paperwork, tell the government I'm running, told local elected officials in the neighborhood that I was running, reached out to people in politics, consultants, other people I knew saying I'm going to run, what's your advice? And unfortunately, in doing that, I started getting back comments that wanting to run on a platform of disability issues, disability justice, as I refer to it for my campaign platform, that that was a niche issue.  And I should first run, then win, and work on it and tell people I care about it. And that was really hurtful for me as a disabled person, because it's like, well, do you see me every day when I'm out like this?  Like my life isn't a niche issue.  There are so many New Yorkers that have this experience too. So my first real campaign thing was getting comfortable, being uncomfortable as a disabled person, getting comfortable sharing things about my life, about my opinions, my experiences, my feelings, about my physical body — about certain social and emotional impacts that I deal with from being a person with a disability out in society that can be really difficult at times for us. And so that was the first thing.  Getting comfortable as a disabled woman, what I was comfortable talking about, how I was comfortable talking about it and really rooting myself that this was a campaign for disability justice, and everything would always pivot back to that center.   Denny:  We asked Rebecca how she handled being perceived as the woman who only talked about disability issues during her campaign. Rebecca:  That was the lady with a cane, the one trick pony with a cane. I would call myself at a point in time.  Um, what you're saying is true.  There were some people that would be able to see the far through the trees with me of affordable housing is a disability issue.  We need affordable, accessible housing and it's not just accessible with an elevator in the building.  That's my disability experience, but there are other people with disabilities that, okay, you need to have your handles lower.  You need to have your counter heights changed.   Denny:  Surely a candidate like Rebecca, who is so passionate about disability would be fully embraced by everyone in the community. Rebecca:  So unfortunately, there wasn't much support from formal disability groups for me during my campaign in New York City.  We have what is called the 504 Democrats, which is a citywide disability center Democratic club. And they endorsed a person without a disability in my race. And it really upset me. And that unfortunately kind of colored my experience and opinion with them and some other formal groups going forward. Coming from the political space, I understand wanting to go to the power and wanting to have a seat at the table.  And sometimes you have to choose the person that's going to win, even if there's someone else you like better.  But with something as personal as running for office with a disability, how few people do it and to have a candidate running so vocally, opening and powerfully as a woman with a disability on a campaign rooted in disability justice — that was really, really hurtful. I'm not going to lie to you. But outside of that, I was very blessed to have individual disability advocates from throughout the country come together to help me learn about disability issues that are not personal to me in my experience as a disabled woman, to help me meet other people that could offer advice that had run for office or were working within the government space and had experience with this.  And so it was those individuals that really surrounded me and gave me the cocoon of love from our community that I do wish had been there from other larger organizations, but just unfortunately was not, because politics makes for strange bedfellows as the saying goes, right?   Denny:  As a result of her campaign, Rebecca became more active in disability rights movements, including mentoring others who want to run for office. Rebecca:  I'm a board member of an organization called Disability Victory, which is aimed specifically at helping disabled people run for office and or work on campaigns that are accessible and engender real disability justice and disability inclusion in them. And through that, we do campaign trainings where it's everything from how do you talk about being a person with a disability on a campaign, getting comfortable with that, what you want to share, what you don't want to share.  Kind of like I spoke about with my own journey and experience on that — things like how do you develop a campaign platform?  And how do you then pivot those issues back to disability justice and disability rights? We actually just did a great hour-long talk about that specifically where I led the conversation.  I had everyone choose a policy.  And by the end of the hour, we took that policy from not being about disability rights to making it about disability rights to show that it is possible and these aren't niche issues.   And, if people are interested, they can follow Disability Victory on Facebook, X and Instagram. And we also have a website, DisabilityVictory.org. And we're doing more trainings coming up in 2024. Our next one will be about canvassing with a disability because, not surprising for anyone here that's listening, it's not so easy.   And campaigns are not made for disabled people.  And that's people like myself with mobility aids and mobility issues.  That's for people that are blind, that's for people that are deaf, that's for so many different disabled people because campaigns are made for one kind of person and it's a cis white rich man — typically. And that's not politics. That's not my politics. That's not what I want our country, our society, my city to be.  And so Disability Victory is working on that specifically.  And so in January, we'll be talking about canvassing with a disability.  We're going to be having some fireside chats to also just offer more emotional support for candidates in this space because running for office is so difficult and isolating.  But when you're running with a disability, it's even more so because traditional spaces in politics aren't made for us and they don't include us. And when we do go to them, we'll be made to feel that way, at least in my experience at times here in New York.  So, making sure that we have a space that is specifically for us.  And I'm really proud that that's Disability Victory now.   Denny:  In the world of politics, we were interested how Rebecca developed a thick skin. Rebecca:  I was born with a bit of a thick skin.  It definitely got thicker, though, after my subway accident. You know, when you go out every day and people see you and they're gonna pry and they're gonna ask questions, they're gonna look at you differently, and I am out here with an invisible disability with my cane — and I still get those stares and those questions and those uncomfortable moments.  So, it's made me develop a much thicker skin.  It's also made me get really quippy.  Like for example, when I walk down the sidewalk in my neighborhood and people are staring at me, I like to stop and look at them and go, “Show's here all day everybody” and then watch them laugh and get uncomfortable.  I also like to call people out if they're staring.  I'll be like “Let me do a trick!”  And then, they like look away anxiously and uncomfortably.  It's made me develop a thick skin but also, it's given me a confidence in myself that [pause]. I was always a confident person before, but it's a different and it's difficult to put into words the kind of confidence that comes from knowing who you are when you may be at your lowest.  And even if you're not there physically, but emotionally at your lowest from what someone has said or done or how you're feeling that day or (for me), what my mobility is that day.  And just knowing that still doesn't define who you are.   And if people see you as just that, that's a reflection on them. And it's such a confidence that I feel very lucky to have. And it's something that it took a while for me to develop, but I'm here now and I'm really thankful to be.  And to feel this good about myself 10 years in the game.  Lately, Rebecca offers motivation to those with disabilities who are interested in running for political office.  If you're a person with a disability, thinking about running for office, it's probably the scariest thing you've ever thought about for big and small reasons but it could also be the best thing you've ever thought about. I didn't win, but I am so thankful that I ran for office.  I am thankful for what it taught me about myself, what it taught me about disability rights, disability issues.  I'm thankful for the community it helped me create around myself.  And I'm also thankful for the platform it's given me as a person with a disability to now call out things that I see, share my experiences, shine a light on things that so many people have said, ‘I never thought about that, Rebecca'. Just today, a friend texted me, ‘a woman with a walker can't get down the subway stairs right now, and I wouldn't have thought about that if it wasn't for you', — talking about subway accessibility.  And that's a small thing, but that's someone that would have never thought about that if I hadn't been out there running as I was and talking about things like I did and getting comfortable being uncomfortable at times.  And so it's the scariest thing you may be thinking about, but it could be the best thing you've ever done, not just for yourself, for your community, for our larger disability community, for our country.   Because if we don't have a seat at the table, we're on the menu and policies never have us in mind.  And so we have to put ourselves in people's mind. So take that step!  Be bold!  Don't be afraid!  And feel free to reach out to me on social media, because I'm always going to be here to tell you that, you know, you're either a Smart A [Beep] with a mobility aid like me or, you know, something else that will build you up and get you back out there in the streets fighting for us.  Because we need more voices in our disability chorus.   Denny:  You're listening to Pushing Limits on 94.1 KPFA. I'm Denny Daughters.  We just heard from Rebecca Lamorte who ran for a New York City Council position in 2021.  Today, we are talking to people with disabilities who run for public office.  Our next guest is Liz Campos who sets on the Ventura City Council.  Campos decided to run for office because she was frustrated that city hall wasn't responding to the needs of the people in her community.  94.1 KPFA. Liz Campos:   Well, I've been active in my community for 20 years and particularly the last 10 years I spent on the board of the Westside Community Council, my neighborhood community council.  And after becoming chair of that board, I realized that City Council wasn't listening to the people, the diverse voices in the community properly.  I also, for almost seven years, attended every city council meeting, listened to what they were doing, spoke to them many times often with no result.  And I decided that it's important for people to be on an elected body who will listen to the entire community. So I didn't come just to be a voice for people with disabilities, but to be a voice for everyone who feels disenfranchised.   Denny:  While many people in the Compos community were excited by her candidacy, those in City Hall sang a different tune. Liz:  Because I had been active in my community.   Ventura has districts. My district is about 8,000 registered voters. But I had spent two and a half years in my community holding public rallies to fight against the expansion of a Southern California gas compressor that is across the street from an elementary school.  And that alone is disabling many children not just with asthma, but with central nervous system problems and cancers. So the community knew me already from that battle and had gotten accustomed to seeing me in the wheelchair, but knowing that I was there for them.  So, my community didn't show a lot of disdain or problem for me as a person with a disability. Where the pushback came was from a couple of the other candidates but also from some of the higher-level city staff who looked at me as an imbecile or had the attitude that I would never be able to serve on city council.  And so, I shouldn't be encouraged.  And that was a difficult battle, both before and after getting elected.   Denny:   Ventura City Hall wasn't ready for Campos to assume office, or any person with a physical disability for that matter.   Liz:  Ah Ventura City Hall is not the most accessible location, in part because it's up on the top of a pretty steep hill, California Street.  It has a beautiful view of the ocean, but for a person in a wheelchair — a manual wheelchair cannot make it up the hill by its own steam. I'm in an electric wheelchair and I can roll up to City Hall, but when I leave City Hall, I have to roll backwards because the hill is too steep.  And that's just to get to City Hall. There is a ramp on the street level that goes up into the building. And that is there because about 11 years ago, I sued the city for access. So they made the public area more accessible with bathrooms and a ramp and electronic doors. When I got elected to City Council, anyone would have expected that the council dais and council area would be made accessible. December 12th will be my one-year anniversary and I still cannot use the bathroom where all the other Council members use the bathroom. I have to leave the dais, exit the Council area out into the hallway, and go to the other end of the building for an accessible bathroom during meetings. For the first several months, the way I got up on the dais was they threw a piece of plywood over a steep staircase. And so I would roll up, but again, I had to roll backwards off of that.  And this was all during the tenure of that acting city manager who was here, who wasn't happy about me being here.  My wheelchair ultimately got broken rolling down because it started to slide sideways, and the brakes broke.  So, the city's paying for the repair of that wheelchair. That acting city manager resigned, and our new city manager is incredibly kind and generous and working very hard to ensure not just my access, but everybody's. He's had the city hold trainings for every staff member to learn about disability access.  And so, I appreciate that none of that would have happened had I not been here. And it's not just about me. It's about every person in the community that is challenged with barriers to access.   Denny:   One of their priorities for Liz is creating more accessible and affordable housing in the city, an issue she is currently experiencing. Liz:   So, I still have not found housing in my district that is wheelchair accessible and affordable.  And the cost of housing in Ventura just keeps getting higher and higher.  So, I'm currently living in a [pause]. It's, it's a van, but it's not a little tiny van.  It formerly was an access bus and a paratransit bus.   So, it has a ramp.  It's pretty big.  It's about 16 feet of living space. I have solar panels on top.  I can cook.  I have a camping toilet.  So, it suffices while I'm still looking for housing. But really — Affordable housing for people with disabilities and seniors on limited income does not currently exist in the city of Ventura except through Section Eight.  And the Section Eight waiting list currently is 15 years long.   Denny:  Upon hearing what Liz spent on her campaign, our interviewer Jacob was speechless. Liz:  I didn't raise a lot of money. I probably spent the least money of anyone who's ever run for Ventura City Council.  And people who are rich will spend a lot of money, but it really isn't about the money as much as about how you connect with people.  I put a website up that cost me $100, and I used it for fundraising.  And I had all the videos from the rallies I did and from public meetings and… I think I posted a video from one of the events I did with the ILRC [Independent Living Resource Center], and then I just made a couple short videos talking about the cost of running, but how important it is for me to be there to represent the people. I put a PayPal link to the campaign bank account, and I raised just about $3,000. Of that money, I had two events in a park and gave away free tacos that cost about $1,200.  And I spent $800 on t-shirts saying Vote for Liz Campos in two languages.  And I gave away the t-shirts free.  I had 2,000 t-shirts of all sizes.  So, people in my district were walking billboards for me. The other thing that's important to do is to meet with unions or organizations.  iIf you get their support and get an endorsement who will knock on doors for you. Because both Santa Barbara and Ventura, for example, are a little bit hilly and they're old.  There's narrow sidewalks.  There's front gates that a wheelchair can't get through.  People don't answer their doors to strangers. Because I couldn't knock on doors myself, I held events at the park. But I had CAUSE who endorsed me, and Stonewall Democrats and the county Democrats endorsed me, and they knocked on all the doors in my neighborhoods for me.  And they also paid for mailers.  Because they endorsed me, they paid for the mailers.  So, when I finished my campaign, I had $800 left that I donated to a local nonprofit organization.   Denny:   Like Rebecca, Liz also offers words of encouragement to people with disabilities who are interested in running for public office. Liz:  Don't hesitate to do it.  Get to know other people as much as possible.  Speak at rallies and events.  And make sure you get video of those things so that you can put it online when you're running.  That way other people who don't know you get to know you. But I think that there are people still who have animosity to us as people with disabilities, but more and more people are recognizing we're not so different from them. So, I would encourage everybody who wants to run for public office to run.  Even if you lose the first time, keep at it because it helps everybody in the disability community — win or lose — if people see us in public and hear us speak and recognize that we're good people.   Denny:   Our last guest is Chris Hinds on the Denver City Council. Chris Hinds:  I'm the first elected official in Denver's history, local, state or federal, who uses a wheelchair to get around.  My decision to seek elected office is because we've never had disability representation in Denver.  I have an acquired disability.  I grew up as an able-bodied individual.  I was in a crash in 2008. The Democratic National Convention was here in Denver in 2008. I was on a bike and got hit by a car.  So, um, I went from being on three soccer teams to, uh, learning how to sit up in bed and, uh, I have a spinal cord injury.  It is a T-3, do, um, third thoracic vertebra and, uh, I now use a wheelchair to get around. I started looking around and I didn't see people with disabilities in areas of power or influence, or I couldn't find a lot of role models that I really wanted to aspire to be.  You know, as the Gandhi quote is, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.  I realized that it was important for me, if I felt like I could represent people with disabilities, then I had an obligation to do so.   Denny:   Chris talks about a few challenges he faced while trying to run for office. Chris:   You know, much of campaigning is knocking on doors and telling people, you know, sharing with people, one-on-one, your story. I can't do that because most of the homes have at least one step right before the front entrance.  In some ways that was great for me because I can't knock on any doors at all because of my wheelchair and those steps to get to the front door, but no one else could either.  Because 80% of the people I represent in central Denver live in apartments or condominium buildings, you know, secure access buildings. Campaigning is grueling for anyone.  It, it takes a lot of time.  It takes a lot of energy.  It takes, it takes a lot of focus.  And so, someone with a, you know, with a disability has to spend more time doing things and can't do things that other people can.  And so being a candidate and campaigning and making phone calls and worrying about pressure sores, some pressure ulcers. I don't have control over my bowel or bladder function like I used to, because just it's all paralyzed.  I would be at a venue, turns out that the restroom wasn't wheelchair accessible.  I mean, there were times when I would pee on myself.  In addition to having to learn how to say something compelling to someone and really get them to want to vote for me instead of anyone else, I also had the more basic thing of I'm being myself, how do I minimize that? How do I keep someone from realizing that I am embarrassing myself in a public space?   Denny:  There are people with a wide variety of disabilities serving in various positions all across the USA. The National Council of Independent Living maintains an online database of elected officials that Jacob used to find guests for today's show. A link to the database can be found on the KPFA archives page for this show. We'd like to thank today's guests, Rebecca, Liz and Chris. And thanks also to the whole Pushing Limits collective for another great year of Disability Radio. Today's interviews and script were done by Jacob Lesner Buxton, announcing and audio production by Denny Daughters. Contact us by email (all one word) PushingLimits at KPFA.org, catch us on Facebook at Pushing Limits Radio, or you can visit our website at Pushing Limits Radio.org.   Stay tuned for Talk It Out.  This is 94.1 KPFA.   Keep on Pushing Theme Song. [Keep on Pushing sung by Curtis Mayfield] The post Politicians with Disabilities – Pushing Limits – December 29, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

Adrina Gibson joined the City and County of Denver's Denver Economic Development and Opportunity (DEDO) in 2019 serving as the Chief Officer of the Division of Small Business Opportunity (DSBO). In this role, she leads DSBO's key program areas: Certification, Business Utilization, Contract Compliance, Forensic/Investigation, Strategic Development, and Community Engagement/Outreach programs. Fostering a more equitable playing field on public contracts, DSBO encourages and advocates for the utilization of small and disadvantaged businesses on construction projects, professional services projects, and for the procurement of goods and services, as well as local concessionaire opportunities. Gibson leads a dynamic and passionate team that supports the growth, capacity, and sustainability of small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses. Most notably, under Gibson's leadership, DSBO: • Received a unanimous vote from Denver City Council to reauthorize the revised DSBO Ordinance; this law prevents discrimination, maximizes opportunities, and builds equity for small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses • Adopted Rules and Regulations of the programs it oversees as additional guidance of the DSBO Ordinance • Implemented and administered the Citywide Mentor Protégé Program and Bridging the Gap to provide strategic development to small businesses • Oversees compliance oversight of nearly $100 million worth of city contracts that are awarded annually to certified small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses. • Facilitates the convening of city agency executive leadership and the Mayor's Office through the Business Equity Leadership Team (BELT) to operationalize key priorities of the small business community. Prior to joining the City and County of Denver, Gibson worked at the Regional Transportation District (RTD) as the Manager of the Small Business Office, whereby she devoted her leadership to economic development, civil rights, community activism, and capacity growth of small and disadvantaged businesses. After starting out as an intern, she served 12 years in a variety of positions within the Small Business Office of RTD's Civil Rights Division, as a manager, consultant, and DBE/SBE project manager. As a Denver native, she is dedicated to the community she serves. Gibson's passion for her community began early in life while in high school she interned several summers at the Metro Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Development Center (SBDC), while in college conducted research and civic engagement projects on social constructs affecting women and minorities and today volunteers assist underserved communities. Learn more about the City & County of Denver, CO, and the work they do: https://www.denvergov.org/Business --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/governmentcoins/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/governmentcoins/support

Adrina Gibson joined the City and County of Denver's Denver Economic Development and Opportunity (DEDO) in 2019 serving as the Chief Officer of the Division of Small Business Opportunity (DSBO). In this role, she leads DSBO's key program areas: Certification, Business Utilization, Contract Compliance, Forensic/Investigation, Strategic Development, and Community Engagement/Outreach programs. Fostering a more equitable playing field on public contracts, DSBO encourages and advocates for the utilization of small and disadvantaged businesses on construction projects, professional services projects, and for the procurement of goods and services, as well as local concessionaire opportunities. Gibson leads a dynamic and passionate team that supports the growth, capacity, and sustainability of small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses. Most notably, under Gibson's leadership, DSBO: • Received a unanimous vote from Denver City Council to reauthorize the revised DSBO Ordinance; this law prevents discrimination, maximizes opportunities, and builds equity for small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses • Adopted Rules and Regulations of the programs it oversees as additional guidance of the DSBO Ordinance • Implemented and administered the Citywide Mentor Protégé Program and Bridging the Gap to provide strategic development to small businesses • Oversees compliance oversight of nearly $100 million worth of city contracts that are awarded annually to certified small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses. • Facilitates the convening of city agency executive leadership and the Mayor's Office through the Business Equity Leadership Team (BELT) to operationalize key priorities of the small business community. Prior to joining the City and County of Denver, Gibson worked at the Regional Transportation District (RTD) as the Manager of the Small Business Office, whereby she devoted her leadership to economic development, civil rights, community activism, and capacity growth of small and disadvantaged businesses. After starting out as an intern, she served 12 years in a variety of positions within the Small Business Office of RTD's Civil Rights Division, as a manager, consultant, and DBE/SBE project manager. As a Denver native, she is dedicated to the community she serves. Gibson's passion for her community began early in life while in high school she interned several summers at the Metro Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Development Center (SBDC), while in college conducted research and civic engagement projects on social constructs affecting women and minorities and today volunteers assist underserved communities. Learn more about the City & County of Denver, CO, and the work they do: https://www.denvergov.org/Business --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/governmentcoins/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/governmentcoins/support

Colorado teachers' union sues school district over gag policy | Arizona's state Democratic Party has raised 7x more money than AZ Republicans this year | Cecelia Espinoza, Rochelle Galindo, and Tim Hernandez seek vacant Colorado House seat representing Denver-based 4th district | Power shutoffs could prove deadly as Nevadans brace for continued extreme heatSong playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: COLORADO NEWSLINE:A Colorado teachers union filed a federal lawsuit against the Woodland Park School District and its board of education over a policy that they say prevents teachers from publicly speaking about school concerns.The Woodland Park Education Association and its president, Nate Owen, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver this week. The school board and district in Woodland Park, outside Colorado Springs in Teller County, has become increasingly conservative in recent years and the schools have become a frequent flashpoint of controversy over a number of issues including curriculum, personnel, transparency, etc.The lawsuit alleges that a district policy known as KDDA, is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech that goes against the First Amendment.That policy, revised twice this year, states that the superintendent is the official spokesperson for the district and employees cannot talk to the media or even post on social media about district decisions without approval. Violation of the policy is considered insubordination.The lawsuit says “Prior restraints on speech are the most serious and least tolerable infringement of an individual's First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court has routinely held that prior restraints on protected speech are presumed to be constitutionally invalid,”There are examples of courts striking down policies that prevent public employees, like teachers, from speaking to the media without prior approval. attorney Steve Zansberg, who works on cases pertaining to media and the First Amendment said “It is my understanding that policies like this have previously been challenged in other school districts and have been found by courts to be unconstitutional restrictions on free speech rights of school employees.” Because of Owen's standing as president of the local teachers union, he often makes public comments to the school board about working conditions and matters of public concern, as well as comments to the media. The district's policy, however, puts his teaching job in jeopardy if he speaks out.The lawsuit also alleges that the way the policy was revised in February and March violates Colorado's Open Meetings Law. There are no posted minutes or agendas that show the school board publicly discussing the issue.Woodland Park School District Superintendent Ken Witt called the lawsuit a “coordinated political attack” by groups seeking to intimidate him, but of course offered no support for that claim. ARIZONA MIRROR:Arizona Republican Party's fundraising abysmal in run up to pivotal 2024 electionBY: CAITLIN SIEVERS - AUGUST 11, 2023 7:00 AMThe Arizona Republican Party's fundraising efforts so far this year are embarrassing, with Democrats outpacing them seven to one, leaving political operatives wondering if the party's new chairman can right the ship in time to mount any sort of meaningful campaign in 2024. The party took in only $165,000 in contributions so far in 2023, as compared to the Arizona Democratic Party's more than $1,150,000. And the state Republican Party's federal account, which is vital to fund operations during a presidential election year, was in a sad state as of the end of June, with less than $24,000 in cash on hand, compared to the state Democratic Party's nearly $714,000.Because of campaign finance laws, the parties must operate separate accounts for money spent to help elect federal candidates and funds used to bolster state and local hopefuls. Robert Graham, a former Arizona Republican Party chairman from 2013-2017, told the Arizona Mirror, “If this were me, I would be sweating a little bit.” He went on to say that the last party chairman Kelli Ward's extravagant spending and far-right fringe politics have left some big donors hesitant to give.Ward, who chaired the state GOP for four years beginning in January 2019, was part of the group of fake electors from Arizona that hoped to overturn former President Donald Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in 2020. She bought into election conspiracy theories and spent more than $500,000 on an election night party and statewide bus tour in 2022, angering fellow Republicans who would have rather seen that money used to help GOP candidates who lost extremely tight statewide races.In that election, Arizona Republicans suffered losses in the race for governor, secretary of state and attorney general and the U.S. Senate.One former AZ Democratic Party executive director said“Functionally, they're running an operation right now that wouldn't be capable of running one Dairy Queen franchise, much less a state operation to hopefully elect a senator or a president,” “I would be shocked, I think, just given where they are right now, if this time next year they're running any sort of impactful campaign or effort out of the state Republican Party.”DENVER WESTWORD:Firebrand Teacher Tim Hernández seeks seat in Colorado HouseHouse District 4 had been represented by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, who won an at-large seat on Denver City Council.By Michael RobertsAugust 9, 2023Tim Hernández is a teacher best known for fighting on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion related to both students and educators. Now he hopes to bring his passion to the Colorado Legislature as a representative for House District 4.Hernandez has been a controversial figure, making headlines last year when students at North High School protested the decision not to keep him on the staff.Colorado's House District 4 stretches roughly from Regis University south to Morrison Road, and from Sheridan Boulevard east to Zuni Street. However, the District's voters as a whole won't be making the selection — at least not yet. On August 26 "appointed leadership of the Democratic Party within the House district, an estimated 69 individuals, will decide who fills out the rest of the term.  Two other hopefuls with significant Democratic connections are also vying for the spot. Cecelia Espenoza previously worked as a counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and an appellate immigration judge. She is also a former professor at the University of Denver and St. Mary's University School of Law, and a former chair of the board at the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., as well.Also in the race is Rochelle Galindo, who in 2015 became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Greeley, Colorado City Council. She followed this win by besting Republican rival Michael Thuener to become the state representative for Weld County's District 50 in 2018. She resigned the next year after being accused of sexual assault and providing alcohol to a minor and was cleared of the charges in 2021. Since she left the legislature, Galindo has worked in various roles at advocacy organizations Colorado People's Alliance, Colorado People's Action, and Emerge.NEVADA CURRENT:NV households struggle to pay summer power bills, and it's getting worseBY: JENIFFER SOLIS - AUGUST 15, 2023 5:34 AMRecord heat in Southern Nevada throughout July drove scores of residents to take refuge in air-conditioned homes, but the cost of fighting off summer temperatures will likely leave an alarming number of Nevadans unable to pay their bills. Last month was the hottest July ever recorded in Las Vegas, with a daily average high of 109 degrees. The last two weeks of July were the hottest 14-day stretch on ever record, with an average high of 112 degrees. Nevada residents living in a single-family home saw an average 22% increase — from about $337 per month fo $407 per month - in their energy bills.Electricity rates in July were set to be even higher before NV Energy agreed to temporarily reduce costs for customers.For many Nevada households, an extra $60 to $70 dollars won't completely break the bank, but for low-income households or those on a fixed income, higher utility bills mean choosing between keeping the A/C running or addressing other essential needs like food and medication. In the worst-case scenario, lack of payment may lead to a power shut-off, leaving families scrambling to find enough money to restore service, often only to face disconnection again.Further, Nevada does not require utilities to disclose the number of customers they disconnect, leaving little transparency of the magnitude of the problem. NV Energy, a monopoly with more than a million captive customers, has shown little interest in publicly sharing the number of disconnected customers. An NV Energy spokesperson said in an email that “NV Energy does not share this type of data publicly, though the company works diligently with customers and makes every effort to avoid disconnecting power.”Data that is public reveals that more and more households are struggling to pay utility bills in Nevada. Applications for state utility assistance over the last three months of available data reveal a sharp 37% increase compared to the same period last year. Public health officials anticipate the high demand will continue as temperatures remain high throughout August. The state program, called the Energy Assistance Program, provides a supplement for qualifying low-income Nevadans with the cost of home energy. Eligible households receive an annual, one-time per year benefit paid directly to their energy provider.But the cost of that assistance ultimately falls on NV Energy customers. Part of the program's funding is subsidized by ratepayers through NV Energy's Universal Energy Charge, which adds 46 cents a month to the typical residential power bill.Unpaid bills that can't be recovered by NV Energy are eventually paid by customers too. Nevada law does protect utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death. According to state statute, a utility company can't terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours within the customer's geographical area. For most residents in Southern Nevada, extreme heat is defined as 105 degrees. So if it won't be 105 in the course of the next day, service can be terminated. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also can't terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less. But more than $50, it could be lights out. COLORADO SUN:Colorado's Copper Mountain resort starts seeding to spark a huge biodiversity effortJason Blevins3:50 AM MDT on Aug 15, 2023This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins.In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.SUBSCRIBECopper Mountain has identified 558 acres on the front side of its ski area where soil work can help restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity to help lessen the impacts of climate change. Last year the resort announced a 10-year carbon sequestration plan to plant carbon-storing plants and grasses on its ski slopes. The resort has tapped researchers at Southwestern University in Texas in the effort, with student scientists staking out test plots on five ski runs where they can monitor vegetation growth using native seeds, compost and biochar.The ski area hosted several resort leaders at its second-annual conservation summit earlier this month in an effort to share their research, strategies and projects. A large focus was restoring biological vibrancy on ski slopes, which too often are simply treated pretty much like lawns instead of critical components of mountain ecosystems. Last year sustainability workers at Copper Mountain started collecting seeds from 27 native species and replanting them across the resort's north-facing ski runs.Jeff Grasser, head of sustainability at Copper Mountain said “We are experimenting. We are trying to figure out how to make all this work at a landscape level,” as he sifted through charred wood chips in a 50-gallon drum that he will carefully spread across plots of ski slopes to see how the porous, lightweight biochar might help native grasses thrive. The aptly named Grasser has big plans. What if he could create “tons and tons” of biochar in massive kilns, not just little drums? What if Copper Mountain's corporate owner deploys its fleet of helicopters for heli-skiing in Utah to spread biochar across all the ski slopes at the company's 10 mountain resorts?“We want to do this in ways that can be done on a very large scale and we can't wait to share these results with you,” Grasser told a group of sustainability leaders at a recent conservation summit.The program included a presentation from folks from another Colorado ski area, Arapahoe Basin, detailing how crews replaced vegetation by hand and preserved topsoil when installing new chairlift towers. The crew from Eldora Mountain Resort offered details of a project with the Town of Nederland to build a wetland to replace a trailhead parking lot. Sunlight ski area took a page from Copper Mountain's biodiversity playbook and began collecting native seeds for replanting on ski runs. The Copper Mountain project will build a dataset of more than 100 locations across the ski area, with 10 years of science showing how native grasses, compost and biochar can help resort operators regain a more diverse, balanced ecosystem on ski slopes.“We want to have the data to be able to say,‘Hey this works really well. Don't just take my word for it. We have scientific evidence that supports these methods. These are the first steps in delivering resilience so bio-diversity can grow.'”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Ha Ha TonkaThu., Aug. 24, 9 p.m. at the Skylark Lounge in Denver (Bobcat Club) $12-$15An indie / southern rock band originally formed in West Plains, MO, Ha Ha Tonka's "dark view of the realities of socio-economic hardship, backwoods prejudices and drug abuse is leavened by wry humor and a deep appreciation for regional storytelling traditions. New album Blood Red Moon will be released on October 23.After Denver, Ha Ha Tonka will play a slate of shows throughout California, then Columbia, Missouri on November 2nd, West Plains on November 3rd, and Springfield, Missouri on November 4th. hahatonkamusic.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, The Outsider, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Colorado teachers' union sues school district over gag policy | Arizona's state Democratic Party has raised 7x more money than AZ Republicans this year | Cecelia Espinoza, Rochelle Galindo, and Tim Hernandez seek vacant Colorado House seat representing Denver-based 4th district | Power shutoffs could prove deadly as Nevadans brace for continued extreme heatSong playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Support this show and all the work in the Heartland POD universe by going to heartlandpod.com and clicking the link for Patreon, or go to Patreon.com/HeartlandPod to sign up. Membership starts at $1/month, with even more extra shows and special access at the higher levels. No matter the level you choose, your membership helps us create these independent shows as we work together to change the conversation.Alright! Let's get into it: COLORADO NEWSLINE:A Colorado teachers union filed a federal lawsuit against the Woodland Park School District and its board of education over a policy that they say prevents teachers from publicly speaking about school concerns.The Woodland Park Education Association and its president, Nate Owen, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver this week. The school board and district in Woodland Park, outside Colorado Springs in Teller County, has become increasingly conservative in recent years and the schools have become a frequent flashpoint of controversy over a number of issues including curriculum, personnel, transparency, etc.The lawsuit alleges that a district policy known as KDDA, is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech that goes against the First Amendment.That policy, revised twice this year, states that the superintendent is the official spokesperson for the district and employees cannot talk to the media or even post on social media about district decisions without approval. Violation of the policy is considered insubordination.The lawsuit says “Prior restraints on speech are the most serious and least tolerable infringement of an individual's First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court has routinely held that prior restraints on protected speech are presumed to be constitutionally invalid,”There are examples of courts striking down policies that prevent public employees, like teachers, from speaking to the media without prior approval. attorney Steve Zansberg, who works on cases pertaining to media and the First Amendment said “It is my understanding that policies like this have previously been challenged in other school districts and have been found by courts to be unconstitutional restrictions on free speech rights of school employees.” Because of Owen's standing as president of the local teachers union, he often makes public comments to the school board about working conditions and matters of public concern, as well as comments to the media. The district's policy, however, puts his teaching job in jeopardy if he speaks out.The lawsuit also alleges that the way the policy was revised in February and March violates Colorado's Open Meetings Law. There are no posted minutes or agendas that show the school board publicly discussing the issue.Woodland Park School District Superintendent Ken Witt called the lawsuit a “coordinated political attack” by groups seeking to intimidate him, but of course offered no support for that claim. ARIZONA MIRROR:Arizona Republican Party's fundraising abysmal in run up to pivotal 2024 electionBY: CAITLIN SIEVERS - AUGUST 11, 2023 7:00 AMThe Arizona Republican Party's fundraising efforts so far this year are embarrassing, with Democrats outpacing them seven to one, leaving political operatives wondering if the party's new chairman can right the ship in time to mount any sort of meaningful campaign in 2024. The party took in only $165,000 in contributions so far in 2023, as compared to the Arizona Democratic Party's more than $1,150,000. And the state Republican Party's federal account, which is vital to fund operations during a presidential election year, was in a sad state as of the end of June, with less than $24,000 in cash on hand, compared to the state Democratic Party's nearly $714,000.Because of campaign finance laws, the parties must operate separate accounts for money spent to help elect federal candidates and funds used to bolster state and local hopefuls. Robert Graham, a former Arizona Republican Party chairman from 2013-2017, told the Arizona Mirror, “If this were me, I would be sweating a little bit.” He went on to say that the last party chairman Kelli Ward's extravagant spending and far-right fringe politics have left some big donors hesitant to give.Ward, who chaired the state GOP for four years beginning in January 2019, was part of the group of fake electors from Arizona that hoped to overturn former President Donald Trump's loss to President Joe Biden in 2020. She bought into election conspiracy theories and spent more than $500,000 on an election night party and statewide bus tour in 2022, angering fellow Republicans who would have rather seen that money used to help GOP candidates who lost extremely tight statewide races.In that election, Arizona Republicans suffered losses in the race for governor, secretary of state and attorney general and the U.S. Senate.One former AZ Democratic Party executive director said“Functionally, they're running an operation right now that wouldn't be capable of running one Dairy Queen franchise, much less a state operation to hopefully elect a senator or a president,” “I would be shocked, I think, just given where they are right now, if this time next year they're running any sort of impactful campaign or effort out of the state Republican Party.”DENVER WESTWORD:Firebrand Teacher Tim Hernández seeks seat in Colorado HouseHouse District 4 had been represented by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, who won an at-large seat on Denver City Council.By Michael RobertsAugust 9, 2023Tim Hernández is a teacher best known for fighting on behalf of diversity, equity and inclusion related to both students and educators. Now he hopes to bring his passion to the Colorado Legislature as a representative for House District 4.Hernandez has been a controversial figure, making headlines last year when students at North High School protested the decision not to keep him on the staff.Colorado's House District 4 stretches roughly from Regis University south to Morrison Road, and from Sheridan Boulevard east to Zuni Street. However, the District's voters as a whole won't be making the selection — at least not yet. On August 26 "appointed leadership of the Democratic Party within the House district, an estimated 69 individuals, will decide who fills out the rest of the term.  Two other hopefuls with significant Democratic connections are also vying for the spot. Cecelia Espenoza previously worked as a counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice and an appellate immigration judge. She is also a former professor at the University of Denver and St. Mary's University School of Law, and a former chair of the board at the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., as well.Also in the race is Rochelle Galindo, who in 2015 became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Greeley, Colorado City Council. She followed this win by besting Republican rival Michael Thuener to become the state representative for Weld County's District 50 in 2018. She resigned the next year after being accused of sexual assault and providing alcohol to a minor and was cleared of the charges in 2021. Since she left the legislature, Galindo has worked in various roles at advocacy organizations Colorado People's Alliance, Colorado People's Action, and Emerge.NEVADA CURRENT:NV households struggle to pay summer power bills, and it's getting worseBY: JENIFFER SOLIS - AUGUST 15, 2023 5:34 AMRecord heat in Southern Nevada throughout July drove scores of residents to take refuge in air-conditioned homes, but the cost of fighting off summer temperatures will likely leave an alarming number of Nevadans unable to pay their bills. Last month was the hottest July ever recorded in Las Vegas, with a daily average high of 109 degrees. The last two weeks of July were the hottest 14-day stretch on ever record, with an average high of 112 degrees. Nevada residents living in a single-family home saw an average 22% increase — from about $337 per month fo $407 per month - in their energy bills.Electricity rates in July were set to be even higher before NV Energy agreed to temporarily reduce costs for customers.For many Nevada households, an extra $60 to $70 dollars won't completely break the bank, but for low-income households or those on a fixed income, higher utility bills mean choosing between keeping the A/C running or addressing other essential needs like food and medication. In the worst-case scenario, lack of payment may lead to a power shut-off, leaving families scrambling to find enough money to restore service, often only to face disconnection again.Further, Nevada does not require utilities to disclose the number of customers they disconnect, leaving little transparency of the magnitude of the problem. NV Energy, a monopoly with more than a million captive customers, has shown little interest in publicly sharing the number of disconnected customers. An NV Energy spokesperson said in an email that “NV Energy does not share this type of data publicly, though the company works diligently with customers and makes every effort to avoid disconnecting power.”Data that is public reveals that more and more households are struggling to pay utility bills in Nevada. Applications for state utility assistance over the last three months of available data reveal a sharp 37% increase compared to the same period last year. Public health officials anticipate the high demand will continue as temperatures remain high throughout August. The state program, called the Energy Assistance Program, provides a supplement for qualifying low-income Nevadans with the cost of home energy. Eligible households receive an annual, one-time per year benefit paid directly to their energy provider.But the cost of that assistance ultimately falls on NV Energy customers. Part of the program's funding is subsidized by ratepayers through NV Energy's Universal Energy Charge, which adds 46 cents a month to the typical residential power bill.Unpaid bills that can't be recovered by NV Energy are eventually paid by customers too. Nevada law does protect utility customers from power shut-offs during periods of extreme heat, when a lack of air conditioning can result in waves of hospitalizations or even death. According to state statute, a utility company can't terminate service for a non-paying customer if the National Weather Service has forecast a period of extreme heat within the next 24 hours within the customer's geographical area. For most residents in Southern Nevada, extreme heat is defined as 105 degrees. So if it won't be 105 in the course of the next day, service can be terminated. NV Energy must also notify elderly customers at least 48 hours before termination of power.For all other residents in Southern Nevada, a forecast of 105 degrees or higher within a 24 hour period is considered extreme heat. Utilities also can't terminate service to a customer for nonpayment if the outstanding amount owed is $50 or less. But more than $50, it could be lights out. COLORADO SUN:Colorado's Copper Mountain resort starts seeding to spark a huge biodiversity effortJason Blevins3:50 AM MDT on Aug 15, 2023This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins.In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.SUBSCRIBECopper Mountain has identified 558 acres on the front side of its ski area where soil work can help restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity to help lessen the impacts of climate change. Last year the resort announced a 10-year carbon sequestration plan to plant carbon-storing plants and grasses on its ski slopes. The resort has tapped researchers at Southwestern University in Texas in the effort, with student scientists staking out test plots on five ski runs where they can monitor vegetation growth using native seeds, compost and biochar.The ski area hosted several resort leaders at its second-annual conservation summit earlier this month in an effort to share their research, strategies and projects. A large focus was restoring biological vibrancy on ski slopes, which too often are simply treated pretty much like lawns instead of critical components of mountain ecosystems. Last year sustainability workers at Copper Mountain started collecting seeds from 27 native species and replanting them across the resort's north-facing ski runs.Jeff Grasser, head of sustainability at Copper Mountain said “We are experimenting. We are trying to figure out how to make all this work at a landscape level,” as he sifted through charred wood chips in a 50-gallon drum that he will carefully spread across plots of ski slopes to see how the porous, lightweight biochar might help native grasses thrive. The aptly named Grasser has big plans. What if he could create “tons and tons” of biochar in massive kilns, not just little drums? What if Copper Mountain's corporate owner deploys its fleet of helicopters for heli-skiing in Utah to spread biochar across all the ski slopes at the company's 10 mountain resorts?“We want to do this in ways that can be done on a very large scale and we can't wait to share these results with you,” Grasser told a group of sustainability leaders at a recent conservation summit.The program included a presentation from folks from another Colorado ski area, Arapahoe Basin, detailing how crews replaced vegetation by hand and preserved topsoil when installing new chairlift towers. The crew from Eldora Mountain Resort offered details of a project with the Town of Nederland to build a wetland to replace a trailhead parking lot. Sunlight ski area took a page from Copper Mountain's biodiversity playbook and began collecting native seeds for replanting on ski runs. The Copper Mountain project will build a dataset of more than 100 locations across the ski area, with 10 years of science showing how native grasses, compost and biochar can help resort operators regain a more diverse, balanced ecosystem on ski slopes.“We want to have the data to be able to say,‘Hey this works really well. Don't just take my word for it. We have scientific evidence that supports these methods. These are the first steps in delivering resilience so bio-diversity can grow.'”And your unsolicited concert pick of the week, Ha Ha TonkaThu., Aug. 24, 9 p.m. at the Skylark Lounge in Denver (Bobcat Club) $12-$15An indie / southern rock band originally formed in West Plains, MO, Ha Ha Tonka's "dark view of the realities of socio-economic hardship, backwoods prejudices and drug abuse is leavened by wry humor and a deep appreciation for regional storytelling traditions. New album Blood Red Moon will be released on October 23.After Denver, Ha Ha Tonka will play a slate of shows throughout California, then Columbia, Missouri on November 2nd, West Plains on November 3rd, and Springfield, Missouri on November 4th. hahatonkamusic.comWelp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from Colorado Sun, The Outsider, Colorado Newsline, Arizona Mirror, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Dr. Jim Craig, the Aurora dentist (Steffan's former) had a bond hearing earlier today. A judge set it at $10 MILLION dollars. Then - outgoing Denver in Decay Mayor Michael Hancock gave his 'farewell' interview with CBS4. We play the piece and take calls and texts. A Denver City Council program may give illegals some COVID money. Caller Chris: "F is the best grade I could give the guy." Then - what, exactly, happened with the Wagner Group last weekend in Russia? Combat veteran, author, speaker and Ukraine/Russia expert John Spencer joins us. Post-conversation on Ukraine - from refugees to spending.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First 90+ degree day of the year in Denver! A potpourri program: we begin with the Denver City Council's first passage of a special fund to help "migrant guests" and "souls." GardaWorld could soon get a contract to "take care" of 1,000 illegals for up to $120M over the next three years. Calls and texts. We wrap the hour with a Buffalo Bills player canceling his charity golf tournament due to cancel culture because the tourney was at a Trump course.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Monday! A plea deal for the Club Q killer in Colorado Springs. Sneaky $40M deal the Denver City Council is about to enter into to care for "migrant guests." Sound from NYC Pride Parade: "... we're coming for your children." The latest on the Wagner uprising in Russia over the weekend and the latest on the Titan submersible last week. Then - oh, the poor Rockies. High(low)lights from Saturday's 25-1 loss to the Angels. Yikes. We wrap the hour with Money Monday, David Fischer, www.landmarkgold.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mayor's race is grabbing all the headlines lately, but what about Denver City Council? With contested runoffs in Districts 8, 9, and 10 and many new faces already elected, this key branch of our local government is poised for some big changes. Incumbents Candi CdeBaca (District 9) and Chris Hinds (District 10) are both fighting to retain their seats, while District 8 is a battle between two new contenders, Shontel Lewis and Brad Revare. But these votes are about more than who gets onto City Council, they could lead to a major ideological swing and a new approach to how lawmaking gets done in Denver. Host Bree Davies and Producer Paul Karolyi break down the races and talk about what's at stake ahead of Election Day on June 6.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: badboyboards Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Laurie is joined by Tony Smith, the Founder, Owner and Cupid for Denver's Cupid: Colorado's Gay Matchmaker! Denver's Cupid is the only LGBTQ Matchmaking Service in Colorado and one of only a few in the USA. Tony specializes in “The Art of Matchmaking and the Power of Connection” via personal, private and boutique matchmaking along with social and speed dating events. Tony is a 20+ year resident of Denver and along with making connections, other specialties are event production, civic navigation, marketing and PR. Tony resigned from his 18-year career with Cherry Creek Arts Festival to run for Denver City Council in 2019, where his campaign theme of ‘connection' lead to his inspiration for creating Denver's Cupid. He continues to serve the community via boards and Commissions including his current Denver Mayoral appointment to the Commission on Aging and formerly the Commission on Cultural Affairs, Parks and Rec Advisory Board, LGBT Commission, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Gay Volleyball Association and the Federation of Gay Games. Tony and his husband of 20 years live in Congress Park and believe “Everyone Deserves Love.”Donate to The Center on Colfax at https://lgbtqcolorado.org Follow Tony on Social Media…https://instagram.com/denverscupid https://facebook.com/denversupid https://linqapp.com/r_tony_smith Follow Laurie on Instagram at http://instagram.com/carolinasmatchmaker To learn more about Laurie and how her team can help you find love, visit http://carolinasmatchmaker.com

The Mao and Alinsky inspired activists are getting what the Devil wants them to get: neighbors hating neighbors. Once again, it's a made-up condition called race and, if you care about justice and watch the news, it's hard not to give the Devil something else he wants: our anger. Today, I hope to practice the skill of going through news would make any thinking person angry while taking angry thoughts captives to Christ. Sadly, it's a good time to practice this skill. While the anti-white Mockingbird Media works with the Maoists to pretend a man was murdered in a New York Subway train for being hungry, they largely ignore the case of a black man who decided to shoot and kill two white people because, he said, they were white.The separate Country of California has determined how much money people who never held slaves will give people who never were slaves but, they have added some bonus payments . . . people who never discriminated on housing loans or unjustly put people in prison will give money to people who--maybe--experienced such discrimination. Maybe it's just me, but I cannot read news like this and remain in the Holy Spirit unless I am intentional about it, which is what I hope to practice in this Episode. What does God's Word say? 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.James 2:1-4 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ...2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.Episode 815 Links - Man Charged With Hate Crime After Allegedly Shooting Two Strangers Execution Style Because They Were WhiteLanguage Warning: An upset black man riding the NYC subway clashes with protesters for interrupting his ride - he's shoved back by the group and police.Leftist rioters in NYC created a hostage situation, blocking train doors to prevent the Metro subway from running in an act of support for Jordan NeelyAnti-Trump Organization prosecutor heading investigation into Jordan Neely's killingCalifornia Panel Calls for Billions in Reparations for Black Residents; A task force recommended that legislators enact a sweeping program to compensate for the economic harm from racism in the state's history.Denver City Council member Candi CdeBaca, who is running for re-election, says white owned businesses should be taxed extra and redistributed to black owned businesses.Democratic Socialist of America Councilmember Tammy Morales introduced the board that will be overseeing Seattle's Social Housing program, made up of people who are/were homeless, socialists & others who have presided over the city's "homeless" disaster. 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At the 11th hour of the legislative session, Governor Jared Polis and Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly are attempting to get a ballot measure approved for November to use TABOR refunds as stopgap relief for soaring property taxes. Ben Murrey, fiscal policy director for the Independence Institute joins Dan to tell voters not to buy this sleight of hand and vote down Proposition HH this fall, even if it means short-term pain for property owners - TABOR must be preserved at all costs. Also, Denver City Council resident communist Candi Cdebaca wants white-owned businesses to pick up the tax burden for black-and-brown-owned businesses with a wealth redistribution scheme.

We begin with the three 18-year-old high school seniors under arrest in the death of Alexa Bartell. They each face 13 counts, including first degree murder with extreme indifference. Not a peep! It's "The Great Colorado Democrat Cover Up" - not one high-ranking Colorado Democrat has said a word about "The Colorado Six" walking out in front of a fallen officer's family.  Then - Yazoo BBQ owner Don Hines joins us to talk about why he went in front of the Denver City Council earlier this week. A heartwarming discussion and memories of his WWII tank commander father.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval joins Dan after Denver Public Schools superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero was a no-show at a scheduled city council meeting to discuss school safety after the latest shooting at Denver East High. She called Marrero's absence 'beyond insulting' and added 'to say I am disappointed is an understatement.

Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval joins Dan after Denver Public Schools superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero was a no-show at a scheduled city council meeting to discuss school safety after the latest shooting at Denver East High. She called Marrero's absence 'beyond insulting' and added 'to say I am disappointed is an understatement. Also, Dan and Ryan discuss the downfall of a great city of Chicago and why Denver may fortunately avoid a similar fate.

The Denver City Council is asking Denver voters to remove 100-year-old language from the City Charter related to the Board of Adjustment in an effort to modernize zoning exceptions and variances. Real Estate Shareholders Blair Lichtenfels and Zach Siegel bring in land use attorney Caitlin Quander to discuss Referred Question 2M—how it works, what will happen if it passes and its potential impact on the city.

Respects to the late Pat Schroeder. Then - another Denver City Council settlement with protestors during the "Summer of Hell" 2020 in Denver In Decay. Now, settlements total around $4M with the city and a federal ruling of $14M from last year. It defies logic those "injured" were ALL innocent bystanders. Calls/texts. We wrap the hour with news on Silicon Valley Bank, Wall Street numbers and comments from former DEA big wig Derek Maltz on the Mexican President's fentanyl comments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hinds, a member of the Denver City Council, joins Lisa Dent to explain why many people with disabilities continue to struggle with lack of access more than 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hinds is paralyzed from the chest down and recently had to drag himself on stage at […]

Amanda Sandoval, Denver city councilwoman for District 1, joins Dan to discuss the ongoing migrant crisis in Denver, which has declared itself a 'sanctuary city' in the past, the care being offered to migrants arriving in Colorado, and Governor Jared Polis busing many of them to Chicago and New York City.

Amanda Sandoval, Denver city councilwoman for District 1, joins Dan to discuss the ongoing migrant crisis in Denver, which has declared itself a 'sanctuary city' in the past, the care being offered to migrants arriving in Colorado, and Governor Jared Polis busing many of them to Chicago and New York City. Also, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) had a contentious 10-minute exchange with Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, how did she fare going forward in the battle for House Speaker?

Shannon is an educator, collaborator, and activator. Since moving to Denver, Colorado Shannon has really made a home for herself there. Shannon has always been passionate about the communities that she's a part of and has tired to make a difference in any way that she's able to. Wanting to make a difference in her new home town led Shannon to think "why not me?" thus what sparked her idea to run for Denver City Council. Shannon is currently running her people-powered, data-driven, heart-centered campaign for Denver City Council in District 10. From chatting with Shannon, it's clear how passionate she is about the work she is doing and planning on continuing to do. Specifically, one of Shannon's major passions involving policy is affordable housing. While I am a bit bias and hope Shannon is elected, I know that she has already made such a positive impact within her community and I know that she will continue to, no matter what the results. In this episode Shannon talks about running for city council, making a difference, community, and much more! Connect with Shannon! Website: https://www.shannon-hoffman.com Twitter: @ShannonLovesD10 Instagram: @shannonlovesd10 Connect with me! Personal: Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @zachhose14 Email: zachhose14@gmail.com The Official Podcast: Instagram/Facebook: @zappodcastofficial If you want want to be a guest on the podcast, I'd love to have you! Feel free to reach out directly! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/zappodcastofficial/message

Deborah Flora begins the program as Steffan blames Walgreens and George Brauchler for the tardiness! Opening topics: Metro area traffic is terrible; Denver City Council's basic income project remains a joke. Hundreds of homeless are about to get $12K a year - simply for being able to breathe. Music Monday is Prince. Then Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky joins us to discuss tonight's study session on the issue of a mandated new sedative for Aurora Fire. Tone deaf - two paramedics and three police officers face murder charges in the death of Elijah McClain in 2019. We wrap the hour with Money Monday and David Fischer www.landmarkgold.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen Elizabeth's body has arrived back at Buckingham Palace - CBS Newsman Steve Futterman joins us live from London. Then - two women rescued from Cherry Creek Reservoir late last Saturday night after they mistook a boat ramp for a road. They called 911 from the sinking car - deputies arrived, dove in and saved them - ACSO Sheriff Tyler Brown joins us and we discuss slain Arvada officer Dillon Vakoff as well. Then - $12K going to homeless women, families and "gender nonconforming" folks. We discuss the lunacy passed unanimously by the Denver City Council last night with Matt Connelly of Campfire Colorado. We wrap with Joe Biden's latest gaffes - and the "Bag of Rocks" drops a ludicrous bomb.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're thrilled to share this conversation with Shannon Hoffman (she/her), educator, collaborator, activator, and now a candidate for Denver City Council!Shannon's fire for justice and civic engagement inspired her to run after she witnessed how policies directly impact people — for better and worse.Her campaign's part of a growing grassroots movement shaking up the status quo in a city where many elected officials have avoided accountability to their communities and allowed harmful policies — like the violent displacement of unhoused folks by police — to continue unchecked.Tune in to hear us talk about...How communities can leverage their collective power to get shit done and get us all freeShannon's experience running for office while working full-time to bring to life affordable housing, a grocery store, and other much-needed community spacesMoments during her experiences with abolitionist organizing that led her to consider pursuing public office, even though she'd never thought about it beforeWays she's seen harmful policies and white supremacy culture impact her studentsSetting boundaries and practicing self-care… even when you're super busy disrupting the systemAdvice for running for office…and more!Support Shannon's campaign:Donate to the campaignFollow the campaign on InstagramCheck out Shannon's campaign websiteResources for running for office:Talk to Lauren about coachingEmerge AmericaLGBTQ Victory InstituteRun for SomethingYou can support this podcast by joining us on Patreon for as little as $2/month! Your support helps us continue to host impactful conversations, and patrons receive perks such as bonus content, video podcasts, special discounts on workshops, and so much more! Be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify, and leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple. We'd also love for you to take a screenshot of where the episode resonates with you and tag us in your Instagram stories at @alltfinpodcast, @tristankatzcreative, and @laurenkayroberts.Here's where you can view a transcript of this episode of ALL THE F*CK IN.Thanks to Son of Nun and DJ Mentos for the music. You can find their work at sonofnun.bandcamp.com and djmentos.com.

Denver City Council voted last week to ban the concealed carry of guns in city buildings and parks, with the goal of making these areas “gun-free” zones, according to City Attorney Kristin Bronson. But Anubis Heru, co-founder of 1770 Armory and Gun Club in Five Points, doesn't think that's the answer to the problem of rising gun violence. Today on the show, he talks with Bree about racial profiling, the importance of gun training and education, and why he thinks concealed carry in parks especially actually keeps people safer. Did this weekend's snowstorm wreak havoc on any trees in your yard? If so, you'll want to check out today's newsletter, where Peyton has the details on getting those branches included in your trash pickup this week: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What's your take on the concealed carry ban? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of today's episode: Optimum Joy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver City Council is considering an overhaul of its recycling and waste programs. Residents would be charged for their trash, but they would get recycling and compost picked up every week. Supporters heard concerns about the changes for the first time in a session in front of the City Council. Many residents are worried about loading on new fees when it's already getting more and more expensive to live in Denver. Journalism Resident Margaret Fleming talks to reporter Michael Booth, who covers health, health policy and the environment, about some of the opposition to the proposed program and where it goes from here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denver City Council has moved forward on their plan to ban flavored tobacco and vaping products within the city limits, and Leland maintains this is a slippery slope for government to start dictating how you live your lives in a nanny state. Also, Germany may be requiring those seeking medically assisted suicide to be vaccinated for COVID before they check out for Valhalla.

Denver City Council allocates $150 million for expanding the 16th Street Mall - will making it bigger make it any better? Colorado Rep. Patrick Neville joins the show to discuss the new secure gun storage legislation as well as the "ministry of truth" commission begin debated in the Senate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Albus Brooks. Albus has a long-standing history of supporting community development and providing servant leadership in Denver.  He served for eight years on Denver City Council for District 9 and two terms as City Council President. He also served as the Director of the Issachar Center for Urban Leadership and as the Outreach and Political Director for governor John Hickenlooper's campaign. As Vice President of business development and strategy, Albus helps guide Milender White's legacy of developing and constructing equitable and inclusive projects across Colorado and Southern California. He is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellow, a member of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and a national leader on urban issues and innovative housing opportunities facing cities.Learn more about the Transforming Construction podcast: https://www.coltivar.com/transforming-construction-podcast

We delve into the American Medical Association's plans to confront racism and police brutality as a public health threat. Then, House Speaker KC Becker on what's next as the special session on pandemic relief ends. And, remembering Cathy Reynolds, the first woman elected to Denver City Council. Plus, the "Journey of Trees."

Frank McNulty joins a great conversation with Peter over Denver City Council and money surrounding safe sites.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The heat is on with Denver City Council - how could they possibly vote on something they have never seen...but they read about it!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No one except Albus Brooks went to Vancouver - All they have to do is get all the drug addicts in a safe place and the problem's solved. Listen to Denver City Councilman Paul Kashmann on the topic of Injection Sites in Denver!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Carson on his open letter to The Denver Post and Denver City Council. Tristan Hopper on safe injection sites.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your calls on Denver City Council's "brilliant" decision to allow IV drug user "safe sites".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denver City Council votes to allow safe injection sites for IV drug users.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.