DENVER WEEKLY NEWS DENVER WEEKLY NEWS Volume 39 Number 36 October 21 - 27, 2010 This year's election day falls on Nov. 2 but early voting began locally on Monday at 13 service centers in the Metro area, three of which lie in north- east Denver: the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library, 2401 Welton St.; Hiawatha Davis Rec Center, 3334 Holly St. and the Mont- bello Rec Center, 15555 E. 53rd Ave. Voters will decide on a number of pro- posed amendments, propositions and ordinances in addition to choosing amongst candidates running for sev- eral state offices. The most high profile race is that for the governor's seat, sought after by the top three contenders: Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (Democrat), Tom Tancredo (American Constitution Party) and Dan Maes (Republican). Other races of note include: the U.S. Senate seat with candidates Michael Bennet (D) and Ken Buck (R). Con- gressional District 1: Diana Degette (D) vs. Mike Fallon (R); Dist 6: Mike Coffman (R) vs. John Flerlage (D) and Dist. 7: Ryan Frazier (R) vs. Ed Perlmutter. In state races, Senate seat Dist. 33 has two Democrats, Mike Johnston and write-in candidate Renee Blan- chard running against Republican Lisa Rangle. Dist. 34: Lucia Guzman (D) vs. Derec Shules (R). House of Representatives Dist. 7: Angela Williams (D) vs. Pauline Olvera (R); Dist. 8: Beth McCann (D) vs. Therese-Marie O'Sullivan (R); Au- rora's Dist. 42: Rhonda Fields (D) vs. Sally Mounier R) and running in the RTD Dist. B Director's race: Barbara Deadwyler, Miller Hudson and Melvin Bush. Ten measures also appear on this year's ballot, each summarized in the 2010 State Ballot Information Book (SBIB). NOTE: Voters are encour- aged to read the SBIB booklet for themselves and consider the pros and cons of each measure prior to casting their vote. Amendment P: Regulation of Games of Chance: If passed would amend the state Constitution to allow legislators to choose the Department of Revenue to handle administration of bingo games and raffles conducted by non-profit organizations. The Rev- enue Dept. currently oversees casino gambling and licensing and operates the state lottery. Amendment Q: Temporary loca- tion for State Seat of Government – will allow temporary relocation of government headquarters in cases of extreme emergency. Amendment R: Exempt Posses- sory Interest in Real Property – will eliminate property taxes for people or businesses which use government property for private benefit which amounts to $6,000 or less. Property taxes fund local services related to ed- ucation, public safety, maintenance of streets, highways and bridges, recre- ation centers, parks, hospitals and li- braries. Government owned properties are exempt from taxation but any income (referred to as Pos- sessory Interest [PI]), a person or busi- ness receives from the property is subject to tax. If passed, starting in 2012, this amendment will make PI tax exempt if the amount does not ex- ceed the above stated limit. Amendment 60: Property Taxes – Changes or reduces property tax pay- ments to school districts, counties, special districts, cities and towns. Cur- rently, state school districts and coun- ties receive 77% of the total amount of property taxes collected. Per SBIB, some school districts have a property tax “for operating schools and a sepa- rate property tax to repay loans.” This amendment would require that all dis- tricts “cut their 2011 property tax rate for operating schools in half by 2020.” The loss of financial assistance from the tax will be replaced each year with funding from the state.(Voting "yes" indicates your approval of these prop- erty tax reductions.) Amendment 61: Limits on State and Local Government Borrowing – Starting in 2011, the state govern- ment no longer can take out loans “in any form” and local governments may only do so with voter approval. Currently, such approval from resi- dents is not required. The law would also require a reduction in taxes after the full repayment of current loans and at today's rates, this would result in a $200 million reduction statewide and $940 million in local areas. Per SBIB, the state averages $2.9 billion in loans yearly and spends $2 billion to repay. Local governments average $4.9 bil- lion in borrowing and spend $4.3 bil- lion to repay. Additionally, the measure requires that repayment of new loans take place within 10 years, whereas the term limits on existing loans fall between 20 and 30 years. (Voting "yes" indicates your approval that there should be limits or a restric- tion on future loans taken out by state and local governments.) Amendment 62: Application of the term Person – Controversial due to its possible impact on abortion rights, this measure would make it law to acknowledge “that a new human life is created at the beginning of bio- logical development” and the law Continued on page 3 Election Day 2010 What's on your ballot? By Adeeba Folami Obama to Black Press: "I still need your help." By J. Coyden Palmer NNPA - Chicago Crusader -After nearly two years in office and his sup- port within the Black community still high but dropping, President Barack Obama held his first press conference via telephone with Black newspapers. The 25-minute teleconference on Oc- tober 18 gave the nation’s first African American president the opportunity to speak to the demographic that sup- ported him the most during his 2008 victory. Obama used the time to cam- paign for support in the upcoming mid- term elections, tout the accomplishments that have been made thus far by his administration and listen to a few of the concerns the Black community has raised about his ad- ministration. Obama began by speaking to the phi- losophy of his campaign, “Change,” saying it is important for the same en- ergy that swept the community during Continued on page 7 Montbello, NE neighborhoods put fight back in motion over “Disastrous” DPS school ‘Turnaround’ Plans Special to the Denver Weekly News By Roger K. Clendening Residents representing neighbor- hoods in Northeast and far North- east Denver last night called on Denver Public Schools (DPS) to put the brakes on “disastrous turn- around” plans for Montbello High School and northeast feeder schools or face a rebellion from citizen-taxpayers that could in- clude a boycott of DPS schools. Black, Hispanic and Anglo resi- dents, from Montbello, Green Val- ley Ranch, and neighborhoods in northeast, southeast and southwest Denver, met for hours Wednesday night at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club to craft strategy and tactics in the war to stave off what many of them maintain is more than an educational plan they see as “disastrous” for current and fu- ture residents. Using millions in taxpayer-fi- nanced but Obama administration “turnaround” dollars, DPS says it will shut down Montbello High School’s comprehensive configu- ration, replacing it with a 9-12 grade collegiate prep academy for 150 to 200 students per grade that will grow one grade per year; co- locate a new Denver Center for International Studies 6-12 grade magnet school within the build- ing; and add a “high tech” early college. Shut Montbello down “disas- trously,” just like what DPS did at Manual High School, one neigh- borhood leader remarked, adding that fellow taxpayers committed to progressive rather than “disrup- Continued on page 4