Aaron Harber Show-- 107 and 108

Taped a couple of weeks ago:

https://www.facebook.com/john.s.wren/posts/10155544718228782

Why were Initiatives 98 and 140 now assigned the numbers 107 and 108.

Question: Initiatives 98 and 140 are now Propositions 107 and 108. Is this number shuffle always done? If so, why?

Answer: We asked who before he retired was one of the most knowledgeable election law experts in Colorado. He was unaware of this.

Starting in November 2010, Initiated Statutes are assigned numbers beginning with 100, restarting at 100 after 199, and instead of calling the measure an Initiative it is called a Proposition. See Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 1, Article 5, Section 407; Article 40, Section 115; Article 40, Section 124.5and Colorado Constitution, Article V, Section 1, ¶ 7.5

The director of research for the Colorado legislative council uses these new numbers in the Blue Book, an impartial voter information pamphlet with an abstract of the fiscal impact study and arguments for and against the measure. 

As a result, those who have read about the Initiative, perhaps worked on getting the signatures required to get it on the ballot, now have to trash any signs or other materials with the original number. Wasteful and confusing, to say the least.

This is another example of change not necessarily bringing progress. 

After citizens have invested in getting the initiative onto the ballot, publicizing the initiative number that the Secretary of State assigns, the Secretary of State then gives the measure a new number that will appear in the Blue Book and on the ballot. 

Let this be a lesson with the changes being proposed for our elections this year. Change isn't progress, vote NO on Propositions 107 and 108.

Don't let Newcomer Kent make Colorado elections like California's!

Here is how Colorado has selected our candidates for the primary election since Gov. John Shafroth and the Colorado legislature institute our wonderful Colorado Caucus, the system that gives control of the major political parties to their rank and file members, not the political bosses:

 Ever since we first gathered for the Colorado Caucus in neighborhoods across the state in 1914, this is what the political bosses and other powerful people like Newcomer Kent have been trying to force us into, a Presidential Primary, or worse, a convention system where party hacks instead of the rank and file decide who gets on the ballot.

Photos: Denver Post

Release: Save the Caucus Calls for Colorado Chairs of Dems, GOP to Resign.

John S. Wren, Registered Agent for

Save the Caucus, 

Registered Colorado Political Committee

1881 Buchtel Blvd. #501, Denver, CO 80210

www.JohnWren.com  (303)861-1447

For more: John Wren

(720)495-4949

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 3, 2016

Save the Caucus Calls for Colorado Chairs of Dems, GOP to Resign.

Tuesday’s statewide Colorado Caucus fiasco blamed on their bad leadership. 

DENVER__ “As I said before Tuesday, being a citizen rather than a subject requires participation, and the Colorado Caucus allows that,” John Wren, registered agent for Save the Caucus, a Colorado political committee said today., “but it requires good leadership.

“The leadership of both major political parties failed Colorado Tuesday, and those who publicly called for our wonderful grassroots institution, the Colorado Caucus, to be AstroTurfed with the Borg-like Presidential Primary should resign, starting with the Colorado Chairs for both major parties who were seen in the media over the weekend doing just that. 

“If the two state chairs don’t apologize and immediately resign, removal should be the first order of business at every county convention and, if they aren’t out by then, at the state conventions. 

“As Sue O’Brien, editorial page editor of the Denver Post when they endorsed the Colorado Caucus in 2002, said ‘We’re systematically replacing ‘social capital’ with plain old monetary capital (paid workers, ads of Presidential Primary). Colorado’s traditional caucus-convention system, in contrast, rewards the shoe-leather and diligence. It provides a low-cost way for aspirants to work the neighborhoods, investing energy instead of dollars.' We all miss Sue's great wisdom and common sense," said Wren.

Wren concluded, “The well organized precinct caucus  is a moderating force. Critics of caucuses say it creates radicalization, but the opposite is true. Neighbors get together with each other, and realize the people they share their votes with are real human beings with similar life struggles, experiences and desires. But it requires good leadership. Tuesday that leadership was missing for  Republicans or the Democrats here in Colorado. And then those trusted to lead blame the system. Outrageous!”  For more see www.COCaucus.org or call John Wren at (303)861-1447.

###

The original Save the Caucus was formed by John Wren, Ruth Prendergast, JoAnne Gray, Polly Baca, Daryle Eskin, Phil Perington, Frank Sullivan, Bill Armstrong, and others in 2002 to fight Amendment 29 which would have killed the grassroots system. Those  with questions are invited to contact Wren at (303)861-1447 or write John Wren, Save the Caucus, 1881 Buchtel Blvd. #501, Denver, CO 80210. www.COCaucus.org 

Happy birthday Darryl Erskin!

would have been 67 today. Without his dedicated work, along with that of Phil Perington, Ruth Prendergast, Bill Armstrong, JoAnne Gray, Sharon and Ben Klein, Frank and Sylvia Sullivan, and many others, we would not be getting ready for the 2016 Colorado Caucus. 

Are you going? http://www.Facebook.com/Colorado.Caucus.News

Colorado GOP Executive Committee says "No voting on Presidential candidates at your caucus."

We'll hear more about this, but based on what I know now, here is what I think of this.

The Colorado GOP leaders last Friday met and discussed several issues. One was a rule change by the Republican National Committee that says if there is a vote on the Presidential candidates in any way, that vote has to be binding on the delegates.

This creates many problems, states are going to react and probably get this changed, maybe by the time of the national convention. But maybe not.

So the Colorado Republican leadership did the smart thing. They decided to no hold a Presidential candidate straw poll. They've gone back to the system that worked so well in the past for Colorado Republicans.

The straw poll came along after Colorado had the disastrous experiment with a Presidential primary.  When Colorado voters had the good sense to go back to what had worked so well since 1912, the straw poll was an attempt to drag the primary home, sort of a take-out primary.

That's not the way it worked in the past.

Delegates will get elected and they have to first attend their precinct caucus. Is there discussion about the Presidential race at the caucus? Of course. Delegates are elected to go to various nominating assemblies. Do those in their caucus know those delegates feeling about the Presidential candidates that night? Of course. But things might change. And some delegates will be elected who say it's way to early to make up their mind.

Sometimes there is a steamroller, the caucuses are all packed, only one candidate has delegates elected across the state. When that happens, the straw poll doesn't make any difference, either.

Seems to me the GOP has done the smart thing. We'll see.

I just posted this as a comment on the Denver Post article concerning this GOP decision. You can see a link to that article on our Colorado Caucus News Facebook Page  http://Facebook.com/Colorado.Caucus.News 

In our representative system we should be voting for the best possible people to go as delegates and represent us. Vote for the delegate or slate of delegates that will make the best decision on the floor of the convention based on full information. Sounds to me like this is a move to strengthen the GOP Colorado delegation. Should be good for Colorado.

Cause or effect? Do people learn to join in caucus states? Or is it just something in the water?

"...Primaries draw a very different type of voter than a caucus does. In a paper on this topic, Eitan Hersh shows that primary voters and caucus-goers aren't necessarily different ideologically—caucus-goers aren't more extreme or less tolerant—but they do differ on other dimensions, specifically political engagement. Caucus-goers are joiners. They're more likely to attend meetings and join organizations than primary voters are."

http://www.psmag.com/politics-and-law/what-states-get-when-they-decide-to-hold-a-primary-instead-of-a-caucus-and-why-it-matters-so-much

Neighborhood Caucus?

If you are already involved, you already know about the system in your state. In Colorado and some 16 other states we have a caucus-assembly system that other states should consider. It's the best chance for the common person to serve in elected public office. Check it out, click the above tab for more about it:

Coming soon! New online class, Colorado Caucus 201.

This class is free, but is only offered to newcomers to Colorado and those who are new to Colorado politics.

The prerequisite is completion of our Colorado Caucus 101, which you can see in the last 3 posts here below. When you've completed (start any time, take as much or as little time as you'd like) contact us for a free certificate of completion and to get on the invitation list for 201 when it is announced.

So read the last 3 posts here, once you've contacted your county and precinct leaders, contact John Wren at John@JohnWren.com or (303)861-1447. Also contact John if you have any questions or suggestions about what we are doing here.

Our wonderful Colorado caucus-assembly system is the best chance, possibly the last chance, the common person of ordinary means has of serving in elected public office. Thanks for being an active citizen, which the system requires for it to survive and flourish.