Guest Columns

If Mark Hillman is going to carry the water of the inaptly-named “Civil Justice League” in The Colorado Statesman, he should at least have the honesty to reveal that he is the paid executive director of that organization. Instead, he has submitted a diatribe full of inaccurate and inflammatory charges regarding House Bill 1168 while hiding behind his former position as Republican state senator and treasurer.

“Eventide” by Eric Schmiedl, adapted from the novel by Kent Haruf, and directed by Kent Thompson. Playing through Feb. 27 at the DCPA.

If there’s one thing personal injury lawyers are especially good at, it’s exploiting the misfortunes of their clients while devising new ways to line their own pockets.

“When Tang Met Laika,” by Rogelio Martinez and directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Playing in the Space Theater at the DCPA through February 27.
Tickets: 303-893-4100.

More than 400 medical marijuana dispensaries have applied for use permits in Denver, most of them in the last two and a half months. Constituents on all sides of the issue have contacted me: patients depending on marijuana to ease their illnesses, caregivers seeking to provide a service, and deeply concerned residents trying to protect their neighborhoods from crime and their children from harm.

For more than two thousand years legislatures have found it necessary to provide pensions to public workers. Otherwise, it would prove nearly impossible to attract qualified workers willing to perform many of the thankless tasks all societies leave to government. Despite the allure of plundering the provinces, the Roman Senate guaranteed enlisting legionnaires a plot of land, a separation bonus to build a farmhouse and a lifetime pension following 25 years of military service.

Rescuing the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) is nothing new for state lawmakers. Twice in the last decade, legislators have thrown PERA a lifeline, forcing the state, school districts, local governments and finally even workers to chip in hundreds of millions of dollars to keep the plan afloat.

When we provide health coverage for kids, we give them the opportunity to grow into healthy adults who live, work and thrive in every Colorado community.

After all the Hickenhoopla dies down, Colorado voters may experience a sick feeling of déjà vu as the Denver mayor and Democrat candidate for governor claims that he’s “business friendly.”

These days, it seems that every elected official, regardless of party affiliation, talks about the need for jobs. Some in passing and some at length, but, either way, it’s jobs, jobs, jobs. And, after all, who could argue with that? Unfortunately, not everyone fully understands what it takes to create jobs.