SquareState.net will be featuring stories on key districts in Tuesday's primaries. If you know anything about the candidates, please help voters make up their minds about these important races which often fall below the radar of the traditional media.
Joe Miklosi
Alice Borodkin was term limited out of her seat in House District 9, and is now running for Ken Gordon's seat against the heavily favorited Joyce Foster. Alice leaves behind her a district that is almost evenly divided between Democrats, Republicans, and the Unafilliated; so unlike other districts we will be profiling, the primary might not be the general election in this race. It is certainly going to be an important seat to maintain the Democratic majority, however, and what type of government Colorado sees for the next cycle might be decided by what type of candidate emerges here.
Paul Rosenthal
The candidates are Joe Miklosi, who as Colorado Director of Progressive Majority took a leadership role in political battles all across the state, and Paul Rosenthal, an M.B.A. who sits as a Denver Community Corrections Board member and serves on the Board of the University Hills Neighborhood Association.
In our conversations, Miklosi has highlighted the depth of experience he has on issues from water to tourism to pine beetles to energy, and how that experience is key for anyone hoping to bring real strategic thinking to the State Assembly. But the whole state won't be casting ballots in this race on Tuesday, and the voters of the Ninth District might be persuaded that Rosenthal's knowledge of their neighborhoods makes him the right choice to represent them. This race could easily go either way.
In a Democratic primary it is often personality, and not policy, that separates the candidates, but this time the candidates offered me a clear point of contrast - labor issues. What they said follows after the jump.
Initiative 74: Would hold chief executives criminally liable for corporate wrongdoings
Initiative 76: Would require businesses to give reasons for firing employees.
Initiative 92: Would require employers with 20 or more workers to provide health-care coverage.
Initiative 93: Would allow employees to seek damages beyond workers' compensation for injuries.
The eggmendment, which attempts to charge bus fare for fertilized eggs on the RTD, is without a doubt the most laughable amendment on the ballot, but there is one amendment that might slip past the voters and do great harm to the state. With a nickname that would make Karl Rove proud, the "Right to Work Amendment" (Amd. 47) seeks to bust unions and eliminate any leverage that working Coloradoans have in their already difficult fights. In response to the initiative, organized labor put forth a number of counter-initiatives, most but not all of which have been withdrawn.
"We don't need a battle between business and labor in this business environment" -Paul Rosenthal
Rosenthal has called for the withdrawl of all of the initiatives. He advocates for the status quo, and has challenged his opponent to reject not just Amendment 47, but the pro-labor ones as well. He wants a balanced approach and an objective eye on the fights between pro-labor and anti-labor groups.
"I am concerned that [Miklosi] is backed by labor, and that their PAC money creates a conflict of interest." -Paul Rosenthal
When reached for comment, Miklosi was very quick to respond.
"I am very concerned Paul doesn't want to hold criminal CEO's like Enron liable for stealing pensions. I support health care for workers. I proudly stand in support of that labor initiative." -Joe Miklosi
Miklosi agreed with Rosenthal that labor issues were a point of differentiation and he listed off the endorsements of the Fire Fighters, Postal Workers, Teachers, and King Sooper workers groups that have supported his campaign. He went on to then issue a challenge of his own to Rosenthal.
Citing racial disparities in criminal sentencing he challenged his opponent to stop advocating for the death penalty.
"I call on Paul to protect individuals from communities of color who are being discriminated against." -Joe Miklosi
Miklosi then asked for me to include one final point. He said the Governor had indicated that Colorado was the fifth friendliest state for business in the Energy Economy, and that for Miklosi one of the highest priorities was to put State dollars into CSU, CU, and Mines so that they could further the research and development of alternative energy sources.
There is clearly a debate worth having in this race, and I would love to hear Rosenthal's retorts to Miklosi's challenge, but the clock is ticking down. Will we have the judge's decisions before the sides can fully make their cases?
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