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Millions of undocumented people in the U.S. should be given a path to legal status after the country finds a way to stop illegal immigration, business and government leaders said in a report Wednesday. The University of Denver report argues that legalizing as many of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants as possible could strengthen the economy and national security. But it should come with conditions, such as requiring new immigrants to learn English, pass criminal and medical background checks, and pay any taxes that they owe, the document states. The report is the product of a year of discussions...

The video above, promoting Hick Town, a proposed documentary/reality series by director George Hickenlooper starring his cousin, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, has been available on YouTube for months. Most of the footage was shot during the Democratic National Convention -- hence the presence of Barack Obama, among other political heavyweights. But in recent days, a much saucier trailer turned up on the website of Epoch Films, a firm with which George is associated. As noted in an Examiner.com blog by Lisa Jones, John can be seen declaring, "I tell you how you deal with the press. You fuck the press!"...

The two cities of El Paso and Denver are 800 miles apart, but they both exist in the rarified world of "sanctuary cities," where mayors and city officials love to proclaim, "We welcome all immigrants, regardless of immigration status." This is PC code for welcoming illegal aliens, but it also means they welcome the prosecution of Border Patrol agents and immigration enforcement agents who take their jobs too seriously. The prosecution, imprisonment and eventual release of El Paso Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean made headlines for two years, but few Americans outside Denver have ever heard of...

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper recalls getting "a feeling in the pit of my stomach" when he learned that the Rocky Mountain News was shutting down. "Even when they were uncovering corruption in the city, even when they were embarrassing us or causing us discomfort, they were making the city better," he says. "It's a huge loss." The grim echoes of the nearly 150-year-old paper's demise Friday could be heard in newsrooms and communities across the country. Although the Denver Post will still cover Hickenlooper's region, some cities -- most notably San Francisco -- are facing the prospect of life...

DENVER (AP) ― Denver's mayor and workers at about a dozen businesses are wearing pajamas to work Thursday to raise awareness about homelessness.

A college-age protest group that wants to camp overnight in City Park during the Democratic National Convention next month is going to have to find another place to sleep. Mayor John Hickenlooper told radio host Mike Rosen, who writes a column for the Rocky, that Tent State University's plans for a sleepover for as many as 50,000 protesters are out of the question. The mayor also told Rosen that the city might turn on the sprinklers if the protesters don't abide by Denver's 11 p.m. curfew. Councilwoman Carla Madison, whose district includes City Park, said overnight camping is not an...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention has used the city's gas pumps to fill up and apparently avoided paying state and federal fuel taxes. The practice, which began four months ago, may have ended hours after its disclosure. An aide to Mayor John Hickenlooper released a statement Tuesday evening saying that Denver 2008 Host Committee members would pay market prices for fuel and would also be liable for all applicable taxes.

GLENN: Now, here's one of the most incredible stories I have read today and I've read a lot of incredible stories. Wait until I get to the John Edwards story. I've read a lot of incredible stories today. Here's one from the DNC host committee in Denver, tanking up at city gas pumps to avoid paying the $0.40 a gallon in combined Federal and State gas taxes. Let me repeat that. The DNC would like to save money for their convention and so they have decided that they're going to buy it from the State gas pumps. You know where...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention has used the city's gas pumps to fill up and apparently avoided paying state and federal fuel taxes. The practice, which began four months ago, may have ended hours after its disclosure. An aide to Mayor John Hickenlooper released a statement Tuesday evening saying that Denver 2008 Host Committee members would pay market prices for fuel and would also be liable for all applicable taxes. However, Public Works spokeswoman Christine Downs told City Council members just hours before that host committee members were fueling up at the city pumps. The city does not...

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention set for Denver next month is avoiding paying state and federal taxes on gasoline by gassing up vehicles at a city fuel depot, according to a city councilwoman quoted yesterday on the Web site of the Rocky Mountain News. "There's something there that just doesn't seem right ..." the Denver official, Jeanne Faatz, said at a city meeting yesterday. "I believe this [tax free gas pump] is only for elected officials, government dignitaries," Mayor Hickenlooper said at the session, according to the News. [Snip] Republican National Convention's host committee in [Minneapolis], Teresa...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention is using the city's gas pumps to fill up on fuel, avoiding state and federal highway taxes, officials said today. "There's something there that just doesn't seem right to me because, in a sense, you're saying then that the officials who pass the laws are not willing to live by them, and that concerns me," Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz said. The issue came up during the council's weekly meeting with Mayor John Hickenlooper when the Public Works Department requested authorization to be reimbursed by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee for use of "fueling...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention is using the city's gas pumps to fill up on fuel, avoiding state and federal highway taxes, officials said today. "There's something there that just doesn't seem right to me because, in a sense, you're saying then that the officials who pass the laws are not willing to live by them, and that concerns me," Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz said. The issue came up during the council's weekly meeting with Mayor John Hickenlooper when the Public Works Department requested authorization to be reimbursed by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee for use of "fueling...

Who will be the free concert warm up band for obama at Invesco Field?

A jazz singer shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words to the national anthem with those of the "Black National Anthem" during the annual State of the City address this week. Rene Marie was asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a hymn commonly referred to as the "Black National Anthem" — to the tune of the national anthem, MyFOXColorado.com reported. "If anyone has got a right to be angry it's probably me," Hickenlooper told the station....

As Denver dignitaries gathered today for Mayor John Hickenlooper's State of the City address, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem. But that's not what she did. Instead, Marie performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which also is known as the "black national anthem." When she finished, the proceedings moved forward, and the "Star-Spangled Banner" was never performed.

One of the most notable incidents from Tuesday's State of the City address occurred even before the mayor's speech began. After the Pledge of Allegiance, Rene Marie was introduced to sing the national anthem. But that's not what she sang. Martin actually sang the tune of the traditional national anthem with the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing." It's a song some have called the National Black Anthem, the Negro National Anthem or the Black National Anthem. Once she finished performing, there was a moment of awkward silence and then the crowd gave her mild applause. Marie said she...

As Denver dignitaries gathered today for Mayor John Hickenlooper's State of the City address, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem. But that's not what she did. Instead, Marie performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "Black National Anthem." When she finished, the proceedings moved forward, and few seemed to notice that the Star Spangled Banner was never performed. One who did notice was Councilman Charlie Brown, and he took to local talk radio Tuesday afternoon to blast the lack of the nation's anthem at the...

Every group that wanted to have a parade during the Democratic National Convention will. And every parade will end "within walking distance" of the Pepsi Center — but nobody knows yet exactly where that will be. That is the upshot of a decision late today by Denver officials to hand out parade permits during the convention, scheduled Aug. 25-28. The final ending point of the parade route is expected to be determined in the next few weeks, said Sue Cobb, spokeswoman for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

The ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit against the city of Denver today to try to force the city to disclose what kind of police equipment it is buying in preparation for the Democratic National Convention this August. Denver turned down the ACLU's request for the information about the purchase of police equipment earlier this year, saying that disclosure "could potentially disclose tactical security information of the Denver Police Department which would be contrary to the public interest." the city is actually going to spend closer to half of the $50 million on equipment and the rest on personnel. But...

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit seeking to force Denver officials to reveal what type of police equipment they're buying for the Democratic National Convention in August. The suit was filed on Wednesday in Denver District Court. Citing state open-records laws, it asks for budget and spending information dating from January 2007, when the city was chosen as the site of the convention. City officials have declined to release many details, citing security concerns. Denver and St. Paul, Minn., site of the Republican National Convention, will each get up to $50 million from the federal government for...

Students Must Pay To Make Up Difference In Out-Of-State Tuition. Was it a promise kept, or a promise broken? Four years ago in an auditorium at Cole Middle School, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper promised the 300-plus students in attendance that he would find a way to send each of them to college for free. Now, the first group of those students is set to graduate, and some are finding that the mayor's promise isn't adding up. The promise only pays in-state tuition, and state law requires illegal immigrants to pay out-of-state tuition. So undocumented students must make up the difference....

Denver—Mayor John Hickenlooper urged Democrats and “Operation Chaos” operatives to remain calm while waiting for the Democratic National Convention in August. However, Hickenlooper warned that he was ready for a bloodbath if the masses marched on Denver. Since “Operation Chaos” began, Democratic Senators, surrogates and the Democrat Super delegates have been preparing for a liberal showdown in the Mile High city, ensuring that blood could be spilled if the wrong candidate is selected. Recently, Representative Corrine Brown, D-FL, led protestors in Washington, D.C., screaming, “We will shut down the convention! Nobody goes in until Florida goes in!” Luis Rivera, the...

Rush Limbaugh:Referred to as "The new face of Fascis" Denver-- Following Rush Limbaugh's broadcast calling for violent riots in Denver, city officials issue a warrant for his arrest. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper called Limbaugh a "dangerous domestic terrorist" that should be locked up. No stranger to controversy talk show host Rush Limbaugh made comments calling for riots in Denver during the Democratic National Convention this summer. As part of his "Operation Chaos" Limbaugh is expecting Republican rioters to burn cars, burn houses and kill children. "Riots in Denver, the Democrat Convention would see to it that we don't elect Democrats,"...

The shooting death of a Denver police officer is sparking a fight over immigration reform. The suspect, Raul Garcia-Gomez was in the United States illegally at the time Detective Donald Young was killed. That has stoked the debate on immigration and whether Denver has become a sanctuary for illegal immigrants. On Monday a group that wants to reform immigration laws held a rally at the City and County Building. They believe the door should be shut tight to illegal immigrants. They insist that if Garcia-Gomez had been turned over to immigration authorities when stopped on traffic offenses, Young might be...

<p>He met with Hollywood producers and a Montana timber company executive, and he traveled to corporate board rooms across America.</p> <p>And in the end, Mayor John Hickenlooper was one of those who helped the Denver host committee for the Democratic National Convention reach its $15 million goal Friday.</p>

Denver’s new global warming “Climate Action Plan,” is compromised from the top. The co-chairman of the task force, Benita Duran, is also an executive with the global firm CH2M HILL. Headquartered in Denver, CH2M HILL’s businesses include carbon offset consulting, renewable energy services, and supply- and demand-side energy management. The firm had over $4.5 billion in revenues last year. CH2M HILL is also a “major donor” to Mayor John Hicklenlooper’s political campaign giving $1,500 on April 30, 2007. Mayor John Hickenlooper is making the “Climate Action Plan” a city priority. FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe commented, “Clearly, allowing executives from a...

People around the country accused Denver on Monday of embracing a "crackpot" scheme to fight global warming after the city's plan drew widespread attention on the Internet. The reaction was to a Rocky Mountain News story that detailed some of the proposals in Denver's Climate Action Plan, which aims to cut the city's output of gas emissions linked to global warming. The plan includes several controversial ideas, including making residents who use large amounts of electricity and natural gas pay higher utility fees, boosting insurance rates for people who drive long distances and mandating that homes be energy efficient before...

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is one of hundreds of mayors in the United States lobbing Congress to help police get more information on gun dealers. The mayors want to halt a 4-year-old amendment they claim blocks law enforcement from getting crucial information about deadly weapons. Hickenlooper and other mayors appear in commercials as part of a media campaign on the issue. "There's not a city in this country, large or small, that isn't seriously effected by the rise in gun violence," Hickenlooper said in one commercial. The 225 mayors also sent an open letter to Congress about illegal guns. "We...

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is in his office, dialing talk radio stations for interviews and defending the work of the city's snowplow fleet during Wednesday's blizzard. He's about to head out for another trip around the city to check out the road conditions himself, but first he wants to see if someone can donate some sleds. Fast. Hickenlooper wants to sponsor sledding at four parks around the city Thursday, serving hot chocolate and offering sleds to anyone who doesn't have them. Wednesday's blizzard stranded thousands of travelers on highways and at the airport, virtually shut down government, businesses and shopping...

DENVER - Mayor John Hickenlooper said Monday he will not run for governor, disappointing some Democrats who hoped for a more liberal alternative to former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, an abortion opponent. Hickenlooper said he still has tasks he wants to complete as mayor. "The time right now is for me to focus on the city," he said. Some Democrats have expressed reservations about Ritter because of his views on social issues. Ritter declined to comment immediately but scheduled his own news conference later. Independent poll-taker Floyd Ciruli said Ritter won't get a big boost from Hickenlooper's decision because...

Denver mayor John Hickenlooper ruled out a run for governor of Colorado in a sun splashed news conference in a park between the state capitol and Denver city hall. The first-term mayor ended months of speculation about the biggest question mark on the Colorado political landscape with the words, "The time right now is for me to focus on the city." Under a crisp, blue noon hour sky, Hickenlooper said he had telephoned "all three candidates" for governor and apologized for taking so long with his decision. He had told his cabinet at a meeting this morning he will not...

January 26, 2006--As candidates for the open governor's seat in Colorado jockey for position, Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper leads in prospective match-ups against the Republicans most prominently vying for the GOP nomination (see crosstabs). The heavily courted mayor has yet to declare his candidacy. Matched against Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez, Hickenlooper leads 43% to 38% in our survey of 500 likely voters. Matched against University of Denver President Marc Holtzman, Hickenlooper leads more comfortably, 46% to 36%. No other Democrat pursuing the nomination currently does as well. Former Denver district attorney Bill Ritter is neck and neck with Beauprez....

January 26, 2006--As candidates for the open governor's seat in Colorado jockey for position, Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper leads in prospective match-ups against the Republicans most prominently vying for the GOP nomination (see crosstabs). The heavily courted mayor has yet to declare his candidacy. Matched against Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez, Hickenlooper leads 43% to 38% in our survey of 500 likely voters. Matched against University of Denver President Marc Holtzman, Hickenlooper leads more comfortably, 46% to 36%. No other Democrat pursuing the nomination currently does as well. Former Denver district attorney Bill Ritter is neck and neck with Beauprez....

***Full length version of the 2 hour debate video links are below *** For years, the issue of immigration was little more than a murmur. But now, many people are clamoring for change. Americans are increasingly saying we've come to a fork in the road -- a time to rethink how we define ourselves as a nation. To advance the immigration debate, 9NEWS gathered together activists and politicians representing a wide range of views on this subject. We have streamed the entire two-hour town meeting held Saturday, Jan. 7 at the University of Denver's Gates Concert Hall. Our panelists: Rep....

The pendulum swings both ways. Last year in Denver, it was Mayor John Hickenlooper proposing to replace the city's traditional "Merry Christmas" sign with one that said "Happy Holidays." The mayor wisely backed off in response to the public outcry, as did the Parade of Lights, this year, reversing its policy barring religious floats. Earlier this month, Speaker of the U.S. House Dennis Hastert, issued a directive instructing the architect of the Capitol to drop the name "Capitol Holiday Tree" - adopted in the late 1990s under the authority of no one who's now willing to admit to it -...

Denver to Tom Tancredo: Enough already. A TV news story that showcased how easily illegal immigrants can be shuttled through Denver has prompted the latest spat between Tancredo, a congressman from Colorado, and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

I can't really even summarize this one very well, it's so outrageous. Check the link for yet another example of the continuing downward slide occurring in Denver as our current administration attempts to placate the forces of multiculturalism and political correctness. Make sure to follow the external links regarding this topic on the KHOW website for the most complete information.

June 21, 2005 The Hon. John Hickenlooper Mayor of Denver 1347 Bannock Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80204-2718 Dear Mayor Hickenlooper: Several Denver residents who are affiliated with the Denver Public Library have come to me with concerns about changes underway in the Library. I hope their concerns are misplaced, and I hope you can show me they are misplaced. I will put these concerns in the form of several questions. Each question is based on information from employees and patrons of the library. Unfortunately, these Denver citizens choose to remain anonymous because they fear for their jobs. My questions...

Marketing firm's job: to change image of homeless By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News June 9, 2005 Denver has hired a local marketing firm to reshape the public's image of the homeless - from one of a bedraggled panhandler to an image reflecting the growing number of women, children and families. The Denver Commission to End Homelessness awarded a $60,000 contract to political consultant Eric Sondermann. The move comes as the commission begins to implement Mayor John Hickenlooper's plan to raise money and resources needed to end homelessness within 10 years. "We want to do a professional communication job...

DENVER -- Protesters demanded yesterday that Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper rescind the city's sanctuary policies, which they said attract illegal aliens like Raul Garcia-Gomez, who is accused of killing a police officer. ?We're mad as hell. We, the people, will no longer tolerate sanctuary cities,? said Fred Elbel, director of the Colorado Alliance of Immigration Reform, one of several groups that organized the rally.

OUTRAGE IN DENVER By Michelle Malkin   ·   May 11, 2005 11:58 PM There are appalling new developments in the cop-killer case in Denver. As reported by the Rocky Mountain News, Det. Donald Young's suspected killer, 19-year-old illegal alien Raul Garcia-Gomez, was employed at a restaurant co-owned by the city's mayor, John Hickenlooper. Garcia-Gomez worked for the Cherry Cricket for 10 months despite a federal notification sent to the business last month that his papers were bogus: Lee Driscoll, the mayor's business partner, said Tuesday that the company learned last month that Garcia-Gomez provided the restaurant with two forms of identification,...

Mayor John Hickenlooper ruled out a run for governor in an e-mail sent to city employees Friday, but some say he didn't completely shut the door. The e-mail comes on the heels of a Time magazine article this week that anointed Hickenlooper one of the five top big-city mayors in the nation and has led to increased speculation about his political future. "As you may be aware, there has been much speculation in the media about whether I should run or will run for governor in 2006," he wrote. "Let me assure you, I'm not - nor have I been...

Bill O'Reilly, one of the most ardent defenders of Christmas interviewed Peter Boyles of KHOW 630am radio about the talk radio and grass roots movement that put Christmas back into the annual Parade of Lights celebration here in Denver, Colorado. The local talk show hosts here in Denver who led the charge were Gunny Bob Newman, Mike Rosen, Donna Star all on KOA 850am and Dan Caplis on KHOW 630am. Add to that the coverage on FoxNews, Michelle Malkin's Lump of Coal campaign idea and the grass roots effort from the great Americans in our state and electronic activism from...

It's not just in Denver. In Sydney, Australia, citizens rose up to protest the actions of Mayor Clover Moore who sought to de-Christmas-ize the "holiday season" by downplaying the presence of Christmas trees for fear of offending non-Christians.

Former U.S. Attorney Mike Norton offered Wednesday to explore a lawsuit on behalf of a pastor whose church was barred from entering a Christmas float in Denver's Parade of Lights this weekend. "If he has an interest in carrying it to the next level, we're ready," said Norton, who now works for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which takes on religious liberty cases, primarily for Christian clients. Advertisement Norton's was among a deluge of calls to Pastor George Morrison the day after the Rocky Mountain News reported on his attempt to join the holiday parade, which celebrates its 30th year...

The first battle was joined about a week ago. My unit’s enemies had been enjoying many victories (all against the weak and defenseless) on battlefields outside of my area of operations when they finally showed up in a place my growling troops could get at them. I quickly consulted my small-unit leaders, analyzed the intelligence I was being provided with, called the enemy to let them know they were about to get whomped (I like to fight fair and have found that telling the enemy they are about to get their asses handed to them has a way of rattling...

MY CHRISTMAS CRUSADE By Michelle Malkin · December 02, 2004 02:36 AM The persecution never ends. Denver has launched war against a church group that wanted to march in the city's Christmas parade "Parade of Lights." (I hate, hate, hate that p.c. euphemism.) From the Denver Post: "Parade Organizers Say Christmas Carols May Be Offensive To Others" Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper recently announced that next year the phrase "Merry Christmas" will be removed from the city building and replaced with "Happy Holidays." And now a church group who wants to march in the Parade of Lights and sing Christmas carols...

Bruce Bain doesn't attend church regularly, but nothing was going to keep him from showing up on the corner of 17th Street and Tremont Place on Friday night. "How can you have the Parade of Lights without the 'light of the world'?" he asked. "Christmas is a religious holiday." So the 56-year-old Englewood man joined hundreds of Christmas carolers from metro-area churches and sang along the Parade of Lights route. They sang on 15th Street. They sang at Court Place. And they sang at Colfax Avenue and Bannock Street. What they didn't do was raise hell. Yes, it was a...

Religious groups sing out at parade Protesters say event being "too politically correct" By fcardona@denverpost.com Felisa Cardona Denver Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 04, 2004 - Steve Schweitzberger carried a basket with a tiny baby Jesus doll inside that had a paper teardrop falling from its eye. The baby came with a sign that read, "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to." Schweitzberger said he thought the display was appropriate considering religious groups were not allowed to participate in the downtown Parade of Lights this weekend. "I thought it was strange that they would exclude the birthday...

Well folks, it appears that there is a VERY interesting nexus between the Mayor Hickenlooper/no Merry Christmas sign controversy, and the Parade of Lights/Gay Indians OK, church group not OK outrage. The Chinook Fund (www.chinookfund.org) is an organization which Denver Mayor Hickenlooper co-founded before becoming Mayor. According to their website, the Chinook Fund issued a $7,000.00 grant to the Two Spirit Society of Denver (gay Indian group) in 2004. When asked by 630 KHOW radio if he agreed with the Downtown Denver Partnership's decision to allow the Two Spirit group to have a float in the Parade of Lights, while...