Owens Won't Run For Senate

Denver Channel 4 ^ | March 9, 2004 | Channel 4

[Columbine]

Thanks!

[PRND21]

Enjoy those blinders.

[Columbine]

You don't need to send me freepmail to attack me. Have the guts to do it here.

They became your allegations against Tancredo when you kept repeating them.

Once again, Buzz off!

[Columbine]

Salazar has announced he will enter the race.

[PRND21]

Have the guts to do it here.

I did and you lied about it. Where's those links refuting a single thing I posted.

They became your allegations against Tancredo when you kept repeating them.

You are in Clintonian Fantasyland.
Tancredo is a fraud. So are many of his supporters, as this thread shows.

[colorado tanker]

Too bad Dick Wadhams is otherwise occupied.

I second that!

[PRND21]

They became your allegations against Tancredo when you kept repeating them.

Which reminds me...he lied about term limits, too. Is that, also, my fault?

[Howlin]

Posting rumors seems to be the trend in this thread.

Well, would you mind explaining what you purpose on tihs thread is, other than calling anybody who doesn't agree with you a rumor monger?

[Columbine]

My purpose on this thread should be obvious since I started the thread.

I think you and I are usually on the same side of most issues so I don't know why you feel that you need to jump in with an attack at this point.

I know you are not from Colorado but if you have an opinion on our Senate race we'd like to hear it. That is the topic of the thread, after all.

[Howlin]

Well, I just wondered why all the negative remarks. They didn't look like rumors after I read the links.

As for commenting on your senator race, no thanks; I don't want people butting into our state politics, so make it a point not to butt into other state's elections.

[Columbine]

No problem, Howlin. I've always thought you were a pretty reasonable poster so I don't mind answering. I don't feel the same way about Senate races. They're important to the entire country.

The California poster running Tancredo down is simply repeating published reports that are innuendo and slurs made by a liberal Colorado press. He's had that pointed out to him by several people.

I was probably a little testy with the other guy. I happen to like Bill Owens.

[Howlin]

Well, I think they are important to the whole nation as it relates to the number of seats WE get, if you will.......LOL.

I just never have liked others butting into our state business; for instance, if not for outsiders, I believe we never would have had John Edwards, thus he would never have made this POTUS run.

And I probably just jumped a little too quick, but still...Tancredo? YIKES......LOL.

[PRND21]

The California poster running Tancredo down is simply repeating published reports that are innuendo and slurs made by a liberal Colorado press.

Gun Control Flip flop to get elected
Term limit lie
"Crazy" to avoid military service
Goes after illegal high school student, but not the company that sent illegals into his home

Which is innuendo and which is slur? Truth Matters.

[Columbine]

Tancredo is a good guy but I don't think he can be elected statewide for obvious reasons. Now I'm curious to know what his name means to you, Howlin.

Now that Owens is out, my first choice is a rep from the western slope named McInnis. That's probably not a very familiar name to out of staters.

[Columbine]

Udall is out and Salazar is in for the Democrats.

[Howlin]

I was just reading about McInnis. Sounds pretty good.

Tancredo bothers me for one reason and one reason alone: he ran on term limiting himself and now he's changed his mind.

[Columbine]

Ok, I can understand that. It bothers some other people too.

I thought he handled it well though because he announced it before his last election. His constituents didn't seem to care.

But, I think McInnis will be an excellent senator. He isn't tied to any one issue so he will have a better chance.

[Dawgreg]

Well MileHi, I'm digging that hole right now. I'll be in touch..........*~*.

[StriperSniper]

I think McInnis will win it.

Works for me.

[Semi Civil Servant]

First of all, I think laying Cindy's problems at the governor's feet is a bit of reach. All executives rely on recommendations from local/inside people when they make this kind of appointment. It is impossible for the governor to know the performance of each one of these people personally.

Actually I think the Holly Williams appointment is rather egregious. Let me take you "Inside Politics".

It is unfortunately rather common to have the unqualified or incompetent appointed to be "Executive Directors" of State departments. No foul here; governors of both parties do it. Department Executive Directors don't have to be qualified in any way to be appointed to the position, as far as I can tell. It's a patronage position. Sometimes Executive Directors do have the background to do the job well; sometimes they don't. I've worked under goods ones and lousy ones. Some of the better ones understand the nature of their job and let the "professionals" (regular state employees) handle the actual details of running the department. Some believe they are all knowing grandees and royally mess things up. Some are quite good at doing the real work of the department. I believe this system leads to a lot of waste, but it is what it is.

However, the Public Trustee is NOT a patronage position. It's not a position that can be left to the amateurs. It has qualifications that Holly Williams clearly did not and does not meet. Holly Williams may be a nice person, but her job, by State Statute, requires ten years experience or a college degree plus five years experience. As far as I can tell, she has no experience at all. Bill Owens had every right to appoint a political ally to that job. But he had no right to put an unqualified political ally into the position. It's hard for me to believe in the rather small world of Colorado politics that Bill Owens did not know Holly Williams did not meet the legal qualifications to do this job.

It's not in the "public domain", but I can assure you this is NOT the only instance of this kind of stuff going on in the Owens Administration. I no longer work for the State, so I don't care other than as a citizen. Putting the legal aspect aide, it's just poor judgement to put unqualified people into "real" jobs. The kicker is that Gov. Owens is pushing hard to have the personnel system changed so that another layer of patronage jobs is added just under the Executive Director. In my view, one per department is plenty.

The original question I tried to anwser was if Owens was a very good governor (good enough for a presidential run). I was thrilled when Owens was elected, but I now know enough to give me pause, and I seriously wonder what else is out there. My point is that Owens has a downside and that caution should be used until he has been vetted on a national level.

Did Romer lose?

He won in he sense that he kept the episode out of the media, like he did with a lot of his little escapades.