VOL. 01 NO. 148 | AUGUST 09, 2016 | COLORADOSTATESMAN.COM/THE-HOT-SHEET |

© 2016By TCS Editor and Publisher Jared Wright

DENVER – Good morning. Yesterday, Colorado activist groups of all sorts of varieties submitted petition signatures to Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams‘s office in attempts to legislate from the streets, placing issues near and dear to their hearts on the November general election ballot. It’s how things get done in the Wild West. Some argue it’s spelled D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y. Others would say it’s spelled E-N-D R-U-N or H-I-G-H-E-S-T B-I-D-D-E-R. At least for now, unless Raise the Bar succeeds with their ballot initiative to make it much harder to amend Colorado’s constitution, something establishment types consider a noble goal while TABOR worshipers and conservative stalwarts consider the move an unorthodox blasphemy, making the situation worse by locking up the government levers for only the wealthiest and most well-to-do.

The most notable national headline today: “Clinton accepts all three debate invitations, challenges Trump to do the same.” Story here

Now campaign class, why would you have your candidate do this? Hint: Really, really confident in your odds. Another Hint: Data from multiple polls don’t lie. 10-13 point lead. One more hint? Position of confidence, dominance and strength.

Two most notable local headline: “Backers of five state ballot measures beat petition deadlines” Story here and “ColoradoCare tax increase would not cover costs of universal health care, report says” Story here

The strangest (non-political) headline: Prosthetic leg found in beaver dam, returned to owner. Story here

Read on for a great glimpse into all things Colorado politics …

“These are politically savvy people, who know the rules regarding campaign finance. This initiative is big-business and big-money’s attempt to circumvent the legislature and betray the average citizen by making it harder for people to govern themselves.” 

Now, your substrata feed straight from Colorado’s politics pipeline:

FRACKING INITIATIVES WILL BE ON BALLOT CLAIM ENVIROS – Environmental activist groups working in Colorado claim they turned in enough signatures to get their two initiatives on the state’s ballot this election cycle. With more than 98,000 signatures required to access the ballot, groups claim they turned in “over 100,000 signatures” for each measure. BUT, the same groups have claimed in the past that they would need “over 130,000 signatures” to absolutely ensure that measures would be on the ballot … and they would have been correct. Some inside analysts say these groups have a long-shot chance of having enough valid signatures to move forward while other government affairs insiders believe these same environmental groups will leverage a failed ballot attempt for publicity, immediately pointing to Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams as being in cahoots with big oil and gas operators in order to effectively draw attention away from their failed signature gathering operation … should they fail.

The groups: Yes for Colorado Health and Safety, The Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Food and Water Watch, Earthworks, Earth Guardians and a local group called Coloradans Resisting Extreme Energy Development (CREED).

“People power did this,” reads a social media post by the anti-fracking Colorado “Yes for Health and Safety” group with a photo showing a group of volunteers turning in boxes of petition signatures at the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.

“Out of state billionaire eco-radicals like Tom Steyer, need to leave Colorado the hell alone,” John Kinkaid, the commissioner of Moffat County in Colorado, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “I hope that the defeat of the initiative signals a new day for the state. Better schools, better highways and a better lifestyle for everyone.”

Full story here

TRUMP ANNOUNCES COLORADO CAMPAIGN TEAM – Colorado Springs businessman and former GOP U.S. Senate candidate Robert Blaha remains state chair while Patrick Davis has been elevated to state director, while other new staff have been named to work under the former RNC political director’s leadership. Lydia Blaha, Robert Blaha’s daughter, will serve as the state campaigns communications director. Dede Laugesen, founder of Colorado Government Watch and wife of Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Page Editor Wayne Laugesen and an outspoken critic of state Reps. Gordon Klingenschmitt and Janak Joshi will co-chair the state campaign’s coalitions operation along with Melissa Simpson, former staffer to U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis and high-level staffer in the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture employee. Simpson also served as a vice president in public affairs firm PAC/West Communications. Read who else was given a Trump senior staff appointment here

GARDNER CONTINUES COLORADO FARM TOUR ON EASTERN PLAINS -Last week, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner traveled the Western Slope and visited Craig, Meeker, New Castle, Palisade, Norwood, Dove Creek, Cortez, Pagosa Springs, and La Jara where he toured nine different farms and ranches. This week, Gardner continues his Farm Tour on the Eastern Plains. Today, he stopped in Otis, Sterling, Julesburg, Holyoke, and Yuma, and will visit Burlington, Hugo, Kit Carson, Eads, Trinidad, Blanca, Monte Vista, Walsenburg, Rocky Ford, Las Animas, Ordway, Pueblo, and Cañon City in the coming days.

Every year’s a campaign year: “Growing up in Yuma and working at my family’s farm implement dealership, I developed an understanding of how agriculture is a way of life for so many Coloradans,” said Gardner in a statement. “Farms and ranches across the Centennial state play a major role in Colorado’s economy, and that’s why I value the opportunity to meet with Colorado’s farmers and ranchers to discuss how Washington-born policies affect their businesses.”

HUGE CLAIM BY HILLARY CAMPAIGN: COLORADO SHOULD ADD JOBS UNDER HILLARY AND WOULD POTENTIALLY -“Since coming out of the Great Recession, Colorado has been able to create 350,000 private sector jobs but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done and Hillary Clinton has the steady leadership and vision we need to continue building on that progress,” said Gene Sperling, former director of the National Economic Council and top economic adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. “Hillary Clinton’s plan will build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, and Mark Zandi‘s analysis gives us the numbers to back it up. In contrast, Donald Trump would set us back. There is nothing in Trump’s career or in his tax plan that shows any commitment to reducing income inequality or fighting for middle class families.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper chipped in his two cents on Hillary and the economy as well: “Whether it’s boosting Colorado’s $20 billion manufacturing industry or making sure that the nearly 1 million Coloradans without access to high-speed internet get connected in the next four years, Hillary Clinton’s jobs plan will have a direct benefit on our state’s economy. She will reduce red tape, cut taxes, and support innovation that will help Colorado businesses thrive. Donald Trump on the other hand, doesn’t seem to understand how small businesses function.”

DONALD TRUMP UNVEILS PLAN TO ROLL BACK ‘JOB KILLING’ REGULATIONS AND ‘JUMPSTART’ U.S. ECONOMY – Delivering a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Donald Trump said, “The one common feature of every Hillary Clinton idea is that it punishes you for working and doing business in the United States.” Saying he wants to “jumpstart America” he added, “It won’t even be that hard.”Some Trump campaign talking points: “Our economy is going backwards under Obama. The latest GDP report was half of what was expected with our economy only growing at 1.2%, the 3rd straight quarter of growth under 2%. This is the weakest economic recovery since the Great Depression.”

Full story here

INBOX: COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL CYNTHIA COFFMAN HELPS SETTLE MULTI-STATE CASE AGAINST BARCLAYS CAPITAL FOR $100 MILLION – Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman announced in a release that she has helped settle a multi-state lawsuit against Barclays Capital Inc. – a company vice chaired by former Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Holtzman from 2008-2013 – for a financial scheme that allegedly ripped off state governments, including Colorado during the Great Recession. The case was an alleged LIBOR -or London Interbank Offered Rate – violation. State attorneys general allege that government entities and organizations in Colorado and throughout the U.S. were defrauded of millions of dollars when they entered into swaps and other instruments with Barclays without knowing that Barclays and other banks on the U.S. dollar LIBOR-setting panel were manipulating LIBOR and colluding with other banks to do so.

It is estimated $4 million of that settlement will go to Colorado. The remainder will be dispersed to 43 other states involved in the lawsuit as restitution as well as to “pay costs and expenses of the investigation and for other uses consistent with state law.”

“Around the financial crisis period between 2007 to 2009, Barclays’ managers frequently told LIBOR submitters to lower their LIBOR settings in order to avoid the appearance that Barclays was in financial difficulty and needed to pay a higher rate than some of its peers to borrow money,” read a news release from Coffman’s office. “The LIBOR submitters complied with the instructions and suppressed their LIBOR submissions during that period.

“Second, at various times from 2005 to 2007, and continuing at least into 2009, Barclays’ traders asked Barclays’ LIBOR submitters to change their LIBOR settings in order to benefit their trading positions, and the submitters often agreed to the requests. At times, those requests came from traders outside the bank, and Barclays’ traders agreed to pass them along to Barclays’ submitters, thus colluding with other banks. Barclays also believed that other banks’ LIBOR submissions likewise did not reflect their true borrowing rates, and that therefore, published LIBOR did not reflect the cost of borrowing funds in the market, as it was supposed to do.”

POLIS VISITING HEALTH CARE RELATED ORGANIZATIONS TODAY – U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-CD2, is visiting three health care organizations in his district today, Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, Novartis, and Clinica Health Services. At Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, Polis aims to “hear about federal policies that affect the ability of patients to access affordable care.” At Novartis, he “will learn about affordable and innovative generic prescription drugs.” And at Clinica Health Services he is “visiting as part of the National Health Center Week (Aug. 7-13), and discussing how to provide high-quality, affordable health care services.” “‘Never Trump’ Taps Their Candidate: Unknown Mormon Hill Staffer from Goldman Sachs Who ‘Resettled’ Refugees for UN.”

Fundraiser for Republican Kevin Priola for Senate District 25 – Tuesday, August 9, 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Eagle View Adult Center, 1150 Prairie Center Parkway, Brighton. Join us for a breakfast and bring your checkbook. Help support this crucial Senate campaign! The host committee:

Luncheon Fundraiser for Rep. Clarice Navarro – Wednesday, August 10, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. El Señor Sol, 2301 7th St, Denver. $100 per person. Hosted by Jefferson County Commissioner Libby Szabo and state Rep. Justin Everett. RSVP to Tammy at tscott@swspolifi.com

Custer County Democrats Monthly Meeting – Monday, August 8, Custer Library Community Room, 209 Main St., Westcliffe, CO

Last day for unaffiliated candidate for president and vice president to submit a statement of intent to run, a $1,000 filing fee, and a list of electors – Wednesday, August 10, no later than 3:00 p.m.

El Paso County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner – Friday, August 12, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Join the El Paso County GOP to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln. Guests include U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Darryl Glenn. Location: Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Rd, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906. For more information, contact Mary Bradfield at secretary@gopelpaso.com or (719) 578-0022. For tickets, visit here.

Larimer County Republican Breakfast Club – Monday, August 15, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, Johnson’s Corner, Southeast Frontage Road, I-25 Exit 254. Meeting held every Monday morning. Same time, same place. Attendance is open to the public. Cost for a buffet style breakfast is $10, and $2 for students. Join for $20, and get a monthly mailing of upcoming speakers and a name tag. Congressman Bob Schaffer founded this club in 1996, when he first went to Congress. For more information, contact Donna Gustafson.

Fundraiser for Rep. Ed Perlmutter – Thursday, August 18, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Home of Cassie Perlmutter and Joe Levi, Denver, Suggested contributions: Host $1000, Co-Host $500, Friend $250, Guest $100, Supporter $36, RSVP to Kelly Hogan at kelly@perlmutterforcolorado.com.

Policy Conversation with Hon. Kathleen Sebelius in support of Hillary Victory Fund – Saturday, August 20, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Home of Drs. Alisa and Steve Sherick, Denver, Host, $5,000, Co-Host $1,000, Supporter $250. RSVP here]

American Majority’s Digital Campaign and Activism Training with special guest trainer Lee Hopper – Monday, August 22, 6:00 p.m., Crossroads Community Church, Northglenn Campus, 10451 Huron St., Northglenn, CO.

5th Annual Senate Majority Fund All-Star Party! – Tuesday, August 23, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., 1600 Glenarm Place, 3rd Floor, Demonstration Kitchen, Denver. Your Colorado Republican State Senators cordially invite you to join them for cocktails, appetizers and to reminisce about the recently played MLB All-Star Game!

Denver Reception for Rep. Kit Roupe – Thursday, August 25, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., DCO 110 16th St. Ste. 501, Denver. Please join Kyle Forti and Caleb Bonham in re-electing Kit Roupe for Colorado House District 17. $400 maximum individual contribution. No contributions from corporations allowed.

Adams County 50th Anniversary JFK Dinner – Saturday, August 27, 6:00 p.m., Double Tree by Hilton, Castle Event Center, I-25 and 120th Ave. Master of Ceremonies state Sen. Morgan Carroll. Special guest speaker to be announced after the Democratic National Convention.

Last day for U.S. Senate and U.S. House candidates to submit a voluntary term limits declaration form – Monday, August 29

Clean Energy Fair and Celebration hosted by Sierra Club and Google Project Sunroof – Wednesday, August 31, 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Denver Skyline Park (off 16th St Mall). RSVP hereHouse Republican Joint Republican Candidate Reception and Fundraiser – Wednesday, August 31, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., 1410 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203. Join the House Republican Caucus to support these candidates: Richard Bowman * Rep. J Paul Brown * Katy Brown  Chris Hadsall * Kimmi Lewis * Jessica Sandgren Host Committee: Assistant Minority Leader Polly Lawrence * Caucus Chair Lois Landgraf * Minority Whip Perry Buck * Representatives Jon Becker * Paul Lundeen * Dan Nordberg * Lang Sias * Kit Roupe * Cole Wist. $200 suggested contribution. Please RSVP to Boyd.SaraA@gmail.com. 

Young and Active Conservatives of Denver – Wednesday, August 31, 7:00 pm. Highland Tavern, 3400 Navajo Street, Denver, CO. HAPPY HOUR! We are conservative young adults in our 20s – 40s who enjoy talking politics and doing social activities. More information here.

General Election mail ballots drop – Monday, October 17

General Election polling locations open – Monday, October 24

General Election – Tuesday, November 8

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