Thirty Years Ago this Week in The Colorado Statesman … Elie Wiesel and Emil Hecht received honorary degrees in Humane Letters from the University of Denver at “A Triumph of Conscience” dinner which was attended by 1,400 distinguished eventgoers. Dr. Dwight Smith, Chancellor of the University of Denver, said the honors were bestowed on “two whose contributions to the welfare of humanity surpass our ability to recognize them.”

Wiesel was recognized in 1986 by the Nobel Peace Prize committee for his relentless work on behalf of the victims of the Holocaust and their memory. Wiesel’s entire family was killed at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Hecht too lost his parents at Auschwitz and was later transferred to the Matausen Camp. When the camp was liberated in 1945, Hecht left weighing only 66 pounds.

Although Wiesel’s remarks at the dinner centered on the importance of Jewish contributions and their memory, he said that it had never been his goal, nor the goal of other Jewish leaders, to impose Jewish tradition on the world. Rather, he envisioned a “better world, a warmer pace, a more hospitable world where friendships could be born between Jews and non-Jews, Christians and non-Christians, a place where children could face the future with hope rather than fear.

Gov. Roy Romer was seated with the guests of honor and said, “You are all part of my heritage.” The Democratic governor had signed a proclamation earlier that week proclaiming June 8 as Elie Wiesel and Emil Hecht Day in Colorado.

… Ten Years Ago … Gov. Bill Ritter fell under the scrutiny of many Republicans who said that the freshman governor, for the most part, had spent his first year playing to the union and trial lawyer interests that drove his party.

Republicans said that the vetoes he did cast were merely token measures designed to appease the business community.

“Gov. [Bill] Owens vetoed these regulatory bills last year and candidate Ritter said he would not sign some of the same bills. So I guess he tried to hold true to his campaign proposals,” House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, said somewhat sarcastically. Some of the most harmful proposals of the legislative session are now being signed into law to the detriment of Colorado’s consumers, businesses and economy.”

Republican fury was directed at bills to which May had given the dubious honor of the “Golden Anvil Award” (an interesting take on a jeweler’s anvil). One of the five “Golden Anvil” bills Ritter signed into law was House Bill 07-1288, sponsored by Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton. May cited the measure as the most egregious fee-hike legislation of the year.

HB 1288 created three new solid waste disposal fees, the Solid Waste Management Program, the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Program and the 13-member Pollution Prevention Advisory Board Assistance committee. To put icing on the cake, the members of the pollution committee were all paid, to the dismay and outrage of the GOP.

The bill also increased the existing tire disposal fee, expand the powers and fee-imposing ability of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission and created the need for 5 new, full-time employees.

“The is significant government growth that will literally cost Coloradans millions of dollars a year,” May said. “To create an entirely new government agency through fees is nothing more than a back door tax increase that will hit every consumer and business in our state.” May went on to say that HB 1288 and others should have been vetoed by Ritter if he intended to stay true to his “Colorado Promise.”

… The Colorado Association of Home Builders (CAHB) Government Affairs committee met at the end of the 2007 Colorado legislative session after the organization had lost battles on a number of issues.

CAHB Government Affairs Chair Chris Elliot said, “We were afraid that Democrat control of the Capitol would result in some significant setbacks on a number of fronts and unfortunately we weren’t disappointed.”

Steve Durham, lobbyist for CAHB, explained that the session was “very difficult for the business community as a whole. It was bad for business because it was good for the opponents of a healthy business climate: labor unions, trial lawyers and environmentalists.”

Durham added that because of legislation like Senate Bill 07-87 and House Bill 07-1338, there would be a steep rise in insurance costs and all the ancillary costs such as workers’ compensation, which he said could rise 20 percent or even more.

HB 1338, which protected homeowners against construction defects in homes, drew most of CAHB’s ire. Durham estimated that general liability insurance policies would increase 50 percent because of the bill.

Democrats disagreed however, stating that the bill, which they lovingly named the “Homeowner’s Protection Act,” was vital in that it provided “legal rights and remedies to owners of properties in dealing with construction professionals, such as builders and subcontractors.”