Sixty Years Ago This Week: Colorado state Senate Majority Leader Jim Mowbray unleashed a bevy of criticisms toward his Republican colleagues after the GOP showed fierce opposition to the Democratic Party’s economic plans. 

“The Republican minority,” Mowbray, D-Delta, said, “- particularly in the House – set a new record for irresponsibility of the legislature.”

Mowbray told The Colorado Democrat, a predecessor publication to Colorado Politics, that Democrats in both chambers could be proud that they had stood firm against a bevy of Republican tax cuts and on a host of other promises Mowbray argued would deeply affect the people of Colorado.

“In the months to come I think the results will prove that we have set a record that is a real credit to the legislative process in Colorado,” Mowbray said.

“Democrats did the right thing when they stood fast against the hopes Republicans held out for tax cuts,” Mowbray said. “We have a good system of tax law levies as a result of the McNichols reforms. A tax cut would have been disastrous in the face of the $100 million capital improvements need we face during the next ten years.”

Mowbray also highlighted the Democrats commitment to Colorado’s elderly population by fulfilling promises to expand funds for nursing homes and medication.

“It was an obligation we made when pensioners supported the constitutional limitation on pension payments,” Mowbray explained.

Mowbray also praised fellow Democratic Gov. Stephen McNichols and Sen. Floyd Oliver, D-Greeley, for their work on highway tunnel legislation that Mowbray said would, “benefit the whole state for years to come.”

Thirty-five Years Ago: The race for an at-large seat on the Denver City Council swelled to three candidates after Denver political activist Steve Schweitzberger made his formal announcement that he was throwing his hat into the ring.

In his announcement, Schweitzberger quoted a 1978 speech by Gov. Dick Lamm, saying he “didn’t know how one person could accomplish so much.”

Schweitzberger was a former Denver mayoral candidate and said that he hoped to work with the mayor’s office to solve the city’s problems in a fair and cost-effective manner.

“The question which remains is whether or not Denver is ready to elect a citizen activist who will be a positive force on the council,” Schweitzberger said.

Schweitzberger had compiled a platform of 106 separate ideas, and said his campaign motto would be: “The candidate with ideas.”

As the list of city council candidates grew longer, Rep. Phil Hernandez, D-Denver, sent an announcement of his own to The Colorado Statesman’s offices.

“With so many north Denver politicians running for mayor, I thought it appropriate to let my constituents know that they will have a full-time state representative,” Hernandez wrote.

Hernandez also noted that he would be backing incumbent Mayor Federico Peña for reelection. 

Twenty-five Years Ago: After a decade of work, the self-titled “true conservatives” snatched the top three El Paso County Republican Party offices as well as 20 bonus member slots to the state GOP central committee.

Bonus member candidate Bob Linden said: “Like Jesus, I’m going to be everything the central committee wants me to be.”

Colorado Christian Coalition Director Chuck Gosnell was elected as a leader for “true conservative values.”

Several El Paso County Republicans spoke with The Colorado Statesman complaining that the “true conservatives” had essentially buried the “inclusive philosophy and launched an exclusive club” that would force mainstream candidates to petition onto the ballot and eventually cause a backlash.

The GOP members refused to let their names be printed in fear that they would be removed form their precinct chairs.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.