Fifty Years Ago This Week: Speaking at the National Education Association’s 100th convention at Denver City Auditorium, NEA President Ewald Turner said that the key problem facing education was the persistent theme of financing.

“Many non-teacher groups favor good education but will not face up to the costs,” Turner said, “Can we create in the minds of men the image that education is an investment in people, not an expense?”

Referencing Turner’s remark that local and state monies were necessary alongside federal funding, several unnamed Colorado delegates told reporters they felt that Turner was addressing the Colorado General Assembly, without having to come right out and accuse the legislature of failing to adequately support schools.

“If the tax-cutting organizations are to be the weathervane for public support for good schools, then perhaps education for all children is nothing more than a noble dream,” Turner said. “…We will not find the Congress assuming a realistic attitude toward financing our public schools until our representatives in Congress are convinced that this is desired by their constituents back home.”

Twenty-Five Years Ago: Although his campaign was still in the “exploratory phase” Senate President Tom Norton, R-Greeley, alerted the media that he’d filed his candidate affidavit for governor with Secretary of State Vikki Buckley as well as taken a voluntary spending limit pledge of $2 million.

“I’ve started organizing around the state,” said Norton. “I have several consultants interviewed, and I’m setting up my finance committee. I’ll probably make my final decision on consultants next week.”

Norton, who was term-limited, had been sounding out Republican activists about a gubernatorial campaign since January and had already transferred $40,000 from his senate campaign fund. Norton was quick to say that was before the Amendment 15 requirements had kicked in.

“Once I have my campaign organized, I’ll start fundraising in earnest,” Norton said, stating that this final organization was the reason why his formal announcement hadn’t been made.

“As soon as I get all the organizational stuff completed,” Norton said, “I’ll formally announce. It’ll be one month — six weeks from now.”

Fifteen Years Ago: It was quite possible that Denver City Councilman-elect Paul Lopez would be serving the shortest term in the Council’s history, according to his former opponent JoAnn Phillips.

In a court challenge, Phillips alleged that Lopez was ineligible to hold the District 3 seat because he had moved out of District 3 and returned less than a year before the May 1 municipal election.

Alfonso Suazo, Phillip’s campaign manager, said they had submitted evidence to prove this.

“There’s a lot of evidence out there,” Suazo said. “The documents we’ve provided the court are substantial.”

Lopez, a labor organizer for the Service Employees International Union, had previously signed a sworn affidavit that he met all the eligibility requirements for election to council.

But Suazo said that the Phillip’s campaign was in possession of vehicle registrations that showed Lopez moving into District 3 from District 2.

“Paul Lopez has nothing other than a tax return to prove his residency,” Suazo said. “The problem is Lopez has no physical evidence to back up his claim. If the court finds against Lopez, he could be held criminally liable for perjury because of the sworn affidavit he signed.”

Neither Lopez nor his campaign manager Gia Irlando returned The Colorado Statesman’s request for comment, although in May, Irlando had said that the residency question was a “non-issue” and had been launched by someone “who got 15% of the vote so they would not have to do a real campaign.”

When asked if Phillips would run again if a special election were called, Suazo declined to confirm.

“I think what we need to concentrate on is whether Paul is a resident of the district,” Suazo said.

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.