Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: Republican activist Gloria Roemer was running for Colorado’s first Congressional District against incumbent Democratic state Rep. Pat Schroeder, and she came out swinging, labelling Schroeder “a hypocrite” for calling Congress a “coin-op legislature.”

“The people of Denver have been short-changed by a congresswoman who puts our interests at the bottom, and the needs of special interests at the top,’ Roemer said. “It’s not a coin-op legislature, it’s a Slot Machine Congress. When people in Denver pull the lever it comes up three lemons. When special interests pull the lever it comes up three cherries.”

At a press conference at the Colorado State Capitol, Roemer alleged that 85% of Schroeder’s campaign funds had come from political action committees funded by special interests.

“Her special interest voting record earned Ms. Schroeder 100% ratings with organizations like the AFL-CIO, the NEA and the United Auto Workers. After she delivers the votes,” Roemer said, “they deliver the cash.”

Roemer also alleged that Schroeder was building a campaign “war chest” of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars, after an attorney, acting on Schroeder’s direction, sought to transfer funds from her failed presidential campaign into her congressional campaign.

“My question to Pat is, ‘Why do you feel you need three-quarters of a million dollars in this election campaign?’”

To counteract what she saw as inappropriate influence, Roemer suggested a campaign finance reform package that included eliminating special interest PAC funding, eliminating all honoraria for members of Congress and limiting Congressional terms.

Roemer shared evidence that Pat Schroeder was ranked third in the number of honoraria receipts, fees members of Congress receive for giving speeches, having made over $160,000 from 72 appearances.

“Ms. Schroeder will tell you … that she donated much of the money to charity,” Roemer said. “If the people of Denver had wanted a fundraiser instead of a congresswoman they would have hired one.”

Meanwhile, the Schroeder for Congress Committee provided financial statements from the 1989-1990 election cycle which alleged that in 1989 PAC contributions made up on 29% of her funds raised and in 1990 only 22% of funds.

According to Schroeder, the figures reflected an effort to reduce the influence of PACS by working to raise large numbers of small contributions from the average voter.

Twenty Five Years Ago: The Legislative Audit Committee ordered state health officials to inspect nursing facilities and report on what was being done to curb violations after the publication of a damming federal audit.

State law required that nursing facilities which provided care — in 2000 that was to some 17,000 people — had to be inspected at least once every 15 months.

Federal inspectors visited Colorado facilities, which had just been inspected by state officials, and found eight times as many problems as the state reported. Among those problems that state officials didn’t catch were patients’ pressure sores being left untreated for so long that gangrene developed and in some cases a patient’s foot had to be amputated.

In addition, the federal audit report found that Colorado had reported 51% less nursing home deficiencies than other states over the previous three years.

“Many of the nursing homes problems are life threatening,” the federal report said.

But Janet Little, deputy director of the Health Facilities Division of the State Department of Public Health and Environment contended that the problem was a national one — not just Colorado’s.

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing columnist to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.