In Which a Statewide Vote of the People Becomes "Terrorism"

20 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Photo courtesy Rep. Jared Polis

The Denver Business Journal's Ed Sealover updates on the still-sputtering negotiations over a possible–but increasingly unlikely–special session of the state legislature to address local control of oil and gas drilling. The session, were it to be convened, would seek to pass legislation to forestall ballot initiatives to that could more strictly regulate the industry–from allowing local governments to impose larger setbacks between drilling and other development, to even banning the practice of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") entirely within municipal boundaries.

As Sealover reports, it's pretty amazing what the oil and gas industry can get insiders to say on their behalf:

The Colorado Association of Home Builders' bipartisan lobbying team and six of its board members have resigned in response to the organization’s decision to support Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposal to give cities and counties more regulatory power over oil and gas drilling.

The shakeup of one of the most powerful business-industry groups in Colorado — including statements by one of the resigned lobbyists that CAHB seems intent on appeasing a congressman that the lobbyist called a "terrorist" — comes as the governor has said he’ll only call for a special legislative session to consider the proposal if he gets enough support from interest groups to persuade Democrats and Republicans to get behind the plan…

“Governor Hickenlooper has chosen to appease terrorist Polis rather than stating in no uncertain terms that what he is proposing is devastating for Colorado’s economy and should be defeated,” [lobbyist Steve] Durham wrote. [Pols emphasis]

Lobbyist Steve Durham.

In truth, many of the conservationist groups supporting one or more of the ballot measures in question are displeased with Rep. Jared Polis for even negotiating with Gov. John Hickenlooper and the oil and gas industry–since they believe, and not without good reason, that a local control ballot measure can pass this fall. Despite this, Polis has expressed support for Hickenlooper's compromise bill, and offered to pull his support for the ballot measures if the compromise effort were to succeed. Without Polis' wealth to back these initiatives, they will naturally be more difficult to pass.

But to claim that pursuing a statewide ballot initiative, the most small-d democratic process that exists in this state or for that matter most anywhere, is tantamount to "terrorism" reveals just how far out of touch lobbyists like Steve Durham are. Our genteel local media is pretty good about sanitizing ridiculous statements like these before the public gets wind of them, so we suspect this won't see much publicity beyond the Denver Business Journal. If they're smart, Durham's friends in the oil and gas industry hope so–Durham might not care what anyone thinks of him, but voters get a little upset about being lumped in with "terrorism" for, you know, voting.

How much contempt does this industry have for the voters of Colorado? If Steve Durham is any indicator, a lot.

20 thoughts on “In Which a Statewide Vote of the People Becomes “Terrorism””

horseshit GOP front group says:

July 9, 2014 at 1:40 pm

Democracy = terrorism*

* ( when it doesn't work for me)

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mamajama55 says:

July 9, 2014 at 1:45 pm

Hell, I've even registered voters – hundreds. Does that make me a terrorist recruiter or something?

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1. Colorado Pols says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 1:48 pm
  
  Basically.
  
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2. Canines says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 1:56 pm
  
  Hell, he just called Governor Hickenlooper a terrorist appeaser.
  
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MichaelBowman says:

July 9, 2014 at 2:03 pm

At the risk of jeopardizing any future aspirations for public office, may I offer two words to those who equate democracy with terrorism? Fuck. You. (on second thought, I'll supplement it with nine more: …and that horse you rode in to town on)

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1. Progressicat says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 4:31 pm
  
  At the risk of jeopardizing any future aspirations for public office, may I offer two words to those who equate democracy with terrorism?
  
  That you could even write that and have people take meaning from it, either in seriousness or in jest, says so much about the state of the party of Lincoln, it's enough to make one weep.
  
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  1. MichaelBowman says:
    
    July 9, 2014 at 6:07 pm
    
    Indeed.
    
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Ralphie says:

July 9, 2014 at 2:19 pm

Laws should not be made by the people. They should be made in back-room deals.

Works for me.

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1. The realist says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 4:22 pm
  
  Well, ya see, the problem is, corporations are people (my friend), but people are not people, in the eyes of corporations. It would work out fine if people just weren't people.
  
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  1. Davie says:
    
    July 9, 2014 at 4:27 pm
    
    Once SKYNET is operational, terrorists (people) won't be a problem anymore…
    
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  2. Duke Cox says:
    
    July 9, 2014 at 6:06 pm
    
    Correct…they are data….
    
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    1. Duke Cox says:
      
      July 9, 2014 at 6:07 pm
      
      people I mean….
      
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Canines says:

July 9, 2014 at 2:26 pm

You can't say this guy who resigned, Durham, doesn't have principals:

Lobbyist's Principals:

Name

City and State

Start Date

End Date

BUCHANAN & SPERLING, PC

Arvada CO 80002 US

01/21/2014

CAPITOL FOCUS LLC

Denver CO 80203 US

03/14/2014

CENTURYLINK

Denver CO 80202 US

07/01/2010

CITY OF GLENDALE

Glendale CO 80246 US

01/14/2014

COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF CAREER COLLEGES & SCHOOLS

DENVER CO 80203

07/01/2010

COLORADO ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS

DENVER CO 80210

07/01/2010

COLORADO COMMUNIQUE, INC.

Denver CO 80206 US

04/08/2013

COLORADO CONSUMER COALITION

Denver CO 80207 US

02/05/2013

COLORADO GAMING ASSOCIATION

Denver CO 80203 US

11/08/2011

COLORADO HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION

Denver CO 80203 US

01/12/2012

COLORADO HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION

AURORA CO 80011

07/01/2010

COLORADO RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

DENVER CO 80216

07/01/2010

COLORADO WINNING EDGE, INC.

Westminster CO 80031 US

02/14/2011

DENVER METRO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Denver CO 80202 US

08/10/2013

08/10/2013

DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON DC 20005

07/01/2010

FIRST CHOICE EMERGENCY ROOMS

Lewisville TX 75067 US

03/04/2014

JFS PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP LLC

Denver CO 80203 US

08/10/2013

KENNEDY, COLLON

Denver CO 80206 US

03/24/2014

TRI-STATE GENERATION & TRANSMISSION ASSOCIATION

Westminster CO 80234 US

10/20/2011

UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

San Francisco CA 94103 US

04/22/2014

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Craig says:

July 9, 2014 at 3:34 pm

Steve Durham. I thought he was dead. God, he was ancient when I was dealing with him in the 70's and 80's. One of the original House Crazies of long ago. I thought we ran all those guys out on a rail. Alas, the memories.

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1. Golden Girl says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 4:25 pm
  
  I was just thinking the same thing! In the 90's he became the special interests wheeler, dealer whore and one of the most unpleasant lobbyist under the dome.
  
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BlueCat says:

July 9, 2014 at 4:58 pm

Bet officials urging citizens to vote for their counties to secede from the state because they don't like the state's democratically elected government aren't terrorists. Or officials urging their constituents to vote to recall elected officials not for any misconduct but because of the way they vote. Guess it's only terrorism if you aren't letting the corporate elite dictate whatever they want whether you like it or not. It's terrorism if you don't realize who your betters are.

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1. ct says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 5:27 pm
  
  Specifically Both Ways wants it, you guessed it, both ways. He totally gets secession, and understands–hell–so much so civil war is possible…
  
  But local government and citizens having say over toxic industrial development in their very midst? Nooooo!
  
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  1. Duke Cox says:
    
    July 9, 2014 at 5:54 pm
    
    Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
    
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davebarnes says:

July 9, 2014 at 5:01 pm

Interesting.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/07/solar-has-won-even-if-coal-were-free-to-burn-power-stations-couldnt-compete

Solar has won. Even if coal were free to burn, power stations couldn't compete

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1. MichaelBowman says:
  
  July 9, 2014 at 5:31 pm
  
  This war is over. Would someone tell the Repugs?
  
  From Down Under:
  
  By the end of the decade, the idea of homes and companies getting close to self-sustaining regarding energy production and consumption will be the norm in the sunnier American states.
  
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