Transcript Golden
October 24, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 147, Issue 47
AMENDMENT 66
Work continues on the highway winding its way up Coal Creek Canyon, where major flooding earlier this year has destroyed much of Highway 72, exposing gas lines, flooding homes and washing out bridges. Photo by Glenn Wallace
The long road back Flood repairs continue on Highway 72, across state By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com With winter weather already putting in an appearance, the race is on across Colorado to repair billions of dollars worth of damage to roads, utilities and homes. There are still sections of Highway 72 through Coal Creek Canyon where floodwaters left less than a lane of roadway remaining. Those repair efforts received some political attention this week, as members of the Colorado federal delegation, including Colorado U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, Congressmen Ed Perlmutter, Jared Polis, and Cory Gardner, as well as state Gov. John Hickenlooper attended a press conference at the base of the Coal Creek Canyon road. The elected officials were gathered to celebrate the passed senate bill that ended the government shutdown as well as increasing the level of emergency transportation funding the state could receive from the federal government, from $100 million to $450 million. “People around this state have rallied, as only Coloradoans can do, to make this a better, stronger state,” Gardner said. Perlmutter, who represents the 6th congressional district, which includes the Coal Creek area, said his niece who lives in Coal Creek Canyon was affected by the floods. He joined with the rest of the delegation to praise the work of CDOT and the construction contractors that were working to repair all state highways by Dec. 1. Perlmutter had unkind words about the
Classes like the one that Edgewater Elementary School dual-language teacher Lupe Marquez instructs are expected to receive more funding under Amendment 66. Photos by Vic Vela
What’s in it for Jeffco? Precise funding for the district is difficult to nail down By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com It is widely accepted that if voters approve Amendment 66 on Nov. 5, the measure will pump at least $71 million of new funding into Jefferson County Public Schools. After that, who knows? There are a number of complexities tied the school finance overhaul ballot question, which makes it difficult for supporters to articulate a “bottom line” dollar figure to uneasy voters. At the same, it’s not uncommon to hear opponents discount nuance when talking about Amendment 66’s involved funding structure, often citing funding percentages that are probably worst case scenario for Jeffco. If passed, the measure would create $950 million in new taxes initially and about $1 billion in 2015 to enact major changes to the state’s school finance formula. The measure would fund full-day kindergarten, preschool for at-risk
Suzi Christoffersen helps an Edgewater Elementary School kindergarten student understand his work during an Oct. 21 lesson. youth and would provide more resources for English language learners, special education students and children who are in gifted and talented programs. Additionally, the measure aims to reduce class sizes and would reform perpupil funding statewide in a more equi-
table fashion, proponents argue. But the overhaul comes with a hefty price tag. Amendment 66 would raise taxes on all Colorado taxpayers. The
Amendment continues on Page 6
Road continues on Page 19 POSTAL ADDRESS
GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 0746-6382)
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