Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Denver

Denver’s 2028 Convention Bid Advances as Democrats Narrow Field to Three Cities
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Denver’s 2028 Convention Bid Advances as Democrats Narrow Field to Three Cities

By Mike Catalini | The Colorado Sun A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the news. “We are honored that Denver has advanced as one of the top three candidates to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention,” he said in a writt...
Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders
Fox News, Approved, State

Socialist Surge Raises Alarm Among Denver Business Leaders

By Kristine Parks, Julia Bonavita and Nikolas Lanum | Fox News Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce President JJ Ament worries more regulations will hurt small businesses. Affordability was a top concern among voters who helped launch democratic socialist congressional candidate Melat Kiros to victory in Denver's Democratic primary in June over 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette.  But as democratic socialists gain momentum in Colorado, business owners are grappling with how their progressive policies may collide with the actual costs of running a business in Denver. "With DSA specifically, I think that, too many times, the rhetoric sounds great until it meets the economic realities," J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber o...
Colorado Cities Wrestle With Costs and Benefits of Data Center Expansion
Axios Denver, Approved, State

Colorado Cities Wrestle With Costs and Benefits of Data Center Expansion

By Alayna Alvarez | Axios Denver Colorado communities are taking dramatically different approaches to the boom in data center development, with a patchwork of moratoriums, incentives and new restrictions. Why it matters: The local experimentation is filling a vacuum left by state lawmakers, who failed last legislative session to agree on how Colorado should regulate the resource-hungry facilities. State of play: The fragmentation sets up another potential fight at the Colorado State Capitol next year over how to capture the upside of data center development without saddling communities with their enormous electricity, water and infrastructure demands. Driving the news: Denver — which already has 50 data centers — has&...
Socialist Melat Kiros Victory Exposes Growing Divide Among Colorado Democrats
Axios Denver, Approved, State

Socialist Melat Kiros Victory Exposes Growing Divide Among Colorado Democrats

By John Frank | Axios Denver Two days after her upset in the Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st Congressional District, Melat Kiros stood with party leaders behind a banner that read: "Together We Win." Yes, but: Now she appears quite lonely. The intrigue: Some Democratic candidates are keeping their distance from the 29-year-old democratic socialist on the campaign trail. And at least three Democratic moderate candidates are vocally expressing concern about her candidacy. Why it matters: The box-out on Kiros exposes divisions in the Democratic Party and undercuts the party's unity messaging heading into the November midterms. State of play: Kiros defeated 30-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette by more t...
New Study Finds Government Taxes and Fees Add Tens Of Thousands To Colorado Home Prices
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Commentary, State

New Study Finds Government Taxes and Fees Add Tens Of Thousands To Colorado Home Prices

By Peter Lifari | Commentary, The Denver Gazette Colorado’s economic competitiveness is slipping, and housing affordability is one of the most important reasons why. Policymakers have more control over this than they might think.   A new report from the Common Sense Institute details tens of thousands of dollars in housing-construction costs created not by land or water scarcity, labor costs, materials costs, market conditions or interest rates — but by nothing more than policy.  Housing affordability is as much an economic development and competitiveness issue as it is a social one. That matters in a state tracking business establishment losses and domestic migration losses.  This is a relatively new development for Colorado. For years, the ...
Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Minimum Wage Increase Raises Questions Over Prices, Jobs, and Affordability

By Sophia Villalba | Denver7 DENVER — Denver's minimum wage will rise to $19.84 an hour on Jan. 1, renewing debate over how higher labor costs affect workers and businesses. Some say the increase is necessary, while others say the higher wages could impact business operations. Every business owner implements cost-cutting methods however they can. At Elemental Bakery and Coffeehouse, owner Cindy Wright chooses to take on more work herself to save some money. “Instead of hiring a dish person, we all do the dishes. We're not looking to raise prices or anything right now,” Elemental Bakery & Coffeehouse owner Cindy Wright said. Spending is top of mind, especially with another minimum wage increase on the horizon. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVE...
Colorado Homeownership Slips Further Out of Reach as Prices Outpace Incomes
The Coloradoan, Approved, State

Colorado Homeownership Slips Further Out of Reach as Prices Outpace Incomes

By Nate Trela | The Coloradoan A new study on homeownership shows just how unaffordable buying a home is across the country, including two Colorado metro areas where homebuying is out of reach for most of their residents even if mortgage rates were set to 0%. The report using data .from Ziffy.ai, an AI-powered real estate investment platform, included the Boulder and Grand Junction areas among dozens of examples of markets where more than half of the homes are unaffordable for most households, even if mortgages did not require paying interest. The analysis defines affordability as when the total monthly housing costs — principal, interest, taxes and insurance — are no more than 30% of the median household income in a market. It based the mortgage calculations...
Denver Takes Tobacco Companies to Court Over Cigarette Litter
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Denver Takes Tobacco Companies to Court Over Cigarette Litter

By Anna Coon | KDVR DENVER (KDVR) — The city of Denver has filed suit against major tobacco companies, arguing that cigarette manufacturers should pay the cost of cleaning up the thousands of cigarette butts thrown onto city property each year. “Our data says that almost 25% of all the litter we collect is made up of cigarette butts,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said. “So, think about it as a quarter of the total cost the city spends to do trash pickup, is filled with these cigarette butts.” The city is suing 9 major tobacco manufacturers, including Philip Morris and Reynolds American, along with Colorado Springs-based distributor Peerless Products. The 72-page lawsuit argues that cigarette butts have long clogged city streets and stormwater drains and entered wa...
Six Colorado Traffic Laws Take Effect With New Rules for Drivers and School Zones
DENVER7, Approved, State

Six Colorado Traffic Laws Take Effect With New Rules for Drivers and School Zones

By Ethan Carlson | Denver7 Laws named for Magnus White and Liam Stewart are among six traffic safety measures now in effect, with four more set to take effect before year's end. DENVER — Six significant traffic safety laws took effect across Colorado on Wednesday, and the families who fought for them gathered at the State Capitol to mark the moment. Lawmakers, advocates and relatives of people killed in vehicle collisions joined AAA, MADD, The White Line and Bicycle Colorado at a news conference in the Capitol's West Foyer to discuss what the new laws mean for Colorado drivers. Among the laws now in effect is Magnus's Law, named for Magnus White, who was killed at age 17 on July 29, 2023, while riding his bicycle in Boulder. The law mandates that an offic...