NOTE: Thad Tecza is a veteran political science professor and longtime Denver resident. I’m posting his insight on 2C, which appears on the Denver ballot for this election. I agree that we should all vote NO.
Citizens of Denver,
The September Finance Reports are now posted on the Denver Election Commission’s website. “A Smart Deal for Denver”, “Yes on 2C”, has collected $1,177,335. 34, almost solely from government, corporations and wealthy individuals connected to the construction, livestock and tourism industries. It has spent $997,262.04 to buy the November election. I have attached a list of the major contributors to the campaign and expenditures by it (see bottom).
When Denver expands the National Western Stock Show Complex, the contributors to the campaign expect a minimum of an $856 million return on their approximately $1 million investment. To give you an idea of specific returns, Kiewit Infrastructure, Inc. has contributed $15,000 to the campaign and is in the process of receiving a $140 million contract from the City of Denver. David Kenny contributed $1,000 to the campaign while his firm, “The Kenny Group”, has already received $36,000 in Consulting Fees. CRL Associates contributed $1,000 and has received $30,000 for Campaign Management. It is these types of returns that make their investment in “A Smart Deal for Denver” into “A Smart Deal for The Contributors”.
Crony capitalism is the marriage of government and private special interests. According to its September Financial Report, “A Smart Deal for Denver” received a $200,000 contribution from “Visit Denver”. The Visit Denver website states that “Visit Denver is funded from both private (membership, advertising, and sponsorship) and public sources (voter-approved lodging tax).” This is government in cahoots with corporations to subvert the election process in the interest of profits.
Welfare capitalism occurs when the government subsidizes private corporations, often at the expense of the public interest. In this case, given the investment that has been made by government, private corporations and the super-rich to determine the outcome of the election, any benefits that the National Western Expansion Project produces for most of the citizens of Denver will be an accidental byproduct of serving the needs of the interests financing “A Smart Deal for Denver”. They will be the table scraps from the corporate feast.
Most importantly, the corruption of the democratic system by “A Smart Deal for Denver” will prevent us from a full evaluation of alternative expenditures of the $778 million that the City will spend on the National Western and Convention Center expansions. We will never know if a Lowry type redevelopment at the Stock Show site, or distribution of more than $70 million in improvements to each of the 11 Council Districts, would have been more beneficial to the citizens of Denver. The money will be gone in the pursuit of private profits for special interests.
The fact that over $1 million will be spent to convince voters to vote “Yes” on 2C while, to my knowledge, not a single penny is being spent in opposition makes informed evaluation of the choices available to voters impossible. The upcoming election is a sham. It is a repulsive travesty of democracy. It violates every principle that our system of referred elections was intended to advance.
As a person of conscience and a citizen of Denver you should not be a party to this abomination. I urge you to vote “NO” on 2C and to encourage your fellow citizens to do likewise.
Thad Tecza
A Smart Deal for Denver Contributors
Total Contributions, $1,177,335.34
National Western Stock Show Association and Board
- National Western Stock Show Association, $55,152
- Ronald W. Williams: Chairman, National Western, $100,000
- Patrick A. Grant: Vice Chairman and Cecily Grant, $23,000
- Sue Anschutz-Rodgers: 1st Vice-President, $75,000
- GG (Buck) Hutchison: 2nd Vice President/Hutchison, Inc., $15,000
- Don Elliman: Board Member, $5,000
- Gail Klapper: Board Member, $1,000
- Justin Cumming: Board Member, $500
- Tracey Ringolsby: Board Member, $200
- Terrance Carroll: Board Member, $200
Other Notable Individuals:
- Pat Stryker, $100,000
- Charlie Smith: Populous; Senior Principal, $15,000
- Diane Wallach: Cody Resources, $10,000
- William Sinclaire, $10,000
- Butler Snow, PO Box 6010, Ridgeland, Mississippi, $10,000
- Steve Bangert, CoBiz, Inc; Chairman/CEO, $5,000
- Joseph Blake, $5,000
- Daniel Richie, $5,000
- Robert Tointon, $5,000
- Jeffrey Keller: Asphalt Paving Company President, $5,000
- H. Benjamin Duke: Rancher, $2,500
- John Green, Scottsdale Arizona, $2,500
- Nancy Turo Moore, CH2M Hill Group Chief Executive, $2,500
- Randell Blach, Blach Cattle Company, $1,500
- Bob Beauprez, $500
Notable Business Contributions:
- Visit Denver, $200,000
- M.D.C. Holdings, $50,000
- Service Systems Associates, $30,000
- Saunders Construction Inc., $25,000
- Cervi Enterprises, Business Management, Greeley, Colorado, $25,000
- Beri Management, $25,000
- Benson Mineral Group, $25,000
- Associated General Contractors, $25,000
- CO State Conference of Electrical Workers, $16,700
- Kiewit Infrastructure Co, $15,000
- Rocky Mountain District Council No. 5, Colorado Springs, Co.
- Colorado Contractors Association, $10,000
- Citywide Banks, $10,000
- Xcel Energy, $10,000
- Trammell Crow Company, $10,000
- Bud M. Adams Survivors Trust, $10,000
- Bradbury Family Partnership, $10,000
- FC Facilitator LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, $10,000
- Raymond Duncan Revocable Trust, $10,000
- IUPAT Political Action Together PAC, Hanover, Maryland, $10,000
- AED Live LLC, Los Angeles, California, $10,000
- AEG Live, LLC, Denver, $10,000
- Rocky Mtn. Chapter, NECA $8,333,34
- United Association of Journeymen & Apprentices, Annapolis, Maryland, $5,000
- Local Union No 9 Sheet Metal Workers, $6,500
- Encore Electric $5,000
- Berg Electric Corp., Los Angeles, California, $5,000
- Flood and Peterson, Greeley, Colorado, $5,000
- Cobb Mechanical Contractors, $5,000
- Milender White Construction Co., $5,000
- Colorado Building and Trades Council, $5,000
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, $5,000
- Issues Mobilization Committee, $5,000
- Journeymen Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union 3, $5,000
- LPR Construction Co., $5,000
- Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, $5,000
- Pipefitters Local Union No. 208, $5,000
- Rocky Mountain District Council of Laborers, $5,000
- Colorado Sheet Metal Industry Fund, $3,250
- SMACNA Colorado, $3,250
- Puma Steer, Cheyenne, Wyoming, $3,000
- The Jones Realty Group, $3,000
- Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP, $2,500
- JRL 51st Street LLC.,$2,500
- JE Dunn Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $2,500
- Davis Partnership Architects, $2,000
- Hispanic Contractors of Colorado, $1,500
- Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, $1,500
- Elevation Development Group, $1,500
- ZBlock Holdings, $1,000
- Union Station Alliance LLC, $1,000
- M and M Farms, $1,000
- CRL Associates, $1,000
- David Kenny, $1,000
Total Expenditures: $997,262.04
Notable Expenditures:
- MSR-Next: TV Ad Placement, $700,000
- Hill Research Consultants, Auburn, Alabama, Polling, $29,444.50
- Dewey-Obenchain Films, Advertising Production, $37,475
- Derrington Consulting: Campaign Management and Consulting,
- CRL Associates: Campaign Management, $30,000
- The Kenny Group: Consulting, $36,000
- Jake Martin: Consulting and Office Supplies, $12,091.88
- Hilltop Public Solutions, 3000 K Street, Washington D.C.,, Consulting, $11,000
- C&D Printing, Yard Signs, $7,162.48
- Derrington Consulting, $5,213.15
- Patricia Salazar, Consulting, $10,000
- 4Degrees Inc: Website Development and Online Advertising, $23,330
- The Starboard Group: Fundraising Service, $15,041.48
- Philanthrophy Expert, LLC: Online Advertising, $10,141.48,000
- Ellen Bruss Design: Graphic Design Services, $5,000
- Central Vectors LLC: Community Organizing: $4,500
- John Zapien, $2,500
- Anthony Grimes, Community Outreach, $1,750
- Heart and Mind Media, Video Production, $1,100
- Liz Adams, Consulting, $1,500
- Sauers Consulting, $750
Trackbacks/Pingbacks