Half of Denver Public Schools’ students are Hispanic, so the push by the Latino Education Campaign to increase voting and school involvement in that community is a healthy move.

The continued low test scores and high dropout rates among Hispanic children in DPS are serious problems that need more attention than they are getting. And Denver’s Hispanic families surely need more representation than they now have, with one Hispanic school board member and only one high-ranking Hispanic in the administration.

However, we differ with the campaign members who continue to criticize board member Rita Montero for supporting Denver’s new bilingual education program.

We also support the bilingual program, which seeks to immerse Spanish-speaking immigrants in English as quickly as possible so they can be mainstreamed into regular classes within three years.

While some families would prefer to stretch out that process indefinitely, that’s not the best course for the child. The activists who continue to berate the new bilingual program should quell their criticism until the program has been given a chance to work.

Meanwhile, the new group – a coalition of various Hispanic activists – wants to have a say in who is named to replace outgoing Superintendent Irv Moskowitz, whom some Hispanics have criticized during his five years here.

No superintendent is going to please all of the people all of the time, but Moskowitz surely tried to do right by Denver students, crafting the new bilingual plan on their behalf and instituting an innovative program that teamed paraprofessionals with all first-grade (and later, second-grade) teachers to try to improve reading skills.

Reading scores continue to languish in the lower levels in DPS, and more reforms are needed. But Moskowitz’s efforts cannot go unnoticed.

We believe all factions of the Hispanic community, not just the new campaign, should be providing some insights into what is needed in a new superintendent. Indeed, all groups whose children attend Denver public schools likewise should have a voice in the new superintendent’s selection.

However, the Latino Education Campaign is correct in pushing to obtain more Hispanic representation, both on the board and in the administration. The fact that half of DPS’ clientele is going virtually unrepresented has to change. – – – – Setting sights on NRA new political action committee, forming to go toe-to-toe with the National Rifle Association, may be the group that finally succeeds in balancing the powerful lobbying, membership and advertising of the NRA.

But let’s also be clear. No one supporting Sensible Alternatives to the Firearms Epidemic (SAFE) Colorado wants to take away a shotgun from sports men and women. SAFE Colorado wants to get rid of assault weapons, and its founding membership includes both Republicans and Democrats.

“We can get together about something so much bigger than partisan politics,” said Arnie Grossman, co-founder of SAFE and a long-time Denver Democratic political consultant. The goal is to build a 100,000 membership, outweighing the NRA’s Colorado membership by several thousand, and raise the type of money and power wielded by the NRA.

For example, it’s very common in legislative and federal races for the NRA to send out questionnaires to candidates and incumbents on their stance on gun control. The NRA also issues report cards on gun control. State Rep. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, proudly gets an F, while State Rep. Doug Dean, R-El Paso, typically gets an A. “We are going to hold representatives accountable. We are going to rate them,” Grossman added.

Another common NRA tactic is to put up, and help fund, an opponent to a sitting representative. SAFE Colorado plans similar funding and support for candidates thus challenged by the NRA. In addition to campaign participation, SAFE Colorado is also hoping to raise sufficient funds to finance political television commercials supporting its stance.

The potential for raising those funds and mobilizing a powerful lobby is definitely there. Currently on board with Grossman to form a PAC to go against the NRA is Republican activist John Head. Former Govs. Dick Lamm, a Democrat, and John Love, Republican, have agreed to be co-chairs. Democrat J.D. MacFarlane, a former Colorado attorney general and Denver manager of safety and Republican Mary Estill Buchanan, former secretary of state, also are planning to join SAFE Colorado.

Meanwhile, the 12-member U.S. Senate Youth Violence Task Force, chaired by Colorado Republican Wayne Allard, is looking at strengthening and enforcing existing laws, creating safer schools and analyzing how popular culture contributes toviolence.

Allard points out that a number of laws currently on the books are not being enforced. His group recommends closing several loopholes that permit youth access to guns and appropriating $ 50 million to be used to beef up federal prosecution of gun crimes.

We may already have the laws on the books. Allard’s recommendations would help put the firepower where it belongs – in enforcement. – – – – Recycling America enver Rep. Diana DeGette, whose previous two tries at passing an expanded “brownfields” program got caught in the congressional crossfire over proposed reforms of the Superfund legislation, Tuesday introduced a third version of the proposed federal law – which is similar to the Voluntary Redevelopment and Cleanup Act she shepherded through the Colorado Legislature in 1994.

At both the state and federal levels, “the key is that you give property owners incentives to clean up contaminated property instead of punishing them for not cleaning it up,” DeGette told The Post Tuesday.

There are an estimated 450,000 “brownfields” across the nation, abandoned and often contaminated industrial or commercial sites. Site owners and operators, as well as prospective purchasers, are hesitant to rehabilitate such brownfields because hazardous substances may lurk underground, posing major liability risks to the owner. As a result, development that could revitalize older urban or suburban areas often sprawls into previously undeveloped exurban sites, known as “greenfields.”

The proposed federal law would:

Provide $ 35 million annually for five years to finance grants of up to $ 500,000 to local governments for assessment of greenfields.

Provide $ 65 million annually for five years to finance grants of $ 500,000 to $ 1,000,000 annually to local governments for brownfields cleanup through revolving funds.

Provide liability protection for prospective purchasers and developers of brownfields.

Provide liability protection for innocent landlords.

Provide $ 15 million annually for five years to assist in developing state cleanup programs.



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