Great Snowpack, Frequent Rains and Full Reservoirs Means Conditions are Ripe for a Good Rafting Season for Colorado Rafting Companies

Bustamante: Proposition HH is Deceptive, Devious, and Unconstitutional

by Paul Joshua Bustamante, Complete Colorado Page 2

Politicians are like Scooby-Doo villains. Outwardly friendly but secretly cold and devious.

June 30, 2023 – Denver, Colorado

This year’s winter snowpack combined with slow early summer runoff and near record-breaking additional rainfall have helped fill reservoirs around the state to capacity. Colorado’s ongoing cooler temperatures means there is still plenty of snow left in the mountains, and combined with late-season reservoir releases, rivers throughout the state should experience very good flows late into the season. This is great news for Colorado river outfitters, as well as for families and adventure-seekers alike looking to enjoy a rafting excursion this summer.

“We predict that river flows going forward this summer will make for fun rafting on many rivers until at least Labor Day. Groups and families can choose trips now to suit their level of excitement and should be able to do so for many weeks to come,” said David Costlow, CROA Executive Director.

Based on current conditions, CROA forecasts the following outlook for rivers across the state:

Arkansas River: The Arkansas River has been experiencing very good flows along all stretches of the river. The popular Browns Canyon and Gorge sections will be favorite destinations throughout the summer as the water levels will hold steady and the rafting will remain at a fun level. The season will be much longer than usual.

Colorado River: The Colorado near Kremmling is a very popular section that is experiencing steady flows. Combined with warmer temperatures, rafting will be ideal. Some outfitters will run into September given the current flow projections. Rafting on the Colorado near Glenwood Springs is currently occurring downriver of Grizzly Creek. The season should go into October.

Roaring Fork and Eagle: Trips on the Roaring Fork and Eagle and very popular right now. The current water levels make for good rafting. The Eagle water levels will begin to drop over the next few weeks, and the Roaring Fork should have fun rafting levels for a while. These are not usually late season runs so book soon.

Blue River: The Blue River doesn’t run every season. It is running this season and projections are that it will run into late July. Catch this one while you can.

Clear Creek: Clear Creek is currently running at fun rafting levels. The peak has occurred and the river is anticipated to run through the end of July and perhaps into early August. If the weekly late afternoon rains continue, the flows should remain unusually steady for most of the season.

Western Slope (Taylor & Animas): Good water levels will last for weeks to come. Outfitters are expecting great family runs throughout the full season.

Poudre: The Cache la Poudre has had very fun flows over the past few weeks and will continue with these flows for a large part of the summer. All sections are running. Reservoir releases later in the season will help maintain water levels.

Animas: The Animas River at Durango has very good family-friendly water levels. July and August should have family flows and with the snowpack that remains, it may be September before the river enters low water season.

Residents of Lochbuie Oasis Night

Calendar Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm

But instead of robbing people with hair-brained schemes, politicians manipulate ballot questions to swindle voters out of their hard-earned money. And that’s exactly what they are doing with Proposition HH.

The architects of the measure advertise it as property tax relief. It is—sort of. But its primary function is to end taxpayer refunds.

Putting these two unrelated topics into the same bill may seem strange, but it was a calculated political move. Politicians inserted property tax reform into Prop HH as a bait-and-switch to win consent for ending taxpayer refunds.

And they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for a meddling lawsuit.

Last month, a group of citizens and Colorado counties sued the state, arguing Prop HH and the bill that put it on the ballot—Senate Bill 23-303—violate the state Constitution. This summer, they will make their case before the Colorado Supreme Court.

The suit highlights two primary constitutional infringements.

First, the Colorado Constitution has a provision that requires bills to address only one subject. This prevents a party from “logrolling,” or lumping an unpopular policy in with a more popular one to help get the former adopted.

Prop HH violates this rule in textbook fashion.

After increasing property taxes by around 40%, politicians have offered a slightly smaller tax increase with Prop HH. But Coloradans will only get that relief if they vote to give up taxpayer refunds forever.

In 2019, lawmakers tried to end taxpayer refunds on its own merits. They referred Proposition CC to the ballot, asking voters to give up their refunds—just as HH does. But when it appeared as a stand-alone measure, voters resoundingly rejected the proposal.

Because voters initially rejected giving up their taxpayer refunds, politicians have married the same policy with what they’re calling “property tax relief” to logroll the elimination of taxpayer refunds.

This is exactly what the constitutional provision was designed to prevent!

In a 1997 ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court explained that the purpose of the provision was “to make each legislative proposal depend upon its own merits.”

Dissenters of the lawsuit will argue that this issue doesn’t apply to Prop HH.

The district judge who first heard the case ruled that reducing property tax rates and taking away refunds to fund state priorities is not “so disconnected and incongruous” as to be “constitutionally impermissible.”

For the judge, because eliminating taxpayer refunds adds money to the budget while property tax relief subtracts it, the two fall under the same subject.

However, as the Colorado Supreme Court explained in the same 1997 ruling, “[T]he fact that there is a ‘single common feature’ in the sense of finding additional moneys, or reducing expenses, to fund certain priorities, doesn’t qualify as ‘one subject.’”

The multiple components of Prop HH are not related simply because they fund one another. It’s no surprise the Supreme Court took up the appeal after a district judge disregarded the higher court’s precedent.

The lawsuit also argues the measure violates the Constitution’s clear title mandate, which requires every bill’s single subject to be “clearly expressed in its title.”

But the bill’s title is a convoluted mess that doesn’t give voters the faintest clue what the law would do. It drones on about the reduction of property taxes for hospitals, businesses, and so on. It never mentions taxpayer refunds, except in the obscure phrase “permitting the state to retain and spend revenue up to the proposition HH [sic] cap.”

The ballot title voters will see for Proposition HH does the same thing.

For example, the bill writers used the vague synonymous phrase “state surplus” instead of commonly used terms like “taxpayer refunds” or “TABOR refunds.” They clearly hope to hide the measure’s effect from voters.

Nobody is surprised to see politicians insert bias into ballot language, but there’s a limit to this manipulation. That limit is voter deception. The lawsuit rightly argues that Prop HH is not just standard political fare; it’s deceptive, devious, and unconstitutional.

We should know whether the Supreme Court will rule on the side of the state Constitution and Colorado taxpayers or choose to play politics by upholding this unconstitutional tax hike.

Paul Joshua Bustamante is a junior at Hillsdale College double majoring in Economics and Mathematics, and is part of the Future Leaders Program at the Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver.

Dive into fun this summer at the Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park! We’re thrilled to announce our free community event, Oasis Night, exclusively for the residents of Lochbuie. This splashtastic event is happening on Saturday, July 29th, 2023 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

Starting June 5th, you can pick up your FREE entry voucher at the Lochbuie Town Hall. But remember, there’s a wave limit of 350 attendees, and once we’re full, there will be no more tickets available. So, make sure to grab your tickets early to secure your spot in this aquatic adventure!

When you come to collect your entry voucher, please bring proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill. We’re excited to make a splash with you at this year’s Oasis Night!

For more information about the Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park facility please visit: https://www.brightonco.gov/1722/Brighton-Oasis-Home-Page

South Platte Valley Historical Society, the Best Kept Secret in Fort Lupton

by Jackie Smith, President, South Platte Historical Society

Located in Fort Lupton’s backyard along the river is the South Platte Valley Historical Park; a hidden gem for most because it is undiscovered yet. It sits quietly to the West unnoticed, but it is far from quiet. This gem turns green in the spring with the foliage along the river like a gorgeous emerald and in the fall a lovely golden amber. When we are open the park comes alive and when re-enactors are in the park it becomes something special to see. We have two events a year we “pull out all the stops” for and give a fantastic show. In May, the Heritage Fair dazzles, and delights with re-enactors from our heritage and in September, it is Trapper Days where the mountain man and trapper become our main focus.

Members of the Tallow River Trappers put on Rendezvous 7-8 times a year. So, if nature and history is your gig, you can become a member and camp under the sparkling stars. The only catch is you must live and dress in period clothing, and yes, the public can visit when they are rendezvousing. Upcoming rendezvouses are Trapper Days (Thursday to Sunday) September 7th–10th and Hunter Widow’s Rendezvous just for the ladies (Friday to Sunday) September 15th17th. If you are visiting, do not forget to bring your cash so you can shop for that sheik designer skunk or coon hat you have been wanting.

In June, the Independence Schoolhouse fills up with pioneer students. They learn what it is like to be a student in a one room schoolhouse during the late 1800’s when Colorado was just a territory and early into statehood when Colorado became the 38th State. The program is extremely popular and has repeat students. New this year was an ole time washing display where the pioneer children participated in “laundry day” at the Donelson House. Scrub a dub, dub; hey, you missed a spot.

First Mondays of the month are membership meetings and usually are with a potluck. They are great fun. The Society has interesting speakers, games, demonstrations, and unusual guests. In the last three months we have had a of couple historical talks, one on “Patriotic Holidays” and the other on “Civil War in Colorado.” The Civil War historian, Gary Mitchell, brought in his collection of both Confederate and Union artifacts. He arrived in as a soldier in a grey uniform (Confederate) and left in a blue uniform (Union). On July 3, we had a special guest with feathers. A majestic bald eagle sat just feet from everyone. Thrilling! The membership meeting is free and open to the public. Come and check us out.

The park is open the first weekend of the month, both Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM-4 PM, but if you have a group of people, a club, a large family, or a school class and would like a private tour, you can schedule a visit to the park by contacting us on the website www.spvhs.org.

In the works are new programing that will be coming to the park so like us on Facebook and watch our Calander on the website. So, take the time to come discover the gem in your backyard; we look forward to seeing you all.

We are not just a Fort, but a living history historical park.

South Platte Valley Historical Park is located at 2001 Historic Parkway, Fort Lupton. On highway 85 on the north side of Fort Lupton turn West at fourteen and half at the stoplight.

Drive Smart Weld County Has Positive Impact On Thousands Of Young Drivers

WELD COUNTY, CO — For years, the DRIVE SMART Weld County program, which was created to reduce vehicle injuries and deaths among teens, has worked to make positive changes in young drivers. Those changes, according to the 2022 Weld County Community Health Survey, are resulting in less risky behaviors, which translates to safer roads.

“According to the 2022 health survey, more than 92% of Weld County drivers reported always wearing their seatbelt,” said Weld County Health Department Director Jason Chessher. “That number is up from 89.9% in 2019. That’s certainly good news for everyone!”

The survey also revealed fewer Weld County drivers reported they participated in risky driving behaviors such as texting, emailing, or talking on the phone while driving compared to 2019 (the time of the last survey).

“Changing behaviors in people can take time,” said Kelly Martinez, Weld County’s Coordinator for the DRIVE SMART Weld County Program. “This program has a long and consistent tradition – over 20 years – of working with high schools countywide to educate young drivers on safe driving.”

In fact, in 2022 alone, the program reached approximately 16,500 Weld County students through educational programming that addresses the dangers of unsafe driving. “This program works with first responders, law enforcement officers, semitrailer drivers and others to talk honestly and frankly about the perils of unsafe driving,” said Martinez.

State Farm, a longtime supporter of the program, recently awarded the DRIVE SMART program a $10,000 grant in the form of their “2023 Good Neighbor Citizenship Award.” Funds from this grant will help ensure the program continues into the next year and further helps teach teens about safe driving.

“State Farm has awarded this grant to Weld County for the past 20 years,” said Martinez. “They are a great partner that has donated more than $165,000 to the DRIVE SMART programs over that time. We truly appreciate their commitment to this cause.”

To learn more about the DRIVE SMART Weld County program and how your teen driver can participate, please visit drivesmartweldcounty.org or call (970) 400-2325.”

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