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Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Dominic Diaz

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageDominic DiazPROFESSIONCompliance ProfessionalEDUCATIONEast High School, Some college at Community College of Denver – Political ScienceEXPERIENCE– 10-year Denver city employee– Vice chair of Denver Employee Volunteer Opportunities– Commissioner for Mayor’s Youth CommissionWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Most urgent issue: Lack of housing options and affordability– Incentivize affordable development– Keep people in their homes– Create opportunities for homeownershipWhat should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?– Address permitting delays, considering fee waivers or reductions when appropriate, and leverage vacant city-owned property– Expand property tax relief and emergency rent assistance programs, provide tax credits for bu...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Travis Leiker

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageTravis LeikerPROFESSIONSenior Director of Development, University of ColoradoEDUCATIONMaster’s degree in Public Administration; bachelor’s degree in Political ScienceEXPERIENCE20 years experience in management, public policy, and higher education. Public sector leader, who has specialized in building long-term organizational sustainability and programmatic success.WEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Since launching my campaign, one theme remains clear—Denver needs a turnaround and leaders who can get processes moving. The remainder of the candidate’s answer was not responsive to the question.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?If elected, I would work with colleagues to take the following steps to onboard more affordable housing: (1) strengthen the Affordable ...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageSerena Gonzales-GutierrezPROFESSIONState RepresentativeEDUCATIONBA Psychology, CSUEXPERIENCESerena Gonzales-Gutierrez is a 3rd-generation North High School graduate and State Representative.WEBSITE • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Housing is the most pressing issue facing our city today, and also the starting place to solving many of our other related challenges. When people experiencing homelessness are offered housing and services; they keep housing and stay in it; they spend less time in shelters, emergency rooms, and city detox facilities; and they are less likely to get caught up in the criminal legal system. Dense housing reduces our city’s climate impact, and affordable housing allows teachers to live in the neighborhoods where they teach. For families to put down generational roots in our city, we must first tackle our affordable hou...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Jeff Walker

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageJeff WalkerPROFESSIONSiting and land rights agentEDUCATIONMaster’s Degree in Public Administration, The University of AkronEXPERIENCECommunity Development Director (Norton, Ohio); Denver Planning Board, RTD board of directors; Task Force to Reimagine Policing; Blueprint Denver Task ForceWEBSITEBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.The most urgent issue is the safety of streets. Over 300 people have died or suffered serious bodily injuries on Denver’s streets every year since 2013. It can be addressed by improving sidewalks, improved lighting, reduced speeds and traffic calming designs on the streets that make up the high injury network.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?Approve multi-unit zoning in all residential zone districts. It will allow different housing styles, such as up/down duplexes, accessory d...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Penfield Tate III

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pagePenfield Tate IIIPROFESSIONAttorneyEDUCATIONBA: CSU JD: Antioch CollegeEXPERIENCECivil rights and public finance attorney, Colorado State Representative and Senator, mayoral staff, Colorado Administration Dept Director, Denver Water Board, Colorado Housing & Finance Aurthority BoardWEBSITE • FACEBOOKBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Several strategies are needed to expand affordable housing that will in turn address the deplorable plight of the unhoused. One is the recent City Council ordinance that requires affordable units in any development of a certain size. As a state Senator, I passed a law in 2000 exempting sales and use taxes on materials used in the development of low-income housing. I support proposed state legislation to allow local governments to enact rent control, like legislation I sponsored in 2001. Homeownership, however, is the b...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Sarah Parady

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageSarah ParadyPROFESSIONWorkers’ rights attorneyEDUCATIONB.A., J.D.EXPERIENCEFounder of small civil rights and workers’ rights law firm. Frequent policy advisor on workplace and economic issues. Former president of two bar associations and legal aid attorney.WEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Economic insecurity. Workers can’t afford housing, eviction filings are way up, the cost of childcare is driving families out of the city, and the precarity created by the pandemic has not yet passed. We need many policy changes — on housing, on climate, on transportation, on public safety — and we need the city to take leadership of its economic future and make sure that nobody is left behind.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?Denver should secure new revenue streams to suppor...

Q&A with Denver City Council At-Large candidate Marty Zimmerman

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageMarty ZimmermanPROFESSIONNonprofit consultant, business owner, and high school teacherEDUCATIONHill Middle School, Manual High School, Syracuse University (BA and BS), University of Michigan (MSW)EXPERIENCEZIM Consulting (firm for nonprofits) – founder and presidentDenver Mayor’s Youth Commission chairHigh school teacher – entrepreneurship and life skillsBusiness incubator – supported 22 startupsWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.The most urgent issue facing our city is affordable housing. If we can address this issue, then we can address many of the other issues facing our city. Affordable Housing should not be homogenized. There is transitional housing needed for the homeless to get off the streets, longer-term supportive housing for people who need assistance (like people with disabilities), housing for professionals who ...

Amsterdam ‘erotic centre’: EMA unhappy at planned red-light district

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

The European drugs regulator says it does not want a purpose-built red-light district near its post-Brexit headquarters in Amsterdam.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it fears "nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour".Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, wants to build a multi-storey "erotic centre" to replace its central red-light area.But she faces strong local opposition to the new centre, where legalised prostitution would take place.Now the EMA has joined the criticism, saying the problems currently plaguing the red-light district would simply be transferred to any new location."Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA's building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area," it said in a statement.The EMA moved its headquarters to Amsterdam's southern Zuidas district in 2019 after the UK left the EU. Zuidas is one of several locations under consideration for the erotic centre.In 2021, Amsterdam officials agreed plans to...

More bodies found amid San Bernardino County mountain snowstorm crisis

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

More bodies have been discovered on Wednesday following a brutal storm battering the mountain communities in San Bernardino County this month.At least 12 bodies have been found amid a historic winter storm that left residents stranded for almost two weeks as they desperately awaited help from emergency crews.“There’s going to be a lot more,” said Megan Vazquez, a volunteer. "It's been very cold here. It's been below freezing, so if somebody didn’t have electricity or gas to heat their home, they may have frozen to death. I mean, it's shocking."The heavy snowstorm blocked off road access to mountain areas, leaving stranded locals to fend for themselves without power as supplies of food, medicine and fuel were dwindling.Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the area on March 1.With another storm on the way this week, authorities remain concerned over a potentially deadly mix of rain and snow conditions.“There are concerns with rain and snow in the forecast,” said Justin C...

Utah man robs bank of $1 just to get locked up

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:10:12 GMT

A man accused of robbing a Salt Lake City bank of $1 on Monday said he wanted to be locked up in federal prison, according to Salt Lake City Police, KTLA sister station KTVX reports.Donald Matthew Santacroce, 65, now faces one charge of robbery, a second-degree felony.On March 6, police say Santacroce approached bank tellers at a Wells Fargo and presented a note stating, "Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1.00. Thank you."Police say the tellers agreed and gave Santacroce $1 before asking him to leave. Santacroce reportedly told the tellers he was not leaving and that they should call the police. Man charged after eating stolen chips dropped by thief, police say According to the affidavit, Santacroce sat down in the bank lobby and waited for police to arrive. While waiting, he allegedly told the victims that they are "lucky he didn't have a gun because it was taking so long for the police to get there."The branch manager then reportedly ushered ...