Scanlon for Colorado

Category: Commerce City

  • Thanks and Gratitude

    This was a blog post I had ready to go for Thanksgiving when the tragic news struck about the loss of my friend Senator Faith Winter. Now seems like a good time to put this out there. Even as I still miss Faith. A lot.

    This New Year, my heart overflows with thanks and gratitude. There’s a risk in leaving out someone important, but I’m gonna take the plunge in semi-random order:

    • I’m thankful for the continued health, safety and well being of my four children.
    • I’m thankful for the 27J schools that educated my children. Go ThunderHawks!
    • I’m thankful so many Democrats still identify as Democrats. Still. Despite the betrayals and the pussy footing from party leaders, many of us continue to identify as Democrats and to the rest of you I’m very thankful.
    • I’m super grateful I landed an amazing Campaign Manager. His name is Brian Hewlett, he also runs the L.I.F.E. Foundation, and I hope you get a chance to meet him along the campaign trail over the next 10 months.
    • I’m thankful I live in the greatest city – Commerce City – in the greatest county – Adams County – in the greatest state – Colorado – in what was once, and will one day once again be, the greatest country ever. How lucky am I?!?!
    • I’m thankful for the Teamsters Union. My family and I have great health insurance and I enjoy dignity at work. Union For All! (With a special shoutout to Local 455!)
    • I’m grateful to all the sponsors, ticket buyers, panelists, volunteers and others who come together to make ClimateCon! the great celebration of climate innovation it has become known for. The next one is February 2nd, www.climatecon.world
    • I’m grateful my two favorite hockey teams – the Caps and the Avs – are both playing good hockey and looking like playoff teams. Yes, I said both! And if either misses the playoffs now, we’ll all know I’m the one to blame 🙂
    • I’m grateful Las Dos Americas is expanding. What can I say, I love fresh tortillas!
    • I’m grateful for the crew at Ted’z. (I’m looking at you Boxline 1.) Sometimes, you just want a cold beer after work. Even if your shift ends at 9:30AM.
    • I’m thankful for the crew at Pour Tap House. We needed a watering hole up here on the north range, and they’ve been delivering now for what, close to 10 years. Wow how time flies.
    • I’m thankful my 2010 KIA Sedona keeps on chugging along. I call her the Korean Stallion for a reason!
    • I’m thankful my beautiful state of Colorado didn’t vote for Trump – all 3 times! I wouldn’t feel completely comfortable in a red state.
    • I’m thankful Jimmy Fallon is back on the air despite the fascist impulses of our thin-skinned President.
    • I’m grateful Adams 14 Education Foundation continues to expand and grow its scope of influence serving economically disadvantaged youth in core city Commerce City.

    As you can see, I have a lot to be thankful as 2026 gets ramped up.

    Most of all, thanks to all who have contributed to my campaign! Primaries can be lonely affairs and money is hard to come by, so most of all, thank you to all my donors!

  • It’s Time for Commerce City: We Demand an Environmental Equity Analysis

    Commerce City and the North Denver communities of Globeville-Elyria-Swansea deserve Colorado’s first Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impact Analysis. Here’s how you can help make it happen.

    For decades, our community has borne more than its fair share of environmental burdens. From refinery emissions to industrial pollution, from highway traffic to cumulative health impacts, Commerce City, Globeville-Elyria-Swansea, and North Denver have been on the front lines of environmental injustice in Colorado.

    Now, we have a historic opportunity to change that trajectory.

    What’s at Stake

    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is preparing to select one community from 11 finalists for the state’s first-ever Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impact Analysis (EECIA). Our community—North Denver/Globeville-Elyria-Swansea/Commerce City—is one of those finalists.

    This isn’t just another study. This analysis would:

    • Document the reality we live every day: A comprehensive, scientific assessment of how pollution, environmental hazards, and social factors combine to impact our health
    • Give us data-driven tools: Information that can inform better decisions on permits, land use, and environmental regulations
    • Amplify community voices: A process that centers the experiences of those most affected
    • Create a roadmap for change: Findings that state and local agencies can use to make more equitable decisions

    Why Commerce City Must Be Chosen

    Our area didn’t end up as a finalist by accident. We meet every criterion for a community that needs this analysis:

    Environmental Burden: We host major industrial facilities including the Suncor oil refinery, face persistent air quality challenges, and experience cumulative impacts from multiple pollution sources.

    Community Impact: Our neighborhoods include significant populations of communities of color and working-class families who have been disproportionately affected by environmental hazards.

    Readiness: Our community has a long history of environmental advocacy and organizing. We’re ready to engage fully in this process.

    Historic Need: For too long, our community has called for recognition of the environmental justice issues we face. This analysis would finally provide the comprehensive assessment we’ve been asking for.

    How You Can Help

    The selection committee will evaluate finalist applications based on four criteria: environmental risk, readiness to engage, leadership commitment, and community interest. We can demonstrate overwhelming community interest by flooding CDPHE with messages of support.

    Here’s what you can do right now:

    1. Send an email using our template (below) to cdphe_ej@state.co.us with the subject line “Support Commerce City/GES/North Denver for EECIA”
    2. Contact CDPHE leadership:
    3. Reach out to elected officials:
      • Contact Governor Polis’s office to express support
      • Call or email your state legislators
    4. Spread the word:
      • Share this campaign with neighbors, community organizations, and local groups
      • Post on social media using #CommerceCity #EnvironmentalJustice #ColoradoEJ
      • Talk to friends and family about why this matters

    The Window Is Now

    CDPHE will be reviewing finalist applications and making their selection in the coming months. The time to show our community’s interest and commitment is right now.

    This analysis represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to document what we already know: our community has faced disproportionate environmental burdens for too long, and it’s time for that to change.

    But we can’t win this on our own. CDPHE needs to hear from you—from residents, business owners, community leaders, advocates, and anyone who believes in environmental justice.

    A Community-Driven Future

    If selected, Commerce City/GES/North Denver will work alongside CDPHE and expert contractors to conduct this analysis over 12-18 months. The process will include:

    • Community working groups to guide the analysis
    • Collection of environmental and health data
    • Opportunities for community members to share their lived experiences
    • Public sharing of findings
    • Recommendations for state and local agencies

    Most importantly, this would be our analysis—driven by community voices, informed by community experiences, and designed to serve community needs.

    Make Your Voice Heard

    Don’t wait. Send your email today. Call your legislators. Talk to your neighbors. Show CDPHE that our community is ready, willing, and deserving of this analysis.

    Commerce City, Globeville-Elyria-Swansea, and North Denver have waited long enough for environmental justice. Let’s make sure we’re chosen for Colorado’s first Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impact Analysis.

    The future of environmental justice in our community depends on action today.

    EMAIL TEMPLATE FOR SUPPORTERS

    Subject: Support Commerce City/GES/North Denver for Environmental Equity Analysis

    Dear Office of Environmental Justice Selection Committee,

    I am writing to urge CDPHE to select the North Denver/Globeville-Elyria-Swansea/Commerce City area as the location for Colorado’s first Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impact Analysis.

    Our community has faced decades of disproportionate environmental burdens, including:

    • Proximity to the Suncor oil refinery and related air quality concerns
    • Multiple industrial facilities and highways creating cumulative pollution impacts
    • Historic underinvestment in environmental health infrastructure
    • A community that has long advocated for environmental justice

    This analysis would provide the comprehensive, science-based assessment our community needs to:

    • Document the full scope of environmental health impacts we face
    • Inform better decision-making on permits, regulations, and policies
    • Support meaningful improvements to air quality, water quality, and community health
    • Demonstrate Colorado’s commitment to environmental justice where it’s needed most

    The North Denver/GES/Commerce City area represents exactly the kind of disproportionately impacted community this analysis was designed to serve. Our community is ready, willing, and organized to participate fully in this process.

    I strongly encourage you to select our community for this groundbreaking analysis.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    [Your Name]

    [Your Address]

    [Your Email]

  • #NoKings Commerce City – Reunion Version

    Today over 1,800 locations across America hosted No Kings rallies to protest the Trump Administration, his numerous unconstitutional actions, and his general desire to be a dictator.

    About 100 people turned out to Reunion Park for the initial gathering:

    There were no speeches other than Kristi, the organizer you can kind of see standing tall on a cooler in the middle of this picture. She was brief, reading an inspiring quote about what hope is.

    There was a no campaigning rule, so Chris and I had to just quietly work the crowd. Chris and I are opponents in this race, but we’re genuine friends too:

    After about an hour, we marched almost a mile (LOL) “across” Reunion to the intersection of Reunion Pkwy and 104th. This was surely the first ever political march in Reunion. Congrats Mr. President!

    We gathered at the intersection, where we heard constant honking from passers by who apparently also disapprove of the direction the President is taking our country.

    Luz Molina and I have been friends since the first Obama campaign in 2008. She’s in the middle of this picture, carrying a sign that says Love One Another. She’s currently running for city council and also plans to run for the HD32 seat I’m seeking.

    There were a few elected officials at our rally. Mayor Steve Douglas was there, as was his wife, City Councilwoman Kristi Douglas. City Councilwoman Susan Noble was in attendance as well. None of the candidates for CD8 were at our rally.

    It’s always inspiring to gather with like-minded members of the community to share energy and ideas and hopes and fears. Thanks to the organizers who made today’s No Kings rally happen in Commerce City!

    Someone said to me “Fascists use that flag.” I replied “I refuse to concede it to them. It stands for independence, freedom and represents what was once the greatest nation ever.” They seemed OK with that response.

  • Commerce City Needs Proper Air Monitoring

    What’s the air quality today in our neighborhoods here in Commerce City?

    It’s hard for a lay person to judge. And in our modern, industrial society, tracking air pollution can be helpful for everything from deciding whether to go for jog today to determining where you want to raise your infant child.

    We here in Commerce City are living in the industrial heart of the Denver metro area. We have the only refinery in the state of Colorado for God’s sake. Seriously, who thinks Commerce City DOESN’T need air pollution monitoring?!

    Apparently the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE):

    https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/site_description.aspx#RFN

    Welby has a few air monitors, and this is a great thing. Thank you, CDPHE.

    Now, please, someone tell me how our leaders reached the decision that we don’t need a working air pollution monitor in Commerce City?

    Let me be clear. I’m not asking for one measly air pollution monitor. I demand them on all sides of the refinery, and up here on the north range as well.

    If I’m honored by the voters of this district to be our next Representative at the state Capitol, I promise you this: I’ll either make it happen, and/or I’ll piss off a bunch of bureaucrats trying.

  • My 10 Favorite Things About Commerce City

    Michael Scanlon’s Top 10 Things I Love About Commerce City

    10 Los Tamales – Ah, the mighty tamale! So simple, so natural, just the right size. And if you go to Los Tamales in Commerce City, you can get the best tamales in the area. Trust me. I try them all. Regularly. 🙂


    9 The Commerce City Chamber – But I guess I’m biased…


    8 Reunion Coffee House – Now also in core city as Greyhound Grounds.


    7 Our cool little museum. Yes Commerce City, you have a museum just for you! Like the city itself, it’s a little dated, underfunded and a bit cramped. That said, the place is definitely worth a 15-60 minute visit to learn about the city’s origin. And you can check out their interesting assortment of old – I mean historical – technology!


    6 Adelente! For years, the Hispanic community in Colorado has been underrepsented politically, and when I say years, I mean, you know, pretty much all 100 and 50 of ’em. Politics being what it is, what ever gains or wins this minority community has achieved have come by demanding them. In the most respectful manner, of course.
    Enter Adelente. Founded and led by the indefatigable Maria Gonzalez, Adelente is exactly what Commerce City (and Adams County) (and Colorado) needs. A bold and proud Hispanic-led grass roots org standing up for the Hispanic population, demanding justice and equal economic opportunity. Which, for the record, is 30% of Adams County, and roughly half of Commerce City. Adelente! (Forward!)


    5 The STEAD School. A charter high school located in the Reunion neighborhood on Commerce City’s north range, STEAD graduated their first class in 2025. STEAD stands for Science Technology Engineering Agriculture and Design. With a 100% project based learning circulum, students are engaged and challenged regularly throughout the day.
    The reviews are in, and parents and students love STEAD. Full Disclosure: My son attends STEAD, and if you can’t tell, we love it.


    4 Humble, public servant leadership. Commerce City is blessed right now in 2025. From state Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet to Representative Manny Rutinel and including every member of city council, Commerce City is blessed with humble elected officials with good hearts in it for the right reasons.
    Say what you will about their politics – that’s one of the great things about America! What’s great about these leaders is that everyone of them is willing to listen to you and hear a different perspective. And that, my friends, is great leadership.


    3 Adams 14 School District. You didn’t see this one coming, huh? Often lambasted, always overlooked and ignored, Adams 14 is one of the smaller of Adams County’s 8 school districts. It’s one of the poorest school districts in the state. It has very little middle class in it’s geographical mix. Adams 14 represents little more than Commerce City’s core city.
    The Adams 14 SD faces additional challenges besides the lack of a good tax base. With a population of predominantly Spanish speaking households, their students tend to struggle with standardized tests in English. This leads to poor test scores, which leads to more lambasting. The history, the lawsuits, it’s all there to research if you care.
    Things are looking up for Adams 14. They have a Superintendent on their 3rd year for the first time in a decade or more. Dr. Loria has shown an impressive turnaround given all the challenges. We all win when our public schools win. If you like rooting for underdogs, pull for Adams 14. You can help by donating to the Adams 14 Education Foundation.


    2 Derby. What a ‘hood Derby is! Remember how, back in the day (think 100 years ago) every neighborhood had a small market and a hardware store and a barber and a bank? Well, Derby has a local market – the HiLo Market AND a barber shop – Dan’s Barbershop AND a local hardware store – Younger Bros Hardware AND a local bank – Community Choice Credit Union.
    To top it all off, Derby has a local donut shop. Be sure to visit early – they make a certain number of donuts everyday. When they’re sold out, they lock up and go home!

    And the Number 1 Thing I Love About Commerce City!

    1 It’s a huge part of Adams County. Colorado is the greatest state in the greatest country on Earth. Colorado is divided into 65 counties, and they ain’t all the same. Adams County is the real deal. The people are real, the costs are reasonable (or at least they used to be), and the people are just the down home kind of folks you want to have a beer with!
    Adams County has a chunk of some great municipalities, like Westminster and Arvada (shared with Jeff Co), Aurora (shared wtih Arapahoe County) and Brighton (shared with Weld County). Only Thornton is bigger, as Adams County’s largest city.
    Commerce City is the industrial heart of the Front Range of Colorado, and it only makes sense that this vital, if sometimes less than perfect looking, area be in Adams County. Commerce City is Adams County in more than just words or geography. You could argue that as goes Commerce City, so goes Adams County.

    I live in the greatest city – Commerce City – in the greatest county – Adams County – in the greatest state – Colorado – in the greatest nation – USA – on the best planet – Earth.

    How lucky am I!

    With an Honorable Mention to Ted’z Place and Pourtap House, two watering holes I visit occasionally. And Los Dos Americas when you need fresh tortillas.