Scanlon for Colorado

Tag: Commerce City

  • 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.

  • Welby Days Recap

    This past Saturday, on September 20th, the Welby Neighbors Association hosted their annual Welby Days get together. They had a rockin’ band. (I’m sucker for any music from the 80’s.) They had some great food trucks. (The one I approached had run out of eggs and couldn’t do any more breakfast burritos.) And they had a ton of booths.

    Huge shoutout to Robin O’Dorisio for putting together a very successful event!

    First, a CD8 Watch update:

    Manny Rutinel was the only candidate to pay the hefty $25 fee and staff a booth at Welby Days. He had at least 4 volunteers and/or staff manning that sucker. And he personally walked the event shaking hands and chatting with folks.

    Shannon Bird’s name was spotted on a sign in sheet, so she apparently walked through early.

    No other candidate was spotted.

    HD32 update:

    There’s a Republican running for HD32. I didn’t catch his name, but interestingly, he’s not White, which probably wasn’t the image you had of a Republican candidate. It certainly wasn’t for me! I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. I salute Adams County Republicans for finding a Republican in Commerce City willing to run. I intend to be his opponent in the general, where I intend to whop his ass.

    As for the Democratic candidates for HD32, yours truly was the only one with a booth at the event. I spoke to 28 individuals about the state of our state and what they’d like to see more (or less!) of from the Colorado legislature.

    My awesome campaign manager, Brian Hewlett, has been lining up volunteers, and I want to thank Cal for taking the time to hang out and staff our booth. I promise to learn his last name!

  • The Big News From Gabe Evans Office!

    Here in Commerce City, we’re currently represented at the U.S. House of Representatives by a fellow named Gabe Evans.
    Gabe has completely kowtowed to the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional actions. He and his fellow Republicans have ceded all the power and control Congress is enshrined with, the first and most important instance being “the power of the purse.” Our Founding Fathers put Congress first in the Constitution, in Article 1, for a reason. They didn’t want a King. They didn’t want a dictator. They wanted a system of checks and balances.

    Gabe Evans likeness courtesy of Claude’s free AI version

    In reality, the federal government currently has no checks on President Trump, and there is no balance in D.C., which is under military occupation. Rights are being stripped from people, some of whom disappear off the street. Poor people are seeing their safety net removed. Science research has been severely, and likely permanently, disrupted. The climate crisis is ignored completely, as if that will fix the problem.
    Well, good news! In his August 25th newsletter, our Congressman Gabe Evans assures us he’s been “fight[ing] for Colorandans.” Here’s the run down:
    Top Story: He “Attended the Colorado Chamber Congressional Luncheon”
    Seriously. The biggest, most impactful thing our Congressman did for us last month was share a lunch with Democrats and other business leaders.
    I guess it’s a start. Maybe he’s just warming up the newsletter. What’s Top Story #2?
    2 “Held a Roundtable with the U.S. and Thornton Area Chamber of Commerce”
    OK, more talking, and perhaps some listening. Better than nothing. 3?
    3 “Listening to Local Leaders”
    Now this one is interesting, because there’s a picture accompanying it, but there’s no date, name of the group that called the meeting, or a location of the meeting. Still, it was “great.”
    “It was great to hear from local leaders and share an update on the One Big Beautiful Bill, which increases funding for border security and public safety, reduces waste and fraud in Medicaid while increasing funding over 10 years, and enables businesses to grow and make investments in our community.
    “It’s always an honor to hear from boots on the ground fighters in Colorado. I’m so thankful we can work together to find more ways to stand up for CO-08 in Congress.”
    So, lots of listening.
    Other accomplishments of late include “Connecting with Colorado Drivers” and “Supporting CO-08 Veteran Run Businesses”.
    Is underwhelming too soft?
    The only positive thing in this newsletter is his survey, click here if you want to share your opinion with his office.
    I don’t know about you, but a Congressman citing “listening” as all his top accomplishments, its a little bit like a grocery store clerk bragging about showing up to work. Great. And?
    Click here for the archive of newsletters from Evans’s office, currently only updated through March 2025.
    To see the entirety of the lame email I dissected above, email me at michael@scanlonforcolorado.com and I’ll FWD it to you.