Scanlon for Colorado

Tag: welby

  • Caucus is March 7th at Bison Ridge Rec Center

    Hello Commerce City, Welby, and others in Colorado’s House District 32.

    We have the caucus location set. On March 7th at 11AM, HD32 Democrats will gather at the Bison Ridge Rec Center for our bi-annual caucus.

    Here’s how Claude describes caucus.

    “Colorado’s caucus system is a neighborhood-level gathering where registered voters meet in person to discuss candidates, debate issues, and begin the process of selecting delegates who will eventually help choose party nominees. If you’re registered with the Democratic or Republican party, you’ll attend your party’s caucus at a local venue—in our case, Bison Ridge Rec Center—in your House District. The atmosphere is part town hall meeting, part civic organizing session. You’ll meet your neighbors, hear short speeches from candidate supporters, and participate in discussions about the direction of your party. Unlike a primary where you simply cast a ballot and leave, caucuses require you to stay for a couple of hours and engage in the democratic process.

    “At the caucus, you’ll help elect delegates to your county assembly and potentially volunteer to be a delegate yourself. These delegates will then attend subsequent assemblies – like the Adams County Democratic Party Assembly on March 14th – where they’ll elect delegates to the state convention. You’ll also have the opportunity to submit resolutions on issues you care about, which can influence your party’s platform. First-timers often find caucuses energizing because you’re not just voting in isolation; you’re actively participating in shaping your party’s future alongside your community.”

    If you need a ride to caucus, call us at 720-803-9114 or email us at info@ScanlonForColorado.com and we will be in touch. The campaign will be arranging rides and carpools.

  • The Democratic Party Doesn’t Want To Talk About How The Democratic Party Made The Mistake Of The Century

    The Democratic Party has finished the post-election analysis report, often referred to as an “autopsy” as it’s designed to diagnose the cause of failure, ideally for purposes of not losing the next election.
    The DNC has decided not to release it.
    In the interest of both transparency and making our party better and stronger, here are some of the items that either are in the report, or should be in the report. I’m going to go in the rough order in which I think they rank, most serious mistake first:
    1 We got away from working people. Dems lost their way. Once the party of unions and working class voters and concerns, they lost their focus.
    2 We became the party of the rich. This one is astounding to me. First of all, the rich have a national political party, it’s called the Republican Party and the rich own it lock stock and barrel. They don’t need the Democratic Party except for greed greed greed.
    Working people desperately need the Democratic Party to stand up for them. It is often our only hope.
    3 The Democratic Party became weak and soft. We don’t exhibit strength or toughness. Ever. I’m not saying we need knuckle-dragging morons as leaders. I am saying quit acting like wussies.
    4 We discourage primaries. When I say “we” I mostly mean party elders and leaders at the top echelon who think they know what’s best for the party and don’t want the messiness that comes with an election and an open and honest debate about issues.
    5 The Democratic Party became too elitist. It manifests itself, in part, with the lack of primaries, but is most evident in the behavior and actions of some of our top leaders.
    6 The Democratic Party lost touch with young people. This is in part because young people vote at such a low percentage. But how much of “young people don’t vote” happens because young people see two political parties who are completely out of touch with the reality they’re experiencing every day?
    7 The Democratic Party is stuck in the past. We continue to door knock like it’s 1999. Except people don’t answer the door as much any more (especially young people). Did we even have a YouTube strategy? A social media strategy? Don’t do one podcast each election. Do one podcast every day.
    8 Poor messaging. I’m reluctant to even add this one, it’s the typical Dem excuse – “Oh, our messaging was off.” It’s our go-to excuse, and I guess any election loser anywhere any time had “poor messaging” because they lost. That said, the messaging in 2024 was indeed horrible.
    9 We blame voters instead of understanding them and their experiences. I never want to hear the phrase “low information voter” ever again. They have as much information as you and I do. In their gut, they don’t feel the Democrats are looking out for them. It’s not a lack of information feeding that gut feeling.

    The 2024 election, and more specifically, the failure of the Democratic Party to identify and neutralize the threat Donald Trump posed to this nation, is hands down the biggest fucking mistake of the 21st Century so far. It’s not even close.
    I’m running to address many of the issues I identified above. I’m a Teamster. I know what it’s like to struggle day to day just to pay the bills. And when I jumped in this race, it seemed likely there would be no primary otherwise.
    The Democratic Party needs to do better. We have the potential to be the strongest barrier to a dictatorship. If we can be strong for a change!
    I’m running to give the voters in Commerce City and Welby the chance to send a message to our party leaders. Enough of the issues and problems I’ve identified above. Let’s get back to a working class agenda, let’s stand up to a fascist President, and let’s deliver for working people. That’s a formula for success, I promise!

  • Go Along To Get Along – How’s It Workin’ For Ya?

    Go Along To Get Along – How’s It Workin’ For Ya?


    As a 58 year old Democrat, most of my life, the Democrats who have represented me usually made me feel luke warm excited at best. With the exception of early Obama (the hope was gone by 2012) and possibly Governor Jared Polis (who struck out on some rather bold positions more that once in his career), most of the Dems who have represented me have been, shall we say, less than fulfilling.


    I call them “Go Along To Get Along” Democrats. You know the type. They are often lawyers by trade, and those who aren’t are overwhelmingly multi-millionaires. They make good speeches (usually). They have smooth web sites. And they win, which I never want to trivialize. A weak Dem is better than a strong Republican any day of the week.


    And in a close race, in normal times, a Go Along To Get Along (GATGA) Dem is probably the right choice.
    But these aren’t normal times. And Commerce City’s HD32 isn’t a normal race.


    Obviously, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has to go. He’s been there waaaaay too long. He couldn’t be more Go Along To Get Along. And he has failed us repeatedly just this year alone.


    Any candidate for Senate seeking my vote will need to promise to vote for anyone else for Majority Leader. I encourage you to demand the same of your Senate nominee.


    The general election race for HD 32 here in Commerce City and Welby will not be close. Whoever gets this nomination does not need to be a GATGA Dem. They can be bold and outspoken.
    Let me be clear – I am advocating for the party to move away from GATGA candidates. But I don’t fault voters who choose the path of least resistance.


    I’m simply taking a stand. I believe the time has come for Democrats to stop pussy footing around and demand real change. It won’t be easy. There will be attacks and tremendous amounts of money, dark money, that will appear from out of nowhere from super rich cowards afraid to put their names behind their political persuasion campaigns.


    The bold route isn’t for every politician. It requires real backbone and conviction, something many politicians lack.


    I have plenty of conviction. I have stood firm on principle so many times in my life it’s cost me money. It’s not easy. But I believe it’s time for Dems to stand up for what we believe as a party.


    If I’m honored to be our party’s nominee for HD32, I promise not to be a Go Along To Get Along Democrat. We have enough of those. I will be strong and outspoken and demanding and effective. I just need you to put me in coach!

  • 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!