Tag: columnists

For years, critics have hammered the Denver Public Schools board for flouting Colorado’s open meetings laws — something I first called out here in 2022, months before their notorious closed-door executive session following the shooting inside East High School in 2023. Even with three new members, the board hasn’t learned. In May, they committed their…

Meadows Park Community Center is a home away from home, a “third place” and has been first place in the lives of generations and thousands upon thousands of people since opening its doors in 1982. That this $775k/year facility (0.17% of $438M 2025 General Fund budget) is scheduled for permanent closure on Oct. 10 after…

Youth sports are one of the most powerful and overlooked public health tools of our time. The evidence is clear and compelling: consistent participation in sports can change the trajectory of a young person’s life, improving health, strengthening communities, and even boosting our economy. A growing body of research shows that youth sports are far…

Rural hospitals in Colorado are used to operating under a cloud of financial uncertainty, but recent policy changes could push many over the brink. The potential for higher drug costs as a result of new tariffs as well as sweeping cuts to Medicaid supplemental payments have intensified the financial strain on facilities that already operate…

There’s a window open in America right now — a rare alignment of federal dollars, geopolitical urgency, and public demand for serious solutions. That window is labeled: reindustrialization. And if Aurora is paying attention, it should climb through before it slams shut. Because while Colorado dithers in ideological debate, Aurora has a chance to lead…

In a recent Denver Gazette column, Eric Sonderman described the chronically underperforming American public education system as “nothing short of a national scandal,’’ deserving of the disparaging moniker “Edugate.” Quite an indictment coming from an erstwhile Democrat. As a conservative Republican, I heartily agree with that appraisal. I agree with many of Eric’s reforms like…