Bill Ritter Q&A

Former Denver District Attorney and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter will participate in a Q&A with Colorado Pols to be published on June 24. We will accept questions for Mr. Ritter on this post through Friday, June 17.

Comments

[Monkey Wrench]

As the Governor of Colorado would you support or help lead an initiative that would inaugurate Colorado as the first state in obtaining two-thirds of the state legislatures to ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendment and then being the first state in the three-fourths needed to approve ratifying a Constitutional amendment? Would you support an amendment that would put a limit on the amount of money that any office holder may raise and spend to run for office, limiting the office holder to a specific percent of what the office holder earns?

[alan smitheee]

Zzzzzzzzz.

[ziik]

Bill-

Two part question. What parish are you a member of?

Why is Morgan's your favorite liquor store to go to?

[Phoenix Rising]

First, thank you for taking our questions...

1) If Ref. C&D pass, our budget situation will loosen somewhat. Do you still see waste in the Colorado government? If so, where, and what policies do you have in mind to keep Colorado's government efficient?

2) Governor Owens is faced with a decision pushed on him by the Bush Administration: what do we do with our Roadless Areas? What would you propose we do with these areas, and where would you like to see the development of our western gas and oil reserves go (esp. the Roan Plateau other remote/wilderness locations)?

3) Governor Owens recently completed his veto season with a record number of vetoes. Which of the vetoed bills would you most like to see passed?

[too_much_green_tea]

Mr. Ritter,

You probably observed how vulnerable a DA is to attack ads.

Dave Thomas was visciously attacked for those times when his office offered plea bargains for DUI Offenders.

It would appear that the public at large cannot think in terms of resource allocation (TAX $$ spent on home detention v. incarceration)or who is more likely to respond to punishment v. treatment. How can you respond to the "get tough on crime" crowd in view of the fact that pleas are necessary to the process?

You will also be asked to account for your failure to ever prosecute cops (Ishmael Mena).
How do you plan to deal with the inherent record a DA brings to the table?

Thanks.

[Catholic Dem]

I think it is great that you are willing to say your are a Pro-Life Democrat. DeGette and other Democrats seem to think that it's ok to sacrifice the sanctity of life for false hope. I believe in helping people live better lives, that's why I'm a Democrat. Are you willing to stand up for the sanctity of life and support a ban on stem cell research?

[Roger P]

As you know Mr. Owens has come out strongly against a proposed Indian Reservation Casino. Without addressing the proposed casino specifically, how do you feel generally about tax revenue producers like casinos, tobacco taxes etc and their role in solving some of the budget problems faced by the state. In other words, should you win election do you envision using these sorts of revenue streams to address the budget crunch that our state is in. If not is this because you think the proposed TABOR compromise is sufficient or do you have other proposals that might be used should the compromise be rejected by voters or prove to be inadequate in keeping our state fiscally healthy.

[Phoenix Rising]

As a more morally conservative Democrat, what is your position on the gay marriage issue? If you are against it, do you support efforts to amend the state constitution (again) to limit the equal protection of homosexuals?

[Mrs. Jenkins]

As a prolife dem, how proactive are you willing to be in seeking legal restraint of abortion and birth control? Would you become involved in an anti-choice bill in the legislature? If not, and if such a bill were to pass without your help, would you sign or veto? What role does your belief play in your politics? Please be specific, this is a question that many dems will need to get past before taking you seriously in the primary.
Thanks.

[Larry Bichette]

Mr. Ritter;
Do you think that the current scandals surrounding the University of COlorado have had an impact on enrollment, and that the burden of these scandals should be borne largely by in-state sudents?

[ql]

Mr. Ritter,

If you become Governor, would you be inclined to sign into law a bill similar Rep. Betty Boyd's emergency contraception bill? This bill would have required hospitals with religious orientations to at least inform rape victims about emergency contraception.

[James Foy]

Bill,

As being a true middle of the road candidate; what stregnths do you bring that will bridge the gap and enable you to reach the majority of the voters?

James

[Stars n Bars]

Bill,
With the humungous growth in our prison system from 4000 inmates to 20000 today, about a 12% budget increase per year, this is crowding out Money that could better be used for higher education, transportation, and mental and physical health. We WAREHOUSE our prisoners. We don't educate or rehabilitate them or help them at all get intregrated back into the community, and so we are shocked, yes SHOCKED when they get out and recidivate?

Would you take a look at the way DOC works in light of all the studies for many years now that show that education, restorative justice, mental health treatment and aftercare/reintegration once they're released is SO MUCH MORE effective than locking someone up, even if that means going against your former colleagues, the DA's?

Thank you.

[M E Johnson]

With the latest scientific research showing that juveniles brains are not fully developed, meaning a lack of impulse control, etc., with the international lack of support for juveniles serving life without parole, the fiscal cost of housing juveniles convicted of first-degree murder for 50-60 years, are you willing to re-visit the issue of life without parole for juveniles?

[Concerned parent]

With prisons already taking the majority of all increases in revenues coming to the state, will you propose any changes in sentences or parole? Will you support reducing juvenile sentences to something less than adult sentences?

[Dianne Tramutola-Lawson]

If you are elected governor, do you plan to make any changes with respect to the 7-member CO Board of Parole? Any changes to the current policies of the CO Board of Parole? Thank you.

[Dianne Tramutola-Lawson]

Bill,
What do you think about recidivism, transition and the continuum of services for parolees or those discharging their sentences from CO prisons? Thank you again.

[Elena]

Will you work with us to get an oversite committee to see what the parole board does. We have thousands past their parole elgibility date. Many could be paroled and reintegrated into society as tax paying citizens.
Bill has so many good points in his letter that I will not repeat them.
We must better educate prisoners and offer better reintegration services to cut down the need for 4000 new prison beds in the next 4 years as DOC assures us we will have to have. The whole "war on drugs need to be revisited" as well.

[Tom Carberry]

Mr. Ritter, If you become governor, would you sign the bill creating a task force to look into reforms of sentencing laws for juveniles charged as adults?

[Susan B]

if Referendum C&D fail, what would you propose as governor to deal with the budget shortfall? do you think we would be stuck just making more cuts, or is there another route to take.

thank you

[CU Student]

Regardless of the funding source, which of the following, if any, would you support to further medical research?

1. Using organ stem cells from adult donors to grow new organs
2. Using umbilical cord blood to grow blood stem cells
3. Using fetal material donated from terminated pregnancies to grow any type of stem cells
4. Using donated frozen embryos from fertility clinics to grow any type of stem cells (And do you support Rep. DeGette's bill?)
5. Transplanting DNA into and then out of eggs to grow any type of stem cells
Thanks.

[CU Student]

Regardless of the funding source, which of the following, if any, would you support?

1. Using organ stem cells from adult donors to grow new organs
2. Using umbilical cord blood to grow blood stem cells
3. Using fetal material donated from terminated pregnancies to grow any type of stem cells
4. Using donated frozen embryos from fertility clinics to grow any type of stem cells (And do you support Rep. DeGette's bill?)
5. Transplanting DNA into and then out of eggs to grow any type of stem cells
Thanks.

[Curious]

What kind of underwear to you use?

[Rev. Elaine Smith]

What are your thoughts on the disproportionate number of African Americans and other minorities being incarcerated? What will be your response to help them improve their quality of life due to all the road blocks in Colorado? Did you know that Colorado has more roadblocks than any other state for reentry, what will you do to make that better?

What are your comments on the mental health delivery of service to parolees?

[Mandy Greenwald]

It became obvious after the murder of Officer Bruce VanderJagt that Matthaeus Jaehnig was an evil person very capable of murder of a police officer. Why under your watch as Denver DA was Jaehnig, a violent and dangerous career criminal, treated with such obvious apathy by your administration for his appalling crimes against women, police, and the people of Denver? Please answer specifically to that question.

Also, the day following the murder you said that you didn’t expect Auman to be charged with the murder of Officer VanderJagt. What changed your mind? Did embarrassment of Matthaeus Jaehnig’s violent acts and criminal record being published and the public and political outcry over skinhead crime in the days following the murder of Officer Bruce VanderJagt move you to action to re-examine Lisl Auman’s role at the scene of the shooting? Please elaborate.