When I came to Lakewood I immediately signed up to knock on doors and get out the vote for the local Democratic Party federal and state candidates.
I soon learned that while the Lakewood area Democratic Party organization was progressive on social issues, it was obsessively anti-citizen on land use and development issues.
The developers were the power and financial core of the party organization.
That is not unusual. When I was involved in these issues in Connecticut, the political “boss” for our town was a developer and a democrat. When I was involved in these issues in Virginia, the reverse was true. The political bosses for our county were also developers but this time republicans.
Just depends.
In the Lakewood area, the developers run the Democratic Party organization.
Nothing wrong with that.
- As long as you see it and
- can make your own decisions
- based upon actual candidate positions,
- not simply party affiliation or endorsements.
Developers running the Lakewood area Democratic Party is why you get things like the the following TV ad.
- a political advertisement
- featuring democratic political leaders
- sponsored by “Lakewood United” and
- the Denver Metro Association of Realtors
- who along with other developer interests
- spent over $600,000 to lobby against the Citizen Initiative 200 to limit the rate of new development in Lakewood
- (the citizens had $18,000) (Denver Post) :
https://www.dmarealtors.com/vote-no-lakewood-question-200
(Republicans Libby Szabo and Norma Anderson were included in this otherwise Lakewood area Democratic Party sponsored ad against proposition 200 – to demonstrate “bi-partisian” support against citizen voices on land use policy.)
And developers running the party is why you also get these:
Ms. Tanner, a Lakewood Democrat organizer of “Lakewood United”, one of the well financed anti-citizen initiative proposition 200 lobby groups is currently president of the West Metro Fire Special District.
West Metro Fire District Chief weighing in on a political issue – opposing proposition 200 for “Lakewood United”
Brenda Bronson, Lakewood Democrat leader and proponent of developer control of land use decision making who also led the recent failed recall campaign against the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District board majority which board members stood up to the unreasonable demands by the Rooney Valley development community
Commissioner Dahlkemper, who opposes metro district reform efforts and whose husband, Michael Feeley is a long term member of the West Metro Fire Special District and a professional lobbyist. Both prominent members of the Lakewood area Democratic Party.
Tracy Craft-Tharp current Jeff Co commissioner (Democrat) expressing her opposition to proposition 200. Her husband is part of the real estate development community.
Also in the group –
Andy Kerr, current democrat Jeff Co Commissioner (also in the video with Ms. Szabo) and BK Evans (democrat) who both also recently supported the Green Mountain recall and enjoyed making fun of Solterra Residents:
All members of the Lakewood area Democratic Party.
All opposing citizens’ participation in shaping public policy on development issues.
All supporting the idea that city council, county commissioners and water boards are “just appliances”, “like a toaster” – there to serve up whatever the developers order.
How did these two things happen.
1. Turn over land use public policy to development community
2. Democrats in the Lakewood area become the party of anti-citizen pro-developer
As to the first question, here is an excerpt from a 335 page PhD dissertation regarding metro district abuse in Highlands Ranch:
INVISIBLE SUBURBS: PRIVATIZED GROWTH IN SUBURBAN METROPOLITAN DENVER, 1950-2000” (May, 2017)
“The pace and type of suburban growth and development in metropolitan Denver emerged neither from intentional strategies nor a dominant development ethos.
Instead, decades of indecisiveness and inaction at the state and county levels subjected the Denver metropolitan area to exogenous forces that filled the void.
Outside corporate real estate developers privatized much of the process of the state’s suburban growth by acquiring large plots of ranchland in unincorporated areas, creating and controlling an unprecedented number of governmental entities called “special districts” to provide infrastructure and public services to their developments, and designing and building enormous communities that were cities in all but name.
These “invisible suburbs” overwhelmed county, regional, and state efforts to integrate these new communities seamlessly into the metropolitan area.
Privatized development carried socioeconomic, civic, financial, and environmental implications for the region and its residents.”
- Essentially beginning probably in the 60’s,
- the development community began to fill the void left by either overwhelmed, uninterested or easily influenced citizen leaders.
- Those leaders turned over the reigns of government and local land use planning to the development community.
- And once the developer community has that power, they will spend over a million dollars in local elections (Prop 200 ($600,000 +) and Mayor Paul’s last campaign ($611,000 +) to keep that power.
- The developer community will sue water boards and sponsor recall actions to take the power back.
- And the same developer community will sponsor progressive candidates (directly and through the Democratic Party) who will fight against their own neighbors to restore developer control over land use planning in the community.
As to the second question – why the democrats –
- probably a combination of money and who was in control at the time.
- developers gravitate to the power – regardless of the political party.
- and political parties need the money to run campaigns, print glossy mailers and pay people to knock on your door.
- and maybe there is a philosophical reason – new development equals more tax revenue for more social programs.
In any event, thats where we are. That is the “secret” about the Lakewood area Democratic Party.
And we see it playing out yet again:
The choice of the Lakewood Democratic Party organization
Endorsed (again) by:
- Leslie Dahlkemper,
- West Metro Fire District Firefighters,
- Andy Kerr,
- Tracy Kraft-Tharp,
- Brenda Bronson
- and the rest of the Lakewood Democratic Party organization:
The same group that opposed Proposition 200 with lots of money . . . .
Is now supporting Christopher Smith (Arlen) with lots of money:
Including one of the same key financial contributors – the Denver Metro Association of Realtors PAC – the same organization that contributed to the $600,000 + to try to defeat the citizens initiative 200:
See:
Of course, don’t forget Adam Paul:
Over $600,000 for his mayoral campaign immediately following losing to the Citizens Initiative 200:
And $63,000 in one day from the Rooney Valley developers:
Follow the Money – Financial Agreements Adam Paul Will Enforce
We know who Mr. Paul will be endorsing soon – all part of the same political family.
And Mr. Smith (Arlen), is fulfilling his role of supporting the power and financial base behind the party – the Lakewood (and Rooney Valley) development community:
Not all democrats favor protecting the citizens voice in local land use policy decision making.
Some are simply developers with a “dem” button on their lapel.
- Nothing wrong with that.
- As long as you see it and
- can make your own decisions
- based upon actual candidate positions,
- not simply party affiliation or endorsements.
John Henderson