As is so often the case, when I perused Colorado Politics, looking for inspiration, I found too much to write about in far too many CP articles. But a couple of recent stories especially caught my eye, one for personal reasons and the other for more public service reasons.
The first story bares the headline, “Boebert agrees to single debate with Democratic Challenger, but (Adam) Frisch wants 4 more.” In this report, we learn that our national embarrassment of a congressional member, Lauren Boebert, has agreed to a single debate with her Democratic challenger before the November election. The Dem wants more, but he won’t get them.
As I read this story, my mind went immediately back to 2008 and my own run for congress here against incumbent GOPer Doug Lamborn. With a long shot campaign like mine, you look for any possible advantage you can get, and Lamborn was not known to be an especially skilled debater. I, on the other hand, well, you know, can’t say, modesty…
Based on polling we had conducted in Congressional District 5, we knew that if I could get my name known and my moderate views across, I had a real chance of getting close and maybe, if the winds blew just right, of upsetting Lamborn. And, of course, he knew the same thing. So, I sent a couple of staffers to a meeting with the Lamborn campaign to discuss debates: how many and where. Oddly, Lamborn himself showed up at that meeting, after having repeatedly said that he was too busy doing the people’s business to spend much time talking about debating, but I digress…
I had instructed my team to propose the following rules: anyone can ask any question on any subject at any time. The Lamborn response was to have questions submitted in advance and in writing, and each candidate would then read a prepared response to each submitted question.
The ultimate compromise between the campaigns was that we’d start with a written question, then let anyone ask anything.
And Lamborn is no fool. I asked for seven total debates, taking place in every county then in CD-5 and two in giant El Paso County. Lamborn countered with an offer to hold only one debate. And the only date he would agree to was the evening of Oct. 30 just a few days before the election, and after much of Colorado had already voted by mail.
That meant that if Lamborn had a bad debate (which he did) it likely wouldn’t hurt him too much. As I had no way to press for more, he got what he wanted. We debated once, I dominated him, and a few days later, he won the election in a landslide.
Boebert is clearly following the same playbook. She agreed to a single debate and her challenger wants to debate many times on any issue. Sound familiar? The GOP playbook is clear — risk as little as possible at all times. I wish Frisch luck in the one and only debate.
The second story that caught my eye noted that the Denver City Council is considering changes to the regulation of mobile home parks. Not exactly the sexiest of stories, but actually a quite important one.
Several Council members are working on revising what one called the “most hostile” zoning codes toward mobile homes in the nation. The rules in Denver are strict and at least appear to be designed to limit the number of mobile home parks to the lowest possible number, and to prevent existing parks from becoming larger and/or more desirable places to live.
From the article, I learned that Denver’s zoning rules, for example, prohibit replacing an older home with a new (and safer) one and that there are no areas in Denver zoned for new mobile home parks. I admit, this was a shocker to me.
Living in Colorado Springs, I see mobile home parks (usually rebranded as “communities”) all over the place. Heck, my own mother-in-law lives in a single-wide in a very nice community. But I get that some cities may see mobile home parks as less desirable than, say, single-family homes. Perhaps such parks are seen as potential problem areas for crime and other troubles.
But if Denver wants to get serious about affordable housing, I believe that reconsideration of anti-mobile home zoning rules is in order.
I can’t help but wonder a bit how much of the NIMBY — not in my backyard — mindset is at work in those who oppose any additional parks. And I guess it is natural to worry about other impacts of mobile home parks being nearby. But as a guy who has spent quite a bit of time in and around (and sometimes under) my mother-in-law’s mobile home, I’ve always found the neighbors to be hard-working and lovely people, often living in the very best housing they can afford, given the runaway costs of housing, especially in a place like Denver.
I suppose in an ideal world everyone would be able to afford a brick-and-mortar home in a subdivision somewhere, but that is not where we are nationally or locally. If we are serous about affordable housing, it seems wrong to undercut a very viable and reasonable form of home ownership. I hope the Denver City Council will carefully consider the proposals around modifying their mobile home zoning laws.
Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
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