Article by Mel Ulle
In every election, there are those who celebrate and those who have to crawl under a rug and cry. Sometimes for a few weeks. In the aftermath of November 5th, while most Denverites who voted overwhelmingly in favor of someone who will not be our President, try to make sense of a world view that statistically does not match their own, I hope to bring some comfort by reminding us of what we gained.
Your parents probably still call it Denver General and your great grandparents when they’re drinking Manhattans on the other side probably call it City Hospital. But you know it as Denver Health and our savvy Denver voters approved ballot measure 2Q, ensuring additional sustained funding for it, which is important because it’s our primary safety net provider.
This will generate roughly $70 million per year in tax revenue to support emergency and trauma care, primary care, mental health, pediatric and recovery support services. The importance of this passing cannot be overstated and should be considered a major win for Denver. If this had failed, and emergency and mental health services had been cut, the streets of Denver would have started to look a lot different and a public health crisis would inevitably have erupted at a large and terrifying scale.
The state passed Proposition KK, which is expected to generate approximately $39 million in revenue during its first year. These funds will go to crime victim services, veterans’ mental health, behavioral health support for children, and school security. Many organizations we know and love who care for victims of domestic violence, and sex assault will receive lifeline funding from this excise tax on the gun industry. Most Coloradans are unaware that declining federal funding from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), was threatening the livelihood of our local organizations that support survivors of abuse and violent crimes.
As a survivor of sex assault, who was forced to navigate the Denver Police Department, the DA’s office, and the courts before my cerebral cortex was fully developed, I know firsthand that the guidance and support from my victim’s advocate was life-altering. My heart is full knowing their great work will be funded with this new revenue. Thank you, thank you, Colorado.
The 90,000 students served by Denver Public Schools will benefit from $975 million in bond dollars which will (finally) fund air conditioning installation, safety upgrades, athletic facilities, career and technical education, new buses, school construction, building upgrades, and technology upgrades. For those of us who attended South High School in 1991-1994, we say that the air conditioning on the upper floors would have been nice 30+ years ago too, but better late than never.
In a landslide, Coloradans passed Proposition JJ, ensuring that more sports betting tax dollars will go to water conservation projects. This allows reliable, sustained funding to protect our water for years to come and it’s a huge win for Colorado’s future. We know that water is the issue of the day in the mountain west and we all are absolutely reliant on our rivers and streams in order to… well, live…so this needs to be celebrated! But not by dusting off the kayak. You will die if you do that. It’s winter, fool.
We amended our state constitution to protect a woman’s right to choose, like so many other states in a post-Dobbs world. If you’re unhappy with that, perhaps it’s time to consider the sandy beaches of Florida, where a similar measure failed.
Colorado voted to extend a property tax break to thousands more veterans with disabilities which will save big money for at least 3,700 of our country’s best and this effort was advanced by Democrats and Republicans alike in a rare show of unity. (We call that Colorado Way and sometimes it works).
For those who are still under the rug, it is time to come out. Remember how sunny it is here? You can’t see the sun from under the batting of your rug and honestly, I think it’s bad for your allergies. Remember, there is much to be proud of in beautiful Colorado and I encourage you to feel proud of our state’s fine legacy of caring for its neighbors, natural resources and kids.
Read Melanie Ulle’s monthly Making a Difference Articles at Urban Life Wash Park.
