New Democrat Update - May 1996
Bright Beginnings
The new May/June 1996 issue of the national DLC's magazine, The New Democrat, puts the spotlight on Colorado's Bright Beginnings initiative. This first-of-its-kind project, led by Governor Roy Romer, employs churches, volunteers and computer networking to help families get medical, emotional and moral support in 200 of the state's communities.
Speaking of the Governor...
As reported in March, Governor Roy Romer was kind enough to host the Colorado DLC's first annual appreciation dinner for the organization's major financial supporters and leaders. To continue the discussion, the Governor generously hosted the group again on April 22 to review the issues surrounding today's politics and election campaigns.
Again, the meeting provided to be informative and enjoyable. Special thanks to Governor Romer for taking time out of his busy schedule a second time.
Pushing the Agenda
As an important part of the organization's mission, the DLC's injects new ideas into the debate to develop a bold message and policy agenda for the 21st century. To that end, we are now working to get some "New Democrat" initiatives into a debate on the floor of the June 8th Democratic state convention.
These reformist positions include progressive initiatives on expanding NAFTA, fighting crime, curbing teen pregnancy, reforming the state personnel system, revamping environmental policy, instilling fiscal responsibility and increasing savings. If you would like a copy, please send an e-mail.
National PPI Plan Impacting Budget Debate
Rising above partisanship, the Progressive Policy Institute plan to cut $75 billion of annual corporate welfare is changing the dynamics of the federal budget discussion. Senators across the spectrum - from John McCain of Arizona to Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts - are promoting creation of an independent commission to cut wasteful and economically unproductive special-interest and tax breaks. The commission is based on the very successful military base-closing model.