This month I attended a party caucus for Colorado’s Presidential Primary for the first time in my life. I thought I knew what it was going to be like because I had watched the Iowa caucuses on TV. We would probably meet in someone’s home and each of the candidates would come to see us. After they asked us our opinion on important issues, they would leave and Katie Couric would be outside and would interview each of us.
The candidates would speak about national issues important to each of us. Republicans would explain their plan to provide health coverage to the uninsured at Walmart. Democrats would explain their plan to make health care affordable by cutting doctor salaries in half.
Then the candidates would try to win our vote by promising to solve a local issue. In our area, the Recreation District relies on property taxes for its revenue. Recently a proposition to raise property taxes failed. The District was surprised and in a move that some interpreted as punitive, the District closed a community pool in North Ranch, an area full of exclusive homes. When asked why the first service they cut was a swimming pool, a Board Member replied, “Because the lawyers wouldn’t let us turn off your gas and electricity.” To solve the Community revenue problem, Republicans would promise to reduce our property taxes and eliminate all user fees. The magic of supply side economics would solve the revenue problem. Democrats would solve the problem by raising property taxes on North Ranch homes high enough that property taxes could be eliminated on homes outside of North Ranch. Since more people live outside of North Ranch, the proposition would be sure to pass. Then they would promise to bus in kids from outside North Ranch to use the pool.
But our caucus was nothing like that. It was held at a local elementary school. We sat at student desks in little chairs. No candidates came to see us though the president of the 6th grade chess club spoke to us about his experience with student government. We spent the first 2 ½ hours discussing party organization planning issues. For example, we passed a resolution selecting the hors d’oeuvres for the National Convention, but we couldn’t agree on the color of balloons which would drop from the ceiling when the Presidential nominee was introduced. Finally someone asked when we were going to do the straw poll for Presidential candidates. The person in charge asked each of us to write our selection on a piece of paper and pass it to the front of the room. I didn’t bring any paper, so I started looking for paper in the desk I was sitting at. I discovered the student’s name was Lee and he had no blank pieces of paper anywhere I could see. I finally found a crumpled up paper. I opened it hoping it was blank so I could use it, but it had a wad of gum in it. I closed the paper back up and I was going to throw it away, but then thought maybe he wasn’t finished with it so I put it back in his desk. I wasn’t the only person having trouble finding a piece of paper, so a school teacher in the group suggested we put our heads down on our desks and raise our hands when our candidate’s name was called. It was getting late, so no one objected.
Later on I learned that our straw vote for President had no binding power on our delegate. I am not that concerned, but I will be really upset if he doesn’t vote for our hors d’oeuvre selection.
David LeSueur and his wife live in Littleton . . . outside of North Ranch.