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11 07 24 Denver Mayor Mike Johnston discusses local ballot measure election results
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They still have been counting. And it still could change maybe some of the outcomes of our local elections. Joining us now on the KOA comment spirit health hotline to talk more about it is Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for your time this morning. Good morning. Good to be with you. Hey, so it's been a marathon at the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office, counting all of these ballots because we had a very, very lengthy ballot for the city. To our currently on track to fail by about 6,900 votes, however, still votes to be counted. Are you optimistic that it could pass? And with those remaining votes, or are you already scrambling for what a plan B could look like? You know, I think we're planning for both. We think there is still a path for it to win with a lot of late-breaking voters who are young voters who we know are particularly affected by the affordable housing crisis. And so we think there's a chance it still succeeds, but we're also already preparing for plan B. And what we know is that obviously the affordable housing continues to be the single biggest crisis in the city. And people all say that over and over again, but the politics of affordable housing are always hard. That's why most cities don't succeed at building more of it. It's just people are worried about where it's going to be built and how it's going to affect them and what it's going to cost and how it will be structured. And that's a it's a complicated policy solution, but we so we knew it would be an uphill battle, but we also knew the issue people are most worried about so if it isn't the right solution right now, then we'll find another one, how we'll certainly never get up on it, but we're we're going to stay committed to taking an alley the way. Mr. Mayor, looking at the other Denver ballot issues, did they all turn the rest of them turn out kind of the way you expected or were there any surprises there? I think most of them turned out the way that we suspected. I think most of them were, I think were pretty clear issues with which, you know, they were obviously things like the fur ban and things like slaughterhouse ban that people had strong feelings about on both directions. But I think in the end, those ended up people saying, not sure that's a place where we need to regulate. So I think there was certainly contested issues, but I think in the end, they ended up where we thought. I think what we did see is a real concern and economic concern among voters in Denver as well as around the country. I'm not sure where the economy is going and uncertainty about the election and whereiness to start new things. And then that kind of uncertainty, we certainly felt some of that real anxiety in the population and some real worry. And so I think we saw that even the local election that we certainly saw break out nationally in a big way. Well, let's go into that a little bit, Mr. Mayor, your overall reaction to the presidential election results. I mean, I was definitely surprised as I think many people were. I thought it would be closer. I thought that Kamala Harris had a good path to win. I thought that there were a lot of concerns about, I think, the very valid concerns about Trump's behavior and statements that he made that we thought would alienate so many voters. I think what he fundamentally spoke to was people's anger and people's fear. I say anger is a secondary emotion. You feel angry because underneath that you feel worried or you feel upset about privacy to stand out of feeling angry. And sometimes you want folks to just sit in that with you. And I think a lot of people in America felt that and they felt like Trump connected to that. I can't even handle it the way I feel in Monday morning after a Broncos loss, right? It's like, I'm just mad. I want someone to be mad with me, even if it doesn't mean I think I need a Fireball next. So I think that's where a lot of America was, and we have to hear that message and now figure out how we can address those core concerns, but I do think those core concerns are the same ones we saw. It's about, and I afford to pay my rent. It's about making enough money to be able to support my family. It's about, you know, concerns about public safety and crime. I think those things are all what people were feeling. I think what they, I don't read it as validation of his values or his language or his division. I view it as some connection to his sense of anger. And I think people feel it for different reasons that we got to address those core reasons. Let's turn to the weather, Mr. Mayor, expecting our first major snowstorm of the season. How are things looking as far as the readiness and preparation for snow removal once this all gets up and running? Yeah, our team is totally up and running. I will say in the midst of this incredibly tumultuous election night, Tuesday night, if you woke up Wednesday morning in Denver to four or five inches of snow and you still saw it totally clean streets. Our team was out and ready in the middle of night and prepared, and they, they chop every day no matter what. And so our team is well prepared. We know it's coming. We're keeping an eye out this afternoon. So we feel like Denver will be prepared, but we certainly are having people be mindful of their travel plans this evening because we think we're going to have heavy, heavy dump tonight. How is the city working to get those off the streets and with the warming shelters? What's the latest status of those? Yeah, you know, we opened these 24 hour shelters for the first time and they've been very successful. We've been able to get folks into those settings. We have had enough space there to accommodate them all. So I think the benefit of having 2000 people, we've moved off the streets and into housing in the last year. I mean, there are fewer and fewer folks left to come in on a night like tonight. And so we have the, we have those warming shelters up and ready and they've been utilized and people are there safely. And so we think we've gotten everybody, yeah, we ask off the streets, which is really important to us. And wrapping up, Mr. Mario and ask you about Sunday, the Broncos snapped finally that losing streak against the Chiefs. Still have one though on the road at Arrowhead, they haven't won there since 2015. What do you think their chances are on Sunday? You know, I'm feeling optimistic. I feel like we had a little bit of a, I think this point in performance last week, but I think we got to have those kind of setbacks. I think they're coming ready. They're exactly what to face. Some with the Chiefs. I do think the Chiefs have weaknesses and someone's got to beat him and I would love for it to be us. So I think that, and I think the Broncos go in. I feel like they play the best way. No, they got nothing to lose. I think everybody expects them not to win this one. I feel like that's one, though Nick's and team work their best. So I'm excited to see a great performance on Sunday. Fingers crossed and for Mayor Mike Johnson. Thank you so much for your time as always. You bet, y'all. Have a great morning. But there's only one feeling like knowing your banker personally, like growing up with the bank you can count on, like being sure what you've earned is safe, secure, and local. There's only one feeling like knowing you're supporting your community. You deserve more from a bank. You deserve an institution that stood strong for generations. Bank of Colorado, there's only one. For FDIC. 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