On May 14th, the Tops market on Jefferson Ave in Buffalo suffered a mass shooting motivated by conspiratorial, racist hate.

We’re heartbroken, and mourn the victims.

White supremacy and all racism is antithetical to our core values.

We believe in and work toward a world where all are free and all needs are met. The forces of division, whether race, national origin, ability, gender, or religion, are our enemy.

These divisions aren’t essential or accidental, but reinforced by class society. Capitalism reproduces poverty and the segregation that allowed Masten Park to be targeted.

Efforts against racism and right-wing radicalization must be anti-capitalist.

Democrats and Republicans approve funding for war, policing, and corporations, while everyday people suffer. Their platitudes don’t teach us skills, or build a high-participation democracy.

President Biden’s visit to Buffalo offered sympathy, if only symbolism to a population marred by real inequality. Without public goods, care for the planet, and living-wage jobs, the employing class’ parties don’t provide for or keep us safe.

Some far-right Republicans and their media mouthpieces even gesture to the conspiracy that motivated this shooter to murder 10 community members, like “Great Replacement” theory that states immigrants and demographic change are the causes of American economic distress and resource scarcity.

The solution to scarcity and competition is not racist violence to win the battle against each other. It is struggle against the exploitation of the employers and politicians already winning the class war against all working people.

Without anti-capitalist struggle to educate young people in patient, faithful work alongside members of our multiracial class, they’re facing a world of shocking inequality, flatlined wages, pollution, and addiction – and instead are radicalized to hateful, apocalyptic conspiracies.

It is out of deep love that we organize our workplaces and neighborhoods in support of an alternative, so that the power of everyday people will replace the bureaucracy of a few.

We must unite as a class in the struggle to elevate people across all backgrounds. Our fight is against prejudice in all forms, and against the minority rule of capitalists who only drive people toward hate and violence.

Denver DSA has been fighting for over a year alongside frontline communities to shut down Colorado’s coal plants and make the just transition to clean, renewable, community-owned electricity. The dirtiest of these coal plants is now officially slated to close no later than January 1, 2031. It’s a huge victory and a testament to the power of mass organizing.

The Coal Plant That Never Should Have Been Built

The Comanche 3 coal plant is the largest polluter in Colorado. Offensively named after an indigenous nation that extractive capitalism itself waged genocide against, this plant has been met with opposition since it was proposed back in 2004.

Despite protests, lawsuits, outcry at public hearings, and the clear scientific evidence that a new coal plant would worsen the already serious climate crisis mounting, Xcel Energy moved forward with construction, with the blessing of the Public Utility Commission (PUC).

The plant went online in 2010 and Xcel hoped to run it until 2070. The massive facility has been pumping tons and tons of carbon dioxide and toxins into the atmosphere. The nearby working class, Latinx community in Pueblo bears the worst of the effects with many residents suffering from respiratory diseases.

The fight to close this plant has never let up. Over the past year, the EcoSocialist committee has been fighting in coalition with others to have the PUC do what it should have done from the beginning – shut this coal plant down.

People Power Forces Xcel to Concede

Thousands of Colorado residents wrote into the PUC demanding that the coal plant be shut down as soon as possible. Dozens of Pueblo residents testified at a public hearing. Over 100 people testified at the final statewide hearing demanding the same.

Xcel took notice. First they offered a 2040 closure date. Then, following the Pueblo hearing, tried making a backroom deal for a 2035 date. We kept fighting, insisting that the plant be closed by at least 2030, if not sooner.

The PUC expressed skepticism around the 2035 Xcel proposal. Another rally kept the pressure on the PUC to do the right thing.

Finally, on April 26, 2022 Xcel came back to the negotiating table and agreed to close the coal plant no later than January 1, 2031.

The Fight Continues to Close the Comanche Coal Plant As Early As Possible

While the newest deadline is great news and could not have happened without thousands of people standing up to Xcel’s profiteering, the fight is not over. This coal plant never should have been built in the first place. We’re experiencing unprecedented drought, wildfires, and heatwaves. Frontline communities still breath the poisoned air and every day more carbon is added to the atmosphere we’ll then need to draw back down.

We’ll take this opportunity to celebrate together with the many others fighting to get to this point. Then we’ll regroup and decide the best path forward to shut down coal once and for all and usher in a new clean and affordable energy system.

To get involved, email the EcoSocialist Committee at ecosoc@denverdsa.org

On Monday, April 4th, 2022 a meeting of the Colorado Springs Law Enforcement Transparency and Accountability Commission met, with several items on the agenda that pertained to COSDSA. The subjects discussed were how the CSPD conducts undercover investigations, how the CSPD disciplines officers who break the law, and how the CSPD handles officers who use excessive force with citizens. In addition to the commissioners, several police officers, interim Police Chief Vasquez, several other stakeholders, and many members of the COSDSA were in attendance. The audience came prepared with questions to address the CSPD's recent undercover investigation of COSDSA, as well as other leftist groups.

Unfortunately, interim Police Chief Vasquez would not entertain any questions from the public. Only members of the commission were allowed to ask questions. Additionally, Vasquez was unwilling to discuss any specific undercover investigations or tactics that are employed during such investigations.

Vasquez's main point was that, in order to conduct an undercover investigation, there must be reasonable suspicion, a violation of the law, or criminal activity. Upon questioning, he was unwilling to discuss the reasonable suspicion resulting in any specific investigations, but he said upon further questioning that, due to the large amount of resources that are involved in such investigations, certain cases get prioritized based upon the estimated amount of harm that the perpetrators would inflict upon the community. He said that any investigation had to have reasonable suspicion that a criminal activity is occurring, and that the department had to lay out the facts in order to proceed with an investigation. The former chief, attending virtually, parroted his own canned statement that the CSPD is not political and no officers or investigations were ever biased.

Deb Walker, who was at the table with the commission, asked several pertinent questions, particularly about the Fourth Amendment rights of people who are the target of an undercover investigation. She wanted to know what checks and balances are in place to ensure that these rights are not being denied. She also asked what procedural justice those people have to ensure the security of their private information.

Vasquez responded to these questions by repeatedly using the department's standard trainings as examples of checks and balances. He said that oversight from within the department and, occasionally, a liason in the DA's office, were evidence of checks and balances. He was unable to describe any actual checks and balances in place within the department. He referred to laws that the department is required to follow, and to CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) guidelines, stating that people who are under investigation should request information under these guidelines (even though there's no way for them to know they're under this type of investigation in the first place). He also recommended that people interested in this should investigate the Bureau of Justice's 28 CFR part 23, which outlines policies and procedures that should be followed when operating federally funded, multijurisdictional criminal intelligence systems. He did not elaborate as to which specific policies the department has in place to comply with this guidance.

Members of the audience were very frustrated by being denied a voice in the proceedings of the LETAC. When the audience became audibly agitated, they were instructed to settle down.

What became very clear during the course of the meeting was that the CSPD doesn't intend to submit to any form of checks and balances of their power. This is currently a very upsetting trend in the USA as a whole. According to stakeholders, the LETAC was designed to have no authority to undertake corrective action as a result of such meetings. Trainings are not checks and balances. Oversight from within the very same organization it's overseeing does not constitute checks and balances. PC Vasquez intentionally directed the commission to CORA, when CORA doesn't even apply to the CSPD. Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act does, and the CSPD's website says that no information will be given in regards to undercover investigations.

The COSDSA is making requests for as much information as possible, but anticipates that there will be very little, if any, information shared regarding the recent undercover investigation.

Where is the accountability? Where is the transparency?

Colorado Springs Democratic Socialists of America supports strong legislative protections for public sector workers. We support a bill that will allow all public sector workers the same rights that other workers enjoy, to collectively bargain, including the right to strike. We support a bill that respects and celebrates public sector workers who contribute to the state of Colorado and its citizens every day. Colorado Springs DSA believes that public sector workers deserve a seat at the table and to be part of the decision making process in their workplace. Colorado Springs DSA supports a strong bill that gives public sector workers democracy, not just at the ballot box, but also in the space where they spend the largest portion of their waking lives.

The right to collectively bargain is a basic right enjoyed by most workers in the state of Colorado and throughout the U.S. To deny this right to workers serving the public is to tell firefighters, teachers, healthcare workers, and anyone that serves the community that they don’t deserve basic dignity. A strong bill granting public sector workers the right to do what any other worker can do is simply asking for respect and equality. This is what the Colorado Springs DSA stands for and nothing less. If Governor Polis is worried about the ability to strike, maybe he should ask himself why this would even be a concern. Is Governor Polis aware of the low pay, poor treatment, and mediocre benefits of the people who serve the citizens of Colorado?  Does he not care?  Is he worried that empowered workers might actually have a reason to strike?  

Colorado Springs DSA demands that any legislation pertaining to public sector workers’ rights be fair and equal, not simply meaningless gestures. If the bill moving forward creates no real or meaningful change, the bill is less than useless. Any bill not granting public sector workers the same rights as other workers is simply spitting in the face of public workers. A weakened bill tells public sector workers that they aren’t worth as much, and that’s something we cannot stand for. We believe in democracy in the workplace. We believe that public sector workers have every right to make their voice heard and have a real and meaningful say in how they spend the vast majority of their lives. Let it be clear, any bill that fails to give workers the right to strike and collectively bargain is a bill that Colorado Springs DSA will actively and vocally oppose.

The Colorado Springs Democratic Socialists of America condemn the actions of the Colorado Springs Police Department for their undercover surveillance of Colorado Springs DSA members and actions, along with other local leftist organizations. Such surveillance is anti-democratic and is intended to intimidate left-leaning individuals in an effort to prevent organizing efforts that promote equity and justice and threaten the current distribution of power.

We call on all democratically elected city leaders to join us in publicly condemning the unwarranted undercover surveillance of above-ground democratic organizations. It is vital that our leadership sets a precedent for the city that any threats to our democratic process will not be tolerated. We citizens of Colorado Springs deserve to live in a city where we are free to exercise our democratic rights to organize peacefully for policies that reflect our values. Regardless of political orientation, all city leaders must come out against actions that undermine the very democratic process that got them elected so that we can continue to have free and fair elections for people of all political affiliations. A threat to one is a threat to all.

We also call on all leftist organizers, including Colorado Springs DSA members and others targeted by CSPD, to publicly condemn the actions of CSPD. In the face of aggression and intimidation, it is more important than ever for us to take a stand and let CSPD know that we will not back down from organizing for the change we want to see in the city. 

In addition to undercover surveillance, there have been allegations of attempts by CSPD to manufacture crime where there is none. Recently some leftists have reported attempts by the undercover officer, April Rogers (alias Chelsie Kurti), to entrap members of the leftist community into helping her acquire illegal firearms, as well as to lay the foundation for the organization of an armed left-wing militia. While we applaud the integrity of our leftist comrades in declining to cooperate, we must also take a stand against the efforts of CSPD to manufacture crime that could then be used to entrap naturally law-abiding members of the leftist community. 

We also call out the dishonesty in CSPD’s official media statement on their actions. Their insistence that, “CSPD does not target groups or organizations based upon political affiliation or ideology. We are committed to safeguarding our citizens’ constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and the right to assemble. CSPD does however investigate criminal activity or allegations of criminal activity even if that person is a member of a political organization,” is not only misleading to the public, but is also false. In addition to attempts to instigate criminal activity, officer April Rogers also committed a misdemeanor crime under Colorado State law for registering to vote under her false identity. These actions are not only hypocritical and indicative of police corruption, but are further signs of an abuse of power meant to oppress a left political movement.

As an official chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, we value the preservation and expansion of democracy to create a more just and equitable world for all. We will continue to organize for the realization of our values unabashed and unafraid, and we are dedicated to peacefully pushing back against any efforts to silence or intimidate our organization and our individual members. We stand together as proud champions of justice and democracy, now and always. 

“The Burlington Progressive Slate has actively supported labor issues in Burlington. From passing the Responsible Contractor legislation to helping AFSCME Local 1343 fight layoffs, wage cuts, and an abusive Airport Director. They have been in the fight with us to build working-class power in Burlington and in the state of Vermont. On behalf of our over 11,000 members, the Vermont State Labor Council AFL- CIO Executive Board endorses Burlington's Progressive Slate of candidates.” - Dwight Brown, the Vice Chair of the Vermont AFL-CIO and a leader in the Burlington school employees union

List of Endorsed Candidates:

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Register to vote HERE

Find your polling place here

As recent polls show that Americans have a higher distrust of media than ever before and factionalized varieties of social media have increasingly polarized people, nearly everyone has strong opinions about the media. If you’re interested in exploring and discussing this topic, the Coulee DSA Book Club is beginning Matt Taibbi’s recent book, “Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another,” an acclaimed analysis of how today’s mainstream media lies to people and divides them by manipulating us as news consumers. 

The book club meets Thursday nights at 7 pm and will begin discussing Hate Inc. on Thursday, February 10th. Email us at CouleeDSA@gmail.com to receive a link to the book club to join in.” 

The post Next DSA Book club read: Hate Inc. first appeared on Coulee DSA.

Xcel Energy originally hoped to run their highest polluting electric plant, the Comanche Coal Plant, until 2040. Then hundreds of people wrote in and spoke out at public hearings demanding that they close the plant as soon as possible – 2030 at the latest.

In response, Xcel struck a backdoor deal with the City of Denver to keep running the coal plant until 2035, along with some nasty strings attached.

Luckily the Public Utility Commission is likely to amend or even reject this proposed settlement. We’re co-organizing a rally on Friday April 8th and a phone/email campaign telling Denver City Council to refuse any future agreement with Xcel and instead demand the Comanche 3 Coal Plant close by 2030 or sooner.

Attend the Coal Free Colorado Rally on Friday April 8th

Call or email your city council representative and tell them No Dirty Backdoor Deal for Xcel.

Denver is Turning its Back on its Climate Commitments by Signing the Xcel Settlement

Denver’s electricity provider, Xcel Energy, is trying to lock Colorado into 13 more years of coal while forcing customers to foot the bill… And the City of Denver supported it!

Here’s what’s wrong with the proposed settlement:

1. It agrees that Comanche 3, the largest single source of climate pollution in Colorado, should operate until 2035.
   
   The settlement would require the Comanche 3 coal plant to burn coal until 2035– five years longer than any other coal plant in Colorado. This is the most unreliable power plant in the state, including being offline for nearly all of 2020 because of poor maintenance practices.
   
   The coal plant is the largest source of climate pollution in the state and is located in Pueblo, a low-income, Latino community. This community doesn’t even get the electricity from the plant — just the pollution. When the PUC held a hearing in Pueblo in October 2021, residents expressed overwhelming support for retiring the coal plant by 2030 at the latest.
   
2. It prevents Comanche 3 from ever being closed earlier than 2035.
   
   The settlement would lock in a retirement date for Comanche 3 of December 31, 2034 that could never be changed, even as the plant continues to suffer malfunctions and more and more cheaper, cleaner alternatives become available. The single largest source of CO2 emissions will run for the next 14 years.
   
3. It makes Xcel’s shareholders rich on the backs of Denver ratepayers.
   
   The settlement forces us ratepayers to pay Xcel $658 million to recover costs lost because of their mismanagement. We shouldn’t be on the hook to pay millions to Xcel’s Wall Street investment for their bad business decisions.
   
   The settlement also guarantees Xcel at least $626 million in new company-owned electric generation resources to replace the Comanche 3 coal plant after 2035. The more resources Xcel builds and owns, such as new wind turbines, solar panels, or gas plants, the more money their shareholders make. Typically, Xcel has to allow other companies to bid on new electric projects. For example, instead of setting up community-owned solar farms we would have to get our new electricity through Xcel, feeding their extractive monopoly.
   
4. It assumes new gas plants would operate for at least 40 years.
   
   The settlement allows Xcel to assume that new gas plants would operate for 40 years – long after 2050, the date by which Xcel says it is aiming to be carbon-free. This violates Denver’s plan for 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, and Colorado’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040.
   
5. It will massively increase pollution from gas-fired power plants.
   
   The settlement says that the social cost of carbon will be used in dispatch starting in the summer of 2022. This means that gas generation will increase dramatically, to make up for the lost coal generation–because it is impossible for Xcel to acquire new renewables by next summer.
   
   
   Tell your City Council member and the Mayor that the City of Denver to protect people and the climate, rather than corporate profits!

On Dec. 2, more than 100 people registered for a Zoom call hosted by the Public Utility Commission to hear what the public thought of Xcel’s 10-year plan. Scheduled to end at 6 p.m., the event ran well past 7.

Of the dozens and dozens who spoke, only four supported Xcel’s plan. The rest of us called it out for what it is: greenwashing.

Xcel boasts that their “Landmark electric resource plan would cut carbon emissions an estimated 85% by 2030.”

The problem with that target is that it’s too late. The Biden administration’s national goal is 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035; Gov. Polis’ target is 100% renewable energy by 2040. Denver, Boulder, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Longmont, Golden, Summit County, Lafayette, Frisco, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Nederland, and Breckenridge each have set 100% renewable electricity targets by 2030 or 2035.

We’re already in the midst of a climate crisis. We’re feeling it first-hand with the record-setting heat waves, wildfires, mudslides, droughts and air pollution.

Xcel missed its window of opportunity to help avert climate catastrophe. Now the question is, how bad will we allow it to get?

To stave off the worst of the worst, community members overwhelmingly called for the following changes to Xcel’s plan:

Close all coal plants, especially the Comanche Coal Plant, the state’s dirtiest, most unreliable and expensive source of energy, by 2030 at the latest.

Do not pass on the cost of the Comanche Coal Plant to ratepayers. This coal plant was built in 2010 and it was largely opposed then. It was a bad investment that Xcel Energy needs to take responsibility for. The general public already is paying the price with our health and the challenges of an increasingly hostile climate.

Close the Arapahoe and Cherokee gas plants by 2030. Like the Comanche Coal plant, these have been polluting the air of its nearby mostly Latino, working-class neighborhoods, contributing to our severe ozone issue and of course climate change.

Set a 100% renewable electricity goal by 2040 at the very latest — to align with Colorado targets.

The outpouring of support for these demands has been overwhelming. The hearing on Dec. 2  featured voices ranging from ski industry representatives concerned about shrinking ski days, to local business owners wanting to purchase clean electricity, to indigenous leaders highlighting the devastation coal and gas brings to the land and their communities, to parents angry about the planet on which we’re raising, and eventually will pass along to, our kids.

A strong majority of Pueblo residents (30 opposing Xcel’s plan, 7 neutral and 8 in favor) spoke out at an earlier public hearing in October. More than 1,000 residents have submitted written comments to the same effect.

Xcel Tries Striking a Backdoor “Settlement”

This surge in public participation prompted Xcel to have work behind closed doors with the city of Boulder and Denver and other parties to devise a counter-offer.

Originally the plan was to run the Comanche Coal plant until 2040. In this new deal, that closure date would be moved up to 2035. It would also pass on some of the cost of the bad investment to us ratepayers. 

At the Dec. 2 statewide hearing, however, we residents made clear that 2030 is the hard line for closing those coal- and gas-fired plants. We can’t have Xcel making closed-door deals that undermine the strong public consensus on this.

This post was taken largely from EcoSocialist Chair Clayton Dewey’s op-ed in the Colorado Sun, with his permission.

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