R O T A R Y G R A M

JUNE 5, 2003

Quote: What do we live for it is not to make less difficult to each other?

George Eliot, writer

Why? Do golfers use the terms "bogey" and "birdie"?

Wynn Berven aptly kicked off our meeting with Invocation and Pledge.

Guests:

We enjoyed the company of three members-in-the-wings: Transferring

Rotarian Bill Cartwright, Tim Walsworth of United Way, and David Downs.

Sherry T. introduced our scholarship recipient Veronica Moreno, who

thanked the Club for her generous grant. [She plans to attend that great

institution UNM, where your cub-sub and his wife both graduated.]

Rotarian Mary Hart of the evening club did a make-up. Serious volunteer

Toni Herrera was Tom B's guest, while welcome back Tom Galbraith

introduced his nephew Chris George from Silverton. Finally, Dean bought

lunch for his daughter Paige Brookie.

Announcements and Happenings:

Our annual golf fund-raiser is in the final planning stages. Please

offer your assistance to Melissa or Tim Walsworth -- they still need

hole sponsors, golfers and auction items. Frank (Acordia) and Patty

(Wells Fargo) have already stepped up to the tee.

The Club welcomed back Tom B, still standing with arm in sling after

surgery. Walter Nowotny celebrates his 67th birthday on 6-7, while

ancient Dean Brookie enters the second half of the century mark.

Chip Lile still needs host families Tues and Wed 6/17-18 for the foreign

Rotarian students visiting Durango. As usual, the Club will join

hosting a pot-luck at Rotary Park the first evening. Karen L'A is

seeking support Soup Kitchen fund-raiser next Thursday June 12th.

Next weekend is Bess's Relay for Life cancer marathon. Working

overtime, Keoki Sears and Dave Ganevsky tied up 50 fishing flies

"guaranteed" to catch fish and donated them to the cause. Our own

auctioneer Mike S. promptly found willing buyers. Supporting the good

cause were Jeff, Sherry, Walter, Ellen and Dean.

Now retired and no longer Officer Friendly, Mike performed SofA duties.

The first winning ticker holder Karen L'A pulled a card and missed.

Then Arvella Higby selected the winning card and collected $340 in

winnings. Sadly, the game is over, but it was fun!

Program:

We were honored to hear from our esteemed leaders in Denver Sen. Jim

Isgar (D-Hesperus) and Rep Mark Larson (R-Cortez). Ellen Roberts

provided an eloquent and touching introduction, calling them the two

most respected legislators in the State.

They opened by suggesting that they often work together and almost

always agree with each other simply because they represent the same

constituents.

The debriefing started coherently and then turned into sausage -- less

clear in content. Jim addressed the budget problem -- actually two

budgets -- 2003 and 2004. The 04 budget is greater than the 03 budget

-- revenue is expected to grow by 2 percent while TABOR limited by 6

percent. Yet the press published figures suggesting an $800 million

shortfall. That number is actually the unfunded shortfall of the

project increases in the budget, such as a 37% increase in Medicare, and

greater projected corrections (prison) expenses. As usual, " cuts in

increases were treated as cuts in actual". Medicare got an increase of

16%, which was called a "cut". Yikes.

From there, the debriefing turned into sausage -- less clear in content.

Jim suggested we all need to be aware of Gallagher and Prop. 23. I am clueless -- these

apparently deal with challenges to TABOR. That amendment still has

bedrock support from one-third of our legislators -- so expect no

significant changes in current law. Jim is also proud of his "Rainy Day

Fund", which would "save" any revenue surpluses to use when the economy

is weak rather than refund the monies to the taxpayers.

Then followed a discussion of automobile "no-fault" insurance, health

care, water, and redistricting. On the latter, they finally agreed to

disagree. As you recall from recent visits from our Governor and

Congressman, our new district was created by a Judge in Denver. The GOP

in Denver challenged this district boundaries and submitted their own

new district. Mark L. predicted the state Supreme Court would side with

the Legislature, since they are charged with marking up boundaries,

while Jim I. predicted the court would side with the judge since his

boundaries reflected other district values.

Your correspondent wishes John Marshall had these duties today. Our

representatives spoke of the intricacies of politics that literally flew

over my head. They commented on constituents, interest groups (doctors

vs chiropractors in the car insurance bill), and personalities that defy

comprehension. Yet we should be proud that our representatives are the

best. I don't understand the politics (or sausage) of the process, yet I am confident they

have the the stamina and patience to study the issues, grab

the slimy politics, and represent our interests. We are fortunate,

lucky, and grateful to have such patient, industrious, conscientious and

hardworking neighbors and friends working for all of us.

To learn more about current legislative issues, go to www.state.co.us In

addition, Mark Larson has a great website at Larsoncolorado.com and of

course he can be reached at marklarson@gobrainstorm.com

Coming up:

6/12 Club Assembly

6/19 Past President's Day

6/26 President Brown becomes an "ex-"

Menu next week: Beef Fajitas

Why? When a player completes a hole in one stroke over par, it is

called a bogey. One stroke under is a birdie. Bogey derives from an

old English song called "Colonel Bogey". The term "birdie" has an

American origin. A golfer at the Atlantic City Country Club in the

early 1900s, after achieving a par four in three shots, remarked what a

"bird" it was. "Bird" was at the time a slang term for a rarity. This

worthless tidbit is to mark the final planning period of our annual golf

tournament August 9th!

Yours in Rotary,

Spencer, Cub-sub

Comments? pearse2827@sisna.com