Denver mayoral candidates are almost entirely focused on who would enforce the tent ban, compassion for the homeless, and commitments to gobble up soon-to-be ghetto property with taxpayer dollars for their housing.
And who can blame them?
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was kicked to the curb in Tuesday’s election that was dominated by the issue of crime, becoming the first candidate there in 40 years to lose a reelection bid.
Lesson learned, avoid talking about crime to be popular with Denver’s far-left voting base.
And yet the Denver Post finally got around to asking candidates this week to name Denver’s greatest public safety concern and explain what they would do about it.
Crime should have been the answer, and punishment the solution. But those on the left no longer believe in punishment, or criminal intent, it seems.
Many claimed problems would be solved by focusing on diversity and housing the homeless.
Lisa Calderón said gun violence, as opposed to violent people, is the problem, which should would solve with socialist ideas.
“I would protect our city by strengthening our safety social nets for tenants, workers, and marginalized communities.”
Back in olden times, criminals were punished for their crimes by going to jail. But now that criminals are just victims, and progressive prosecutors believe jails are bad and no place to send criminals, crime is flourishing.
Just ask Leslie Herod. She has dozens of solutions for dealing with crime, and none of them have anything to do with punishing criminals. She wants alternatives to jail, which would keep criminals on the streets.
Kelly Brough declined to even name her top public safety concern and went straight into bureaucratic double-talk with lots of buzz words and no practical solutions. She wants to spend money and push paper with alternative solutions to police and punishment, and this total cop out:
“Address crime prevention by investing in housing, health care, education, and economic development.”
If people commit crimes because of their economic condition, then get them off the government tit that keeps generations addicted to government subsidies and living in poverty. Just saying.
Thomas Wolf, Robert Treta, and Chris Hansen all believe homelessness is of more concern that crime.
Only Andy Rougeot stood out as the non-nonsense candidate who said the failure of city council and the mayor to address crime straight-on has led to a near tripling of murders and rocketed Denver to a car theft capital of the country.
“Denver deserves a mayor who will crack down on crime by adding 400 police officers, by increasing funding for police training, and by lowering 911 response times.”
It’s disheartening to see so many mayoral candidates hitching their solutions to Denver’s public safety woes in recreating the failed government housing of the last century, which were finally depopulated and demolished due to (checks notes) … rampant crime.
It will be interesting to see if Denver voters believe removing the homeless from their sight into government-contracted slums, or cracking down on criminals is the solution to Denver’s public safety crisis.