Red County, Blue State

Emily Suyat
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The thrill of living in progressive Colorado, the agony of being represented by Lauren Boebert: life and politics for people who lean left in Douglas County. esuyat.substack.com

  1. 61. CORA 101: The Transparency Tool They Can’t Ignore

    FA 3 DIES

    61. CORA 101: The Transparency Tool They Can’t Ignore

    CORA class is in session! The Colorado Open Records Act is a critical law when it comes to ensuring transparent government, and it’s accessible to all of us. In this episode, my guest Jeff Roberts from the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition (CFOIC) explains the basics of CORA to us. What’s a public record? When can a government withhold a public record from us? Are government officials allowed to delete records? All of this and more in this episode. Share and subscribe if you like this episode. Contact me anytime with questions or feedback: emilysuyat@gmail.com or on signal: emilysuyat.87 SHOW NOTES: Visit the sunshine laws guide at https://coloradofoic.org/ to live your sunshine law dreams and/or find out more about the hotline. From the CFOIC blog, the piece on the Douglas County open meetings law case: Court of Appeals: Disputed Douglas County commissioners’ meetings ‘clearly concerned public business or policymaking’ Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    36 min
  2. 60. The Bluffs, the Ballot, and the future of Lone Tree

    24 D’ABR.

    60. The Bluffs, the Ballot, and the future of Lone Tree

    Ever received a local ballot and wondered what it meant and if it mattered? Tara Meekma, candidate for Lone Tree city council, joins me to talk about the election on May 5. We talk about what city councils do and why voting in these races have an outsized impact on daily life, particularly in regard to development and growth. We also hear about the status and concerns around Hillcamp, the proposed residential development near the Bluffs, a regional park with a hilly 2 mile hiking loop in the middle of the Lone Tree. Show notes: Contact me anytime with feedback or ideas, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com or emilysuyat.87 on signal. All info on Lone Tree elections: https://cityoflonetree.com/city-clerk/elections/ Thank you to Tara Meekma for speaking with me. Find her at https://www.taraforlonetree.com or email her at taraforlonetree@gmail.com and ask her how to get involved in what’s going on with Hillcamp. The Douglas County Lantern’s piece on Hillcamp from Nov 2025 where you can see a map of the proposed development. Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min

  3. 19 D’ABR.

    59. It’s not just Dubai

    Douglas County Commissioner George Teal’s luxury trip to Dubai isn’t the whole story, it’s the starting point. The fact that I can’t get a straight answer on something so specific and standard is a part of a bigger story of the commissioners’ disregard for rules and for the public it serves. It’s not abstract harm; it has a real cost. A pattern is there and in this episode, we connect the dots. Show notes: Contact me any time with tips or feedback. emilysuyat@gmail or on signal: emilysuyat.87 You are fully anonymous to me on signal if your screen name isn’t your real name. County employees, please know that I will protect your identity. Home rule cost $700k Commissioner Teal’s conspiracy theory that the Chinese Communist Party took down the home rule effort. Commissioner Abe Laydon defended the statement in the commission business meeting after the home rule loss. Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle hasn’t said a word. Colorado Open Meetings Law case: news coverage, actual opinion. Read paragraphs 37-45 of the actual opinion for details on the county attorney’s mistakes. The CO Supreme Court will almost certainly not take the case on appeal because 1) the CO Court of Appeals opinion was unpublished, which means the court thinks it has insufficient precedential value and 2) all three appeals court judges agreed (i.e. there was no split decision). The Court “typically limits its discretionary review to cases raising novel or unsettled legal questions having broad impact throughout Colorado. Three votes are required to grant a certiorari petition.” Detention Center case: news coverage, actual opinion. Read footnotes 1 and 3, which highlight bad lawyering and would haunt me forever as an attorney. County attorney Jeff Garcia’s salary CORA requests per year. This is from a CORA request to the county. I’m just now noticing that they gave me incomplete info, stay tuned. Still, there’s a noticeable jump in CORA requests since home rule. Type of law enforcement at the commissioner business meetings: Zebulon $100 million price tag. Comments in regard to Zebulon at this meeting: 20 speakers in support and 10 speakers against. I was there and I think it’s common knowledge that Teal didn’t call everyone and skipped around the list, showing preference to certain speakers. But the sign up lists that prove this were not retained despite a regular practice of retaining them. Read more about CO’s sunshine laws (CORA and Colorado Open Meetings Laws) here. Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    16 min
  4. 58. Part 2 of 2: Zebulon and the $100 million question

    4 D’ABR.

    58. Part 2 of 2: Zebulon and the $100 million question

    Here’s Part 2 of my conversation with Kim Turnage and Barrett Rothe of the Douglas County Lantern. In this episode, we talk about Abe Laydon’s claim that “every city and town has unanimously supported Zebulon by resolution”, environmental concerns, wildfire evacuation plans during road construction, and wait, after hearing no swimming pool, definitely no swimming pool, there’s a pool! Thank you to my guests Kim Turnage and Barrett Rothe from the Douglas County Lantern. Support them and subscribe here! Read their most recent piece on the possible connection between the county’s biochar facility and Zebulon. The Lantern’s CORA database: https://dougcocora.org/ Contact me any time with tips or feedback! emilysuyat@gmail or on signal: emilysuyat.87 You are fully anonymous to me on signal if your screen name isn’t your real name. Watch for yourself: the March 31 Special Business Meeting on YouTubeLuke Taylor with KT development, who will design and operate Zebulon: “The break even number is very high” Commissioner Teal’s sarcasm when asked about road construction, and the county staff’s insufficient answer. Denver7’s story on the CO Court of Appeals decision that the county commissioners broke open meetings law. Denver Post’s story on the Court of Appeals decision (gift link). Read the decision yourself, it’s worth it. Need to sign the petition to go from 3-5 commissioners? Want to carry a petition? Contact Angela Thomas at angthomas2025@gmail.com. Do itttttttt! Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min
  5. 57. Part 1 of 2: Zebulon and the $100 Million Question

    3 D’ABR.

    57. Part 1 of 2: Zebulon and the $100 Million Question

    Plans for the controversial Zebulon Regional Sports Complex move on after the Douglas County Commissioners tell us that they will take on a $100 million debt by using Certificates of Participation, a financing method that does not require voter approval. Why are they doing this? What is the risk? Why are they limiting public comment on all of this? A complete lack of trust and transparency are once again the main concerns of this plan put forth by the commissioners. Stay tuned for Part 2! Thank you to my guests Kim Turnage and Barrett Rothe from the Douglas County Lantern. Support them and subscribe here! Read their most recent piece on the possible connection between the county’s biochar facility and Zebulon. Contact me any time with tips or feedback! emilysuyat@gmail or on signal: emilysuyat.87You are fully anonymous to me on signal if your screen name isn’t your real name. Watch for yourself: the March 31 Special Business Meeting on YouTube Skip to Rep Bob Marshall’s comment. Thanks for listening! Share and subscribe if you like this episode. Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    22 min
  6. 56. Bring it in! Team meeting!

    26 DE MARÇ

    56. Bring it in! Team meeting!

    Hi! Good to see your face! Let’s get ready for No Kings on Saturday, March 28, 2026 and make it the biggest one ever! Go to NoKings.org to find all of the info. I’ll be at the one in Highlands Ranch at St Andrew 10:30am-12:30pm. Don’t forget to reward yourself after. Connect with me, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com or on signal: emilysuyat.87 Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min
  7. 55. The Crowsnest Controversy in Castle Pines

    17 DE MARÇ

    55. The Crowsnest Controversy in Castle Pines

    The City of Castle Pines is considering the annexation of Crowsnest, an parcel of land that doesn’t border Castle Pines. Yeah, you heard me. How is this possible and what does it mean for Castle Pines, Parker, Castle Rock, and the rest of Douglas County? It’s a rushed process that needs more transparency—and a clear plan for water and schools. It’s deja vu all over again in Douglas County. Donna Cook and Lacy Bradley are with PAAC - People Against Annexation of Crowsnest and they are here to explain it all. Show notes:Email me anytime, I’d love to hear from you: emilysuyat@gmail.com and on signal @emilysuyat.87 PAAC website (includes maps, media coverage, water issues, letters from the school district and residents, legal requirements, etc). Letter to Castle Pines from Jackie Millet, COO of Douglas County School District. Letter from Castle Rock expressing “substantial concerns” about the annexation. Town of Parker’s statement opposing annexation by Castle Pines. Crowsnest Annexation in Castle Pines Moves Forward to Next Step - Parker Chronicle Resistance grows as developer seeks ‘flagpole’ annexation to Douglas County city for 3,650-home project - Denver Post (gift article) Controversial Crowsnest Annexation in Colorado deemed eligible by Castle Pines - CBS Colorado Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    39 min
  8. 54. CD4 Democrats in Court and Commissioners Preen in Taxpayer-Funded Magazine

    13 DE MARÇ

    54. CD4 Democrats in Court and Commissioners Preen in Taxpayer-Funded Magazine

    **IMPORTANT CORRECTION** I said in the podcast that Trisha Calvarese sued Eileen Laubacher and the Colorado Democratic Party. The correct info is that Trisha sued only the Colorado Democratic Party, and the requested relief (if granted) would bar Eileen from participating in caucus and assembly. Apologies for the error and thank you to the person who emailed me. I'll correct it in the next ep too.It’s been a minute, let’s catch up! County assembly is tomorrow, March 14. Have you heard about the lawsuit filed by Dem CD4 candidate Trisha Calvarese against the Colorado Democrats? It seeks to prevent her rival candidate Eileen Laubaucher from participating in the caucus and assembly process. We’re talking about it today, along with the gross magazine the commissioners put out to polish up their turd of an image. No Kings is March 28, mark your calendars! Show notes: Email me anytime: emilysuyat@gmail.com or via signal emilysuyat.87 (you’re anon there if your profile name isn’t your real name!) County assembly details for registered Democrats who participated in caucus. Didn’t get your assembly email from DougCo Dems? email secretary@dougcodems.org News about Trisha Calvarese’s lawsuit: Colorado Politics (this is the best article. If you can’t access this, email me at emilysuyat@gmail.com), Colorado Newsline Primary ballot will be set by May 1, 2026 and the primary election will be June 30, 2026. The local, state, and federal Democratic candidates vying for your vote right now. Give your feedback on the taxpayer-funded magazine the commissioners are using to prop up their egos. Details for No Kings on March 28, 10:30-12:30pm. Start making those signs! Get full access to Red County, Blue State at esuyat.substack.com/subscribe

    9 min
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Informació

The thrill of living in progressive Colorado, the agony of being represented by Lauren Boebert: life and politics for people who lean left in Douglas County. esuyat.substack.com

Fitxa tècnica

  • Creació
    Emily Suyat
  • Anys en actiu
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodis
    62
  • Qualificació
    Apte
  • Copyright
    © Emily
  • Lloc web del programa
    Red County, Blue State