Likable Hick stands on giants’ shoulders
Regarding the April 27 Rocky Mountain News story, “Despite slips, Hick feels the love,” former Denver City Councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt is off base — it’s not just white businessmen who love Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. The guy has a 90 percent approval rating. Everybody loves him!
Why? The funny ads in his first campaign, with the scooter and the parking meters. In his first two years in office he tamed a budget crisis and reformed the messed-up city personnel system. Time magazine anointed him one of the 10 best mayors in the country. There’s the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, the new Justice Center, Greenprint Denver, the partnership with Denver Public Schools and the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
His missteps? Just one with snow removal this winter. And Hick is a true extrovert, a charismatic, energetic and witty charmer.
Moreover, as former Mayor Federico Peña noted, Hick did not have to deal with the difficult issues surrounding DIA. DIA was the great challenge to both the Peña and Webb administrations. They laid the foundation on which the current mayor is building.
Saying that Hick is the darling of the white elite is unfair. But we also have to admit, he stands on the shoulders of giants.
Vic Smith, Denver