Face The State Staff Report
When Denver voters head to the polls today to decide heated primary contests, they will also have the opportunity to vote on a controversial ballot measure that has drawn the ire of the city's establishment. The measure's proponent is now accusing the media and local politicians of inaccurately characterizing his effort to mandate the impounding of cars driven by unlicensed drivers.
Initiative 100, proposed by resident Dan Hayes, would mandate that the city impound vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers, including illegal aliens. To get an impounded vehicle back, the owner would be required to pay a $2,500 to the city. The measure includes a provision that would allow a vehicle owner to have the bond refunded if no unlicensed driver is caught behind the wheel of that car in the following year.
While the editorial boards of both major Denver newspapers have come out against the measure, Hayes believes his initiative is still entitled to fair coverage. He claims he's not getting it and maintains the articles are too focused on whether the measure will unfairly target illegal immigrants or lead to racial profiling.
Reporters, he says, ignore a host of safety concerns raised by unlicensed drivers of every race, as well as the fiscal provisions that would help cover the costs of the new mandates. “None of [the articles] acknowledged the money that would be brought in by the auction of these vehicles or that it would make our streets safer,” he said. According to Hayes, about one-fourth of drivers pulled over by police are unlicensed.
But Councilman Rick Garcia says that anecdotal evidence is not enough, and the empirical data to support Initiative 100 does not exist. He also says the city already has 19 other municipal ordinances that give police the latitude to impound vehicles, including driving without a license. Hayes doesn’t deny this fact, but he says existing law is not strict enough. “It leaves the decision to impound a car up to the police, but Initiative 100 would mandate it,” he said.
The Denver Post didn’t like the initiative’s “ambiguous and potentially biased language” referring to the measure's inclusion of the phrase "illegal aliens." The paper asserted it “could lead to unintended racial profiling — as well as burdening police with time-consuming paperwork.”
“The city would be better off without the News and the Post,” said Hayes. “They’re sleazy.”
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said the initiative would be too costly, telling the Post, "It will, in fact, make the city less safe. We want our officers out on the streets in the neighborhoods, making the neighborhoods safer and not waiting for a tow truck and doing paperwork behind a desk."
The Denver Department of Safety conducted a study concluding that an additional 30,000 vehicles would be impounded annually if the measure is approved. Hayes says this fact alone proves there is a problem of unlicensed drivers being let off too easy. “You can’t get insurance without a license and that makes you a danger on the road,” he said.
As of Monday, the city's elections division had already received 39,834 completed ballots back from voters, almost half of the 82,230 the city has mailed out. Despite the negative press and political opposition facing Initiative 100, Hayes says he’s still talked to a lot of people who are very positive about the measure's prospects. Voting will conclude at 7 p.m. tonight.
Note: Face The State had originally reported Dan Hayes' name incorrectly. We regret the error. Address feedback about our reporting to newstips@facethestate.com.