Reasons for SCFD Staying Out of Politics

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has a long history of strict nonpartisanship and of staying out of politics and political controversies. From its inception the SCFD has been nonpartisan to avoid involvement in ideologies and other polarized activities. The program is essentially a pass-through to local cultural organizations and agencies and was designed to avoid engaging in controversial and divisive political and social issues.

Colorado statutes, local ordinances, and quasi-government agencies’ rules strictly limit political activities of tax-supported government entities regarding elections. The law reflects public disapproval in general of government self-promotion, especially related to elections that serve an organization’s self-interest.

But beyond statutes and laws, one of the principles of the SCFD – and embedded in its design – is frugality regarding bureaucratic and non-essential expenditures. The board control and administration assures the statute is followed and there are fiscal and programmatic accountability rules for grantees. Funding is designed to go to the organizations providing cultural benefits and public access, not SCFD election-related marketing or political activity.

In a difficult economic period, spending funds on non-essential activities is especially admonished. Government marketing is frequently seen as political or self-serving. It also provides an easy target for critics of the program and cultural funding in general.

One public information strategy of the SCFD since its establishment has been to encourage the grantees, now nearing 300, to consistently promote the SCFD in literature, emails, social media and signage for exhibits and productions. Most organizations actively use the material and examples the SCFD provides including the polar bear logo.

However, the SCFD does not and shall not engage in politics. It refrains from spending tax dollars on campaigning. During a campaign year and election, the SCFD reduces its public information activity. At the point the ballot measure is approved by counties, the SCFD stops all spending of public funds for promotion.

The SCFD will have a renewal election in 2028. It should be vigilant that neither its expenditures nor its policies violate the founding principle of staying out of politics.

The SCFD is Designed to be Frugal and Accountable

The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) was first approved by the Colorado legislature and signed by Governor Romer in 1987. It has been a highly successful dedicated tax fund for cultural facilities and programs throughout the seven-county Denver metro area and it has become a national model.

The SCFD one-tenth of one cent tax was proposed in the 1980’s to replace part of lost appropriations from the City and County of Denver and the Colorado State Legislature to benefit the city’s four main cultural facilities: the Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Zoo.

As the legislature was approached to create a taxing district, it was clear that voters already have many demands on their discretionary dollars from government – such as police protection, parks, roads, social services, etc. A tax for culture was a new concept and needed to be modest. Its administration should have limited bureaucracy and strict financial accountability.

When first established, the SCFD administrative support was limited to 0.75 percent of the total budget, or about $100,000 annually. Avoiding cultural bureaucracy ensured annual funding goes to organizations that provide cultural benefit to the public. When created in the 1980’s, a major controversy erupted in Washington, D.C. over arts funding. The SCFD was designed to avoid such disruption to its cultural organizations. Today, culture is again politically controversial.

The grants from the SCFD promote the self-sufficiency of organizations but not dependence on tax dollars. Also, larger organizations are required to have audited financial statements while smaller organizations provide financial reports reviewed by the SCFD to ensure accountability of funds.

As the SCFD approaches a 2028 renewal election, it needs to ensure the founding principles of frugality and accountability are being followed.

PAPOR - Political and Demographic Change in Orange/San Diego Counties

The annual conference of the Pacific Chapter of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (PAPOR) will be held in San Diego August 14 and 15. The two days of panels will present new research on public opinion, methods, and trends.

On August 14, a “Changing Demographics and Attitudes in Southern California” panel will review the political attitudes and demographics of Orange and San Diego Counties.

I will present a comparison of Orange and San Diego counties. Each has about 3 million residents, but they have unique histories and many distinguishing characteristics. Importantly, they have different influential neighbors. Orange is south of LA, much like a sprawling suburb, and San Diego is north of Mexico, with one dominant municipality. Although they are separated by about 20 miles of chaparral, both counties have been in political transition in this quarter century but at different paces, reflecting their histories, cultures and demographics.

Also presenting will be Jon Gould, UCI Dean of the School of Social Ecology, Gabriela (Gaby) Gonzalez, Economic Analyst, San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center, and John Nienstedt, President and CEO of Competitive Edge Research & Communication, Inc.

PAPOR will hold its annual convention in San Diego County on August 14 to 15 at the Bahia Resort Hotel.

To get more information, view the PAPOR website: https://www.papor.org

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Wildfire – California and Orange Counties Top Environmental Concern

Laguna Hills Brush Fire | Photo: CNN

The tragic Palisades and Altadena fires highlight that wildfire is California residents’ top environmental concern, reported in a July PPIC survey. A 2023 Orange County poll by Ciruli Associates also showed wildfire and the damage it does as county residents’ top environmental concern. Further, the survey shows public opinion about wildfire is highly affected by news reports, even from remote fires. Smoke is a harmful effect cited by most residents, including those in areas distant from the direct wildfire danger. Wildfire is affecting the public’s concern about climate change but partisanship remains a major variable.

I will present the wildfire county-wide poll on July 15 at the annual conference of the Pacific Chapter of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (PAPOR), which will be held in San Diego August 14 and 15. Two days of panels will present new research on public opinion, methods, and trends. PAPOR will hold its annual convention in San Diego County at the Bahia Resort Hotel.

To get more information, view the PAPOR website: https://www.papor.org

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Opinion Today Published: We Are On Our Own

Colorado: We Are Truly On Our Own

Floyd Ciruli, Denver Gazette

The Donald Trump fiscal revolution is here to stay. With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and a series of Supreme Court rulings on workforce reductions, limits on federal district court injunctions, and allowing withholding of funds for various grants, the federal role in state and local finances is substantially reduced and unlikely to be reversed. The impact of the reductions is just starting to be felt at the state level.

As Colorado state government faces a $1 billion deficit due to changes in federal tax law and Medicaid funding from H.R.I (One Big Beautiful Bill), the message We Are On Our Own is even more applicable.

Opinion column by Floyd Ciruli was published in Denver Gazette July 22, 2025. It was circulated by Opinion Today, a national newsletter featuring a daily roundup of poll releases, commentary and podcasts on July 31, 2025. The column reflects a presentation to Colorado county commissioners in June 2025.

Gazette article
Opinion Today article

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Trump’s Approval Down in July

Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1997. Photograph: Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images

The Buzz’s National Dashboard has tracked President Trump’s approval since his Inauguration, January 20. His rating started positive but went negative on March 14 in the RCP average. After the Liberation Day tariff announcement, the gap between his positive and negative performance increased 7 points by late April. President Trump then recovered and was only 3 points down at the end of May. But during June and July, the gap doubled from 3 points to 6. And most recent polls have him in negative territory by 10 or more points. (Gallup 37% approve/59% disapprove/22% gap)

His recent poor rating appears primarily caused by the public’s negative reviews of his performance on inflation, deportation, and Jeffrey Epstein. Americans are still very concerned about inflation. Trump’s economic conduct is rated a minus 13 points (RCP). Gallup reports 65 percent don’t approve of how he’s handling the budget. Deportation was positive for him through April but the news over the last six weeks has been about the violence and controversy associated with the aggressive deportation strategy. Today, more people disapprove of deportation actions than approve. Now, the Epstein scandal and associated conspiracy theories have become front page news and are damaging his approval. (Emerson poll 7-25: 51% disapprove Trump’s handling of Epstein files, 19% approve).

Johnston Pivots to Tough Love

Mayor Mike Johnston gives his second State of the City address, held this year at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. July 21, 2025. Photo: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

All Denver mayors are tested. John Hickenlooper had the great recession and Michael Hancock COVID-19. Mike Johnston inherited a post-COVID, George Floyd crime wave, massive homelessness and a vacant downtown. As he passes the halfway mark of his 4-year term, he used his state of the city address to recount the progress on homelessness, crime, and downtown. But he acknowledged the shortfalls and new problems in the city budget, exacerbated by the serious federal cutbacks.

The Mayor recognized that the perception of downtown Denver as a dangerous and mostly empty space is the city’s biggest challenge, even with the reopening of a refurbished 16th Street. Most importantly, he outlined a new theme of tough love with homelessness, i.e., provide alternatives besides arrest but don’t take no for an answer.

His biggest test now is passage of the typical mayoral solution to a slow economy which has worked numerous times in the past – tee up a one billion dollar or so bond package to upgrade Denver infrastructure and provide jobs.

The debate now is about what’s in the proposal and, of course, will it pass?/