Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It is Colorado's Morning News.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Marty lends Gina god Dick in Morning.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Denver is now joining more than two dozen other local
governments in support of California Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against
the use of the National Guard in LA.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
The brief argues that the use of the military for
duties normally handled by police violates the Constitution. Joining us
now on the KWA Common Spirit Health Hotline is Denver
Mayor Mike Johnston, mister Mayor, thank you so much for
your time, as always.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Be back, good morning. I'll great to be with you.
Tell us a.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Little bit about Denver's argument when it comes to this lawsuit,
what you're hoping to accomplish here, and just the overall
standpoint of pushing back against the National Guard in La.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we've just made clear since the beginning. I think
it's a clear violation of constitutional law that you cannot
use the military to enforce domestic law on the streets
of an American city. That's been true since the American Revolution.
And Denver's only a place where we do not need
any federal interference in that their crime is down at
historic levels. We have the just reduction in the homicide
(01:01):
rate of any of the top hundred cities. We do
not have a crisis anymore with migrants, and the folks
are all at work, paying taxes, supporting themselves. So we
think there's no reason to intervention. An intervention is clearly unconstitutional.
We just want to make sure that that sort of
disruption doesn't come to our city.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I was going to say, is this foreshadowing a little bit,
Mayor Johnston? Have you heard any word cut Win that
there's intentions of the Trump administration to send the Guard here.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have not heard any news of that, nor do
we believe there's any reason that they would be. But
you just never know what president might do. Obviously, they
have expressed interest in plans to go to Chicago and Baltimore,
and so we just want to make clear in advance
that we prepare the city and the residence of the
fact that that would be both disruptive and unconstitutional if.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
If that did take place, with the city comply or
would there be pushback to the National Guard?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I mean, obviously we think our recourse is in the courts.
This is a clear violation of the law. We obviously
wouldn't collaborate or cooper bread. We've seen in places like
DC where you have the police department that is publicly
driving around masked, unidentified ICE agents to do enforcements on
the street. We would never participate in anything like that,
But we also were going to let the forts decide
(02:14):
what is clearly a constitutional question on which I think
the American digital system has been incredibly clear for two
hundred and fifty years.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I know it's not in your city, but you're somebody
who has a background in education, what was your reaction
to the shooting at Evergreen High School? And then on
the political side of things, And I have to ask you,
mister Mayor, have you ever felt been threats of political
violence like what we saw with the killing in the
assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, I mean those two events in the same day
were just heartbreaking. I was actually at an event recognizing
law enforcement when our SWAT team had to run out
the door to go to Evergreen to offer assistance.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So I mean, as a former school principal that really.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Just as a parent, you know, the first thing I
heard was just a school shooting, and like every parent,
you wonder is at my kids school? And that is
something we want no parent in Colorado or in the
country to ever have to go through. Uh. And I'd
say equally stunning the Charlie Kirkins. And I mean that
is you're talking about public discourse on a college campus
to engage in spirit a debate. That's what we hope
(03:13):
democracy is. Even if I don't agree with a lot
of things that Charlie Kirks hasn't stand for, you certainly
defend his right to say it and his right to
say it peacefully.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And so I don't think depending like that really in
my adult lifetime.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You know, it takes you back to almost to the
knackom 's assassinations or things that just felt so highly divisive.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And so yeah, I spoke last night.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
At the nine to eleven memorial and I said, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
On nine to eleven, of all days, it's important to
remember both what we lost on nine to eleven, but
what we found also at nine to.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Eleven, and that was America found a spirit of you know,
you don't care who you vote for, or where you
come from, or what your beliefs are. If you're if
you're a human being suffering, We're going to run up
a burning building to try to save you in that
sense of being connected as a country and the pin
service to each other I.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Think is hopeful the most important less.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
From nine to eleven we pull back into this very
tough moment.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
We'll try to end here on a lighter note and
a more positive, exciting note for the new Broncos Stadium
at Burnham Yard. We appreciate your time with our friends
at KWA Sports when we made the announcement, but now
obviously still a lot of questions. We finally know the location,
but we're still wondering the price tag. We do know
that the owners will be footing the bill, but any
word on the estimated cost, and then of course with
(04:24):
the excitement of bringing it downtown comes the concern of parking.
Do we have any explanations of what we can exceed
ince happened take place there?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Well, I had to say, I'm so glad that you asked,
you know, because I've been waiting for two years to
have this conversation with the two of you. So we've
been working on this since the daggon into office and
so excited to get it across.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
The finish line.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And I think the headline news.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Is this is this is a dream deal for Denver.
I think it's the opportunity of a century. We have,
you know, a new.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Stadium at Burnham that's going to be have a retractable.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Roof where we can host the Super Bowl. It's going
to bring eighty acres of economic development so you can
of restaurants and bars right outside the stadium. And it's
going to be built without a single taxpayer dollar. Like
you look around the country at Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City,
they're half a billion, a billion plus of taxpayer dollars
being written just to renovate, let alone build those stadiums.
(05:16):
So for us to get that built at no taxpayer
cost is incredible and community for a win win for
the city because the current site of Little While High
will then return to the city's possession, so all the
taxpayers alone those eighty acres, and we can work with
neighbors and treaty members to figure out what we want
(05:36):
to build there. That can be housing, that can be parks,
can be playgrounds, can be restaurants. It's going to be
an amazing new part of that neighborhood there in Sun
Valley that connects underneath the bridge there to the area
campus and a ball arena into downtown. So these are
going to be really two opportunities to clearly transform Denver
for the better and so we couldn't be more excited.
(05:56):
And as far as the plan goes, we'll spend the
next year doing it a neighborhood plan where the Broncos and
the neighborhood were together and what they want to lay
out to be at Furnham. He'll be a com community
benefits agreement to see what other benefits this will bring
to the community. And as a part of that, the
Broncos will do their master plan for the stadium and
then that will let us know, you know, what public
(06:17):
infrastructures needed, what roads do we need or what sidewalks
do we need to probally get in and out of
the stadium and if that's where the state and the
city will come in. But we would do that for
any large or small development, if you building a convention
center or a shopping mall or even a hotel complex,
the city will work on the infrastructure side. So we
won't know that for about a year, but we.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Think it's this is an incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I would say I unpressdented deal for the city. I
just get to ask quickly.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It's invoking the old Ronald Reagan language trust trust, but verify.
I want to believe the Penert group. I have no
reason necessarily not to. But are you sure that really
no taxpayer money will go towards it.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I mean, what we're entirely committed on, and it made
a public commitment on, and they have made that publicly,
is that there will be no tax.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To build the stadium, and that is by far the
largest expense.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
And they will, you know, acquire all the land.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
On their footprint. What we will do, which don't do
for any any property, would be just the access in
and out of outside the public rights a way, we
have to make sure people can get down the sidewalk
on a wheelchair, that they can get into the facility.
But yeah, they they will pay for all of the
stadium and for all of their footprint and land acquisition
and so so that is really an incredible treatment for us,
(07:30):
and that we think is going to set up the
city for Technique to compan I just say on a
joy front. You know, when I was leaving the game
on Sunday, great win. But in the current site, you know,
you walk out of the stadium and you see seventy
thousand people just walking for a mile back to their car,
some aer and driving home because there is not a
bar outside to sit and have a drink with your
friend you saw at the game, or a restaurant to
take your family to dinner, or walk back to your
(07:52):
apartment where you might live in the neighborhood. To think
about how it feels to walk out of course field
right now for a game, To have that feeling out
of the Broncos game and have it out in the
middle of central Denver. I think it's going to be incredible, mister.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Mayor, we start with the sports talk and the exciting
developments for the Broncos. Now is the rumor a WNBA
team is next.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I have not hidden the fact that we would love
to have a WNBA team in Denver. I will say
right now for the sports fans. Denver is now the
only city in America that has six professional sports franchises
all within the city limits, including women's professional franchise in stadium,
and so we would love to have the WNBA. You know,
we still from ten years ago have a commitment of
(08:36):
the stock Show to rebuild the arena at the Stock
Show once the coliseum comes down, and so the city
will already have to in the next five to ten
years rebuild an arena that will be a closed arena
that seats around ten to fifteen thousand people, that has
the same footprint as a basketball of arena would, And
so you could see the ability to co locate something
(08:58):
with the stock show that could include a WNBA eighteen.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So we were working with some ownership.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Group Series and that from Denver, but we would love
to bring a WBA to Denver.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Dever Man right, Johnson, thank you
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Behead y' all, thanks for having me
It is Colorado's Morning News.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Marty lends Gina god Dick in Morning.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
Denver is now joining more than two dozen other local
governments in support of California Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against
the use of the National Guard in LA.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
The brief argues that the use of the military for
duties normally handled by police violates the Constitution. Joining us
now on the KWA Common Spirit Health Hotline is Denver
Mayor Mike Johnston, mister Mayor, thank you so much for
your time, as always.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Be back, good morning. I'll great to be with you.
Tell us a.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Little bit about Denver's argument when it comes to this lawsuit,
what you're hoping to accomplish here, and just the overall
standpoint of pushing back against the National Guard in La.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we've just made clear since the beginning. I think
it's a clear violation of constitutional law that you cannot
use the military to enforce domestic law on the streets
of an American city. That's been true since the American Revolution.
And Denver's only a place where we do not need
any federal interference in that their crime is down at
historic levels. We have the just reduction in the homicide
(01:01):
rate of any of the top hundred cities. We do
not have a crisis anymore with migrants, and the folks
are all at work, paying taxes, supporting themselves. So we
think there's no reason to intervention. An intervention is clearly unconstitutional.
We just want to make sure that that sort of
disruption doesn't come to our city.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I was going to say, is this foreshadowing a little bit,
Mayor Johnston? Have you heard any word cut Win that
there's intentions of the Trump administration to send the Guard here.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
We have not heard any news of that, nor do
we believe there's any reason that they would be. But
you just never know what president might do. Obviously, they
have expressed interest in plans to go to Chicago and Baltimore,
and so we just want to make clear in advance
that we prepare the city and the residence of the
fact that that would be both disruptive and unconstitutional if.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
If that did take place, with the city comply or
would there be pushback to the National Guard?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I mean, obviously we think our recourse is in the courts.
This is a clear violation of the law. We obviously
wouldn't collaborate or cooper bread. We've seen in places like
DC where you have the police department that is publicly
driving around masked, unidentified ICE agents to do enforcements on
the street. We would never participate in anything like that,
But we also were going to let the forts decide
(02:14):
what is clearly a constitutional question on which I think
the American digital system has been incredibly clear for two
hundred and fifty years.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
I know it's not in your city, but you're somebody
who has a background in education, what was your reaction
to the shooting at Evergreen High School? And then on
the political side of things, And I have to ask you,
mister Mayor, have you ever felt been threats of political
violence like what we saw with the killing in the
assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, I mean those two events in the same day
were just heartbreaking. I was actually at an event recognizing
law enforcement when our SWAT team had to run out
the door to go to Evergreen to offer assistance.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
So I mean, as a former school principal that really.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Just as a parent, you know, the first thing I
heard was just a school shooting, and like every parent,
you wonder is at my kids school? And that is
something we want no parent in Colorado or in the
country to ever have to go through. Uh. And I'd
say equally stunning the Charlie Kirkins. And I mean that
is you're talking about public discourse on a college campus
to engage in spirit a debate. That's what we hope
(03:13):
democracy is. Even if I don't agree with a lot
of things that Charlie Kirks hasn't stand for, you certainly
defend his right to say it and his right to
say it peacefully.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And so I don't think depending like that really in
my adult lifetime.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You know, it takes you back to almost to the
knackom 's assassinations or things that just felt so highly divisive.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And so yeah, I spoke last night.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
At the nine to eleven memorial and I said, you know.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
On nine to eleven, of all days, it's important to
remember both what we lost on nine to eleven, but
what we found also at nine to.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Eleven, and that was America found a spirit of you know,
you don't care who you vote for, or where you
come from, or what your beliefs are. If you're if
you're a human being suffering, We're going to run up
a burning building to try to save you in that
sense of being connected as a country and the pin
service to each other I.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Think is hopeful the most important less.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
From nine to eleven we pull back into this very
tough moment.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
We'll try to end here on a lighter note and
a more positive, exciting note for the new Broncos Stadium
at Burnham Yard. We appreciate your time with our friends
at KWA Sports when we made the announcement, but now
obviously still a lot of questions. We finally know the location,
but we're still wondering the price tag. We do know
that the owners will be footing the bill, but any
word on the estimated cost, and then of course with
(04:24):
the excitement of bringing it downtown comes the concern of parking.
Do we have any explanations of what we can exceed
ince happened take place there?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Well, I had to say, I'm so glad that you asked,
you know, because I've been waiting for two years to
have this conversation with the two of you. So we've
been working on this since the daggon into office and
so excited to get it across.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
The finish line.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And I think the headline news.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Is this is this is a dream deal for Denver.
I think it's the opportunity of a century. We have,
you know, a new.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Stadium at Burnham that's going to be have a retractable.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Roof where we can host the Super Bowl. It's going
to bring eighty acres of economic development so you can
of restaurants and bars right outside the stadium. And it's
going to be built without a single taxpayer dollar. Like
you look around the country at Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City,
they're half a billion, a billion plus of taxpayer dollars
being written just to renovate, let alone build those stadiums.
(05:16):
So for us to get that built at no taxpayer
cost is incredible and community for a win win for
the city because the current site of Little While High
will then return to the city's possession, so all the
taxpayers alone those eighty acres, and we can work with
neighbors and treaty members to figure out what we want
(05:36):
to build there. That can be housing, that can be parks,
can be playgrounds, can be restaurants. It's going to be
an amazing new part of that neighborhood there in Sun
Valley that connects underneath the bridge there to the area
campus and a ball arena into downtown. So these are
going to be really two opportunities to clearly transform Denver
for the better and so we couldn't be more excited.
(05:56):
And as far as the plan goes, we'll spend the
next year doing it a neighborhood plan where the Broncos and
the neighborhood were together and what they want to lay
out to be at Furnham. He'll be a com community
benefits agreement to see what other benefits this will bring
to the community. And as a part of that, the
Broncos will do their master plan for the stadium and
then that will let us know, you know, what public
(06:17):
infrastructures needed, what roads do we need or what sidewalks
do we need to probally get in and out of
the stadium and if that's where the state and the
city will come in. But we would do that for
any large or small development, if you building a convention
center or a shopping mall or even a hotel complex,
the city will work on the infrastructure side. So we
won't know that for about a year, but we.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Think it's this is an incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I would say I unpressdented deal for the city. I
just get to ask quickly.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It's invoking the old Ronald Reagan language trust trust, but verify.
I want to believe the Penert group. I have no
reason necessarily not to. But are you sure that really
no taxpayer money will go towards it.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I mean, what we're entirely committed on, and it made
a public commitment on, and they have made that publicly,
is that there will be no tax.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To build the stadium, and that is by far the
largest expense.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
And they will, you know, acquire all the land.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
On their footprint. What we will do, which don't do
for any any property, would be just the access in
and out of outside the public rights a way, we
have to make sure people can get down the sidewalk
on a wheelchair, that they can get into the facility.
But yeah, they they will pay for all of the
stadium and for all of their footprint and land acquisition
and so so that is really an incredible treatment for us,
(07:30):
and that we think is going to set up the
city for Technique to compan I just say on a
joy front. You know, when I was leaving the game
on Sunday, great win. But in the current site, you know,
you walk out of the stadium and you see seventy
thousand people just walking for a mile back to their car,
some aer and driving home because there is not a
bar outside to sit and have a drink with your
friend you saw at the game, or a restaurant to
take your family to dinner, or walk back to your
(07:52):
apartment where you might live in the neighborhood. To think
about how it feels to walk out of course field
right now for a game, To have that feeling out
of the Broncos game and have it out in the
middle of central Denver. I think it's going to be incredible, mister.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Mayor, we start with the sports talk and the exciting
developments for the Broncos. Now is the rumor a WNBA
team is next.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I have not hidden the fact that we would love
to have a WNBA team in Denver. I will say
right now for the sports fans. Denver is now the
only city in America that has six professional sports franchises
all within the city limits, including women's professional franchise in stadium,
and so we would love to have the WNBA. You know,
we still from ten years ago have a commitment of
(08:36):
the stock Show to rebuild the arena at the Stock
Show once the coliseum comes down, and so the city
will already have to in the next five to ten
years rebuild an arena that will be a closed arena
that seats around ten to fifteen thousand people, that has
the same footprint as a basketball of arena would, And
so you could see the ability to co locate something
(08:58):
with the stock show that could include a WNBA eighteen.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
So we were working with some ownership.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Group Series and that from Denver, but we would love
to bring a WBA to Denver.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Dever Man right, Johnson, thank you
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Behead y' all, thanks for having me
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