Reader: Vote no on Initiative 300, which is so long it's got to be wrong

Local restaurateurs are feeling sick about Initiative 300, the Paid Sick and Safe Time proposal that will be on the Denver ballot arriving in mailboxes next month. At an EatDenver meeting Wednesday, independent restaurateurs talked about how many of them already offer paid time off for their employees -- but...

By Patricia Calhoun

September 16, 2011

Audio By Carbonatix

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Local restaurateurs are feeling sick about Initiative 300, the Paid Sick and Safe Time proposal that will be on the Denver ballot arriving in mailboxes next month. At an EatDenver meeting Wednesday, independent restaurateurs talked about how many of them already offer paid time off for their employees -- but they have their own systems, rules and cultures, and they don't like the idea of a sixteen-page ordinance dictating exactly how they have to do business. These restaurants are independent, after all.

Here's Dave Barnes's take on that proposal:

No. There are too many words. 3377 to be precise. FYI - TABOR was only 1900 words.

Writes Doug:

From what I understand about this...this is absolute insanity! Who came up with this? How did a bill like this even get to a vote?

Shouldn't we be passing laws to encourage hiring not incentivize companies to do anything they can to NOT hire additional employees? Seriously, how did a bill like this come to be?

Dan5280 offers this explanation:

Any half-baked idea can make it to the ballot. All you need is enough signatures......as you walk out of King Soopers, look for the well dressed young men and women asking you to kindly sign if your a Colorado voter and want to protect workers rights.

We'll continue to cover the issues surrounding Ordinance 300. In the meantime, you can read Kelsey Whipple's assessment of how she could use the measure to take a lot of five-day weekends here.

Follow @CafeWestword on Twitter and at facebook.com/denvercafesociety

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

Follow:

Facebook: patricia.calhoun.927