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John Davoren
By Jerry Kopel
Nov. 8, 2010
John B. Daveron Jr. loved a good story, as should any retired
journalist. John, a Democratic political moderate died at age 84 on Nov.
2d, 2010 while the national Democrats suffer their biggest election losses
in many decades.
John was a six year member of the Colorado House
from 1979 - 1985, a journalist, a veteran of both World War II and Korea,
a protector of the environment, profoundly labor oriented and Adams County
oriented, and an advertising expert on the sale of insurance.
From
1955 through 1969 John was writing about the legislature first for United
Press International and then for KOA and KOA TV. That gave him a knowledge
of the legislative process not shared by most new House and Senate
members.
In the 1978 election Daveron replaced Polly Baca-Barragan
in the House when she moved to the state Senate. Thanks to strong research
by Margaret Ackerman in her Colorado Legislative Almanac she gave John a
100 percent vote with then Democrat minority leader Bob Kirscht in 1979-80
before House Democrats later replaced Kirscht with Federico Pena.
John's priority as reported in the Almanac as well in the Colorado Press
Assn. biography book were often money oriented such as water projects,
highway repairs, giving mobile home owners right as owners of real
property, creation of a legislative joint planning and policy committee,
widening the market for prison industries productions.
I have not
set out various non-legislative committees John was a member, but if it
had a role in protecting Adams County citizens, he would be a member. One
such membership came to the front after Daveron retired from the
legislature. The committee was called Committee Against Stapleton
Expansion. Daveron was back in the stories about the new airport location
in Adams County that would move the site to Denver County jurisdiction.
Daveron worked hard to establish financial penalties for planes taking
off or landing low enough to cause noise damage to homes and Daveron
followed through to make sure the penalties were assessed and paid to
Adam's County. That may be why take offs and landing penalties no longer
seem to be occurring.
For that committee as well as others Daveron
burrowed deep into Adams County culture and that gave him authority to
speak on behalf of the county.
When John went to the mike in the
House he had the members' attention. He was an example that was often
copied by members of the House who respected hard work done without
notoriety. I am sorry that John never wrote a book about his legislative
work. It was would still have value in the present diversive atmosphere.
Hopefully John's heirs will turn his papers over to the Denver
Public Library Western History archives.
(Jerry Kopel served 22
years in the Colorado House).
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