DC Vote: Stymied by Denver Public Works?

DENVER -- Forget those oppressive monarchs in the Senate and House. DC Vote, that indefatigable advocacy group pushing for voting rights in Congress, has a new villain: the Denver Department of Public Works.

DC Vote's latest attention-drawing stunt -- a rally at the Denver Mint, where members will decry the city's colony-like statues--is set for Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. But as of now, there's a more pressing concern than whether Barack Obama and the many senators and U.S. representatives here will hear their plea: So far, public works has not issued DC Vote a sidewalk permit.

It hasn't been for lack of trying, said outreach director Eugene DeWitt Kinlow. Program associate Eli Zigas has contacted federal and local Denver authorities with a request for a written go-ahead for the rally. But so far they've come up empty, aside from some oral promises that the event is okay, Zigas said.

"I spoke to someone at the Department of Public Works who said they have been inundated with requests for sidewalk permits, but they're not giving out any," Zigas said. Seems most of the requests were from the many Obama T-shirt and button vendors around town.

On the bright side, Zigas said, the public works official went on to say that DC Vote is "not the kind of group they're concerned about. They said if it's a small group, it shouldn't be an issue."

Still, to be on the safe side, Kinlow and Zigas asked John Falcicchio, political adviser to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, to ask Fenty to work it out with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, with whom Fenty is on friendly terms. Falcicchio told DC Vote that he would talk to a staffer in Hickenlooper's office today, Zigas said.

By David A Nakamura |  August 25, 2008; 12:52 PM ET  | Category:  2008 Presidential Race
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