Author: Michael Hancock
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Aurora — a city still becoming | Michael A. Hancock
Christmas is not a holiday for illusions. It does not ask us to pretend the world — or our city — is whole, harmonious, or complete. It asks something more complicated: that we acknowledge what is broken without surrendering to it, and that we understand renewal as a responsibility rather than a feeling. As this…
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COLUMN: Turning Aurora’s strength into jobs, growth
Ask a typical voter what “economic development” means and you’ll often get the same answer: a vague sense of backroom deals, developers in suits, and politicians cutting ribbons in front of buildings most residents will never walk into. It’s easy, in that fog, to assume the winners are always the “big guys” and the losers…
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Will counterfeit compassion destroy Aurora? | Michael A. Hancock
There is a particular kind of civic ruin that arrives not by malice but by moral confusion. It comes dressed in benevolence, cloaked in the language of empathy, and sold as “the right thing to do.” It flatters our instincts and numbs our judgment. And slowly, almost imperceptibly, it hollows out the very foundations of…
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COLUMN: Aurora aims to transform dependency into dignity
Shantelle Anderson, who once slept under stairwells, is now in a major leadership role in one of Colorado’s boldest homelessness initiatives. That’s not a feel-good story. It’s a strategic imperative. On Monday, Nov. 17 in Aurora, the Regional Navigation Campus will open — a 600-bed facility that goes well beyond the old shelter paradigm. Most…
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Aurora’s water policy could redefine the West | Michael A. Hancock
Turn the tap in Aurora and water flows. Most residents never think about what it takes to make that happen. But behind that simple act, Aurora has been quietly rewriting one of the oldest — and most contentious — stories in the West: the fight between cities and farms over water. For decades, Colorado’s cities…
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Aurora stands up to Polis’ power grab | Michael A. Hancock
Aurora has experienced rapid growth in recent decades. With new neighborhoods, transit corridors and shifting demographics come tough land-use choices: where to build housing, protect open space, manage traffic, and preserve neighborhood character. We understand our communities better than distant state bureaucrats ever could. That’s what home rule is meant to guarantee. But today, Gov.…
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Aurora’s future runs through its community college | Michael Hancock
Aurora is a city on the rise — diverse, fast-growing, and increasingly attractive to global companies scouting for talent. But beneath the headlines about new corporations and development deals lies a quieter engine of the city’s future: the Community College of Aurora. In a state ranked near the bottom for higher-ed funding, CCA has managed…
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Aurora should bet big on nuclear, clean-tech | Michael A. Hancock
There’s a window open in America right now — a rare alignment of federal dollars, geopolitical urgency, and public demand for serious solutions. That window is labeled: reindustrialization. And if Aurora is paying attention, it should climb through before it slams shut. Because while Colorado dithers in ideological debate, Aurora has a chance to lead…