On Nick Gradisar

BIOGRAPHY 

Nick Gradisar was born & raised in Pueblo City. 

Nick Gradisar was born in 1949, approx. 69 years ago. Nick Gradisar is the eldest of the 5 children of Lila and Tony. Lila was an administrator at the State Hospital and the Pueblo Regional Center. Tony Gradisar was a steel worker and an entrepreneur. His parents used to bake bread, & now Nick bakes his own bread as a family tradition.

Nick graduated from South High School in 1967, approx. 47 years ago. 

Nick Gradisar worked at the Sears warehouse in Pueblo as a young man. 

Gradisar graduated from Southern Colorado State College (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences.

Before enrolling in Law School, he spent two years working for a federally funded parent-child center in La Junta, Colorado.

Nick graduated with honors from Drake University School of Law in 1976. While in law school, Nick was a member of the Law Review, clerked for the Iowa Supreme Court, & managed the student legal clinic at Iowa State University.

Nick Gradisar was admitted to the Colorado bar in 1977, & he clerked for the Honorable Aurel Kelly on the Colorado Court of Appeals until returning to Pueblo in 1978.

In 1984, Nick was a founding member of the law firm that is now known as "Gradisar, Trechter, Ripperger & Roth." Nick, his partners, associates and staff have grown the firm to "the largest law firm in Southeastern Colorado".

Nick was elected to the Pueblo Board of Water Works in 2004, & is still a Water Board member today. Nick was President of the Water Board for 4 years, from 2006-2009 and 2015-2016.

Nick Gradisar has served as the Pueblo County Public Trustee from 1987-2000 and from 2007-2012.

Nick served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce from 1998 through 2002 and served as Chairman of the Board in 2001.

Nick is a charter member of Action 22, and served on their Board of Directors from 2001 through 2005, & served as Chairman of the Board.

Gradisar has negotiated union contracts, & multimillion dollar contracts. 

Nick brags about Pueblo City owning 28% of the Bessemer Ditch, and that Pueblo City has the best goddamned water supply in all of Kolorado (meaning "Red" in Spanish). Nick also brags about fixing water meters for free, & other programs to help out the poor. 

Nick has been an elected Water Board member for centuries.

Gradisar is/was chairman of Pueblo's Chamber of Commerce.

Charter Member of Action 22

GOOD ISSUES

-Municipal Electricity for Pueblo City
-advocate for an Ombudsman position
-War on Poverty declared
-pro-Marijuana, helped w/ its legalization 
-bellowed about how the "blank check" of the 2017 Emerald Street Tax should be used for the potholes

By 2035, Pueblo City has committed to going 100% Green, which means by 2035, nobody in Pueblo City will be using gasoline automobiles, nor using coal-powered electric in their homes. By 2035, everything in Pueblo City will be solar & wind-powered. Municipal Electric will help to get us there.

From Nick Gradisar's fancy blog:

"From his Crisis is evident in Pueblo’s energy future. In 2017, the Pueblo City Council set a goal to become 100% powered by renewable energy by 2035. On June 7, 2018 Dennis Darrow of The Pueblo Chieftain wrote, “Xcel’s move toward clean energy would cost Pueblo 80 jobs”.[1] At what cost? If EVRAZ is the largest Xcel customer in the State of Colorado, what impact will closing Unit 1 and 2 of the Comanche Power Plant have on their business and Pueblo’s economy? The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) decision on Xcel’s proposal is not expected until September and the situation deserves close monitoring to ensure Pueblo’s best interest, not only related to clean energy, but to the economy as well."

"In response to Black Hills climbing rates, focus now shifts to the prospect of taking an “off ramp” from Pueblo’s monopolistic Black Hills and investigating municipalizing this utility. Our electric rates are not sustainable, have and will in the future, and hinder our economic development efforts. In the long run, municipalizing will result in lower rates. Pueblo does not need to generate power, but it does need a distribution system. Solar and wind can play a huge part of our future energy needs and will play a larger role as battery storage technology improves. If municipalizing is desired, a comprehensive plan must be developed and be submitted to the Pueblo voters. I support the committee established by Pueblo City Council."

"As Pueblo’s Mayor, I would work collaboratively with City Council and local coalitions, such as Pueblo’s Energy Future, to ensure perceived issues are addressed and clear pathways to success that forge the best way forward for Pueblo. In addition, I believe that any municipal energy effort should be placed in the hands of an independently elected “Water and Power Authority”."

BAD ISSUES

-pro-Nixon's 1971 War on Drugs
-pronounces "economics" like a snob

Nick Gradisar pronounces "Economics", not as "ekanomiks", but instead, like this: "EEEEKKKanomiks". Economy; EEE-comony, or the Ekkanomy? Either is I-there, "either", or I-there? No. Fuck those who say I-there. FUck those who say Eekanomics, and fuck those who EEE-conomy. 

NEUTRAL ISSUES

-Gradisar suggested that perhaps St. Mary Corwin & Parkview should combine, to help St. Mary Corwin with her problems.
-pro-"Field of Dreams" Minor League Baseball Stadium being built downtown