In front of a crowd of about 85 people, Mayor Hickenlooper spoke at the DU Law Forum about the importance of referendum C and D and explained the importance of passing C and D in the up-coming elections on Nov. 1. Passing of referendums C and D, would safeguard jobs that otherwise would be lost,” the mayor said.”If this doesn’t pass, 65 percent of community college funds will be lost,” he said. “That is where we get a lot of our ambulance drivers, firemen, nurses and policemen.”Referendum D would fund $50 million of higher education initiatives that would improve state and community colleges.”If they do not pass, $20 million worth of scholarships will be gone. Most of that money goes to a lot of students that would not be able to get a proper education,” Hickenlooper said.He added, “Educating children is the most important thing to the future of our economy.”Hickenlooper, elected mayor in 2003 discussed some of his initiatives including passage of a citywide charter reform initiative to modernize Denver’s personnel system, to reduce a $70 million deficit and balance the city budget while averting cuts in services and layoffs.He also helped implement the most sweeping set of police reforms in Denver’s history. Another initiative buildt a partnership with Denver Public Schools. Last April,Time Magazine named Hickenlooper one of the top five “big-city” mayors in the country.Hickenlooper stressed the importance of passing Procomp 3A, a bill that would reward teachers who choose to teach in a poor school district. Procomp will allow the district to give teachers bonuses for their work with students in these districts.Information on ProComp 3A and Referendum C and D is available at www.voteyesonC-D.com.