Archive for the ‘clean government’ Category

More Sarah Palin Tidbits

Posted on September 4th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, National Politics, clean government | 1 Comment »

A source in El Paso County tells me that this Saturday’s John McCain-Sarah Palin event in Colorado Springs has long since exhausted its 10,000 ticket supply and has put thousands more on waiting lists. I’m told this is bigger than President George W. Bush’s appearance in Colorado Springs in 2004 - not surprisingly, as the conservative base has received its biggest jolt of inspiration since Ronald Reagan was running for President.

Also, remember in last night’s speech when Sarah Palin pointed out that her husband is a member of the United Steelworkers Union? Today, National Right to Work sends an open letter to Todd Palin informing him that he is inadvertently helping to fund attacks against his wife but can get some of that money back. This might get some media attention.

Big Labor … hmmm. Is that another reform effort Sarah Palin will lead?

Peter Blake Chronicles Amendment 49 for the Rocky Mountain News

Posted on September 4th, 2008 in Amendment 49, Colorado Politics, General, clean government | No Comments »

Peter Blake yesterday wrote a great Rocky Mountain News column about one of the major initiatives on Colorado’s statewide November ballot - Amendment 49:

As [Jon] Caldara, head of the Independence Institute, likes to put it, government would no longer be able to act as “the bagman for political special interests.”…

No doubt passage of No. 49 would make it more difficult for unions to collect dues. But Caldara said that in the age of automatic bank transfers, union members can easily arrange to have dues deducted if they want. “Taxpayers don’t have to be on the hook for doing the accounting, the bookkeeping and collection work for special interests and their lobbyists.”

Caldara maintains it’s a conflict of interest for, say, school board officials to be funneling money to local unions through paycheck deductions and then getting a check back from the same unions in the form of campaign contributions.

Government employees can arrange to stop dues deductions from paychecks now, but it can be a difficult process.

Read more about Amendment 49 here and here.

(Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind the Ethical Standards Initiative.)

Sarah Palin Really Captures the Attention of the Colorado Blogosphere

Posted on August 30th, 2008 in General, National Politics, blogging, clean government | 10 Comments »

I must say I’m glad I initially had the wrong information about who John McCain’s running mate would be. Sarah Palin was the best pick. What’s everyone else saying? Well, it’s rare to see such unanimous sentiment asserted. Here goes:

Meanwhile, the Dead Governors desperately go deep into the attack arsenal, only to demonstrate how partisan and out-of-touch they are. Also posting a diary on their site, my liberal friend David Thielen breaks down Sarah Palin’s big speech yesterday. He’s apparently still suffering from a serious case of jealous, Joe Biden-induced heartburn.

But two different Colorado center-right bloggers put up strong defenses against the initial silly assaults from the Left:

Now is the time to take some of that energy brought by the Palin selection and donate something to the campaign. Hey, did Barack Obama make some sort of big speech this week?

‘Blockers R Us’

Posted on August 18th, 2008 in Amendment 46, Colorado Politics, General, clean government | No Comments »

I came across a great site that features anti-democratic tactics of Leftist organizations: blocking efforts to collect signatures, frivolous lawsuits, and other threats to free speech. Occasionally highlighted is the efforts of a group called By Any Means Necessary to try to shut down Colorado’s Civil Rights Initiative. The radical fraud group ACORN is also regularly featured there. Stay tuned to this site, especially as the election approaches.

Hank Brown on Video: “Amendment 49 Keeps Lobbyists in Line”

Posted on August 16th, 2008 in Amendment 49, Colorado Politics, General, clean government | No Comments »

Earlier I linked to the audio of former Governor Bill Owens and former U.S. Senator Hank Brown giving their endorsements of Amendment 49, Colorado’s Ethical Standards initiative. Compliments of Ethical Standards Now, here is a longer version of the Hank Brown Amendment 49 radio ad set to YouTube video - “Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line”:

(Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind Ethical Standards.)

Colorado’s Amendment 49 Better Version of Idaho Clean Government Law

Posted on August 16th, 2008 in Amendment 49, Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

The latest edition of Budget & Tax News highlights an important case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court about a clean elections law from Idaho:

In 2003, the Idaho Legislature passed the Voluntary Contributions Act, which banned the collection of political contributions through government payroll systems throughout the state. Nothing in the law prohibits union members from contributing to candidates by choice, and nothing in it prohibits unions from engaging in politics.

Policy experts view the law favorably. Noted Ben DeGrow, an education analyst with the Independence Institute, “Governments should be focused on performing vital services for taxpayers, not on acting as a bill collector for private groups–especially groups that are lobbying officials and funding political candidates.”

Besides the fact I’m quoted in this article, why do I bring this up? Colorado voters are considering a proposal that would have the same practical effect of bringing Ethical Standards to government. Amendment 49 on the November statewide ballot will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees’ paychecks and delivering the cash to special interests who use it to lobby politicians.” But it’s written in a way that avoids the challenging legal baggage of Idaho’s Voluntary Contributions Act.

(Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind Ethical Standards.)

Colorado Education Association Reports Zero Dollars Spent on Politics?

Posted on August 15th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | 1 Comment »

The Colorado Supreme Court may have given the Colorado Education Association (CEA) a pass from the state’s electioneering laws, but the Landmark Legal Foundation has taken the same evidence to file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service that the union violated its tax-exempt status.

In other words, CEA spent members’ general dues money on union employees to coordinate political campaigns but reported zero dollars spent on politics to the IRS. Listen to Landmark’s Pete Hutchison tell the story on this newly-released iVoices podcast.

Hear Bill Owens, Hank Brown Endorse Amendment 49 on Colorado Ballot

Posted on August 14th, 2008 in Amendment 49, Colorado Politics, General, clean government | No Comments »

Two of Colorado’s most respected political heavy hitters - former Gov. Bill Owens and elder statesman former U.S. Senator Hank Brown both have endorsed Amendment 49 (Ethical Standards Initiative) on the November ballot:

Government should not be the bagman for special interests. Amendment 49 will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees’ paychecks and delivering the cash to special interests who use it to lobby politicians. Government should be using our tax dollars to provide crucial public services, not to funnel money to political organizations. Amendment 49 keeps lobbyists in line.

Bill Owens gave a thumbs-up to Ethical Standards when he guest-hosted the Mike Rosen Show last week: Listen to the audio here.

You may have heard it already on the air, but Hank Brown has recorded a radio ad for Amendment 49: Listen to the audio here.

(Full disclosure: I also happen to work for the Independence Institute, which has provided the intellectual ammunition behind Ethical Standards.)

It’s Official: Colorado Government 100% Unionized, Thanks to Bill Ritter

Posted on August 12th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | 2 Comments »

It’s not often I break news on this site, but just remember it was reported here first: As of today, the entirety of Colorado state government is officially unionized. Previously, the “Colorado WINS” union coalition won the right to represent six of eight occupational groups in state government - despite being outvoted by the “don’t give a crap” coalition.

While political junkies in Colorado await the results of candidate primary campaigns, results from mail-in ballot elections for the final two occupational groups of Colorado state government were counted and tabulated today. Via an email from the state labor department, here are the results (which should be posted here shortly):

Financial Services Group:
Colorado WINS was successful in this election. Here is the vote count:

Yes: 405
No: 325

Professional Services Group:
Colorado WINS was successful in this election. Here is the vote count:

Yes: 1,783
No: 1,208

In both cases, fewer than half of eligible employees voted, and fewer than 25 percent voted for employee representation. Interestingly, these two contests were closer than any of the previous six - more participation overall. Combined with the results of previous elections, here is the final tally of state workers on the question of receiving exclusive union representation from “Colorado WINS” (H/T Mike Antonucci):

In favor of unionizing: 7,669 (24.0%)
Against unionizing: 2,952 (9.2%)
Don’t give a crap: 21,353 (66.8%)

It looks like the “Colorado Loses” campaign may have made a small dent in urging more state employees to vote no, but the efforts were too little, too late. Thank you, Governor Bill Ritter.

Reasonable Solution Needed in Denver Post Lawsuit against Bill Ritter

Posted on August 12th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, clean government | 2 Comments »

So the Denver Post is suing Gov. Bill Ritter for access to his personal cell phone records? While I’m a strong proponent of transparency in government, it would seem this is slightly over the line.

Over at The Colorado Index, a watcher writes “in defense of Bill Ritter.” The typically conservative blogger is no big fan of either the Governor or the Post. A watcher especially has problems with the way the latter has responded to his quest for legal ethics reform.

So what should be done? I agree with Rocky Mountain Right’s assessment:

Ritter should disclose any calls he made related to state business in accordance with the law even if they were on a private phone, but he should also not have to disclose every time he called his wife or golfing buddy. This case seems like it would benefit more from arbitration by a neutral party that could shield Ritter’s privacy in his personal life while releasing records of public interest rather than a blanket lawsuit.

Look, I’ve been plenty critical of Bill Ritter here on my blog, and for good reason: for everything from raising property taxes in violation of the state constitution to imposing unionization on state government through executive order. But there ought to be a fair compromise solution that requires the Governor to disclose the official calls while preserving a reasonable measure of privacy.

Then again, I am intrigued at the possibility of finding out what the Denver Post is searching after that has ultimately led them to file this lawsuit. Here’s hoping for justice both for the people of Colorado and their chief executive.

Amendment 47 Moves Past Frivolous Legal Attacks to Make Public Case

Posted on August 11th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | 3 Comments »

A common and repeated tactic of the Left this year has been to throw frivolous legal challenges at ballot initiatives they don’t like in an effort to keep Coloradans from deciding the issues themselves. Well, last Thursday the Denver Business Journal reported that a judge has tossed out legal complaints against one certain initiative:

A Denver District Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from opponents of Amendment 47, the so-called “right-to-work” ballot initiative that would bar labor unions from collecting mandatory dues in workplaces that engage in collective bargaining.

Incidentally, the same publication endorsed Amendment 47 only days before (subscription required). Meanwhile, Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard has an informative piece on the Right-to-Work battle in Colorado - including some of the complex political undercurrents that are spilling over into the ballot campaign. It’s a worthwhile read. The Weekly Standard piece mainly focuses on the determined and principled work of young Jonathan Coors in pushing the fight forward.

Fundamentally at stake is the individual worker’s right to decide whether or not (s)he wants to support a union. Labor leaders themselves admit that Right-to-Work means they lose a big share of income: mostly from the fees imposed on non-members who have to pay up or lose their jobs.

Secondarily, there is documented evidence to show that Right-to-Work states outpace forced union states in economic growth. But opposing Right-to-Work is not enough for union leaders. To try to force supporters to withdraw Amendment 47, they have submitted signatures for four economy-busting initiatives of their own.

When the facts are looked at closely and fairly, Amendment 47 merits support hands-down. But you can expect Big Labor to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars confusing and misleading voters who would otherwise be inclined to support workplace freedom.

It will be interesting to track the success of Amendment 47 - cited in Barnes’ article as registering 70-percent support - as Election Day in Colorado draws near.

Face The State: Colorado Ethics Watch Still in the Tank for Democrats

Posted on August 6th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, Education, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

Face The State calls out Colorado Ethics Watch for its deafening silence on Bill Ritter’s admitted campaign violation. But we already knew Colorado Ethics Watch was a partisan tool.

Face The State also notes:

Additionally, Judge Michelle Norcross took the bizarre step of ordering the Republican who filed the complaint to pay Ritter’s legal fees.

Interestingly, Michelle Norcross is the same judge who initially let the teachers union off the hook in its case of campaign coordination with state senator Bob Bacon.

Legal ethics reform, anyone? You won’t hear Colorado Ethics Watch crowing about that issue - not with the trial lawyers’ association sitting on their side of the partisan fence.

Pushy Union Rep Making Himself at Home on Colorado State Property

Posted on August 5th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

Regular readers of this blog and followers of the Colorado political scene generally are aware of Gov. Bill Ritter’s executive order that has given union leaders the keys to state government. Already the “Colorado WINS” labor union coalition has ridden the popularity of the “don’t give a crap” mentality to become the “exclusive representative” for a majority of state workers.

Right now, two elections are pending that would unionize the remaining 9,500 Colorado state employees. Disturbed by the “don’t give a crap” mentality and wanting his fellow public servants to judge the union’s promises for themselves, state employee Dave Ohmart has started the tongue-in-cheek group “Colorado Loses.” He has a regular e-mail list of interested state employees that continues to grow. Ohmart created and received permission to hang posters like this one around his office:
Read the rest of this entry »

Colorado’s Initiative Deadline Today

Posted on August 4th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

In Colorado, today is the last day initiative proponents can hand over their signatures to the Secretary of State to certify measures on November’s statewide ballot. By the end of the day, we should have a fairly clear idea of how crowded the ballot will be — though we have to await the roughly two-week certification process.

Currently, the ballot contains:

Another measure to clean up the government contracting process turned in more than 120,000 signatures a few days ago, and figures to make the ballot, too - likely as Amendment 50.

Last week we learned that Big Labor was planning to turn in signatures for four economy-busting measures. Yet, as Jessica Corry explains, the conservative side still figures to have the advantage: “Even if all four of these initiatives make it on to the ballot-hardly a certainty at this point-conservatives will still maintain a 7-5 advantage when it comes to the initiatives voters see on this November’s ballot.”

Meanwhile, The Denver Post’s scenario of a record-setting ballot length isn’t likely to happen. But tomorrow we should know much better.

Despite Ambiguities, Plan to Clean Up No-Bid Contracts Merits Support

Posted on August 1st, 2008 in Colorado Politics, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

The Rocky Mountain News reports about another citizens’ initiative that may be on its way for Colorado voters to decide this November:

Backers of a proposal to bar no-bid government contractors from contributing to political candidates submitted more than 125,000 signatures to the state Wednesday….

Colorado state government granted more than $386 million in contracts without taking competitive bids over the past year, said Tom Lucero, campaign chairman of Clean Government Colorado.

This practice drives up the price of services, and current law that lets these contractors pad the campaign accounts of officials who may award the contracts creates tremendous cynicism among voters, said Lucero, a University of Colorado regent.

Like Amendment 49, this is a great idea to promote clean government. But the fact that it also targets the interests of government employee unions also makes it the target for some well-financed opposition.
Read the rest of this entry »

Time for Ted Stevens To Go

Posted on July 30th, 2008 in General, National Politics, clean government | 1 Comment »

News came yesterday that Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is indicted. If Republicans should have learned anything from the 2006 election, it’s to purge the pork and corruption from their ranks.

This story reminds us that neither major party has anything approaching a monopoly on sleazy politicians, but also gives the GOP an opportunity to distinguish itself by valuing integrity over seniority. Speaking of seniority, no Republican has served longer. It’s time for that tenure to come to an end.

At The Next Right, Patrick Ruffini wisely calls for Ted Stevens to step down, but points out he can’t do so until after Alaska’s August 26 primary.

Of course, actual guilt or innocence has yet to be determined in the Stevens case. But politically speaking, he’s damaged goods. Someone in the GOP needs to discreetly ask Ted Stevens to step aside and allow a fresh face to step forward. I’m still waiting to see who that might be.

Denver Gives Democrat Officials Tax Exemption, Risks Public Resentment

Posted on July 22nd, 2008 in Colorado Politics, Democratic National Convention, Energy, General, Labor, My Life, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous, clean government | No Comments »

A few days ago I had a conversation with some non-political family members about the pains of hosting a national political convention. One of them lives in the Twin Cities. The rest of us live in and around Denver. Doubtless this means some inconveniences and annoyances for denizens, regardless of whether it’s the Republicans or Democrats coming to your town.

But the Denver Post today reports a small outrage I hadn’t even considered before (H/T Slapstick Politics):

Several Denver City Council members are questioning why the Democratic National Convention Committee has a contract with the city to fill up their fleet of vehicles with tax-free fuel.

The $466,000 contract, only $9,700 of which has been paid so far by the DNCC officials, allows them to use the city’s car wash and gas stations for their vehicles. The city’s fuel pumps should be used by government employees only because they don’t charge $.40 cents per gallon of state and federal taxes.

I’m not a lawyer, but this sure sounds like an unethical use of government tax-exempt status. Local media ought to give it further examination. And what about Denver mayor John Hickenlooper? The article cites Hick making a false claim that a similar deal was in place between Minneapolis and the Republican National Convention. What will the city do about the contract?

In the meantime, the rest of us private citizens pay $4 a gallon for gasoline, Democratic party officials get a standard 10 percent discount that takes resources away from funding our highways and other transportation needs. The DNC hasn’t even arrived in Denver yet, and you can already start to feel the public resentment and seething begin to rise.

Protect Colorado’s Future Fails 9News Truth Test, Brands Itself as Deceptive

Posted on July 18th, 2008 in Colorado Politics, General, Labor, clean government | No Comments »

It’s still early in the campaign cycle, but the political group known as Protect Colorado’s Future has already hung the banner of “Liar” around its neck. It’s hard to see how much more credibility the group will have as the election season heats up. Protect Colorado’s Future is overwhelmingly funded by a coalition of labor unions. The commercial it aired is designed to attack Right to Work (Amendment 47) and two initiatives that have yet to be certified on the ballot.

In the interest of full disclosure, one initiative (#53), aka Ethical Standards - designed to “prevent public payroll systems from collecting and bundling money to special interest groups that hire lobbyists and make campaign contributions” - has been supported by research from the Independence Institute, where I work.

9News did a “Truth Test” on Protect Colorado Future’s television ad (video link). A sample of the 9News analysis:

  • “The sentiment conveyed here is opinion, but the fashion in which it’s conveyed is false.”
  • “inaccurate”
  • “Part of this statement is true and part is false.”

Then there’s my favorite about their claim that efforts to collect signatures for Right to Work, Ethical Standards, and Government Contracting Reform “have been described as fraudulent and deceptive”: Read the rest of this entry »