Great advice (cough) for Colorado Republicans from consultant Katy Atkinson, via leftie columnist Diane Carman in today’s Denver Post: support the forever tax increase known as Referendum C. Most of the column comes off as smarmy, coy, elitist, and patronizing. But what did you expect? Conservative Republicans in Colorado have always known that Carman has their best interests at heart… right!
Remember this piece from the Post a couple weeks ago? Friendly observations from Denver’s liberal media about how the ballot issue is dividing Republicans along its fault lines. There is some measure of truth, of course, but certainly overblown.
On Monday, the Post‘s voice of reason David Harsanyi recorded this exchange with Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman:
I then ask Mehlman about the potential pitfalls Colorado Republicans face.
After losing both the state House and Senate, the Colorado GOP has engaged in a nasty squabble over the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, pitting a popular governor against the rank-and-file fiscal conservative base.
Not surprisingly, Mehlman says he doesn’t believe it will hurt Republicans.
But he does warn everyone to heed Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment: “We must remain focused on what unites us, not what divides us. We ought not be attacking each other, but the fact that we’re debating how to solve problems is a positive thing.”
In his position, Mehlman can scarcely take sides, nor can he prophesy doom and gloom. But maybe what we’re seeing in Colorado is the makings of a political realignment, a shakeup that makes fiscal conservatism a true bedrock principle of the state’s GOP. Strengthened by going through the crucible of defending TABOR from special interest attacks, Republicans can rally around a strong gubernatorial candidate with strong hopes of regaining seats (and possibly control of a chamber or two) in the House and Senate in 2006.
Do you think it’s more than just a coincidence, as even the Dead Governors have pointed out, that the Democrats’ fundraising focus is so overwhelmingly into the campaign for Referenda C & D?
Or, my fellow Republican, maybe you still think Diane Carman has you and your party’s best interests at heart.
This is what I have to say about C&D.
A Democrat friend of mine stated it took the Democrats to fix the problem. I disagree with him.
What about Amendment 23 and education funding?
Most of the problems you have with the budget is Amendment 23. Why are we not trying to fix Amendment 23? Jefferson has increased our taxes for schools over the last few years, saying if we don’t improve they would stop the increase. That never happened and my house tax keeps increasing.
I see no problem with returning the budget to the items that had to be cut to the levels they were at prior to the recession, but to allow the increase to go with no limits is bad. So what you are telling me is that any money that I would get back is taken away from me is a tax decrease? So over 5 years you will not allow me to get back money that is due me and this not a tax increase.
This is a bad change that is happening all over. Like in Washington, 601 but a limit over the increases in the budget, the congress said this is an emergency and added tax increases on several items and increased its budget over the requirements of 601. This is what the Democrats do, take money and spend it.