Both the Republicans and the Democrats under Denver's golden dome have staked their ground on proposing solutions to the state budget crunch: Democrats and [Republican Governor Bill] Owens agree on many parts of the plan. Owens' budget proposal in December included a tax cut, dedicated transportation dollars and increasing the state spending limit by $500 million annually. The sides disagree on how much of future TABOR refunds the state should keep. [Democrat House Speaker Andrew] Romanoff's plan would re-start refunds once government spending reaches the level it hit in 2000, before Colorado's recession, which he calculates at roughly 6 percent of residents' personal incomes. Owens doesn't consider that a "meaningful cap" on … [Read more...]
Archives for 2005
SAD only begins to describe it
I would say that, all in all, I don't feel too bad for this most depressing day of the year. Maybe if I lived in the fog and gray skies of Britain rather than sunshine-filled Colorado, the story would be different: Dr. Cliff Arnall's calculations show that misery peaks Monday. Arnall, who specializes in seasonal disorders at the University of Cardiff, Wales, created a formula that takes into account numerous feelings to devise peoples' lowest point. The model is: [W + (D-d)] x TQ M x NA The equation is broken down into seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take … [Read more...]
Abortionist Illogic
You can learn a lot from someone's response. Take this for example... abortionist William Hern of Boulder is aghast that the mortuary he had contracted with to receive "fetal remains" had in turn been taking those remains to the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church. In unveiling its "Memorial Wall for the Unborn," the parish recently announced that it had been receiving and burying the murdered babies since 2001. Hern alleges that Crist Mortuary violated a written contract, but Hern has also "declined to provide a copy of the contract." I think the story is best summed up by a quote in the Denver Post story from archdiocese spokesman Sergio Gutierrez: "It's puzzling, the confused messages being sent out. If they're not unborn … [Read more...]
From President… to Governor?
It's probably not a great mystery to Colorado political insiders that University of Denver President Marc Holtzman is serious about a run for the state's governorship. The dead governors at Colorado Pols [ed - for the uninitiated, the anonymous proprietor(s) of the site post under the pseudonyms of three former Colorado governors who all by a quirk of history served during the year 1905, exactly one century ago] have Holtzman ranked among the early favorites for the state's chief executive office in 2006. Marc Holtzman Having attended a meeting of the House Minority Caucus today, at the kind behest of Michele Austin, I now have some clear early impressions of Holtzman and his candidacy. The DU President is undoubtedly smart and … [Read more...]
The Greatest Inaugural Address
On this important national day of reflection - both gazing back at history and forward into the uncharted future - we celebrate the peaceful transition of power in our Constitutionally-limited republican government. Inauguration Day comes every four years on the American calendar. Many of the most important speeches of our national public life are given on these days. To read and study them is to see not only something of the men who delivered them but also of the times in which they lived and the challenges Americans have faced - and so very often surmounted, as well. I'm certainly not adding anything new or controversial to the conversation when I say that the best of them all remains Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, … [Read more...]
Don’t Underestimate Support for TABOR
The dead governors at Colorado Pols point to the results of a new survey co-sponsored by the Independence Institute and the Colorado Club for Growth: Of 600 likely Colorado voters who participated in the last election... 52% oppose the 'De-Brucing' changes to TABOR proposed by Speaker Andrew Romanoff and others. 33% support the 'De-Brucing.' The dead governors complain that the poll should be taken worth a grain of salt because of who commissioned the poll to be taken, then speculates about how the question must have been worded: ...what the survey does show is that Colorado's elected officials aren't doing a very good job at getting across the problems that TABOR has created. While we certainly understand that this is no easy … [Read more...]
The Dems’ First Week in Charge
Some good analyses of what it means to have a "bipartisan" Democrat majority in both branches of Colorado's statehouse: The Post's David Harsanyi looks at some of the "dopey" and "nanny" bills being proposed by our legislators. Good intentions do not necessarily lead to successful results, nor do they necessarily make good public policy. Michael breaks down the Democrat response to Governor Owens' State of the State speech. Breaking down Democrats' statistical assertions, Michael finds that many of the disparities in claims come down to this: the Democrats and liberals tend to measure input and the Republicans and conservatives tend to measure output. Best example? The statistic cited by many liberal groups that Colorado ranks … [Read more...]
“Or maybe I’ll stick to hammers”
If you haven't seen the story (and the x-ray) of the Breckenridge man who had a nail lodged in his skull for six days without realizing it... well, what are you waiting for? Speaking as someone who's never had a terrific knack with anything carpentry-related, here is just one further proof not to pursue the trade for a living. … [Read more...]
RMA Starts Reviewing the State of the State
As most of my readers already know, several members of the RMA attended the Governor's State of the State speech yesterday at the behest of the Governor's office and House leadership. Afterwards, they got a private blogger press conference with Governor Owens and some photo-ops. First, the famous picture, originally posted on Clay's site: Michael is the first to flesh out some serious analysis: the governor laying down the veto gauntlet and which applause lines the Democrats in the chamber sat out on. The Kestrel suggests better educating Coloradans about the major role Amendment 23 has played in the budget crisis. He also has linked to the full text of the governor's address. Joshua catches the new Senate president … [Read more...]
She Said What?
You've got to grant Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald (D - Golden) something: it hadn't even been a full day since she took over as Colorado's first ever female Senate president. But in her speech to the joint session yesterday, Fitz-Gerald said: "I see an opportunity to provide a paycheck for every family, a textbook for every child and a doctor for every patient." Stop for a minute, re-read the quote, and ponder. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Sure, Joan. That's the way to solve the state's budget crisis. Spend your way out of it. Despite running on the platform of fiscal restraint, the Colorado Democratic Party looks like it won't be able to hide its true colors for long. She made this statement on the first day of … [Read more...]