Quote of the day from Vincent Carroll of the Rocky Mountain News (notably, a supporter of Referendum C): If Gov. Owens had devoted even half as much time trying to defeat Amendment 23 five years ago as he spent boosting Ref C, Colorado today would not be saddled (that word again) with a requirement that K-12 education funding never, ever share in the sacrifice required by falling government revenues during a severe recession. In light of Carroll's observation regarding the governor, what takes precedence: conservative credentials or popular appeal? Draw your own conclusions. … [Read more...]
Archives for 2005
There’s Never Enough Tax Increase
Buried in this Denver Post article about post-election recriminations is a salient example of what the big vote meant to the tax-and-spenders: Advocates for public education blamed the loss of Referendum D on the failure to set aside enough money for public schools. Lisa Weil, co-founder of Great Education Colorado, said Referendum D would have had a better chance of winning voter approval if schools, and not roads, received more money. Referendum D called for using $1.2 billion of the borrowed money on 55 road projects around the state. "Transportation is not the highest priority of Coloradans right now," Weil said, touting her organization's polling results that said voters would have been more supportive of letting the … [Read more...]
C & D: Election Day Roundup
With a substantial chunk of Coloradans' ballots already mailed in, the "forever tax increase" comes down to the day of decision. As the campaigns race to the finish line, a last minute flurry of Internet tidbits: The Dead Governors float the rumor that the Yes on C & D campaign is preparing for failure. The operators of Mile High Delphi made their final prediction yesterday: "Too Close to Call" with a tiny edge to the No on C crew. The Delphi's prognostication might be adjusted with news reported by the Denver Post: different opponents of the tax increase have raised a cumulative total of $1 million in the last two weeks. One of those opponents, the Colorado Club for Growth, has released a response ad to Mayor Hickenlooper's skydive … [Read more...]
My First (and hopefully only) Harriet Miers Post
I have kept silence on Harriet Miers, largely agnostic but increasingly skeptical as the weeks wore on. I was startled that the withdrawal of her nomination came so suddenly, and I can't say I'm as disappointed as Mr. Hewitt is. One of his linchpin arguments in support of Miers has been that most of the party's base in Red State America supported her - primarily the Beltway elites were leading the anti-Miers charge. Today he writes: There is a deeply disturbed and disappointed group of GOP voters dismayed by the treatment of Miers. I don't know how big it is --it isn't small-- and I don't know which would have been the less bitter result, but there is no denying the political damage done to the GOP, and in the hands of competent … [Read more...]
Why is Fitz-Gerald Staying Out?
State Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald has joined a growing list of prominent Colorado Democrats by announcing yesterday that she won't pursue a run for the governor's office. The eyes of all political insiders now turn to Speaker Andrew Romanoff. Both Fitz-Gerald and Romanoff earlier announced their potential candidacies for the state's top executive offices hinged on the passage of Referenda C and D. Now Fitz-Gerald has bailed out a week before the election. And the generally left-of-center audience of the Dead Governors' blog is already rationalizing. Let's see... the outcry for weeks has been that the Colorado Democrats need a primary opponent for Bill Ritter, especially because of his pro-life views. When asked by the Denver … [Read more...]
No on C & D Billboard
Special thanks to Progress Now (you can make your own, too!) for facilitating this campaign message. … [Read more...]
Leadership Program Kicks Off
I haven't blogged in a week, but here goes: I'm off to the reception to welcome new members (including myself and Joshua) to the Leadership Program of the Rockies. Since the event is at the Governors' Mansion, I suppose Ref C & D will be topics non grata. Thanks for checking in! And stay patient... more posting is coming soon. … [Read more...]
A Little Education Credo
I just posted the following excerpted credo on education in a comment at the Dead Governors Web site. I was getting so much into it that I decided to paste my comment here: ...I beg someone to logically refute the following facts: 1. Colorado spends more per pupil in real dollars on K-12 education now than ever before. In fact, Colorado's per-pupil spending was at an all-time high right BEFORE Amendment 23 was passed... and has reached an all-time high each year thereafter. 2. Colorado spends less than 58 percent of education dollars in the classroom. (Maybe it's how we are spending the money, not how much....) 3. From 1992 to 2003, Colorado significantly improved its ranking on national test scores while its national ranking in … [Read more...]
Phantom Polling
Updated and revised, 9:35 AM Wow, this year's ballot initiative campaign gets stranger and stranger. The pro-Ref C Dead Governors have declared that their beloved tax increase is winning by 1 to 9 points in the "polls." Their source? I quote directly: No, we aren't going to tell you who did these polls, and no, we didn't just make this up. Trust them... right. Trust but verify. Let's be intellectually honest for a moment and admit we don't know exactly where public sentiment is on Ref C & D. If the pro-tax increase crowd had a credible survey showing momentum on their side, the results would be trumpeted on all the major news pages. Their silence speaks in abundance. My gut tells me the election will be close and the ballot … [Read more...]
Three cheers to Harsanyi
For the handful of faithful blog readers who have survived the extended lull, I'm back. Snowy outside, warm inside... means it's time to post something, even if it's just a link to a great Monday column by the Post's David Harsanyi: "Referendum Supporters Betray GOP," using the plainest evidence to demolish the absurd claims that Colorado's fiscal health is somehow in crisis. Three weeks until Coloradans cast their ballots and decide against the "forever tax increase." With all the intraparty squabbles and dizzying number of tax measures to be decided, I can't wait for Election Day to come. Hurry now! Three cheers to Harsanyi for a great column to start off the week... … [Read more...]
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