Nine days ago I pointed out the number of vulnerable Colorado state house Democrats who voted to push through the "Dirty Dozen" tax hikes. Today it was the state senate's turn. Based on my recent projections, much of the voting activity makes sense. Take a quick look at today's Senate Journal, and what do you see? All Senate Republicans unanimously voted against each and every one of the tax hikes. Hooray for them. Too bad the Democrats have the majority and were able to pass all nine bills with either 18 (the bare minimum) or 19 votes. One Democrat running in a vulnerable seat voted No on all nine tax hike bills, giving her a singular distinction among the entire house and senate majority caucus: Sen. Gail Schwarz. You think this is … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter’s Pitch for Cary Kennedy Shows Vulnerability of Treasurer’s Race
Just a reminder that Colorado Democrat State Treasurer Cary Kennedy's re-election hopes are fragile this year. Yesterday I received a fundraising email from Bill Ritter. After touting the incumbent's record, the message reads:Cary Kennedy is facing a well-funded challenger who is related to George W. Bush and has tapped into his family's national fundraising network. His campaign is funded mostly by out-of-state donors. Fortunately, Cary's grassroots fundraising network is keeping up, but she needs everyone's help to stay competitive.... I found it interesting that though there is a busy 3-way Republican primary going on to challenge Kennedy for the treasurer's position, Bill Ritter makes Walker Stapleton the bogeyman. Yes, Stapleton … [Read more...]
Colorado Democrats Accidentally Turn Tax Hike Into Tax Cut … “D’Oh!”
That's got to be how the Democratic trio of Governor Bill Ritter, Speaker Terrance Carroll, and House Finance Committee Chairman Joel Judd have to be feeling after knowing they accidentally turned one of their tax hike bills into a tax cut and therefore had to kill it. The majority party under the Golden Dome couldn't let a pesky problem like that make it into the light of day. You can't make this stuff up, folks. Yet somehow it escaped even the watchful eye of the Denver Post's "The Spot" blog. Oh, well.... … [Read more...]
Edgar Antillon Gains Winning Issue from Cherylin Peniston’s Tax Hike Votes
One of the Democrat representatives who voted for 7 of the 8 tax increases that passed the state house Friday is state representative Cherylin Peniston (D-Adams County). Peniston voted for every one of the tax hikes except, strangely, the one on non-essential food containers. To me, House District 35 is a darkhorse race to keep an eye on. Republican challenger Edgar Antillon faces the daunting odds of a district that is 46 percent Democratic to 22 percent Republican, but he's looking to run a focused and energetic campaign to oust Peniston from office. Antillon contacted me yesterday after the votes had been recorded to explain his basic philosophical distinction with the incumbent on these tax hike votes. He emphasized that the … [Read more...]
A Good Week for Jimmy Lakey: GOP Three-Way Race in Colorado’s 7th CD?
It's been a big week so far for GOP 7th Congressional candidate Jimmy Lakey. On Sunday he won a plurality of votes from viewers of the North Denver candidate forum. Then today, word broke on the liberal Colorado Pols blog that Tom Tancredo is endorsing Lakey -- though no confirmation as of yet has been published by the candidate himself. Finally, Jimmy Lakey was introduced to a national audience in a one-segment appearance on the Hugh Hewitt Show. In general, Lakey came across well on the interview, though the format was too tight to be very informative to the general listener. My gripe is with the interviewer, and reminded me of why I had stopped listening to Hugh's drive-time program for many weeks. Tom Lucero isn't the only (or … [Read more...]
Phony Big Labor Front Group Exposes Lefty Fears about Tea Party’s Strength
Update: The intrepid Mike Antonucci has more insights on this story, including the involvement of the National Education Association and the fact that the story first was broken by blogger Lee Doren. Credit to where credit is due. You may have already heard about this, but just in case not -- an original investigation from Fox News:A seemingly grassroots organization that's mounted an online campaign to counter the tea party movement is actually the front end of an elaborate scheme that funnels funds -- including sizable labor union contributions -- through the offices of a prominent Democratic party lawyer.... "This movement is a fad," proclaims TheTeaPartyIsOver.org, which was established by the American Public Policy Center (APPC), … [Read more...]
Colorado Democrats Dig Themselves Deeper on Dirty Dozen Tax Hikes
At this point, ramming through the Dirty Dozen tax hikes has Colorado Democrats in such political hot water, why not just go ahead and swim in it? That must be the reasoning behind the effort to make things even worse by changing the temporary tax hikes into permanent tax hikes. It used to be about half the bills would eventually reduce the respective tax rates to their current level. Not anymore:Republicans believe that Democrats are using the current budget crisis as an excuse to permanently raise taxes on Colorado families and businesses. “If the tax increases are only meant to help the state fill the budget gap, as Democrats claim, then why aren’t we making them all temporary?” asked Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield. Then … [Read more...]
Palin Crushes Huckabee in Righty Blogger Poll: Whom Did I Vote For?
Update, 1/26: The correct answer is Mitch Daniels. Sadly, no one guessed the correct answer by 6:00 PM. "Why did I pick Daniels?" you might ask. At this point in the game, all I can say is: "Why not?" John Hawkins at Right Wing News earlier today released the results of his conservative blogger survey "on which candidate they'd support if the 2012 Republican primaries were today." Yours truly was one of 69 to cast a vote. Sarah Palin won a 29 percent plurality in a crowded field of 12 candidates, while Mike Huckabee edged out Ron Paul for last place and 0 votes. The latter finding is especially interesting in light of the first poll to show a Republican candidate beating Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 general election matchup: … [Read more...]
Colorado WINS State Union Using Coercive Tactics to Grow Membership?
Ever since Governor Bill Ritter signed the executive order laying out a welcome mat to unionize state government, I've wondered if and when the Colorado WINS labor organizing coalition would lobby for the Democratic majority in state government to entrench their status through legislation. Given the state of the budget and the tons of political capital Democrats are spilling to push through their series of tax hikes -- one of which is even opposed by Pueblo labor interests -- prospects for comprehensive union legislation have faded dramatically. But Colorado WINS has other means to extend its reach, and grow its dues-paying membership base, inside Colorado government. As Dave Ohmart of Colorado LOSES points out, reluctant state … [Read more...]
Dem Priorities Fiddling with Tax Credits: Undercut, Don’t Empower, Families
Todd Engdahl at Ed News Colorado reported Friday on two educational tax credit bills (HB 1295 and HB 1296) being introduced in the legislature, and closed with this comment:While the proposals could make for interesting debate, they’re expected to fail for three reasons: 1) Democrats control the legislature, 2) the education lobby, and 3) most lawmakers don’t want to fiddle with school finance or tax credits when the state budget is in the tank. [emphasis added] The first two reasons are rather straightforward. Of course, Democrats don't want to devolve power from the education establishment. And of course, the iron triangle of CEA, CASE and CASB would oppose the slightest effort to grant authentic private school choice to taxpaying … [Read more...]
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