In a column for the Sterling Journal-Advocate, newly elected Republican National Committeeman Mark Hillman (be ready to be greeted by his smiling face) asks the nagging question on the minds of many Colorado taxpayers:Is it typical political spin or something more tangible that makes Gov. Bill Ritter so incredibly confident that the Colorado Supreme Court will vindicate his strategy to raise your property taxes without your permission? If you get a chance, read the whole thing. Last week I similarly asked what Bill Ritter knows about the court's coming ruling that makes him so confident to wager taxpayer money on the previous ruling being overturned. I'll second Mark Hillman's question, but I'm not very confident the governor is … [Read more...]
Dems Obstruct Solution to High Gas Prices, GOP Needs McCain to do Better
"Four bucks a gallon": it's the catchphrase that hits home all across America. Even putting the best face on it that they can, even federal government officials admit that gasoline prices figure to remain high for the foreseeable future. Yet on the same day, Democrats on a Congressional committee kill a proposal that would allow the United States to expand its domestic energy supply. I would say they're stuck on stupid, but it's far more likely that Nancy Pelosi, Mark Udall, and the Democrats are glad to see gasoline prices high, as they kowtow to radical environmentalist special interest groups. To top it off, the Democrats' Presidential candidate Barack Obama makes a ridiculous statement suggesting that rising gasoline prices is a … [Read more...]
Vail Paper Rips Ritter on Tax Hike
Even the editorial boards of smaller Colorado newspapers, in places that are hardly bastion of rock-ribbed conservatism, are assailing Gov. Bill Ritter for his property tax hike. From an editorial in today's Vail Daily:Thanks to the state’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), which stunts the growth of property taxes, those of us who own property in Eagle County shouldn’t expect to see our taxes skyrocket at the same rate as our property values without voter approval. This year, however, taxpayers’ rights were usurped by Gov. Bill Ritter’s decision to freeze the statewide school district property tax rate. Because Eagle County has enjoyed a significant rise in property values — an average of about 40 percent countywide in the … [Read more...]
Bernie Buescher Lax about Dollars Taken by Ritter’s Unauthorized Tax Hike
It's not just Democrat Governor Bill Ritter who is presuming to wager more than $100 million in taxpayer funds on his confidence in the state supreme court overturning a decision against his unconstitutional property tax increase. The Grand Junction Free Press reports about the lax attitude of a ranking Democrat incumbent from the Western Slope:The appeal has not been scheduled, and Democratic Rep. Bernie Buescher of Grand Junction believes it’s too soon to make a plan for a change that may never come. The article explains that the money collected starts to be spent on July 1. And while Republican lawmakers Rep. Steve King and Sen. Josh Penry want to work quickly to find a prudent solution, Bernie Buescher (pictured) has taken a … [Read more...]
What Does Bill Ritter Know about Court to Gamble Taxpayer Dollars?
Yesterday, highlighting Governor Bill Ritter's arrogant response to the recent court decision finding his property tax hike unconstitutional, Republican leaders in the state legislature Mike May and Andy McElhany dashed off a scathing letter:It is irresponsible to assume that the Colorado Supreme Court will overturn the decision of the District Court that your property tax proposal from last year is unconstitutional. A new analysis by Legislative Council shows that the cost of doing nothing to address this possibility, before the budget goes into effect on July 1, 2008, will be $272 million! The price of inaction is too great. Serving in the justice system, you saw how difficult it is to win on appeal, and must recognize the need for … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter Could Be Left All Alone to Defend His Property Tax Increase
From Face The State today:While Gov. Bill Ritter has eagerly insisted that he will appeal a Friday court ruling establishing that a mill levy freeze amounts to an unconstitutional tax increase under Colorado law, members of the state Board of Education, a defendant in the case, remain undecided about whether they will formally join in support of Ritter's challenge. It appears the District Court ruling may have emboldened the two Republicans on the State Board to change their mind. The Board meets in executive session tomorrow:Vice Chairman Bob Schaffer, R-Fort Collins, introduced in April a motion for the board to take a formal position, by way of public vote, on whether the department would “defend the lawsuit or [agree with] the … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter and the Democrats’ Senate Bill 200 Also Bad for Business
I haven't written much about Senate Bill 200, so-called "anti-discrimination" legislation, recently signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter. But I certainly took notice when libertarian Ross Kaminsky assailed it in his latest Human Events column:In the quadrennial marathon to see who can be the nation’s worst governor, Colorado’s Bill Ritter is in a full sprint. On Thursday, Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 which expands “anti-discrimination†law to cover sexual orientation, meaning not only homosexuality or bisexuality, but also “transgender status or another person’s perception thereof.†The bill is so ripe for abuse and creates so much risk for private business that it’s no surprise the ordinarily media-hungry Ritter signed … [Read more...]
Best Destiny: How Not to Respond to the Taxpayers’ Courtroom Win
Yesterday's Colorado Republican State Convention - with key video at Slapstick Politics and a great recap from Night Twister - was bolstered by the announcement of the taxpayers' legal victory against Gov. Bill Ritter for his unconstitutional property tax hike. But Michael at Best Destiny has some sage cautionary advice for Colorado Republicans on how to respond to Friday's courtroom decision:Republicans MUST NOT go out in public and seem too giddy about this. They should talk about checks and balances, and limiting the governor's ability to act unilaterally, and the majority's clear disregard for the Constitution. But if they seem like they're just glad to have the money taken back by the general public, it'll be a lot harder to … [Read more...]
Legal Victory for Taxpayers a Resounding Theme for Colorado GOP
From the GOP Convention in Broomfield... The Rocky Mountain News reports on yesterday's taxpayer victory in the courtroom:A law expected to raise $1.7 billion for Colorado schools over the next 11 years is unconstitutional because it gives the state more tax revenue without required approval from voters, a judge ruled Friday. Latest estimates are actually $3.8 billion, not $1.7 billion, but the news is good just the same. In his introductory remarks, state party chair Dick Wadhams' mention of the court ruling against Gov. Bill Ritter's tax hike earned perhaps the biggest applause from the Republican faithful gathered here at the Broomfield Event Center. If you don't think this is going to be a major GOP campaign theme heading into … [Read more...]
Deconstructing Republican Folly, Reconstructing Constitutionalist Hope
Two of Colorado's most established center-right bloggers weigh in on what's happened to the Republican Party brand and what can be done about it. Michael at Best Destiny takes a look at a Face The State story on the Republican's recent plight in Denver's northwest suburbs and opines loudly about what needs to be done to overcome messaging problems:. . . .TALK TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE BASE; TALK TO THEM ABOUT KITCHEN TABLE ISSUES, NOT GOP MEAT AND POTATOES; KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE like the economy, stupid; like education, stupid;... Michael should get paid for his political consultant's work. I concur that messaging is part of the problem, but in some ways the problem runs even deeper. Meanwhile, Joshua at View from a Height … [Read more...]
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