The Rocky Mountain News Stump blog reports:Colorado spent more than $200,000 in printing costs and extra postage this fall because the deadline for withdrawing ballot measures comes too close to Election Day, according to a study from the University of Denver. Amendments 53, 55, 56 and 57 were withdrawn by labor groups by an Oct. 2 deadline. But it was too late to keep them off the printed ballot. DU's Center for Colorado's Economic Future offered some advice for the state legislature: rethink the law that allows ballot initiatives to be pulled as late as 33 days before the election. Changing the law on the withdrawal deadline may not be a bad idea, but here's an even better one. Seeing as how Protect Colorado's Culture of … [Read more...]
Voter Fraud ACORN Opposes Colorado Amendment 49, Ethical Standards
ACORN, the increasingly notorious voter fraud group, is part of the Colorado C-3 Roundtable going around "educating" voters about various ballot initiatives. Among the initiatives ACORN hates and opposes (and which the Roundtable won't invite supporters to share their side of the debate) is Amendment 49, the Ethical Standards initiative. This amendment "will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees’ paychecks and delivering the funds to special interests, like unions. These special interests use the money to lobby the same politicians who just delivered the cash to them." So why is ACORN part of the virulent opposition? We could start with its own ethical lapses, which include not only voter fraud but also an … [Read more...]
Introducing Ben’s Guide to the Colorado Ballot 2008
Due to the unrivaled success of providing a guide to Colorado's 2006 ballot measures, and an even larger slate of Initiatives and Referenda to consider, I give you Ben's guide to the Colorado ballot for 2008. The author is solely responsible for the opinions contained therein. … [Read more...]
Candidate Evie Hudak: “I Support the Entire Democratic Party Platform”
Perhaps the most closely contested state legislative race of 2008 is the battle for Senate District 19 in Arvada and Westminster. But how close would it be if people really knew what Democratic candidate Evie Hudak stood for? Yes, the same Evie Hudak who has a bizarrely condescending view of homeschoolers and parental responsibility in education. A revealing document goes even further, telling us just how much Evie Hudak is attuned to a rigid, Left-leaning ideology - far more than to the interests of everyday people in Senate District 19. On an online questionnaire for the Progressive Democrats of America, Hudak wrote:I support the entire Democratic Party platform. I have supported the issues in previous elections as an active Democrat … [Read more...]
Amendment 47 Moves Past Frivolous Legal Attacks to Make Public Case
A common and repeated tactic of the Left this year has been to throw frivolous legal challenges at ballot initiatives they don't like in an effort to keep Coloradans from deciding the issues themselves. Well, last Thursday the Denver Business Journal reported that a judge has tossed out legal complaints against one certain initiative:A Denver District Court judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit from opponents of Amendment 47, the so-called “right-to-work†ballot initiative that would bar labor unions from collecting mandatory dues in workplaces that engage in collective bargaining. Incidentally, the same publication endorsed Amendment 47 only days before (subscription required). Meanwhile, Fred Barnes at the Weekly Standard has an … [Read more...]
Ballotpedia: THE Source for Information on All Colorado Ballot Initiatives
I earlier mentioned the last-minute flurry of initiatives heading into the Colorado Secretary of State's office that may appear on your ballot in November. I should have included a link to this page from Ballotpedia - with the most comprehensive information about all initiatives that have been certified, as well as all those having submitted signatures and awaiting certification. … [Read more...]
Union Leaders Push Economy-Busting Initiatives to Make Election Interesting
Face The State reports that Big Labor interests are about ready to turn in their signatures on four ballot initiatives that would bust Colorado's economy. You know, it's union leaders' way of protesting Amendment 47, aka Right-to-Work, which would prevent the forced collection of union fees from non-members. Setting aside the Presidential race and even the U.S. Senate showdown between Bob Schaffer and Boulder liberal Mark Udall, this may be a very interesting election season in Colorado yet. … [Read more...]
Wall Street Journal Takes Note of Bill Ritter’s Business-Labor Brouhaha
Today's Wall Street Journal takes notice of Colorado's brewing battle between Big Labor and the state's economic well-being:A labor-union campaign in Colorado to tighten restrictions on layoffs and crack down on corporate fraud could put Democrats in an awkward position as they gather here in August for their presidential convention. Unions are pushing to get a total of six measures on the fall ballot, all of them opposed by small-business owners and corporate interests. "If they pass, it would be like putting a big 'Do Not Locate Your Business Here' sign on Colorado," said John Brackney, president of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. Don't believe the unions' initiatives would harm the economy? How about this opinion … [Read more...]