From the Denver Post:A bill that would have barred back-room ballot initiative deals got the heave-ho at the state Capitol Tuesday. House Bill 1069, from state Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, would have made it illegal for anyone with a ballot initiative certified by the secretary of state to then withdraw that initiative because of a deal offering money, gifts or any “other valuable consideration.†A provision like that already exists in state law when it comes to candidates for office. It's official: your Democrats in charge at the Colorado statehouse once again come out against clean government. In voting down House Bill 1069, they have winked at the use of the citizens' ballot initiative process for political blackmail by … [Read more...]
Democrat Moe Keller Happy to Spend Your Money While Spending is Good
Hey, Colorado, guess what? Leave the Democrats in charge in your state for too long, and taste the fruits of bad fiscal judgment. Witness this Face The State story about my own state senator:Audio from April 3 uncovered by Face The State reveals Sen. Moe Keller, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and chairwoman of the Joint Budget Committee, optimistically arguing that Colorado’s economic future is a bright one, even though Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicted on that same day the country was headed into a recession. "We do not have a projection from our economists that we are going into a fiscal train wreck," she said. Moe Keller and her fellow Democrats at the State Capitol are just happy to spend your money while the spending is … [Read more...]
The Case for Colorado Spending Transparency: Jeffco Schools Edition
Quite simply, the people of Colorado deserve open, accountable, and transparent government. Not the kind where you as a taxpayer walk into the school district admin building, get a barrage of questions for asking for a copy of the district's credit card transactions, and have to pay $75 from your own pocket just to see how your money is being spent. That's Natalie Menten's story with Jeffco Public Schools, and you can hear it on an iVoices podcast: Shouldn't it be easier for citizens to access this information? Is creating a comprehensive, user-friendly, online searchable database asking too much of our governments? In these tumultuous economic times, placing the public eye on government spending should help ensure that money is … [Read more...]
A Promising Step to Test the Bounds of Colorado Teachers Union Power?
My post-election commentary on the impact for teachers unions and education reform was published today in the Denver Post. A key section to whet your appetite:Peter Groff's Democratic peers voted to re-elect him as state Senate president, and Rep. Terrance Carroll was selected to become the new speaker of the House. … [Read more...]
Taxpayer Resources Used to Campaign Against Colorado Amendment 46
Despite Governor Bill Ritter's denial, a state official acknowledged to the Rocky Mountain News that Ritter's administration used official taxpayer resources to invite people to an anti-Amendment 46 campaign event (H/T Face The State):Even as Ritter announced his opposition, Amendment 46 backers complained his administration had used state resources to campaign against the measure, which would be a violation of state law. Ritter denied that. But later, his director of economic development, Don Elliman, acknowledged his office had used state time to invite people to a Sept. 22 forum on Amendment 46, which featured a well-known opponent of such measures, but no one who supported them. "We blew it," Elliman said. "It would appear from … [Read more...]