Update (3/10): Mike Reitz weighs in with an observation some of my readers may have a hard time believing: "Public policy wonks are real people, too." Here's a U.S. Supreme Court decision that may have flown past your radar - Ysursa v Pocatello Education Association. The ruling ensures states (like Idaho and Utah already have done) can regulate the use of government payroll systems to prevent the collection of political contributions. As Mike Reitz from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation explained to me in a new iVoices podcast, it's a victory for clean government, taxpayers and orderly state labor relations: … [Read more...]
Colorado Democrats Kill Clean Government, Anti-Political Blackmail Bill
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...]
U.S. Supremes Hear Idaho Case One Day Before Amendment 49 Vote
The day before Colorado voters go to the polls (or at least the few that haven't cast ballots already) to decide Amendment 49 - the Ethical Standards initiative concerning the use of government payroll systems - the U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments (PDF) in Ysursa v. Pocatello Education Association (H/T Liberty Live). What's the connection? The Ysursa case is reviewing a law known as the Idaho Voluntary Contributions Act. As I pointed out many weeks ago, Amendment 49 is a better version of this clean government payroll law. I previously discussed this issue with Mike Reitz of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation on an iVoices podcast: It likely will be several months before our nation's highest court renders a verdict … [Read more...]
Mass Deception in Attacks Against Amendment 49, Amendment 54
This morning Mike Rosen, Colorado's leading radio talk show host, called out the group "Protect Colorado's Future" for deceptive ads run against Amendment 47, Amendment 49, and Amendment 54 on Colorado's ballot this fall. Here's the transcript:CALLER: A fairly deceptive ad running on TV. I've seen it a number of times recently. It's a fireman from Littleton, and the background is sort of set against a real sympathetic figure fighting fires, been doing this for 14 years and, you know, I'm in the same league with nurses, and teachers, and policemen, and all that, and vote against these "deceptive" amendments 47, 49, and 54. He never, they never come right out and say what these amendments are obviously, but - ROSEN: It's a clever tactic … [Read more...]
Hypocritical Attacks from Opponents of Amendment 49 and Amendment 54
No doubt the political season is upon us, and the hypocrisy of large special interest groups is on display. Nowhere is this more true in our state than with the political group Protect Colorado's Future. Their spokesman said in an interview last week with Channel 7:"When you have these out-of-state, or narrow corporate interests trying to divide Coloradans, it's bad for all Colorado," said Jess Knox, wearing a pin that says, "No on 47, 49 and 54." So Protect Colorado's Future wants to make a big deal out of "out-of-state" campaign funds? Well, as Face The State points out today:It’s no secret that out-of-state money is flooding Colorado from both sides. In the unions’ case, the out-of state money is coming from the pockets of … [Read more...]
Peter Blake Chronicles Amendment 49 for the Rocky Mountain News
Peter Blake yesterday wrote a great Rocky Mountain News column about one of the major initiatives on Colorado's statewide November ballot - Amendment 49:As [Jon] Caldara, head of the Independence Institute, likes to put it, government would no longer be able to act as "the bagman for political special interests."... No doubt passage of No. 49 would make it more difficult for unions to collect dues. But Caldara said that in the age of automatic bank transfers, union members can easily arrange to have dues deducted if they want. "Taxpayers don't have to be on the hook for doing the accounting, the bookkeeping and collection work for special interests and their lobbyists." Caldara maintains it's a conflict of interest for, say, school … [Read more...]
Colorado’s Amendment 49 Better Version of Idaho Clean Government Law
The latest edition of Budget & Tax News highlights an important case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court about a clean elections law from Idaho:In 2003, the Idaho Legislature passed the Voluntary Contributions Act, which banned the collection of political contributions through government payroll systems throughout the state. Nothing in the law prohibits union members from contributing to candidates by choice, and nothing in it prohibits unions from engaging in politics. Policy experts view the law favorably. Noted Ben DeGrow, an education analyst with the Independence Institute, "Governments should be focused on performing vital services for taxpayers, not on acting as a bill collector for private groups--especially groups that are … [Read more...]
Despite Ambiguities, Plan to Clean Up No-Bid Contracts Merits Support
The Rocky Mountain News reports about another citizens' initiative that may be on its way for Colorado voters to decide this November:Backers of a proposal to bar no-bid government contractors from contributing to political candidates submitted more than 125,000 signatures to the state Wednesday.... Colorado state government granted more than $386 million in contracts without taking competitive bids over the past year, said Tom Lucero, campaign chairman of Clean Government Colorado. This practice drives up the price of services, and current law that lets these contractors pad the campaign accounts of officials who may award the contracts creates tremendous cynicism among voters, said Lucero, a University of Colorado regent. Like … [Read more...]
Adams County Officials Take Campaign Cash from No-Bid Contract Holder
Colorado's saga of no-bid contract corruption continues. The Brighton Standard-Blade is reporting that two Adams County Commissioners received campaign contributions from a paving company owner who holds millions of dollars in sole source contracts from the county (H/T Complete Colorado):According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, the election committees of Commissioners Alice Nichol and W.R. "Skip" Fischer received $1,000 from Jerry Rhea, president of Quality Paving Co. According to a Channel 7 news investigation last month, Rhea is a friend of Adams County Public Works Director Lee Asay. Asay was placed on administrative leave after the investigation found he awarded $12 million in no-bid contracts to Rhea’s … [Read more...]