I'm a conservative and a partisan Republican. I offer up a lot of criticism here of Democrats - most of it well-deserved. But as this article that appeared yesterday in Colorado Senate News shows, if the Democrats have to be in charge, our state is well-blessed to have Peter Groff as senate president:"When the chips are down on issues like this one, you close ranks and move ahead with a common purpose," said Senate GOP leader Josh Penry. "I've found Peter's vision goes way beyond the usual partisanship, and his openness to some of our ideas on tax relief has made all the difference," Penry said of the Denver Democrat.... "Even though the distinction between the two parties has never been sharper on a wide range of policy issues, we also … [Read more...]
Unions Lobby State Democrats to Slow Down School Building Inspections
Who's in charge at the Colorado State Capitol these days? Big Labor:A bill whose only aim was to make it easier for local school districts to get their new buildings inspected was blindsided today on the Senate floor by union-led opposition, with all but two of the chamber's Democrats voting to kill the measure. Three of the Democrats who voted with the majority against Senate Bill 64 [PDF]--Sens. Bob Bacon, of Fort Collins, Rollie Heath, of Boulder, and Evie Hudak, of Arvada--had voted in favor of it in the Senate Education Committee only two weeks earlier. What changed their minds? The bill's sponsor, the GOP's Sen. Keith King, of Colorado Springs, says it was the fact that the Journeyman Plumbers and Gas Fitters Union began lobbying … [Read more...]
Quote of the Day: Greg Brophy on Gov. Bill Ritter’s New Energy Economy
State senator Greg Brophy - "the Senate GOP's self-described 'eco-freak'" - on the trumped-up claims of Governor Bill Ritter's New Energy Economy:Said Brophy, "I guess if you can't use tax dollars to effectively promote green energy, you always can use them to promote the promotion of it." Well-said. I guess we've found one area where Ritter can begin to trim $632 million from the budget. … [Read more...]
Average Coloradans to Dems on Tax Hike: You Should Have Asked First
It is refreshing to see evidence of the good sense of average, hard-working Coloradans. Colorado Senate News once again took a camera to the 16th Street Mall and found plenty of passers-by willing to share their frustrations with Gov. Bill Ritter and Colorado Democrats for bypassing the state constitution's requirement to ask voters first when they imposed their massive property tax hike:The upshot? Everyday taxpayers surveyed along Denver's 16th Street Mall all agreed: Whether or not the state really needs the extra revenue--a projected $3.8 billion over the next 10 years--voters should have asked for permission first. They're not alone in that sentiment. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers issued an opinion last year saying that the … [Read more...]
What are Colorado Dems Hiding?
Based on stories like this one at Colorado Senate News today, it's all but apparent that Colorado Democrats have no real interest in open, transparent government:A Republican staffer was ejected from a Senate Democrat caucus meeting today at an eatery near the Capitol, raising concerns by Republican leaders that the ruling party might be debating public policy in private--a violation of state law. By law, when two or more members of the General Assembly meet to discuss legislative business--regardless of the location--other members of the public cannot be refused entry. There are no exceptions for members of an opposing political party or the news media. The meeting had been announced on the Senate floor today by Democrat Sen. … [Read more...]
State Democrats’ Budget Extravagance Out of Touch with Man on the Street
The clever crew at Colorado Senate News took questions about the Democrats' state budget to the man on the street and got some predictably disgruntled responses:Just under $700,000 to give more prison inmates their GEDs? How about another $20,000 for the state's wine promotions board so it can promote--what else--wine? Or, $676,000 for salary hikes to the state agency that runs Medicaid health coverage for the poor? And then there's $150,000 in legal fees to defend the governor against a lawsuit charging him with pushing through last year's property-tax hike in violation of the state constitution. Those and other line items in the Democrat-authored 2008-09 budget, now pending before the Senate, were put to the public today when … [Read more...]
Dems Push Forward “Wet Noodle” Anti-Strike Legislation
A bill that would ban strikes for Colorado state workers passed a Senate committee yesterday, reports the Denver Post - all unleashed by the stroke of Gov. Bill Ritter's pen. Today's article omits the significant detail, so it's incumbent upon this blogger to remind you that the Democrat proposal is weak and ineffectual. Colorado Senate News features the best commentary on the bill:"Obviously, this bill wouldn't have been introduced at all if Republicans hadn't urged the governor to do the right thing and assure taxpayers their vital public services wouldn't be jeopardized by the threat of a strike," the GOP's Sen. Bill Cadman, of Colorado Springs, said after the committee vote. "Unfortunately, what we got from the governor and his … [Read more...]