One of my favorite aphorisms about Colorado politics is that the House Education Committee is where good education reform goes to die. Case in point is Senate Bill 57, the school spending transparency legislation that committee Democrats shot down after hearing more than 30 citizens and activists who volunteered to come down and testify for the bill. Thanks to a Face The State mini-investigation, we learn today it was even worse than that:Also known as Senate Bill 57, the bill was postponed indefinitely after four hours of committee debate that lasted late into the evening. [Democrat] Speaker Terrance Carroll and [Republican] House Minority Leader Mike May arrived to work the next morning ready to revive it. But they were too … [Read more...]
Just What Did Colorado Ethics Watch Learn from Media Matters’ Demise?
Colorado Ethics Watch's Chantell Taylor has filed an especially frivolous complaint, reports Face The State. While a frustrating annoyance, it's also a badge of honor for Fort Collins city council candidate Andrew Boucher, who is running a tireless and effective pro-liberty campaign. The uncanny timing and sheer desperation of this complaint makes me wonder if Colorado Ethics Watch has been watching what happened to their state sister Media Matters (after all, they have the same rich Lefty sugar daddies as part of their common affiliation with the Colorado Democracy Alliance), and whether the group has observed the right lesson from its demise. Does Ethics Watch believe that the plug was pulled on Media Matters because the phony … [Read more...]
Is Dennis Apuan Still Boulder’s Own Representative in El Paso County?
Face The State follows up on a Complete Colorado lead about Democrat State Representative Dennis Apuan. He is the lead sponsor of a resolution honoring fallen soldiers (PDF), but he also has been arrested as an anti-war protester. Jeff Crank, former Republican Congressional candidate and current Colorado Springs radio host, wants to know why Apuan is hiding from his 2003 arrest. The following response was fired back from the Democrats' press office:Statement from Rep. Dennis Apuan (D-El Paso) Date: Fri, Mar 6, 2009 "Six years ago, long before I was an elected official, I participated in a peaceful prayer vigil at Peterson Air Force Base. With a group of religious leaders, I peacefully expressed my opposition to the use of … [Read more...]
Democrats and Marostica: “Forget the Constitution, California, Here We Come”
When talking politics or economics, it's usually a powerful rhetorical tactic to compare our own Colorado to California - especially these days. In that light, here's a fitting and timely reminder from state senator Ted Harvey:The lesson Colorado’s legislators must learn from this recession is clear: fiscal responsibility works. Even though the legislature collectively fell short of creating a rainy day fund, TABOR and the Arveschoug-Bird 6% spending cap forced Colorado legislators to keep spending low. Had the government enjoyed free rein in ramping up spending – which is a great temptation to many lawmakers tasked with spending other people’s money – Colorado’s budget crisis would be as serious as California’s. [emphasis … [Read more...]
Colorado Watchdogs, Face The State Launches Investigative Reporting Award
Face The State is looking for aspiring journalists and assorted government watchdogs to ply their skills for the chance to win some cool cash:From the governor’s office to the local waste water office, government must be held accountable. And why not win a cash prize while doing it? That’s why Face The State is excited to announce its monthly Investigative Reporting Award. Here’s how it works. If you spy government misdeeds that should to be exposed, roll up your sleeves, do your homework, and write it up. You could just win our monthly $400 grand prize. There will also be cash prizes for finalists. Your report should abide by basic journalistic principles relating to sourcing, verification, and libel. As we’ve learned, truth … [Read more...]
Will Democrats Try to Stiff Us with Another Arbitrary, Pointless Tax Hike?
Four years ago, a narrow majority of Coloradans bought the slick advertising of the Referendum C tax hike. Today, statehouse Democrats seem to have forgotten all their grandiose promises. (Or were they not telling us the truth in the first place?) A great catch by Face The State (go and listen to the brief audio clip for yourself):So we were shocked to hear JBC vice-chairman Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, assert during last week's discussion that “Ref C wasn’t designed to fix anything," and that "Ref C was an arbitrary amount of money.†… [Read more...]
On Second Thought, I Guess the State Capitol Isn’t as Dangerous as All That
So I've heard the State Capitol has become a rough place these days (yes, Denver truly is the Wild West!), but I had no idea it had come to this, as disclosed in the Headline of the Week: "Brophy bill to protect homeowners killed in committee". My first thought was, How many homeowners have been killed in committee meetings lately? I especially have reason to be concerned, seeing as how I plan to be under the golden dome tomorrow to speak on a new media/blogger luncheon panel to the Senate GOP Caucus. I will be joined by the famous Vodkapundit (aka Stephen Green), Zombyboy, Rossputin (aka Ross Kaminsky), Charles Martin, and Face The State editor Brad Jones. Frankly, I'm humbled to be with this group of accomplished bloggers / new … [Read more...]
No District Office for Rep. Betsy Markey: Different Kind of “Hope” and “Change”
Face The State reports:Seventy-seven days after being elected to serve Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, a Democrat, still has not set up an in-state office to serve her constituents. Staff in Markey’s Washington, D.C. office confirmed she does not have a district office set up and said there is no concrete timeline for when that will get done, but it will be “soon.†Hey, don't hurry up with that or anything. No pressure. Hmmm, the only question left unanswered is "why is it taking so long". As the story points out, Mike Coffman - another newly elected member of Colorado's House delegation - has had an office set up for weeks now. So who knows? Maybe Betsy Markey is ready to put down roots … [Read more...]
Intriguing… A Ryan Frazier Run for U.S. Senate Might Not Be a Bad Idea
Update, 1/23: Slapstick Politics has great analysis on the speculation and ideas for the GOP to seize these sorts of unique opportunities that 2010 provides. Face The State went deep into the rumor mill today:The U.S. Senate race recently made its way on to Republican radar after Ritter appointed the little known Michael Bennet, who at the time was serving as DPS superintendent, to the seat. Bennet’s biggest weakness right now is that he’s part of the East Coast political aristocracy. Republicans need a fresh face and a down to earth candidate to challenge him, which is why we were so excited to hear that Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier may be considering a run for the seat. “It’s fair to say that right now I’m considering … [Read more...]
Putting State Government’s Checkbook Online Should Take Months, Not Years
I quickly hoorayed last week when Governor Bill Ritter announced his full backing for putting the state's checkbook online. But a follow-up report from Face The State seemed to suggest the process could take a long time:“Putting the budget online will be different because there is too much to put it all,†[state representative Don] Marostica said, adding that legislative staff is working on ways to publish a “simplified†version. While Kennedy was hesitant to commit to a timeline, Marostica said the process could take three years. But - as explained in this iVoices podcast with Sandra Fabry of Americans for Tax Reform - the fact is the federal government has already pioneered this work, along with several other states, and all … [Read more...]
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