Two Gallup polls, released on the same day: Monday, May 18. Wildly different headlines. Part of a bigger story, but some can only seem to latch on to one or the other. Those who trumpeted the results of the survey showing across-the-board demographic losses for the Republican Party since 2001 (conducted from January to April of this year) might also want to note the results of the survey showing Republican-leaning support matching Democrat-leaning support for the first time in nearly four years. … [Read more...]
BREAKING: ColoradoPols Behind the Curve on Local GOP Politics
"Breaking" news from the Dead Governors: Marc Holtzman won't be running for governor. Hey, don't yawn at me like that. -- Oh, I see ... you're yawning at their headline? -- So what you're trying to say is the Dead Guvs aren't exactly the source of breaking news for things happening on the Republican side of the aisle here in Colorado? -- Okay, okay, call me Captain Obvious. But I'm not the only one around here.... Sources also have shared with Mt. Virtus a sneak peek at some possible upcoming headlines from the Democrat Pols blog:Breaking: Bill Owens Says He Doesn't Want Governor's Job Again Breaking: Jane Norton 'Not in the Mix' to Take On Ritter Breaking: Bruce Benson to Stay at CU, Won't Vie for Governor's … [Read more...]
Poor Timing of FasTracks Tax Announcement Only Tip of Iceberg
It's kind of surreal to find these two headlines in the same edition of the Denver Post: Colo. jobless at 21-year high: "The unemployment rate hasn't been this high since April 1988, when it was at 6.7 percent. It is also higher than the 6.3 percent rate reached during the depths of the dot-com bust from 2001 to 2003." Doubling FasTracks sales tax gets nod: "On Wednesday, a majority of the Metro Mayors Caucus tentatively approved a plan to salvage FasTracks by asking voters for another 0.4 percent sales tax. The mayors, hoping to see the entire $6.9 billion expansion finished by 2017, are gambling that voters will maintain support for the project despite higher costs and some of the weakest economic conditions in the past … [Read more...]
“Consider Yourself” Ready to Refute Inflated Colorado Child Poverty Claim
Oftentimes big, misleading headlines can circumnavigate the globe many times over before the much more nuanced truth gets a chance to catch up. Well, here's a terrific case in point that figures to pop up in Colorado policy debates. Last June the Colorado Children's Campaign released its annual Kids Count report. Latching on to that report, newspapers from the Denver Post to the New York Times climbed on board the claim that Colorado leads the nation with a 73 percent rise in child poverty from 2000 to 2006. In case you were confused, and wondered why you weren't seeing scenes like this one in and around our great state, the Independence Institute's Linda Gorman cleared up the picture a bit for you in last Friday's Denver Daily … [Read more...]