Colorado Springs measure would increase taxes $50 million for “business development.” Is this a good idea?

by Jim Pfaff

Sean Paige, Executive Director of the Local Liberty Action in Colorado Springs writes in the Colorado Springs Gazette about local initiative 1A which would raise $50 million in new taxes to support “business development.” But as Sean points out:

1A is an invitation to mischief, and to the misuse of tax dollars, which will leave the city vulnerable to endless shakedowns by companies promising to create jobs in exchange for cash, or threatening to take jobs away if we don’t pay up. And the fact that it’s on the ballot, at a time when the city is slashing services and average folks are pinching pennies, shows that our political and business leaders don’t have their priorities straight.

Sean Paige and Local Liberty Action are allies of Americans for Prosperity here in Colorado. Read the entire article here.

Cross posted at Americans for Prosperity Colorado website:

You’ve Already Forgotten For Whom You Work

by Randy Ketner

An open letter to Senator Mark Udall, Senator Mike Bennet, and Congresswoman Betsy Markey.

Dear Senators and Congresswoman,

Two of you, while campaigning for office during the past year, promised to represent all of the people of Colorado in Washington, while the third was selected by Governor Bill Ritter to replace Senator Ken Salazar who also campaigned on the same pledge. With your first significant vote in Congress, you’ve mortgaged ours and our children’s future by supporting the largest spending bill in the history of our nation.

Enough has been said about the costs of this bill, and much debate still exists over whether it will actually help our economy. The basics are it’s going to cost $37,000 per person. Of greater concern to me and my fellow Coloradans, is how much is coming back? If we’re going to end up paying for this thing, did you even make sure we had a seat at the table?

The National Priorities Project states that in 2005, Colorado was 43rd in the nation in the ratio of the amount returned per dollar paid in taxes as compared to other states. Forty-third. Yet, with the largest spending bill in the history of our nation, you’ve relegated us to forty-eighth place.

Not only have you failed our nation with this ill-begotten payback to unions and campaign contributors spending bill, but you couldn’t even properly represent the people in Colorado by returning at least a fair share of our tax dollars to be spent back here at home. The likely reason for this is, we’ve as a whole been fiscally responsible in Colorado due to a functional Taxpayer Bill of Rights that has controlled spending as well as taxes. But then, I suppose you’re just following our President’s lead in believing that it’s the role of those that will work to support those that won’t.

You’re not even 90 days into your new jobs, and you’ve shown yourselves to be complete failures. The only way that I see that you can possibly redeem yourselves is to vote against the bill after it comes back from committee to resolve the differences between the Senate and House versions. At least then you could show yourselves to be honestly representing the people of Colorado. My guess is that you won’t do it though, because all of that talk about bipartisanship and representing all of the people of Colorado was just that. Talk.

The people of Colorado deserve better, and if this is how you’re going to continue to represent your constituents, you might want to think about looking for another job in a two years (or six, as the case may be). You’re going to need one.

Bob Bacon Tries to Make Transparency Disappear

by Randy Ketner

Colorado Republican Senator Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch introduced a bill during the current Senate session that would require schools in the State to put their checkbooks online. Budget and spending transparency has been a hot issue for the past couple of years, and after it came to light that the Jeffco School District spent money on Carnival cruise tickets, constituents are demanding it.

State Senator Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, fresh off his electioneering success, was successful in passing an amendment in committee which renders the bill useless. As Ben Degrow reports at Mount Virtus, it removed the term requires, and replaced with voluntary pilot program. Senator Harvey objected, and requested that his bill be removed from consideration after the amendment passed, but his request was denied and the bill was sent to the full Senate.

If the issue ended here, most would consider this business as usual in a Democrat-led legislative body, but there is more. Two weeks ago, at Liberty On The Rocks, Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier spoke with us, and encouraged us to show up during open comments and speak in support of the bill. Many showed up in support, but as I’ve already mentioned, the bill was gutted anyway.

Amanda Teresi, founder of Liberty On the Rocks sent out a Facebook message to everyone encouraging us to show up to support for Senator Ted Harvey who was not ready to give up on his bill.

Last Thursday, we faced our first hurdle and got the Public School Financial Transparency Act passed through the Senate Education Committee. It was gutted by some Senators on the education committee. The bill now*suggests*that public schools put their spending and revenues online in a searchable database. Original bill language *required* schools to do this.

Don’t feel depressed.

*We can get this bill corrected back to original intent this Tuesday, Feb. 3rd. We will meet in the 2nd Floor Senate gallery in the Capitol at 9am (although Senate may not convene until 10am)

The bill made it out of committee alive because people are testifying, calling and emailing! If you were one of the ones who helped, thank you! You helped beat the odds so far. We’re not done yet.

Our pro-transparency Senators will fight this Tuesday morning (February 3) to get this bill amended back to meaningful legislation. They need our help.*

To support these Senators, we’re going to pack the Senate gallery on Tuesday. Senator Ted Harvey, the prime bill sponsor, will recognize us and we’ll stand to show our numbers.*

If you can’t attend, invest an hour calling our 35 State Senators listed below anytime of any day or email them, just do it before Tuesday. (contact list at end of this email)

We have gotten this far *only* because so many of you spoke up. We had a bunch of people give awesome testimony. Once we get this thru the Senate we then have the House to face.

It quickly became apparent that the Democrat-led Colorado Senate isn’t much in favor of legislative transparency either. Yesterday, Amanda sent out another Facebook message,

Friends,

I am so sorry to send another email out. Unfortunately, legislators can do whatever they please when it comes to changing times and dates. The last I heard from Senator Harvey’s office was that the bill was most likely not going to be heard tomorrow. He is however going to have a press conference at 10am in the third floor press room, and is encouraging all who can come to do so. It will be intended to put pressure on legislators to get the bill passed. Me and some co-workers at the Independence Institute will be there if anyone is still interested in coming!

Sorry again for the hassle and confusion.

There’s one lesson that needs to be clearly understood from these events. Activism works. Our Democrat senators do not want to debate this bill with the gallery packed with supporters, and are going to try to play games with the date and time to keep from having to do just that. I recently blogged about Getting Connected in Colorado, and this is the reason why. You need to be connected to get the information that you need to be actively supporting conservative efforts. Here’s a situation where a State Senator is asking for our assistance. If we aren’t connected, we aren’t going to know when and where we are needed.

Face The State has more. I want to give a huge thanks to Amanda for continuing to coordinate efforts to support this bill, and to Senator Harvey for introducing it and continuing to fight for it. Together, perhaps we can shine a light on Bob Bacon’s efforts to make transparency disappear.