McInnis Hedges on "Dr. Evil" Initiatives

Dr Evil Initiatives are terrifying - to the state and McInnis

Passage of these would obviously be horrendous for the state, but it seems like most moderates and anyone with reason will vote no.  Their big impact may be to (once again) divide the R's and perhaps (along with another personhood amendment) mobilize the left.

Notice that the left isn't putting a TABOR repeal on in 2010?

Also, I liked your repeated use of "hedges" when half the article featured Carol Hedges from COFPI.  

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by: KinCO @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 19:49:01 PM UTC

No balls

Instead of fixing the problem, Democrats have run for cover.

Notice that the left isn't putting a TABOR repeal on in 2010?

They knew this budget problem existed in 2007-2008 and did nothing.  Why isn't something on the ballot??  They don't have the political will to shoot straight with Coloradans  ... and ... must ... get ... elected ... must ... extend ... pain.

If you need more revenues so badly, why haven't you gone to the ballot to ask for it.  Instead leadership sits there prefering to kills jobs vs asking for permission.

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by: Libertad @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 22:47:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Permission

Doesn't it suck that we have to ask Jonathan Coors for permission to go to the bathroom? Maybe in the third version, he'll iron out that kink in the programming.

Nice driveby too.

****END TRANSMISSION***

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by: Libertad 2.0 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 23:04:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

OK, Libby

You have my attention.

Now let's hear your plan.

No boldface, no plagiarism, YOUR plan.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:30:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The Dems should have gone to the ballot when Romonoff recommended it

2008 and 2009 were missed opportunities to take out Gallagher and A-23.

I'd take 2010 legislative session and have a blood bath.  You may have to sacrifice the house or senate, but build up the Gov and Carey and make the people go to the ballot box with a purpose.

Come on this is a big chess game. Ds v Rs battle and there will be another battle post 2010.  Too bad you let Romanoff and FitzGerlad swing.

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by: Libertad @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 05:22:52 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's not a bad idea

I'd add the we Dems need to put in a strong effort selling the value of a decently funded government.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 08:10:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not a bad idea.

Yeah, Romanoff was really going to take a repeal of Amendment 23 to the ballot last year ... and "Carey" is going to be part of that effort. That's absurd beyond words.

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by: RedGreen @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 10:33:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

What's absurb is the majority failed to ask the people

about a tax hike that could have showed leadership.

The majority used the CO Supreme Court to Hike Taxes on the people, then jammed through FASTER and a host of other Tax Hikes on the people.

THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW

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by: Libertad @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 17:38:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You can't put a TABOR repeal on the ballot

There's that stupid single issue rule - that was passed right after TABOR.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

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by: DavidThi808 @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 04:39:15 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm on board

No thank you to the Platform For Prosperity - Initiatives 10, 12, and 21 are REAL conservative platforms

And GOD BLESS the activists who introduced these initiatives - fiscal conservatives like myself finally have a real platform that we can fight for proudly.... not one that we have to apologize for

And let it be stated - the four most catastrophic failures of the Platform For Prosperity are -

1. A belief that Governor Ritter's report on roads and bridges is actually accurate - I believe this report is exaggerated and for the PFP to legitimize Governor Ritter's worries over infrastructure is a blow to all fiscal conservatives

2. The belief that Higher Education is bleeding is another failure of PFP, especially since it promises to increase Higher Education spending - I'm not convinced that Higher Education is bleeding

3. I'm glad the PFP calls for the reduction of car fees, yet it makes way too many fiscal liberal promises (increased spending on Higher Education, roads and bridges, etc) that any gains in cuts are likely to be washed out with additional spending, leaving nothing for families and hard-working individuals - if anything, PFP will increase taxes, not reduce them - which begs the question - what's the difference between Democrats and Republicans in this state, if we, as Republicans, are expected to champion the Fiscal Liberal PFP??? It's just Ref C and D all over again....

4. Lastly - why pick a fight with Planned Parenthood??? The biggest issue is the economy - let's stay with that

Love and peace all!

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:06:38 PM UTC

How can you make these statements and what is your proof?

1. Who and what is your source that indicates that Governor Ritter's Blue Ribbon Panel on transportation exaggerated either the needs or the costs?

2. Higher education tuition in Colorado has risen 78% on average over the past eight years. You can't realistically expect tuition to rise at that rate and not believe higher education isn't bleeding and the parents who have to pay for it in tuition/room & board aren't hemorrhaging financially?

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by: Republican 36 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:20:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nice one R36! You said it much more succinctly than I did below.

"It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions."
- Harvey Milk

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by: J-Rock @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:28:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

So far MAH cannot produce any evidence

that the infrastructure needs for roads and bridges is exaggerated.  

His response when called out on this was--I'll get back to you but try the Google.

I agree, until I see his sources I think it's BS.

While Repubs love to talk about 'equality of opportunity' (as opposed to 'equality of outcome') they want to gut education spending, abolish the DOEd, and force parents to mortgage their homes and everything to send their kids to college, etc.


"There are a lot of reasons not to elect me." Mitt Romney in a moment of clarity

"I'm Mitt Romney and yes, Wolf, that's also my first name," Willard Mitt Romney demonstrating 'policy flexibility.'  

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by: ClubTwitty @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:41:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

read the reports

I believe that the reports on Colorado's 'bleeding' infrastructure lack the proper research - feel free to disagree, but that's my opinion upon reading the reports

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:57:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What research did the authors of that report fail to do? What facts did they fail to consider?

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by: Republican 36 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:05:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Republican 36

I simply didn't find the reports in-depth enough - it seemed more like a checklist of fixes, rather than a demonstration of why fixes are needed

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:07:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You still haven't answered the question: What proof do you have that Governor Ritter's Blur Ribbon Panel

was wrong about the tranportation needs here in Colorado? You must have some information to refute what the report states?

The Blue Ribbon Panel's report is 44 pages and along side that are two other reports from the Panel.  One (14 pages)sets forth a Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementaiton Plan and the other one (9 pages) discusses transit policy options.

Besides all of that, you are implying that some very experienced and sophisticated individuals in policy and finance from Colorado are just plain wrong, including Republicans like former Speaker of the House Russell George (now CDOT director); Joe Blake former President of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce (presently chancellor of CSU); State Senator Steve Johnson (now Larimer County Commissioner); Tony Milo, Executive Director of the Colorado Contractors Association; Mayor Ed Tauer of Aurora; and State Rep. Glenn Vaad. All of these Republicans served on the Panel and endorsed the findings and conclusions.

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by: Republican 36 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:30:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

"a checklist of fixes"

Doesn't a "fix", by definition, indicate that something is broken? Didn't some evidence of that have to exist before the "fix" can be defined?

Or are you using the new "Becklogic"?

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of mans' oldest exercises in moral philosophy, that is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."    John Kenneth Galbraith

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by: dukeco1 @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:11:54 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The proper research

is the research that agrees with you, obviously. Keep on reaching for those intellectual heights, bro!

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

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by: sxp151 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:06:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

MAH-Linkie?

n/t

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:08:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm looking....

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:10:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sorry guys....

...I can't find the exact report I read, but I'm pretty sure its somewhere on the page below - I'll keep looking

For now - enjoy -

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Sat...


TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:19:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

If you cite it and can't find it

It's bullshit.

Have a good day, MAH.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 01:31:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

right....

...any advocation for government cuts in spending is 'bs' to you, ralphie.....

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:19:33 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

No, MAH

Contending that a blue-ribbon commission falsified the State's highway needs, without providing evidence to support your contention, is what is bullshit to me.

I asked you for evidence.  So did other people.  You said you couldn't find it.

You want to accuse people of falsifying something, provide evidence.  Otherwise, fuck off.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 02:32:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Lol

The day I trust a Ritter Blue Ribbon panel is the day I hire you as my campaign manager Ralphie - and easy on the language bro (*handing soapbar*)

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 06:02:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

So there's the real issue

You skimmed somebody's report, having decided in advance that it couldn't be trusted because somewhere somehow a Democrat was involved, and concluded that there was something ephemerally wrong about it.

That's just epic, dude. Lol, bro.

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

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by: sxp151 @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 07:49:38 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Still no facts, links, or references, MAH

n/t

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 16:07:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

He's following the GOP leadership...

Rhetoric about waste, regulations, and taxes without being tethered to such trivial things as facts, reality, or data.

"There are a lot of reasons not to elect me." Mitt Romney in a moment of clarity

"I'm Mitt Romney and yes, Wolf, that's also my first name," Willard Mitt Romney demonstrating 'policy flexibility.'  

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by: ClubTwitty @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 16:12:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, CT

He'd rather call people liars without tethering himself to the truth.

Today, you're either going to get better or you're going to get worse, but you're never going to be the same.  Which one will it be?  --Joseph V. Paterno

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by: Ralphie @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 16:33:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Let's ask Bruce Benson, well known liberal tax and spend nut case...

about funding for higher ed.

Oh, wait. He's not a tax and spend nut case.

http://www.denverpost.com/sear...

Yet because Colorado dramatically under-funds its flagship medical school, which is housed at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, the LCME told the university recently it could face noncompliance issues.

The piddling state support ranks the school at 78 in the list of the 80 publicly funded medical schools in the country, says Dr. Richard Krugman, the school's dean.

and so on

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by: MADCO @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 04:22:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Ali, you once again prove that the voters of HD56 knew what they were doing last fall.

You're characterization of the issues facing roads and higher education is inaccurate and contrary to not only the opinions of elected officials like Governor Ritter, but EVERY expert in the state of Colorado.  

I fail to see how the Ritter administration could exaggerate the number of roads that are dangerous.  These classifications are made by experts in accordance with specific rules and regulations.  Do you have any proof of this exaggeration, i.e. is there one bridge in the state that has been classified inaccurately?  Until you provide at least one example, I am going to assume you are just making things up.

As per higher education, what would it take for you to claim that the system is bleeding.  To me, when tuition increases at two to three times the rate of wage increases just to fill in the gap of lost state funding, that is a bleeding system.  How would you define it?  Also, I don;t want to hear bulls*** about hiring increases at colleges, these increases, as has been documented on this site, are in line with increases in the population of students, and student to faculty/staff ratios are actually up over a few years ago.

As a resident of HD 56, I could not be more relieved that you are in no position of power in this state.  As a member of a middle-class family that relies on services that the state provides, I am keenly aware of where my tax dollars go.  You may not be in touch with this (after all, I'm sure things look different from your 32,000 square foot "cabin" in Beaver Creek), but most of the voters in HD 56 and across Colorado understand that government can and should play a role in certain parts of our lives, and that is why we elected a candidate who seeks to make government services better in Christine Scanlan.

As for social issues, you can keep claiming that you are different kind of republican because you're pro-gay marriage, etc.  But in the end, even the gay voters in HD56 want to see reasoned analysis, acceptance of facts, and a commitment to good government in their leaders.  We are sick of talking points that discuss lowering taxes and cutting spending with no acknowledgement of the real effects that these actions have on the daily lives of your (thankfully not) constituents.

"It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions."
- Harvey Milk

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by: J-Rock @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:26:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

JRock Reply

To JRock -

First off - you're family to me if you're in HD56 - thank you for your activism

Point by point -

INFRASTRUCTURE - I read Governor Ritter's road and bridges analysis closely last year when I was running for HD56 (what was publicly available, at least) - again, as I've said before, I am not convinced that Colorado's infrastructure is bleeding and this is mostly based on my belief that Ritter and his Administration's report is too shallow and lacks research - thus, I'm not convinced the situation is dire - show me a report that is more diagnosed and in-depth and I'm happy to re-read

HIGHER EDUCATION - in regards to tuition increasing, I would take those comments to the folks who run Mesa State, CU, CSU, and our other good institutions - like infrastructure above, I still haven't seen a proper analysis to demonstrate the 'bleeding' of our Higher Education institutions - and if there is bleeding, then I would suggest they cut their spending

As a fiscal conservative, my first priority is to keep money with families, individuals, and small business owners - they come first in my priorities - everything else is second - that is the "real effect" I work for

More importantly - if infrastructure and Higher Education are bleeding, then request extra money and put that on a statewide ballot, in accordance with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights - I'm happy to sign any petition that asks for specific spending, because I do believe that voters should always have a choice - but I'm completely against any additional fees/taxes that are not specifically-allocated and approved by statewide voters

As far as notions that I'm out of touch - I knocked on 20,000 doors last year and stood on a lot of street corners - yes, I didn't win in HD56, but I'm very proud of the 47% of the vote that I received - that's something I keep close to my heart and the doors I knocked on, in my opinion, were a reflection of why our campaign was the highest performing Republican campaign in Summit, Lake, and Eagle (and I'm thankful and humbled that I won Eagle)

As far as my views on social issues - I don't make those opinions in an effort to court voters outside of the 'normal' GOP hemisphere - rather, I make those views because I have principles

I deeply love HD56... I always will... and please say "hello" if our paths cross

Peace and love JRock!

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 20:56:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Infrastructure

MAH,

I would like to invite you to come and take a tour of the metro north area of Denver. Of course we will have to avoid 104th Avenue. The overpass on I-25 is being rebuilt because chunks of it were falling onto I-25. Oh yeah, and the bridge crossing the Platte River had to be closed because it is in danger of collapse. And we should probably stay off the elevated portion of I-70, since the pot holes don't have bottoms, unless you count the streets underneath. And do come on a sunny day, so we can stand underneath the I-25 overpasses at 84th and 88th Avenue and see the sunlight shining through the holes in the roadway. It makes some real interesting patterns on the highway below. There are plenty of other examples, but I think you get the point.

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by: bobhues @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:22:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Don't you see?

All we have to do to fix those problems is lower taxes and decrease spending. It's simple, really.

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by: redstateblues @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:25:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And the people who don't want roads falling on them

will then have plenty of money to fix the roads themselves. It's a Pareto optimum!

(I learned that word in the first week of my first economics course, so that means it's sufficient to explain everything I'll ever see in my life.)

Dude, bro!

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

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by: sxp151 @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 21:32:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

and define personhood at some arbitrary point prior to birth

and increase private gun ownership and deportation of illegals. But mostly lower taxes

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by: MADCO @ Tue Dec 08, 2009 at 04:25:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Bob -

I will check it out

Nonetheless - even if I was convinced that roads and bridges needed more repairs, I would continue to maintain that the car tax be eliminated and that needed costs be recouped with cuts in prison-spending, as well as eliminating some state employee jobs

....dude....

TABOR4LIFE

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by: Muhammad Ali Hasan @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 22:04:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well sure Ali, that's what you would do

And that makes sense--though I'd have to see your dollar-for-dollar cuts to make up for the $1.5 billion in cuts that prop 101 would cause if it passes.

But your Republican colleagues are not interested in cutting prison costs. Even Penry and McInnis tried to accuse Ritter of being soft on crime when he announced his plan to release some prisoners 6 months earlier than their scheduled release times. I don't think the state GOP is at a point where they can start to look at things like you just described.

I think they would, however, probably be happy to forget about the prison cuts, and go straight for the employee job cuts. Anything to shrink the size of government--even if it means cutting off the state's nose to spite its face.

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by: redstateblues @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 22:16:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

why pick a fight with Planned Parenthood???

   Because they have to throw something to the anti-choice folks.  If they didn't pick a fight with Planned Parenthood, they'd have to do something significant.  Like take a position on next year's egg amendment.

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by: One Queer Dude @ Mon Dec 07, 2009 at 23:55:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]