Maes Promised Answers to CoPols

by: MADCO

Thu Aug 12, 2010 at 11:00:52 AM MDT

In reply to several important questions, Mr Maes indicated it was too soon for detailed answers and that he would get back to us later.

I do actually have a copy of the budget and will get specific.  Be patient, there is still time.

It's hard to get extremely detailed in a first interview. ....  

I welcome your challenges and questions.

Now is later.

1)
http://coloradopols.com/showCo...

by: ClubTwitty @ Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 19:20:16 PM MST
It would be more accurate to compare with neighboring Rocky Mountain states.  Comparing the Piceance, with its limited pipeline capacity etc. to the shale plays for instance is Enron accounting.  I believe one of the links above goes to a diary comparing Co with other RM states.  The oil and gas industry is now on record admitting the regs did little.  If you look at the decline, it started before any of the rules went into effect.  Tens of thousands of federal acres are already leased in the Piceance, in known production areas, not subject to the state rules.  Drilling has declined at a comparable rate there.  Are you suggesting that the oil and gas companies are so stupid they don't know where the rules apply?

Or said another way,
Given the O&G industry's acknowledgement that the CO regs had little impact, would you still advocate repeal?

2)
You said  "we can cut 4,000 state employees."
Which ones?

You said  "CO has one of the highest ratios of state employees to population in the country"    What are you using as your source?
Colorado ranks 29, but if you take education out of the mix: CO ranks 29.   http://www.taxfoundation.org/
You said  "CO is ranked 6th in the country for state employee pay rate"  What is your source for that?
Colorado ranks 28th.   http://www.taxfoundation.org/

3) You endorsed "zero based budgeting" for Colorado. How does that work and why would that be a good thing for Colorado?

4) Do you support Faster?  If not, how do you propose to fund necessary maintenance on Colorado's highway network?

5) How do you propose to stop the precipitous decline in funding for Colorado higher education?

6) Aug 2, you told Adam Schrager at 9News that you support Prop 60, which undoes the so-called "mill levy freeze" upheld by the Colroado Supreme Court in 2009.
Wouldn't Prop 60 undo the hundreds of local de-Brucing elections? Why is statewide proposition appropriate to overturn local elections?
More importantly, the language of Prop 60 says that school districts will phase out half of their property tax by 2020 and any decreased revenue for schools as a result would be paid by the State.  The state budget is already facing shortfalls - would the money come from tax increase or budget cuts? If budget cuts, what would  you cut?  

7) Several tax exemptions were eliminated in the 2010 legislative session. Tim Hoover of the Denver Post recently published a follow up that indicated that the elimination of sales tax exemption on candy and soft drinks had zero impact on jobs losses in the state.  LIkewise, the elimination of the exemption of sales tax on industrial  electricity resulted in no job losses.
Would you still favor the reinstatement of these tax exemptions? Why?