School Board Audit Trouble?

Could be an attack on Polis

He also sat on the school board and was the president for a while, so likely has higher expenses.

Retirement in action does not equal retirement of beliefs.

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by: Dan Willis @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 16:14:56 PM UTC

Not to pre-judge

But with Jared's wealth, I would be extremely surprised if got reimbursed for much in the way of expenses.

Just doesn't seem like something he would do.

but I guess we wait and see.

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by: Roger D @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 16:25:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

True

When I was first elected, I sent notice to the chair that I would not seek any reimbursements and would pay for my own expenses myself. I did so my entire term.

We are trying to figure out why this report shows $997 in reimbursements, and if that is true then I will be paying back the state that much. I never submitted any expense records nor did I ever recieve any cash reimbursements. I also paid for all my own meals.

Before anyone judges the others, keep in mind that the State Board of Education is a volunteer position and does not pay. It is reasonable that the state pays the expenses of board members who can't pay their own way. If the state didn't reimburse expenses, only wealthy people could serve on the State Board of Education.

Chair Pam Suckla lives in an extremly remote part of Colorado, and she as well as other board members need to stay in hotels in Denver whenever the board meets. In addition to board meetings, there are also other obligations for board members such as conferences. I have not looked at the particulars, but as Senator Johnson and others rightfully act as custodians of our taxpayer money, it's important to keep in mind that many of the expenses listed are probably valid.

Jared Polis
www.polisforcongress.com

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by: Jared Polis @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 18:40:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think it's lame

That it's a volunteer position.  State Board members should get paid

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by: Haners @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 18:47:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the info:

If you value something you pay for it.  These should be paid positions, and travel expenses seem justified.

On a related note if you wanted to get the influence of lobbyists out of politics we would pay for more staff for the house and senate.

Having a half time leg assistant and a part time legislator making $30k means that bills are written by lobbyists and then shopped to friendly legislators.  More professional staff would improve the independence of legislators and decrease the influence of lobbyists  

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 19:43:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I couldn't agree more

Talk about a wise investment. Our democracy in Colorado would be healthier if each legislator had a reasonable budget for professional staff. Currently, lobbyists with a narrow agenda play staff-like roles  and also serve as the institutional memory of the capitol.

Jared Polis

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by: Jared Polis @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 20:54:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I used to support term limits, but now I am not so sure

It elevates lobbyists as institutional memory, without leg council there would be no one other than the lobbyists who have any ties to the past.

I say this as someone who has lobbyist friends (I know you do as well).  I don't think lobbyists are evil.  I think they serve a role: I would just like to strengthen elected officials so they weren't so dependant on them.

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 21:12:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think we should require more votes each term

So at 10 years if they can get 60% of the vote, they still win. So we keep the better ones longer...

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

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by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 22:35:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's a novel idea

Myself I believe that if we stopped Gerrymandering we would prevent the worse abuses. In district drawn to promote incumbancy, members of congress could easily clear that threshhold so it wouldn't help

In the Fed Senate, though there are long serving members, there are fewer (there are a few) insane ones than in the house.

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by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 23:07:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Interesting note

Most incumbents in the senate have their most competitive elections during their attempt at a third term...

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by: Haners @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 23:16:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

so Ken Salazar has nothing to worry about until 2016?

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 00:05:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

And on redistricting...

Here is my proposal.

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

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 00:49:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

competitive C.D.s.......great idea but it aint gonna happen

   In '01, there was a plan proposed to split Denver in half, with an east Denver district combined with Arapahoe County, and west Denver district combined with Jeffco.  
  Both would have leaned Democratic but been competitive.  DeGette put the kabosh on it, screaching about the sanctity of the unified Denver district.
  DeGette would have been elected from the east Denver district, albeit by a narrower.
  Mike Feeley would have defeat Both Ways in the west Denver district.

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 01:37:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It requires the party to stand up to DeGette

Who knows, maybe in '10 it will.

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

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 03:19:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Also against redistricting rules

Communities of like interest, county boundaries, and other simple groupings have priority over competitive districting.  This is a Good Thing.  All in all, Colorado's districts are a fair representation of the population.  Compare this to, say, the Texas GOP gerrymander which ignores the redistricting rules.  (Thank God for the Bush Administration's extra dose of partisanship.)

To fairly represent some regions, competition must come from within the party - though it rarely does.

"We're below sharks and contract killers." -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking on Congress's 9% approval rating

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by: Phoenix Rising @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 04:29:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'd like to see those rules change

The theory is that a district of "like area" gets a rep that matches the area. But what actually happens is because the primary is the only race that matters, it favors reps that are far left or right. So you don't get someone who matches the district.

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

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 04:51:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Sometimes

But often you get the Rep. that the district feels best represents them - at least until incumbency sets in.

The problem of entrenched party interests should be resolved by changing the voting system, not by changing redistricting rules, IMHO.  IRV/Condorcet and more open party-building rules would open some of these districts up to more challengers.  Changing the redistricting rules on the other hand will disenfranchise minority interests who congregate in specific areas.

"We're below sharks and contract killers." -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking on Congress's 9% approval rating

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by: Phoenix Rising @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 06:39:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

But often you get the Rep. that the district feels best represents them

SAy that slowly out loud, and picture Doug Lamborn

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 13:01:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Texas

Texas's gerrymandering by the GOP was in direct relation to the Democrat's gerrymandering in Texas.  The Democrats did it so well that a state that went for Bush with 60% of the vote managed to send a majority of Democrats to congress.  So if you're going to bash the Republicans for their so-called evil gerrymandering, you better bash the Dems too.  At least the Republican's gerrymandering helped align Texas the way it should be.

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by: Haners @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 17:19:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

At least the Republican's gerrymandering helped align Texas the way it should be?

   We have a quaint tradition in this country of ppl. splitting their tickets.  Even I, on very rare occasions, have voted for RINO or two.
  Did you ever think that some Texas voters just might enjoy having a split government with a GOP prez and a Democratic Congress?  (Something about checks and balances.....)
  Just because Bush carried Texas by 60% doesn't mean his party gets 60% of the House seats.  Kerry and Gore carried Maine but Dems got zero percent of the Senate seats.

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 17:52:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What?

This isn't ticket splitting we're talking about, it's gerrymandering.  Under the Texas section of the Almanac for American Politics, it says that Texas was the worst case for gerrymandering in the country and without its creative lines Democrats wouldn't have a majority in the Texas delegation.

Comparing senate seats to house seats isn't comparing apples to apples.  But Bush getting 60% of the vote in a state indicates that Republicans have considerable state-wide strength and should (unless tricky gerrymandering is used) be able to count on at least a simple majority of the House seat allocated to it.

Let's take Maryland for instance.  Due to some creative gerrymandering Republicans held four seats and Democrats held four seats in 2000 even though Gore carried the state 57-40.  I would say that's out of line based on state totals, wouldn't you?  After redistricting, Dems held 6 seats, Reps held 2.  Not exactly in line, but I would say that a 6-2 Dem edge fits Maryland a litte bit better than 4-4.

But maybe that's just me

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by: Haners @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 19:45:17 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maryland is not a good example.....

  Lots of RINOs there.  Voters in Maryland could easily vote for Al Gore for President and a RINO for the U.S. House.  I could see a 4/4 split in the House delegation.
  Ct. is a more extreme example.  Gore carried it by about 65% to 35% (even though it's Bush's real home state).  Yet until Nov. '06, it had three Republicans and only two Dems in its House delegation.  

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by: One Queer Dude @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 20:18:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maryland is a great example

Conneticut isn't because you were dealing with issues of incumbency in that case.

First off, MD doesn't have a lot of RINOs. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd love to take a look. Out of the last few elections, Bob Ehlrich is the only Republican elected to a state-wide office for decades.  Despite his high approval ratings he lost re-election by six points.  Lt. Gov Steele tried to win a senate seat, and faired the best chance in decades of pulling off a win, but he can up short.  If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd love to take a look

But let's look at the state beyond 2006.  In 2002, Democrats captured Erlich's seat when he vacated it because it was redistricted to be more Democratic.  Rep. Morrella (a RINO by any standards) was unseated by Van Hollen-again in part to redistricting.

Maryland was gerrymandered in 1990, but when the lines were evened out in 2001, the congressional delegation began to reflect Maryland's state wide voting habits.

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by: Haners @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 20:59:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

When I volunteered with Rep. Morgan Carroll...

..I quickly became apalled at the low budget the legs get for office and staff.  One person at maybe $12/hr can't even work full time during the session using the allocated funds.  Often, leges pay for paper and other supplies out of pocket.  

I remember one cranky guy that called up.  He was upset at the state budget and equally upset that Rep. Carroll hadn't gotten back to him.

Rep. Carroll has a loyal and enthusiastic following that donated probably 30 hours a week.  I think that the state should fund at least 60 hours a week paid assistants.

Of course, this makes your representative democracy hungry for basic needs, which the late Republican legislature was only too happy to permit via lobbyists donating to "office funds."

Riiiiiiiiight......  

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

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by: parsingreality @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 02:05:31 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

My mom faces the same thing in Hawaii

She pays for quite a bit of the staff out of her own pocket. Anyone who is poor and in the legislature is facing a giant disadvantage in terms of accomplishing anything.

I think they should have 3 full-time people minimum.

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

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by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 03:20:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If only we cared about good governance

Legislators get $30k per year for what effectively becomes their full-time job.  Most workers can't just take half a year off to be a Rep. or Senator - the salary's ridiculous.

Staff funding is likewise pitiful.  We expect good bills and good representation to come from a half-paid legislator and a poorly paid staff worker, and then wonder why they sometimes fall short of the mark.

"We're below sharks and contract killers." -- Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), speaking on Congress's 9% approval rating

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by: Phoenix Rising @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 04:34:11 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'd be shocked

if Johnson hadn't gotten approval from Schaffer before going forward with this. The last thing either of those guys need is another GOP meltdown in Larimer County.  

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Nietzsche  

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by: twas brillig @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 16:18:30 PM UTC

More likely

this effort is an attempt to rein in the new Commissioner of Education who is pushing strongly for several reforms. By harassing the BoE, Johnson might be able to thwart some of his less-acceptable plans, possibly even cut school funding by showing how "irresponsible" the BoE is. I would be willing to bet the $25,000 reimbursement was to one of the Dem members of the BoE.

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by: oldbogus @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 16:59:17 PM UTC

$25K was for the Chair

Pamela-Jo Suckla, chairwoman of the Board received the $25K.  She is a Republican.  She says the expenses were for her travel to and from Durango (she's from Cortez).

Link to Rocky story:
http://www.rockymountainnews.c...

Also, pertaining to a post above, Polis recieved $997 in expenses.

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by: Roger D @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 17:04:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My prediction is we will now get control of the State Board of Education with Suckla changing parties.

Some discuss in the capitol that Suckla has a new friend on the board, Elaine Berman and has quietly been working with the Democrats and against the pugs.  Is Suckla possibly thinking to change parties?  Some think so. That gives Berman the chairwoman's position and gives us control of the State Board! This BONEHEAD move by Johnson may be the final straw that persuades Suckla to do the right thing to change parties and to elect Elaine Berman as the new chairwoman.    

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by: TheBlueBoy @ Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 05:10:46 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

A Senate candidate is probably toast

If Johnson made the inquiry most likely Evie Hudak is the one they are targeting.  

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by: Hates Colorado Corruption @ Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 23:44:26 PM UTC