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November 25, 2009 07:31 PM UTC

Media Not Buying McInnis, GOP Platform Duck and Dodge

  • 34 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

We noted yesterday that while the Republican “Contract for Colorado” “Platform for Prosperity” might be a good political move to get voters to believe that the GOP actually has a plan, the meat of the “Platform” was a little weak.

We aren’t the only ones asking just how GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis plans to fix Colorado’s budget crisis with mystical new cuts and no plan for bringing in new revenue. Even conservative Denver Post columnist Vincent Carroll is having a hard time with McInnis’ vague answers:

If McInnis wants to establish a new level of seriousness in political campaigns, however, he’s got to do more than rail against the current administration’s tax hikes and regulatory excesses, and disdain for voter-approved amendments. He ought to explain how he’d balance the budget and make needed investments, too. After all, even the most pro-jobs governor can’t wave a wand and repeal the business cycle.

If he intends to roll back auto-registration fees, for example, how would he repair Colorado’s decrepit bridges, or get a handle on the backlog of road maintenance? How would he invest in infrastructure without going to voters with fees, taxes or tolls? [Pols emphasis]

“I can’t drive the machine until I get the keys to the machine . . . ,” McInnis told me Tuesday. “We won’t even know what we’re facing until after the legislative session. . . . What we can talk about are basic premises.”

I received essentially the same dodge when I asked him about support for higher education, which could plummet when federal stimulus funds expire.

Not only is McInnis determined to spare taxpayers when balancing the budget and shoring up highway or higher-ed spending, he even opposes an extension of Referendum C’s timeout on TABOR refunds – a position that could come back to haunt him if the economy heats up.

McInnis talks as if he will identify major waste or inefficiencies once he dives into the budget and reviews property leases, credit card use, management of state lands and buildings, and so forth. This is unlikely, to say the least. When pressed, he volunteers that more dramatic reform is inevitable. “We are going to have to do with less,” he says. “We are going to have to make very hard decisions between what we want and what we need. . . . We are going to have to downsize.”

Yes, we are – absent new sources of revenue or a visit from a very wealthy leprechaun. And at some point next summer or fall, McInnis should be expected to tell us how. [Pols emphasis]

We’ve seen a noticeable change from the media in recent months in regards to how they cover politicians and their talking points about the budget. Reporters and columnists are no longer letting them get away with broad generalities about how “we need to just cut more” without saying exactly what we could cut that hasn’t already been decimated. Politicians are no longer getting away with boldly claiming “no new taxes” when the stark reality is that Colorado needs some kind of new revenue, and soon.

So kudos to those reporters and other media folks who are keeping a closer eye on the reality of our state’s troubled budget and ignoring empty statements. Telling the public that we can just cut our way out of the problem and won’t need new revenue isn’t just disingenuous — it’s downright dangerous. Whoever ends up as Governor in 2011 is going to have a lot of work to do, and they are going to need the support of the general public to turn the budget around.

UPDATE: More editorial boards weigh in after the jump.

The Durango Herald:

It is only natural that the platform endorses job creation, defends home schooling, calls for denying funding for any organization that provides abortion, promises to support gun rights, end fraud and waste, and combat illegal immigration. That is a Republican definition of good government.

And it is understandable that it promises support for health-care reforms such as allowing insurance to be sold across state lines, which reflect federal laws not up to the governor at all. It is, after all, a campaign document.

But when it comes to money, McInnis needs to be more specific in the coming months. How, for example, can the platform promise to invest more on roads, bridges and water systems, as well as on higher education and work-force training, and create a rainy day fund – while at the same time promising not to raise taxes or increase fees?

The math is inexorable. The economic downturn has left Colorado with a stark choice. We can increase state government’s revenue or we can further reduce the services it provides. And at the point where things are now, that means serious cuts to education, prisons, transportation and other core functions of state government.

The conservative Grand Junction Sentinel:

One can certainly make a reasoned argument that the nursing facility at the Regional Center should have been lower on the governor’s budget-cutting priority list. But that raises inevitable questions: What should have been cut instead? And where would McInnis cut now to meet the state’s requirement for a balanced budget when revenue is declining?

The former congressman from Grand Junction has said he wants to keep state taxes low, improve Colorado’s business atmosphere, examine some of the financial instruments the state uses to see if potential savings can be found and conduct a program-by-program assessment of state services to eliminate waste. But there have been few specific proposals for cuts to date…

The platform also pledges to roll back the highly unpopular increase in vehicle registration fees approved by the Legislature this year with Gov. Ritter’s backing. But the platform also says Republicans will make investing in roads and bridges a top priority.

Voters deserve to know how McInnis and the Republicans plan to make road and bridge investments a priority if they are going to reduce a major source of highway funding.

And as you can imagine, liberal Denver Post columnist Mike Littwin’s piece today is more or less a slaughter. Not that we’re trying to unfairly color your opinion, but it turns out the “Contract for Colorado” “Platform for Prosperity” isn’t exactly the shot heard ’round the world–is it?

Comments

34 thoughts on “Media Not Buying McInnis, GOP Platform Duck and Dodge

  1. If we are going to get better governance, people have to know what the candidates plan to actually do about the budget crisis.  I am very glad reporters are asking.

    1. That conservative columnists couldn’t even take it seriously. I mean, Vincent Carrol and the Sentinal Ed Board probably want Ritter to lose more than anyone in the state, don’t they? And even they couldn’t defend this empty shell of and “idea.”

      I wonder what the the Pueblo Chieftain Ed Board will have to say about it. If they come out critical as well, my head might explode. Although they will probably blame Ritter for it.  

      1. But they also know that the budget crisis is truly a crisis, and they know that this kind of blather doesn’t help fix things. As we said, kudos to them for putting the bigger picture ahead of politics here.

    2. Yeah, that’s going to fly with the press and public…

      Look: we can’t give you the keys to the machine until you at least pass a driver’s test! And question no. 1 is: How are you possibly going to pay for what you’re promising?

  2. If you think McInnis is vague on his plans, how about the 3 plus years of Governing from under his desk…Bill Ritter.  It’s not that Scott has such great plans it’s that Ritter has proven he has nothing…and will lose because of it.

    Have I mentioned that his campaign is actually being run worse than McInnis as well.  By the same people that tried to sell us Racinos…

    1. Ritter has his faults, which we’ve not been afraid to point out, but you can’t say with a straight face that he hasn’t been trying to fix the budget and hasn’t been making tough cuts.

      The problem with the Prosperity/McInnis plan is that it is completely illogical. You can’t cut more yet add services at the same time without new revenue.  

      1. and trying his damnedest to balance the budget suggests that there isn’t a budget problem at all.  Right?  Because if we can’t spend in deficit and Ritter hasn’t been fixing anything and the state hasn’t shut down, there must not be a problem.  If there’s no problem, in this economy, then Democrats are doing a fantastic job.  If guesswho wants to encourage us, don’t argue.

        It must be fun to go through life spouting talking points.  You don’t have to waste so much time with that thinking stuff.

        1. that Ritter has been the grown up in this period of economic uncertainty and is trying to keep government functioning with different approaches like the eight days of yearly furlough for state government employees.

          If the Dems. are smart about this they can campaign on being pragmatic budget hawks while championing a better future that overs more than roads to nowhere and drilling in every backyard.  Our future economy is at stake and the drive to build a sustainable future should be a better sell than going back to oil and gas dependency which got us in this pickle in the first place.

    2. I hear the inner workings of Ritter’s campaign are a huge mess. I’d like to see how that start’s working out now that he has to actually start campaigning.

      Besides if Ritter wasn’t a little bit worried he wouldn’t have held two press conferences, one right after the other to address this whole GOP thing.

      It’s gonna get interesting.  

  3. Governing is easy in Scott McInnis’ mind.  Asked by the Denver Post how he would plug a $1 billion budget shortfall, McInnis channeled his inner Sarah Palin.  His solutions?  “Place job growth as the top priority”, “restore respect for Colorado taxpayers”, “improve (government) program performance” and, “create a rainy day fund”.  

    That wasn’t so hard, now was it?  Finding himself with spare time, he could move on to other fields.  I imagine McInnis’ financial planning advice would be to “buy low, sell high”.  His universal coaching advice for any sports team would be to “score more points than your opponent.”

    In the real world, balancing a state budget in today’s environment requires hard choices bound to leave most, if not all constituents, dissatisfied.  Any politician, like Scott McInnis, who suggests otherwise is not telling you the truth.

    1. job growth + respect for taxpayers + improve government + rainy day fund = 1 BILLION DOLLAR SAVINGS.

      I didn’t know vague platitudes created so much value !

  4. Oh this is horrible, requiring politicians to back up their empty platitudes with facts. What happened to the good old days of increased services, lower taxes, and a chicken in every pot.

    Seriously, this is a wonderful improvement. And I think part of it is due to the blogosphere. Reporters are people (yes, they really are) and they don’t want to be held up to public ridicule. With the blogosphere as widespread as it is, criticism of their writing is now widely disseminated.

    So we now have the reporters digging in because better to have one annoyed politician than a boatload of blog entries poking legitimate holes in the story.

  5. with a couple of hard core Republicans. They were shaking their heads derisively at McInnis’ lame effort so far. One said “he used to be impressive”. They both complained about the overemphasis on moral/social issues.

    Interestingly, they were both equally dismissive of GOP chances Vs. Bennet.

  6.    Chris Christie got elected in New Jersey following this same strategy that Scooter is now trying here.  Talk about the need to cut government spending without actually identifying any the candidate would make.

      One difference that Colorado Dems have going for us.  Bill Ritter, fortunately, is not Jon Corzine.  

  7. Looks like Josh Penry won out in the end.  Just bitch and make sure you do not offer anything that might be construed as a solution for Colorado’s budget problems has been his MO …like forever. Now it is the “party” plan.  Complete with social engineering planks.  I’ma think’n Penry managed to sabotage the McInnis campaign after all.  And in the end, 4 years is a little shorter wait than 8.

    “We can’t be the finger-waving party,” said Penry.  But of course, white flags and teabagger pitchforks are permitted if it advances Penry’s needs.

  8. When asked what he would do, Mr. McInnis responded that “I can’t drive the machine unitl I get the keys to the machine” and then evaded Mr. Carroll by alleging “we won’t even know what we have until after the legislative session.”  His statements pose the following questions and conclusions:

    1. Since Mr. McInnis admits he will be clueless about what to do until after the 2010 legislative session, how can he sign on to the Platform for Prosperity that clearly enunciates his plan to simultaneously cut revenue and increase spending on transportation, education and higher education? In essence, he has admitted he doesn’t know what to do. He is simply trying to buy time to try and make the equation contained in the Platform for Prosperity work. It never will.

    2. Since he won’t know what to do until sometime after the legislative session adjourns sine die in May 2010, does  that mean he will be willing to rewrite the Platform for Prospertiy if circumstances change by then? He apparently is admitting the whole Republican platform is subject to change next summer.

    Two examples of his dilemma exists right under his nose in Jefferson County and throughout Colorado’s public univeristies and colleges. This week the Jefferson County School Board announced it has a projected $20 million deficit. The board is considering closing several schools to plug the hole in the budget. That will increase class size when the students are transferred to other JeffCo schools. How does Mr. McInnis propose to, not just solve this problem, but stop the Republican Party from exacerbating through the Platform for Prosperity which, if implemented, will require even more Jefferson County schools to close because the Republican platform and Mr. McInnis promise cuts in property taxes, one of the primary sources of revenues for our K-12 schools?

    Second, our colleges and universities. Once the Stimulus money is gone next year, if there isn’t another source of revenue to replace it, the Univeristy of Colorado will be facing an immediate 20% hike in tution just to brake even, while Colorado State University and other public colleges will be facing an immediate 50% tuition increase just to break even. How does Mr. McInnis propose to stop the Republican Platform for Prosperity from requiring even steeper tuition increases when he has endorsed that platform which requires role back of property taxes and license fees which will put extreme pressure on the state to move money out of higher education to other programs like highways and roads which are also going to be substantially cut by the Platform for Prosperity? Hiding behind a false and artificial date that the answers will be clear next summer is, on its face, silly and an evasion because the numbers in the Republican platform don’t add up on November 25, 2009 and they won’t make sense next Summer.

    What Mr. McInnis has done is make a deal with the devil (the right wing extremists who sill control the Republican Party in Colorado) for the sole purpose of locking-up the Republican nomination for governor. He has made a deal to defund state government because of all the fiscal items listed in the so called platform, the Republican Party wants tax cuts above all because that means, without stating it directly, that under the present circumstances our institutions of higher education, our K-12 schools and our transportation systme funding will be devastated which is exactly what the right-wing Republicans want.

    This is not a conservative or a traditional Republican platform by any stretch of the imagination. Edmund Burke, an 18th century Englishman, supporter of the American REvolution, one of the greatest conservatives of all time and the one who we have traditionally acknowledged as the individual who defined what a true conservative statesman said: “A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman.” Destroying our institutions, the same ones that we created over the past four hundred years and the same ones that helped raise this country into being the greatest economic power on earth, isn’t a formula for success and future prosperity. It is radical extremism attempting to take advantage of the fear and anxiety all of us are experiencing because of our economic plight.      

    1. I don’t think you should give the car keys to anyone who doesn’t understand how to drive a car.

      We’re not asking for his long bill or even a highly detailed statement, just some broad plans that have some attachment to logic.

      Cut taxes, build roads, keep tuition stable, don’t cut state services, build a rainy day fund, is such a ridiculous plan that no one, not even the most fawning columnist buys it.

      Even Republicans who support McInnis, palm there face and shake their head if they understand even basic mathematics.    

    2. Google rewards longevity. So next November the articles written now will come in at the top of the searches – and that’s what people will read before casting their vote.

      Even better, write this as a diary and we can link to it using McInnis’ name for the link and push these posts to the very top.

        1. You haven’t read much by David Thi808 if you think he doesn’t have a life.

          He appears to have a very rich, fulfilling and MEANINGFUL life.

          With the possible exception of his infatuation with Russian Pop YouTube videos.

          1. successful entrepreneur. check

            Beat cancer. check

            Survived raising three girls. check

            a blogger successful enough to get interviews with top tier politicians. check

            I’d call that a pretty impressive plate.

            (Ok I admit it, I’m a bit of a Thielen fan boy)

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