February 18, 2011 10:26 PM UTC

Romanoff for Governor 2014?

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• by: nancycronk

Update on Education protests:

Protesters are encouraged to attend the rally at the CO State Capitol on Tuesday, 2/22 at noon, organized in solidarity with WI workers. Say YES to labor; say NO to education budget cuts, EVERYWHERE.

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Let me be the first volunteer.

It appears Governor Hickenlooper would rather decimate our schools than raise taxes on corporations, or for the wealthy. That is unacceptable. http://www.coloradopols.com/di…  If this is a preview of the next four years, I’m not buying.

Carol Hedges, Director of Colorado’s Fiscal Policy Institute, says it much better than this grassroots organizer ever could:

“The proposed spending cuts will also hit college students hard, as state spending per student will be $878 per student less than last year. The result will be increases in tuition and fees that will make a college degree out of the question for literally hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents. (Emphasis mine.) Unemployment in Colorado is already at a 28-year high – it’s hard to imagine how our state will recover if we don’t invest in an educating our future workforce.

“Our state government simply needs more revenue to do the things Coloradans expect, and voters have the power to change our future.”

The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, is pursuing a measure for the state’s November 2011 election that would increase revenue and make the state’s tax system more fair. A key feature is a restructuring of the state personal income tax, establishing six income brackets with six rates and resulting in all Coloradans investing a similar share of their income to support education and other vital community services.

Coloradans can learn more about the tax proposal and sign up to show support at our website. http://www.cclponline.org/fisc…

Bennet worked with us on health care reform beginning early in ’09 and I became a loyal supporter, donating thousands of hours building grassroots support for him over two years (I have no money but I have a few friends). Bloggers, activists and politicos in Colorado know I worked my ass off for Michael Bennet in 2009 and 2010. I created countless facebook pages for the guy, had some events, and blasted his accomplishments using social media.

I never disliked Romanoff. I just paid Michael Bennet a debt of gratitude for going to bat for millions of Americans without health care.

I’m hoping if I pledge myself to a Romanoff for Governor campaign, Hick might notice. Or maybe someone who works for him. Or maybe just a few other Bennetistas on Pols.

As my old Ritter campaign friend and Hick campaign staffer Matthew Derrington will attest, I volunteered for Hickenlooper a little. Not much, but he had my support. I worked hard on GOTV, which benefited all Dems. I have Hickenlooper signs still in my house, and a sticker on my car.

This is not a reaction to left-wing radio; i haven’t listened to them in months. I’m not influenced at all by David Sirota or Mario what’s-his-name. They haven’t been here long, so when they pretend to know about Colorado, I just laugh. (I’m not a native myself, but I’ve been here more than twenty years now, for whatever that’s worth.) I’m joining anyone’s bandwagon. I couldn’t care less about the noise corporate dollars buy on the airwaves.

This is not a threat. This is a notice to the Governor — if there is one sacred part of the Democratic platform, it is education. Supporting education is on the short list of every Democratic party platform at every level, in every state of this country. It always has been, and it always will be. Why? Because education is the food that grows the state. Without quality education, we become like a third-world country. I grew up in the Detroit area; I don’t want to see decay happen to my beloved CO, as well.

We’re not going to sit idly by and watch our Governor cut our schools down to the quick without a fight. If Governor Hickenlooper thinks he can cut education funding drastically, and the grassroots will not organize against those cuts, he’s wrong. If he does cut education before considering raising taxes, we start begging Andrew Romanoff to run for Governor in 2014. And we start hitting the streets.

This is also a challenge — Governor, I want you to succeed. I’d rather be volunteering for “Re-elect Hickenlooper” than “Romanoff for Governor” in 2014. (I’d like to see Andrew Romanoff run for something and win, too.) I want all of our Democrats to succeed. But much more important than any election is our principles… principles like believing in education as a pillar of democracy.

And while I’m at it, I challenge all of our State Party Chair candidates and Denver Mayoral candidates, as well. If you want us to believe in you, to follow you, to support you, and to elect you, lead us out of this budget mess without cutting education. Speak out in favor of raising taxes, go on television and radio every single day and denounce TABOR — do whatever it takes — but take a stand for not cutting education.

If the threat of Andrew made Bennet run to the left, as Romanoff supporters have said so often, imagine what he could do for Hickenlooper. What do you say, Andrew?

Who’s with me? Meet me on facebook and let’s plan this thing.