U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
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(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
Sec. of State
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(D) A. Gonzalez
(D) George Stern
(R) Sheri Davis
50%↑
40%
30%
State Treasurer
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(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
30%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Somebody
80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Somebody
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
October 23, 2008 05:35 AM UTC
45 Comments
…a well written (sorry Libertad) diary on each side of each amendment.
get real redstate
to dealing with a real issue. Offer no solutions and attack Democrats.
The counterpart to this “cartoon” is the adult saying that he is giving all the candy to the rich kids and they need to see if the rich kids will trickle down some of the candy to to them.
Is there more meaningless term than “compassionate conservative”. These people who like to brag about how morally superior they are hate the idea of helping those less fortunate than themselves. Where is their vaunted private solutions to deal with this issue? Where are the magnificent mega churches with their millionaire preachers?
The conservative movement is morally bankrupt and now totally based on personal selfishness. What greedy selfish jerks.
Just kidding.
But I would like to hear more about your idea that you can’t pay for spending increases by cutting programs and budget lines.
I think if we actually took a red pen and just started cutting the fat out of the budget, we could save the $150 million this would generate.
Or, why not try to get the money from the Feds? They can afford $700 billion to bail out Wall St., but they can’t afford a fraction of that to help those who need it?
but it isn’t adequate to cover the need. It is my opinion that the share of federal dollars will actually shrink in the future as Congress struggles to come up with a balanced budget.
Of course we can pare down non-performing governmental programs and replace them with new ones but that doesn’t mean we have to rule out new taxes like Amendment 51. It doesn’t cost much individually but it helps families in need who are dealing with issues that can be just crushing. They have to deal with additional costs over and above those of average households.
One other aspect of cutting spending is that the pro-life conservatives will want to get tax cuts instead of new programs.
Amendment 51 is as straight forward a tax as you can get. It will be used for a specific purpose and the beneficiaries are clearly identified. If you want to help these families vote yes.
agree with you Gilpin Guy. Having worked with people with developmental disabilities in Illinois prior to moving to Colorado, I was shocked to learn that there is a “wait list” here for services. We should be embarassed and remedy this situation immediately.
You present a well reasoned argument.
Every state has wait lists for everything. We have children dropping out of school because the school is so bad, we have people with medical problems and no insurance that are waiting for needed care, we have unemployeed looking for and unable to find jobs, the list goes on and on.
Saying there is a “wait list” is a reason to fund something will requires taxes of about 250% of our income & wealth. There will always be wait lists for everything.
my aunt has downs syndrome and there was no wait list in Illinois for service for her…
What happens to the person with autism that GG speaks of if, God forbid, something were to happen to his parents? Would he be on the streets?
Perhaps we could put him in prision…no wait lists there.
And yes I think we need to have the state help. My point was the argument that we need to eliminate all waiting lists – there isn’t enough money to do that across all needs.
I do think this should be able to stand on it’s own in the legislative budget. But TABOR has reduced taxes so much that we are left having to choose between serious needs because we can’t even cover all of those.
I’d love to see TABOR go away. Given that it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, something must be done.
Those with disabilities are the easiest group to cut services to at budget time because they can’t afford lobbyists–and most don’t vote.
I generally don’t care much for amendments, but I see no other alternative at this point.
Incidentally, perhaps I should have been clearer in my “wait list” reference….I was only referencing waiting lists for services for people with disabilities. Other people are more equipped to advocate for themselves…all too often those with disabilities are unable to advocate on their own behalf.
If on balance this did more good than harm I should certainly have supported it. But I think that for low income families the harm done by this tax will be greater than the good done for the developmentally disabled. If they come back with an income tax increase next time around and I’ll support it, though I would rather have an general increase to put money in the general fund rather than targeted increases.
I will always vote against increases in the state sales tax. The only sort of sales taxes that I might support are ones targeting particular products, for example if there were an increase in the tax on cigarettes to pay from the portion of fire protection needed due to them. Or on spray paint to fund graffiti removal.
But I am against all further sales tax increases.
I already voted, and voted no. Sales taxes are bad for local merchants (people will just mail order their goods) and they’re bad for Real People. There’s a recession going on. Why should we make everything cost more?
thats $.20 on $100 and $2.00 on $1000 so that people with disabilities have access to community services. The postage and handling would amount to more than that.
There’s cheap and then their is just stingy…
n/t
Every cent counts. Doing the math, there are about 150,000 households below the poverty level in Colorado. If you’re taking just $10 a year from each of them, a modest assumption, that is $1.5 million taken from poor people. Not to mention the modest knock on effects where some of them may end up with less income due to a slower local economy.
It is a bad idea to raise sales taxes no matter how good the cause. If I could I would reduce the sales tax in Colorado to 0% and increase the income tax rate to compensate.
While most on this board agree that amending the constitution is not the way to fix the evil that is TABOR we must recognize what a dearth of opportunities are out there for these people. The need is great. We currently address it worse than MS and AL. I hate being in that tier and would most like to be in the tier with WI, MN, etc.
….ahem…Amend. 51 would NOT amend the constitution.
Thank you for your attention.
We already have the highest taxes ever in our history. Do you believe for a second we need to tax more? How about hiring people to oversee where the money is spent. There is plenty of money to go around without generating more taxes.
I’m really upset at my fellow Americans that want to vote for Obama. With his ideals, you will be paying more than you are now, unless you’re poor and depending off the government for your survival.
This country is not communist, we don’t promote socialism. With Obama, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.
Everyone else living off of your labor, your time, your life’s earnings.
One more thing… Our economy has fallen apart in many different areas. What nobody pays attention to is that its largely not the governments fault nor responsibility for this. You, I and workers around the world are responsible. The last time our economy boomed was the last time we innovated. The .com era. You want to blame somebody, blame yourselves for not creating, for not busting your balls getting things done. Light that fire under your bottom and create, innovate… if you vote obama, and all your efforts of innovation and creativity are spent on people who haven’t applied themselves, that fire will be extinguished and there will be no desire to innovate, create and improve anything. Nobama. Preserve Democracy, not socialism.
This guy copies and pastes his posts. We have a new shill!
First off, taxes are no where near the levels they were when Reagan entered office – they’re much lower.
Second, the giant increase in spending has come from the Republicans – Bush & the Republican Congress. If you want to reduce spending, the clear choice is Obama.
Third, speaking as someone who has worked in the .COM industry for the last 30 years – Bush & the Republicans have been a disaster for our industry. Clinton was great and Obama is likely to also be great.
So if you want to innovate, create, improve, and preserve Democracy – the choice is clear – vote Obama.
Everything you just said is without fact.
Everywhere I talk to Democrats have blinders on, refusing to see the truth of anything, or even investigate your own beliefs to make sure they are accurate.
You go on calling me a troll or a shill, whatever those terms are to embellish your own self esteem by labeling someone else. So what if I just signed up on this site. From the looks of it, this is a lackey site that only accepts opinions of like minds. No challenges welcome and no information to back up their claims, and its totally fruitless to post here because it seems the minds are not capable of discussion, just self promotion and putting other people down.
Now please go away, and let the grown ups talk.
We accept the opinions of people who demonstrate original thought and analysis.
You just called an experienced businessman a liar. Pray tell, what experience do you have to refute the words of an internet CEO?
My statements above on taxes & spending are verifibly true. When you try to claim up is down it then casts zero credibility on the rest of your statements.
Until recently, the repeating of lies has worked pretty well for Bush.
I notice you waited a full 22 minutes between when you registered and when you posted above.
While that’s longer than most trolls wait before posting, it’s still hardly enough time to determine who is ignorant and who is not.
The only thing “Like” about the minds here is that nearly all of them are good minds. Among the regular posters, the ones who take their time to think and make intelligent posts, there is a real diversity of opinion. And much honest discourse.
Note I said “nearly all.” You’re pulling down the average.
This wasn’t an open thread. It was a thread on Amendment 51, which meant that your “Nobama” post was off topic.
But if you had taken some time to read the threads here, you probably would have realized that.
then make the most of it. For I would rather be called a socialist than to be a lickspittle, a courtier, flattering the few who have been lucky enough to become rich.
Innovation is often just like scratching in the earth for gold. For sure the one man who strikes it rich got the gold by the sweat of his own brow, but did all the others who found none work less? No! Luck has much to do with success and it is right and just in our society that we should take measures to insure that all hard working people have their basic needs met even should the tide of life be against them.
Is it socialism to recognize that not all things can be done by the free market? I think it is not. It is the mixed system that can have great success and allow for all the achievement and riches, but making sure that all pay their fair share. Making sure that everyone has a chance and that everyone who takes the chance, who works hard, will not be left destitute should their business fail. We need the net just as much as any trapeze artist.
No to those who would dismantle Social Security, Medicare, and the rest. No to the people who would dismantle government to give all power to the corporations and their masters. This is America, not the United States of Ayn Rand. No to McCain and Republicans!
in the twisted minds of those who believe in creationism.
Welfare for the rich and redistribution of income upwards is good. Sharing the costs of failed institutions and socializing the bailout of our economy is good. Helping the poor and those who can not help themselves through no fault of their own is bad.
Does this “Worship the Rich and Screw the Poor” ideology sound downright anti-American to anyone else?
Not quite.
Try a marginal tax rate of 91% on incomes over $400,000. That was the tax rate under REPUBLICAN President Dwight Eisenhower.
http://www.toomuchonline.org/a…
Suggestion: Log off your computer. Study. Get your facts straight. Then rejoin us when you have something to share.
The average income for Americans in 1955 was around $4,000 a year.
then how do you help this group within our community that can not help themselves? A lot of times the mom has to quit her job to take care of the child. The chances that a developmentally disabled person will be able to hold down a full time job and pay taxes are extremely low.
Do we just pass a law making ultrasounds required and any fetus detected to have a birth defect gets the automatic abortion? Maybe we can be real Republicans and criminalize birth defects so that they can’t happen like they want to do with unwanted pregnancies.
I’m open to any ideas for dealing with this long term situation but everyone in the state kicking in fifty bucks a year to help doesn’t sound unfair to me.
if taxes are evil, then I guess all of these anti-tax folks can scream, “Get away Socialist!” when the fire department shows up to put out the fire at their homes…
Or perhaps we should stand across the street and scream, “Hypocrites!” at them as the fire department puts out the fire…
we could bill women for evidence kits if they get raped. It’s not my fault they got raped so they should pay to preserve the evidence needed to convict the rapist. What a brilliant idea. I could probably run for mayor somewhere with that kind of compassionate conservatism. By God there are so many things I shouldn’t contribute to to have a civilized society.
Of course there is that story told in Luke 16 that regards materialism in a different light:
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Eli Cohen has autism. This means he cannot communicate his thoughts or feelings. I can’t imagine the frustration, but I have seen what he does to let you know there is a problem. He hits himself. He uses his fists, and he hits himself in the head. Each impact creates a distinct thud. When he was younger his mother, Betty, would try to stop him. She is a petite woman. Eli accidentally broke her nose and knocked her unconscious more than once. Eli’s doctor told Betty not to interfere when he was hitting himself, and that is what she told me, although my instincts called out for me to do something. Sometimes his blows draw blood. It would break your heart.
I would like to think that the people of Colorado are the type of people who would pass a statute such as Amendment 51. This ballot measure would provide services for children and adults with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism. Most other states provide these services.
When you think of what you buy with your money, when you think about reducing human suffering, you can’t get a better return than in teaching an autistic child to speak, or a young adult with cerebral palsy to work.
The ballot measure would cost citizens two cents on a ten dollar purchase. It is actually fiscally irresponsible to not pay for these therapies, because if we pay for therapy early in life, many of the disabled can be mainstreamed–they can get jobs and not need lifelong services. To say nothing of the vast increase in the happiness of their lives, their dignity, and their self-esteem.
If you don’t know a family with a disabled person, this may seem like a distant problem, like hunger in Africa, but it is right here in your neighborhood, in your Colorado. Most of the parents of children with disabilities have exhausted their savings and retirement accounts and face a bleak future.
Amendment 51 was put on the ballot by parents. They don’t have enough money for television ads, and passage is in doubt. That is why I am writing. I am hoping to use the grass roots power of the internet to substitute for television ads. I am asking you to forward this email to your lists. And then I am asking the people who get the forward to forward again, and on and on, until every person in Colorado realizes that a vote for 51 is a fabulous opportunity to get the most value out of an extremely small investment.
The advertising this election season has been almost abusive, not to the candidates so much (they signed up for the ordeal) but for all of us who have to watch it. It tends to make you hardened and cynical. Everyone is asking for something, and many are doing the asking with untruths.
I’m thinking now of Carol Meredith another mom with a son who has autism. Carol has spent every minute of her time trying to convince people to vote for 51. She is using up her energy and health. Amendment 51 is true. The disabled really do exist. They really need services. They really aren’t getting them. It would really be an unselfish, pure act for Colorado to pass this kind of legislation. Among all the sordid lies of this election season, let’s do this one good thing. If we don’t do it, who will?
Now would be a good time to forward this along. Rather than later.
..why are you quoting that weird guy Ken Gordon? He gives me the shivers! I thought his day in the sun was over and we wouldn’t have to suffer him any more.
were germane to the discussion. Too bad you only see the messenger and not the message.
yourself from time to time, GG.
However, I do agree that Gordon’s views are germane. I do not, however, agree with his contention, made elsewhere, that “If you don’t vote for Amendment 51, you don’t have a heart.”
Amendment 51 is a $185 million fiscal earmark with no standards or accountability attached. Good intentions alone do not fiscal responsibility make.
when I have an open shot.
Not to belabor the point but what do you suggest we do bob? I’m not trying to have a hate fest here. I just want to find out how you think we should handle this issue? Do abandon these families with a shrug of the shoulders or is there some sort of solution that you know of that I don’t see?
like everyone else. I suggest you make your case for ranking your priorities against everybody else. Yes, and vote for amendment 59 so we can restore integrity to the budget process. But just to casually double the appropriration adding $185 million a year without any real demonstration that you need all of that and with no real accountability, no. It’s certainly a striking coincidence that the need just happens to coincide exactly with the revenue produced by a 0.2 percent tax increase. And I also suggest that you not assume that everybody who votes against this amendment is a heartless scumbag who hates the developmentally disabled. It’s not quite that simple. In fact, when I met with the 51 backers, they presented some supposed fiscal tradeoffs with alleged savings down the line that had simple, embarrassing mistakes (applying inflation factors to one part of a ratio without applying it to the other part, as one egregious example.) There was no rigor in their analysis, just a tug at the heart strings.
Of course, if you win on Nov. 4, more power to you. The race goeth not always to the number crunchers.
by stating that there is no real demonstration of need without an real accountability bob. There are currently more than 9700 people with developmental disabilities on the state waiting list for services. The services that are needed range from simple cooking of meals to complex training. The costs for providing help range from $20,000 to $90,000 a year. If you take the low end of that range then the yearly total is 194 million which is more than what is requested. When the parent group responsible for Amendment 51 went before the state legislature last year they got eight (8) million. With the reality of TABOR, Amendment 51 is a doable way to receive funding to help this group of people at a low cost per taxpayer.
I also question how you can claim that there will be no accountability. The group is clearly defined and the funds specifically designated. Guidelines for disbursement can always be improved but the parents of these kids will be the best auditors you could ever hire. They want the money to be spent to help improve the lives of these kids and they won’t stand for it to be wasted.
More troubling to me are your cavalier statements that “egregious” errors have been found and this isn’t about pulling heart strings. I assume that you earn a good living as a successful journalist and are an intelligent person. If you are not a heartless scumbag then what did you do to help these parents when you discovered errors in their equations? Did you show them how to correct them? Did you recommend someone that they could go to who could help them? What did you do to show them that you have an awareness of their situation and that you have the capacity to share from your abundant life? If this isn’t about pulling heart strings and recognizing that there but by the grace of God go I then I can only assume that you have more in common with the wicked witch of the west.
…you’re right. But when spreading a message, you must be mindful of the messenger. Pick the wrong person and he distracts from your message (or, worse, harms the credibility of your cause).