February 20, 2009 05:32 PM UTC

Dobson Takes Sudden Interest In Fiscal Responsibility

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• by: Colorado Pols

Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family is taking its inevitable opposition to Senate Bill 88 to Colorado radio this week. SB-88, which would provide health benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees, is being hit with much less sensationalist spin than recent Focus state legislative efforts–compare this new, relatively dry ad (click below) to last year’s hysterical fearmongering over SB08-200, the dreaded “bathroom bill.”

http://coloradopols.com/wp-content/uploads/old_images…

(.MP3, 30 seconds)

We’re not going to get into the specific numbers cited by Focus in this ad, except to say that fiscal impact estimates for legislation are prepared by nonpartisan state employees–and kill by realistic estimates far more bills than they “lowball.” Even most Republicans will agree with this statement, having been on the long and short end of these estimates themselves.

But as for Focus on the Family, you have to ask yourself: are these the people who should be lecturing you about smart fiscal choices? After all, the Colorado Independent reported last week how Focus spent an unprecedented amount of money helping pass California’s gay marriage ban–at the same time as they were laying off 20 percent of their employees.

Now at least in theory, Focus has a lot of functions besides political advocacy–the organization has long prided itself in it direct charity work, mental health and relationship counseling, and other services provided to the Christian community. These are the sorts of services, with much more arguable value, that are getting cut so they can focus on what seems to matter most right now–wedge-issue political grandstands. Adaptive, too: the bill in question has nothing to do with marriage whatsoever, you say? No problem, we’re fiscal hawks now!

But how many suicide hotline counselors got pink slips so they could run this ad?