Posted on 11/02/2005 8:58:27 AM PST by george76
Why Republicans held the state for Bush and lost everything else on the ballot.
RED-STATE JOHNNIE HAS THE BLUES.
Times are hard for Colorado Republicans, these days. Yes, we again carried Colorado for President Bush. With a GOP voter-registration edge of 186,000, we darn well should have. But that was all we did.
Down-ballot, this was the ugliest election for Colorado Republicans that I've experienced in my 30 years in politics. And as president of Colorado's state Senate, I saw the devastation up-close.
While Republicans were winning U.S. Senate races from Florida to Alaska, netting a four-seat gain, Colorado lost a seat the party has held since 1995, when Ben Nighthorse Campbell ...
While Republicans were picking up five seats in the U.S. House, boosted by Texas' hard-fought redistricting victory last year, we lost a western Colorado seat that should have been safe.
And if this weren't enough, Colorado was the only state to suffer a bicameral switch of legislative control in the last election.
Democrats won seven seats in the Colorado House, and one in the state Senate, to grab a majority in both chambers for the first time since 1960.
A political party is an idea before it's a checkbook, an organization, or a platform. The idea that has inspired Republicans from Lincoln to Reagan to George W. Bush is an optimistic, assertive defense of ordered liberty and traditional values. That idea lost its voice in the Centennial State. Recovering it will be Job One for us in 2005.
John Andrews of Denver, a member of the Colorado Senate since 1998 and its president since 2003, leaves office on his term limit next month.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Most of Colorado are not natives anymore. We have lots of blue-staters moving here, bringing their politics with them.
How about a post detailing why this article has currency?
And the predictable increase in taxes came with the democrats. Why should we expect anything different. Pretty soon they will have to say that President John F. Kennedy wasn't a real democrat because he lowered taxes to get the economy going back then. Today's democrat would cut off his nose to spite his face.
California liberals fleeing the crap of their own creation and coming to Colorado.
More good news for California! Hopefully we can drive out a few more.
Immigration, legal and illegal.
Same thing happened in CA in the '60s and '70s...and in NH in the '90s and '00s...
This post has currency because last night Colorado voters approved a plan crafted with the help of Governor Bill Owens (R-INO) to disable TABOR, the taxpayer's bill of rights. The state had over 3 billion in surplus revenue, which according to TABOR, must be returned to the taxpayers. But the government couldn't let 3 bill slip out of their grimy paws, so they put this measure on the ballot so the voters could vote for the state to keep it instead of return it. A majority of knuckleheads voted for the state to keep it. Great precedent. Thanks, Bill, for your leadership on this issue. /sarcasm
Because yesterday, the rout of Republicans in Colorado continued. Ref C passed, which guts the Taxpayer Bill of Rights for five years and probably sets up it's eventual repeal. The effort was lead by lame-duck R governor, Bill Owens and opposed by the vast bulk of the R county party officials and office holders. He put together a coalition of Dems, unions, independents, and just enough wishy-washy Republicans to gut one of the few things standing between Coloradans and Californication.
This is not just omission but also commission.
Because last night, we gave up the most intelligent piece of legislation ever passed, TABOR, in order to vote ourselves a few extra crumbs from the nanny state. A 3.7 billion dollar tax increase hidden behind the words "Without raising taxes..."
Because D-11 schools just got another $130 million in funds to fix the schools we've given them $475 million in funds to fix in the last five years, yet they haven't done anything, except hire the most $100K+ administrators in the state.
Because, having a five year record of tossing good money after bad, we elected three more board members who promised to do the exact same thing.
In other words, the election last night was one of the largest failings of the republican party I've ever seen. We had a Republican Governor and a Republican Mayor campaigning on TV and Radio for a *TAX INCREASE*
This party has lost its way, and lost its way badly. This article tells you that. In 2004, we ran with a candidate who was popular and not a conservative over a candidate who was a conservative. Guess what, we lost. And now we run commercials that treat people as just as stupid as the Democrats commercials did. The Colorado party is lost.
I can't believe I organized teams of hundreds of volunteers in 2002 to get this schmuk reelected. Bad dog, Modelbreaker.
Yes I am pissed too....Now Colorado will go into debt...lose jobs..lose investment...lose value..and taxes will be raised...and crisis after crisis will be spent on.....
Did you see this from before the election...
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
By DANIE HARRELSON
The Daily Sentinel
Yes, Colorado, there is a TABOR surplus.
Wondering why you haven’t seen the TABOR refund that’s occupied so much of the debate over Referendum C this election season?
A tanking economy sent those refunds south a few years ago. But a rebounding economy means Colorado claims a TABOR surplus for the first time in four years.
Surplus revenues the state must refund under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights totaled $44.7 million at the end of the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Colorado’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting. Coloradans’ share of that surplus — an estimated $15 per taxpayer — shows up when they file their state income taxes the following year.
That extra $15 would be added to the income tax refund checks of Coloradans owed money by the state. Those who owe the state money would deduct $15 from what they owe.
Taxpayers won’t see a rebate if Referendum C passes. The tax measure would channel an estimated $3.7 billion, or five years’ worth of surplus revenues otherwise refunded to taxpayers into....
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/10/26/10_26_TABOR_refunds.html
A maijuana legalization initiative has been place on the November ballot for Denver. The initiative has been pushed by the group SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation)a libertarian group. Seems as if this smells of the displaced California culture.
Well, that's the only silver lining in an otherwise very gray morning. Ref D failed. So they didn't get authority to pile 2.1 billion in debt on top of the tax increase.
The article is accurate, and maybe not strong enough. The GOP in CO has much rebuilding to do before we will retake the state legislature. Too many Republican legislators were trying to be everything to everyone, and lost their compass to reelection.
That is what John Andrews said in 2004...we will "get 'er done" in 2005...
With all these Californians, Mexicans, and others moving to Colorado for free housing, free schooling, cheap University tuition, pay checks for life, free health care, free food, free...
Colorado is headed for big trouble.
Look at the mess the trial attorney lobby, labor unions, teacher unions, ...caused California.
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