Posted on 11/11/2007 8:37:56 AM PST by rellimpank
Colorado Republicans have reacted to Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order establishing limited collective bargaining rights for state employees by "squealing like a stuck pig," as we say in Eastern Colorado.
Some degree of GOP fury is understandable. Instead of bringing such an important public policy decision to the legislature, where it could be debated with full input from interested citizens, the governor made his move at 3:30 p.m. on Friday after talking almost exclusively to the union leaders who helped elect him.
As Republicans learned with their notorious 2003 "midnight gerrymander," such attempts to slip partisan power plays under the radar don't avoid public outcry, they multiply that outrage tenfold. So it's fair for Republicans to now pummel Ritter for using the same sneaky tactics they did four years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at politicswest.com ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Yes, they do.
Get out the Blue Paint for another State in 2008.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Was there the one where the state supreme court ruled that it, not elected officials, had the final say on boundaries for election districts? A court that has been solidly left for decades?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Unions are the problem! Does anyone know if there are any RTW blue states? I doubt if there is.
Thanks to the RATS that Romer put on the Supreme Court and that POS Salazar.
Don’t count Colorado as dead yet but we are on life support. GOP party leadership appears to the lay member to be in shambles. We are going to need some very big coat tails to mobilize and rebuild the party.
It is just not Colorado but also Virginia, Ohio and New Mexico.
That’s 47 electoral votes.
Could be grim.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Squealing like a herd of stuck elephants
By Bob Ewegen
Article Last Updated: 11/09/2007 10:36:47 PM MST
Colorado Republicans have reacted to Gov. Bill Ritter's executive order establishing limited collective bargaining rights for state employees by "squealing like a stuck pig," as we say in Eastern Colorado.
Some degree of GOP fury is understandable. Instead of bringing such an important public policy decision to the legislature, where it could be debated with full input from interested citizens, the governor made his move at 3:30 p.m. on Friday after talking almost exclusively to the union leaders who helped elect him.
As Republicans learned with their notorious 2003 "midnight gerrymander," such attempts to slip partisan power plays under the radar don't avoid public outcry, they multiply that outrage tenfold. So it's fair for Republicans to now pummel Ritter for using the same sneaky tactics they did four years ago.
Still, there is more than simple "tit-for-tat" partisan sparring here. Republicans seem genuinely afraid of the consequences of Ritter's move. After talking to state Rep. Rob Witwer, a moderate Jefferson County Republican, I understand why.
Republicans believe Ritter has handed Colorado's fledgling public employee unions a golden opportunity to drown the Grand Old Party under a tsunami of campaign contributions to Democrats that Republicans would be legally prohibited from matching.
Our story begins with a seeming "loophole" in Amendment 27, the 2002 Colorado campaign finance law written by Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. It allows labor unions to contribute up to $4,000 to candidates to the legislature. Businesses and private citizens like you are limited to one-tenth as much as unions can contribute, no more than $400 per election season.
Republicans don't believe this enormous fundraising advantage handed to unions — who give virtually all their money to Democrats — was accidental. Common Cause and the League of Women Voters claim to be nonpartisan. But they're better known among Republicans as "Common Scold" and "the Plague of Women Voters" because their liberal leanings usually align them with the interests of Democrats. That's especially true of Common Cause, which is largely responsible for the loophole.
Here's how it works: "Small donor committees" are allowed to give politicians 10 times as much as any other person or group if they get only $50 or less per contributor.
If a union sponsored a barbecue and asked 100 members to kick in $40 each to elect a Democratic challenger to Witwer, he'd have no reason to complain. But that's not how it works. For example, unions can deduct $4 a month from a member's $15 monthly dues to the Colorado Association of Public Employees/Service Employees International Union, and count the resulting $48 a year as a "small donor" contribution from a member who may not even be aware that she made that supposed "donation."
There are about 83 races for the legislature in a given election, which would allow a single union to pour $332,000 into legislative campaigns. But that's only the start — each union local can play the same game with dues money. If CAPE/SEIU organizes just five such locals, it could pour $20,000 into each of those races, more than $1.6 million. If four other unions followed suit, that would mean $100,000 for each friendly Democrat, more than $8 million in all.
And don't forget, Republicans trying to counter this torrent of Democratic cash would be limited to no more than $400 per donor. No wonder Republicans are crying havoc.
Bob Ewegen (bewegen@denverpost.com) is deputy editorial page editor of The Denver Post.
If you have public unions, you have to prohibit those unions from making campaign contributions (bribing) to those with whom they negotiate their contracts and vote on their contracts.
Funny how much this sounds like a Granholm stunt...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The federal regulations allow union members to reduce their dues by that amount, but it does not require anyone to tell members that they can do so.
When my husband did this, the union took three weeks to "find" the form. Two different officials approached him and tried to talk him out of it.
I don't recall any bill or initiative to prohibit the conflict of interest of giving donations to someone who has to approve your contract.
and the CAALIFORNICATION of Colorado continues.
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