U.S. Senate
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(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
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(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(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) George Stern
(D) A. Gonzalez
(R) Sheri Davis
40%
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%
September 22, 2009 03:13 AM UTC
5 Comments
Everyone knew that the state was going to be coming up short (though to be honest, I don’t think anyone was saying it was going to be this bad). Last year the Democrats could have put revenue raising items on the ballot but did not do so. Maybe it was because they feared being attacked on raising taxes during an election that was going all their way. Though if they are afraid to put tax hikes on the ballot then, when would they?
But you can’t blame it all on the Democrats (though it is tempting). The fact of the matter is that the economy is in lousy shape, and that has more of an effect on revenues than anything else.
When times are tough, you have to look at what are necessities and luxuries and cut the latter. If Governor Ritter and the Democrats are perceived as cutting necessities, thereby causing pain to the electorate, in order to make tax hikes more palatable to them he will probably lose next year. If he had come forward and talked to us about the coming shortfalls and the need to bolster state revenues with ballot measures last year he most likely would have gotten what he wanted. After all, we voted yes when Bill Owens and the Republicans were in charge.
You really think Josh Penry, for example, would have stepped up and supported a bipartisan effort to raise revenue, the way Bill Owens did? Not a chance. He’s running against this governor.
Ref C barely passed (and D didn’t) even with support from the leaders of both political parties. Putting another teax measure on the ballot last election would have not only been political suicide (which I’m sure you’d have loved to see), but it also would have failed and wouldn’t have accomplished anything.
Still lovin’ that $50 mil break for NASCAR and Winter Olympics venues. Whatever the governor does, he needs to keep his promises to his fund-raising buddies.
And how about all those enterprise zone tax breaks that don’t work as advertised? Keep the trough full.
And thanks to Bill Owens and the Republicans for reducing the state income tax rate. It didn’t make much of a difference in anyone’s paycheck, but it sure hit state revenue and made the anti-tax crowd happy.
Maybe the state should stop subsidizing advertising for private businesses (like the ski resorts). If a statewide marketing effort is so important to the success of those businesses, they should form their own marketing cooperative.
Just a few suggestions, for starters. Talk amongst yourselves …
Decriminalize & tax drugs. And release all non-violent prisioners who are in prison on posession charges.
Save a ton of money on legal & prison expenses.
Gain revenue from taxes.
Drug use declines (see prohibition).
Crime decreases.
What’s not to like?
If we decriminalize pot and let it be sold openly or in a state controlled store (like the state run liquor stores in some eastern and southern states) we would make a ton of money just from sales tax. After all pot is tangible personal property and there is a 10th Circuit case stating that cocaine is subject to the sales tax. No TABOR issues.