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January 21, 2011 11:14 PM UTC

So Much for "Respecting Witnesses"

  • 20 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols



Audio courtesy ColoradoNewser

As the Grand Junction Sentinel’s Charles Ashby reports:

Mesa State College workers sparred over a bill Thursday that would allow them to opt out of the state’s personnel system.

The measure, which narrowly passed the House Economic & Business Development Committee, would allow the 120 college workers who are in the system to elect to be unclassified workers, meaning they would lose certain protections offered under the system.

Some of the employees said the system is broken and thought they’d fare better in pay and benefits if they worked at the will of college administrators…

The six Democrats on the 13-member panel questioned the proponents of the measure about why they would give up the union-like protections the personnel system offers.

The remaining seven Republicans attacked opponents for being union workers.

Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, questioned the political contributions of Colorado WINS, which represents numerous state workers, including several at the college. Later, Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, referred to the union as “Colorado Loses.”

We’ve talked a couple of times about the apparent patronage stable of political appointments to administrative jobs at Mesa State College in Grand Junction under the leadership of Tim Foster–this became a bit of a headache for then-gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry who, after railing about the supposedly unheeded “hiring freeze” in state government on the campaign trail, had trouble explaining how members of his family got plum appointments to Mesa State too.

Which makes this GOP-backed bill all the more curious, but we’d like to point out something else for just a moment: how many of you remember last legislative session, in particular the heated debates over the repeal of certain tax credits? Republicans complained loudly about the “bad manners” Democrats showed questioning the GOP’s friendly witnesses, such as Rick Enstrom of Enstrom’s Candies–you’ll recall that Enstrom basically predicted the sky would fall on his business if the candy tax exemption was repealed, only to meekly confess to Tim Hoover of the Denver newspaper last fall that he knew all along his testimony was false.

Well, between Enstrom’s lying in testimony–making irritation with him a little more understandable at least–and this silly presumptuousness from Rep. Kevin Priola (audio above) against a Mesa State employee solely on the basis of his union membership, we’re guessing Republicans won’t make that complaint again. At least not, you know, credibly.

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20 thoughts on “So Much for “Respecting Witnesses””

  1. in an earlier article, that she couldn’t say who was behind it other than ‘workers’ and that it wasn’t Foster because he told her he wanted to ‘keep his fingers off it’ or some such.  As they say, I’m not sure that means what she thinks it does.

    3. This was from an earlier story by Charles Ashby in the GJ Sentinel:

      “It gives the college the ability to hire and fire at a discretionary level that they currently do not have,” Bradford said. “Their hands are tied at certain times with the unions. There’s employees there now – I don’t know how many, I certainly don’t know names – but that the administration would like to make some changes in, and can’t.”

      Foster wants to be able to fire staff he doesn’t like and he is being stymied by state rules that he also doesn’t like.

      Of course, if he liked to follow the rules, he wouldn’t be using college furniture for non-Mesa State related parties at his home. And he certainly wouldn’t ask staff to haul the tables to and from his house.

      As is typical in Mesa County, there is even more going on, but people are afraid to cross the good ol’ boys.

      1. At first I was shocked. Then I was stymied. Then I was ooutraged. Then I was dumbfounded. Then I was angry. Then I was sad. Then I met a few friends, and now I’m resolved to make a difference.

        This game ain’t over till its over!

    1. Once upon a time, a scion of a respected political family in Grand Junction (Rick Enstrom’s grandfather, Chet, was a longtime state senator) got himself elected to the county commission at the age of 29. He repeatedly demonstrated his immaturity to the delight of local political watchers.

      One of his best stunts was getting into fistacuffs with one-time state legislator T. John Baer, a character in his own right.

      Something had to be done. So little Ricky was dispatched to the Front Range to open and run an outlet of the famous family candy. He managed to rehab himself to an eventual appointment to the state Wildlife Commission, where he actually did a pretty good job.

      1. Rick used to run a record shop/head shop across from Mesa State, this while he was a County Commissioner I believe, but the memories are fuzzy now.  The sheriff at the time, who was a Democrat, busted Rick for selling narcotics paraphernalia at his head shop.  I don’t remember how the case came out, but it was soon after that that he was dispatched out of town.

  3. Enstrom DESERVED to be respected, because:  1. He’s fairly well off, and   2. A Republican (I’m guessing).

    Public employees, not enough of either (I’m guessing).

    1. In the almost-a-depression-really-bad-jobless-recession New World Order, the BusinessMan is an almighty job creator. Certainly worthy of deference and trust, even as he spouts bullshit.  

    2. Anyway, that’s what I keep hearing from our Republican friends on this site and in state politics.  So you’d think (1) they’d be rich enough to merit Republican respect, and (2) a lot of them would be Republicans.  Right?

  4. Sorry if I’m breaking the rules, from the above linked article:

    “I was mostly carrying that fight for the National Confectioners Association,” he said. “It just struck us as morally objectionable to fund (state) salaries on the backs of little kids riding their bikes to the 7-Eleven to get a Mars bar.”

    WTF?  Morally objectionable?  How about lying under oath to the legislature?  Is that “morally objectionable?”  What else shouldn’t we tax?  Crayons? Coloring books?  Or is it just the philosophy that we should have any state salaries at all that Rs like Enstrom find “morally objectionable?”

    I loves me some Enstrom’s, but does anyone have any other toffee recommendations as an alternative?  Almond Roca in the big tin is OK, but not as tasty.

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