June 01, 2012 12:56 AM UTC

Denver's Streets Safe No Longer: Doug Bruce out of Jail

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• by: Colorado Pols

Former State Representative Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights author Doug Bruce stepped out of the Denver County Jail early this morning, released on good behavior — really? — after serving 103 days of a 180 day sentence.

From Fox 31:

DENVER – After spending 103 days in jail, convicted tax evader Douglas Bruce was released early Thursday morning. He made claims of innocence and called the jail system “sadistic” while detailing the “slop” food and his “mistaken” trips to solitary confinement.

Bruce, 62, was convicted in December of tax evasion and three other tax-related crimes tied to his non-profit organization Active Citizens Together. He was sentenced in February to 180 days in jail. However, that sentence was reduced on May 7 for good behavior.

…

Bruce called the system sadistic as he detailed his time spent working in the kitchen. “They serve this inedible, unsanitary food… (the deputies) didn’t serve (the inmates) regular porridge, they served them cream of white, which is tasteless paste,” he said.

It’s no surprise that the same Doug Bruce who kicked a reporter on his first day as a legislator had a few pointed words about his treatment in jail. Vitriol, after all, is a calling card of sorts for the Colorado Springs Republican.

What’s a little more shocking, however, is that Bruce has the gall to criticize the level of service he received as an inmate at a taxpayer-funder institution. Of course the porridge is “tasteless paste” — Colorado simply doesn’t have the money to feed its prisoners real food!

Seriously, though, what was Bruce expecting? Lobster? Filet mignon? His TABOR amendment has for twenty years crippled government services in this state, and yet somehow Bruce is surprised that his meals were tasteless and his cell a little less than palatial?

As Bruce ages, he becomes less and less an “anti-tax crusader” and more and more a cantankerous senior citizen who simply doesn’t seem to grasp how government works.

It’s almost funny until it dawns on you just how much of an impact he’s had on Colorado.