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November 23, 2005 09:00 AM UTC
33 Comments
Mark Hillman couldn’t ask for a nicer Christmas present…
Cary has a huge following in the education community and I think she’ll be a great candidate. Hillman isn’t known except for insiders.
Like fish in a barrel, Dems. Like fish in a barrel.
Yeah. Nobody knows who the acting State Treasurer is except “insiders,” but everyone knows who this lib is. GET REAL.
I am sure word will come out who was supplementing her income while she was policy director, a.k.a. the reason Amendment 23 wasn’t on the table during Ref C&D negotiations.
i don’t believe anyone was supplementing her income. this is a very ignorant comment. cary would be a great treasurer.
So she’s who I can thank for Amendment 23! Uuuuh, thanks a lot.
I am sure word will come out who was supplementing her income while she was policy director
that’s quite an accusation. care to back that up?
I really do hope that the GOP goes after Amendment 23 this session, November ’06 will be that much better for the Dems if they do. Amendment 23 is insanely popular, it’s basically the third rail of Colorado Politics now.
Amendment 23 did not go on the ballot this year because the governor, legislative council and attorney general all agreed that off-year elections, which were created by the 1992 TABOR amendment, are limited to revenue-related issues. You have to wait for 2006 or a later even-numbered year for other issues. While Amendment 23 is a spending mandate, it is not a revenue issue, hence couldn’t be part of this year’s package. Shaw’s cheap shot at Cary, herefore, isn’t just mean-spirited, it’s ignorant. Cary is a very intelligent woman with good political connections but has never run for office. With Democrats already having a credible candidate in sight in John Turner, she would be far from a lock for the nomination.
I worked with Cary when was she in the Romer Administration at OSPB. She had a reputation for being smart and politically creative. As the architect of the successful Amendment 23 ballot initiative in 2002, Cary impressed a great many people in the political world. She is young, bright, attractive and articulate — and I think it would be a mistake to underestimate her ability as a candidate. My humble opinion only and I have no idea if other Democrats are thinking about the race.
Hillman is a political extremist. When the voters learn about his far right wing views, he will have no chance of winning an election statewide.
Agreed Mario. Here’s some news for those that think a Dem has a chance, Hillman’s name is golden around the entire Eastern and Northern parts of CO. For good reason too, go into any coffee shop around there and there’s bound to be someone that Mark has personally helped out. Mark will get that same reputation on the Western slope and in the Denver areas. He’s a genuine guy who doesn’t talk like a politician. Add a good campaign staff and he has it in the bag.
Before a smartass reader of Colorado Pols corrects me about when the Amendment 23 campaign was waged (2000), let me correct myself (a smartass colleague in my office has already noticed my error)…Anyway –good for Cary!
Blue State, Hillman’s views are roughly in accord with those of Wayne Allard and the pre-ref C Bill Owens. Still sure he can’t win a statewide election? I second ManoftheHour’s comments about Mark, though I hasten to add it’s no lock. Turner looks like a fine candidate to me if Dems will forgive the fact that he was once a GOP candidate for Congress. As to Cary Kennedy, I learned a long time ago to never underestimate the power of a woman. Suddenly, this race looks interesting.
That’s OK, Alan. As the only known Coloradan with the surname Salazar who is not serving in Congress, we’ve learned to make allowances for your failings.
Hillman’s views are roughly in accord with those of Wayne Allard “
Allard would have a pretty tough time getting reelected in ’06.
Comparing your candidate to the Senator with the lowest approval rating in the nation is probably not helping.
TBM-
That’s exactly what Strickland’s team said in 2000. And 1994.
Isn’t Alan Salazar chief of staff for Udall? is he campaigning for a candidate for state treasurer on government dime and time?
I’m currently contemplating moving away from the great state of Colorado (for various reasons).
Hearing that the “author” of Amendment 23 now wants to be in charge of all of Colorado’s money is making my decision just a little bit easier.
TBM, how many times does wayne allard have to kick Democratic butt before you give him any respect? In the lege, in Congress and twice in the Senate you haven’t beaten him. I do agree, Allard would have a hard time getting re-elected in 06, primarily because his term runs until 08. But if he does seek a third term then, he won’t be easy to beat. Hillman isn’t “my candidate”, but it’s foolish to paint him as an extremist who can’t win statewide when people who think very much like him, i.e. Owens and Allard, have repeatedly done just that. You’re letting your wishes rewrite your history.
Voyageur,
I couldn’t have said it any better!!
Of course, you could have said it better, Quimby, because you’d use that thick Massachusetts accent!
Myh Fallow Amuricahns ….
Voyageur – am I not giving him respect or do you agree with me? Which is it?
oh and who’s rewriting history? I merely pointed out that Allard’s numbers are currently in the toilet – and you agreed with me.
Please, leave the straw-men out of this.
I pointed out that Allard has kicked Democratic butt in election after election after election, never losing once, and you claim I agreed with you? If you will re-read the post, I said Allard would have a hard time winning re-election in 2006 BECAUSE HIS TERM DOESN’T END THEN. IT RUNS THROUGH 2008. I wasn’t agreeing with you, I was making a joke. In general, it’s hard to win an election in a year when your office is not on the ballot. There is no u.s. senate seat up in Colorado in 2006.
Let’s not forget that Hillman is also the same nut who wrote an LTE to the Post claiming that 2nd hand-smoke isn’t really bad for you as his pathetic reason for sinking the smoking ban last year. He also probably ticked off the 64% of Coloradoans who supported that bill.
Saying something that dumb will probably come back to bite him when he runs.
Golly, Hillman is more powerful than I imagined. Just one single senator killed a bill? And a member of the minority at that?
In actual fact, the bill for the smoking ban died on an 18 (no) and 16 (yes) vote. Sen. Stephanie Takis of Aurora and Sen. Lois Tochtrop of Thornton joined 16 Republicans to kill the bill. If Democrats had been unanimous, the bill would have passed. the missing senator was a Republican.
In choosing the handle “moron”, you may have been revealing more than you intended!
Last year I tracked down Cary Kennedy and talked with her via telephone about her proposal to reinterpret the School Finance Act in conjunction with TABOR limitations http://www.treasurer.state.co.us/AdvisoryBoard/reports/Colorado%20Education%20Network.htm “Recommendation on the School Finance Act” (near bottom) (from http://www.treasurer.state.co.us/AdvisoryBoard/ Coffman’s 2003 “State Treasurer’s Advisory Group on Constitutional Amendments”) to allow full collection of property tax assessments, rather than ratcheting them down every other year.
I support this as I think if voters in most school districts in Colorado vote to “de-Bruce” property tax collections, they should suffer the full consequences of regular property tax increases, rather than the state general fund being forced to make up more and more of the difference (“backfilling”) and squeezing more out of every other area, particularly higher education.
As this would be a net property tax increase, I was going against the basic principles of my party in this special case, as voters in most school districts have already approved this. I love my property taxes increasing at only half the rate of inflation and population growth, but I don’t think this is what the voters had in mind with passage of most property tax “de-Brucing” measures.
Currently, property is reassessed every other year, and current interpretation of the School Finance Act limited by TABOR restrictions does not allow increases in property tax assessments (technically the mil levy) in years property is not reassessed, even where a “de-Brucing” measure has been passed.
Cary Kennedy’s comments in the report say that she thinks this adjustment could be done legislatively rather than through referendum/initiative/constitutional amendment.
With the Democrats in control of both houses of the state legislature this year and Kennedy in a position of party leadership, was this even attempted this year, or was everybody putting all of their eggs in the big baskets of Ref. C&D? I never heard anything about it, and think it still needs addressing even with the passage of Ref. C. Of course, whoever pushes it through will be labeled as a “property tax increaser.”
Voyageur –
Ah, yes, it was defeated by two votes. However, it was Hillman who locked up the caucus and all of the Republicans against it in an effort to try and embarass Grossman (who at the time was running for AG), even though privately several of them supported it.
It passed through the house with ease with even having a republican sponsor, Rep. Larson.
This year, Hillman’s gone, and those same senators won’t be voting against it.
Pops — you popped me, but I was on my own time today! In any event, I enjoy checking on ColoradoPols from time to time and offering comments (informed or not) for the good of the order. It’s an interesting news venue even if the postings are not always accurate. And just for good measure I don’t know Mr. Hillman personally, but his fiancee is another great alumni of the Romer office, and if she thinks he is a great guy I am sure he is. Happy Thanksgiving!
Alan, if Hillman’s fiancee is a girl, she would be an alumna of Romer’s office.
Cary is a person of the highest integrety, honesty, and studied beliefs…just what government needs to encourage more of. And she certainly is one of the more knowledgable people in the State on the budget and the budgeting process. If she is indeed interested, Colorado is most fortunate.
Hillman is not engaged, he’s married (as of a few months ago).
Cary sounds like the Democrat version of Rick O’Donnel- Policy wonk turned candidate. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s never run for elective office, and you can ask Rick how that worked out for him during his first run, no matter how bright and deserving he might have been.
Hillman lost my support with two very stupid editorials. First – yes – the second hand smoke thing, and second – the wierd C and D Post editorial. It was sort of a “what do you think” essay. Fine for comparative policy students, but very dissapointing for a guy appointed to fill Coffman’s boots. Until he grows a spine, I’ll keep waiting for the other republican to get into the race.