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October 20, 2005 08:00 AM UTC

Thursday Open Thread

  • 78 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Don’t forget — four more politicos get booted off the Colorado island tomorrow in Survivor! Colorado Pols Style. Click HERE to cast your votes.

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78 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

  1. Where is Red Hawk when we need her?
    Who is Jay Fawcett? Is he a Carpetbagger to Colorado? Is he a Carpetbagger to the Democratic party? (I know Hefley is unbeatable, but hey, the guy raised some cash.)

  2. Fawcett is a long-time instructor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, so I doubt he qualifies as a “carpetbagger”.  He certainly doesn’t talk like a “carpetbagger to the Democratic Party”, and his endorsements come from all sides of the CDP and its supporters.

    I encourage you to get out and meet the man if you can catch up to him.  His website doesn’t seem to be online yet, but you can probably get some information from the party on some of his whereabouts.

  3. Didn’t the Bush Admin remove Hefley from his role in the ethics committee for admonishing the former (and indicted) leader of the GOP House Caucus, Mr. Tom Delay?

  5. According to Hefley and the official GOP line, it was time for him to step down from the Chairmanship of the Ethics Committee.  (And as a slight correction, assuming you believe DeLay and the Bush Administration are two different things, it was the House leadership that removed him, not the Administration.)

    What can’t be disputed is that the All New New And Improved Ethics Committee empaneled when Hefley stepped down was completely stacked on the GOP side by DeLay partisans, to the point that I’m not sure that, after recusals, they could convene with a quorum to consider further ethics charges against DeLay.

  6. Pacified-

    The Administration and Congress are two separate branches of government. The Bush Admin cannot remove congressmen from their posts- separation of powers.  The little known fact about Rep. Hefely, of whom I am a huge fan, is that he was term limited like all other Committee Chairs after six years on the chair.

  7. One more thought on your Big Lie…I mean, Big Line.  Since MH dropped to 5-1, how come he doesn’t merit one of your little “down arrows” to signify he is dropping.  And, inversely, how come BB doesn’t get the “up” arrow?

  8. Yet another GOP-propogated myth falls under friendly fire.  In testimony before the House, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff confirms: FEMA’s lack of planning was to blame for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina; Chertoff spends an inordinate amount of time gushing over the responsiveness of senior officials in the Bush Administration, dumps almost all of the blame on FEMA and Michael Brown, and says that State and Local governments responded well.

    Of course, his testimony leaves out the President’s remarkable disinterest in the hurricane (some birthday cake, a fundraiser or two, a bit of guitar playing as New Orleans flooded, some ranch work…).  Chertoff also chose to ignore the one thing that might have gotten Brownie off the hook: the President’s declaration of emergency (EM-3212) left out the coastal regions of Louisiana.

  9. “more on the line” – from my understanding, the arrows aren’t motion between line updates, but rather the direction of the candidate’s campaign strength.

    Neither Holtzman nor Beauprez are showing any signs of being on a roll lately compared to expectations, so I don’t know that they deserve arrows according to those guidelines.

  10. Just saw a piece of Governor Bush’s press conference on Wilma.
    Outstanding leadership with two days warning! The Republicans are leading the way with evacuations and spreading the message of what could come with Wilma!

    FEMA and the excutive branch have their ducks in a row two days early on this won.

  12. Donald,

    Let me guess.  Just like Hank Brown, Bill Owens, and numerous other Republican legislators and county chairs, the Rocky Mountain News has now been taken over by…Socialists!

    Am I right?  What do I win?

  13. Once again, Senator Allard is one of the lone holdouts against sensible legislation.  Yesterday the Senate voted on two competing amendments (on Republican-sponsored and one Democratic-sponsored) which would have raised the minimum wage.  With few exceptions, Senators voted in favor of one or the other amendment.  Among the twelve Senators voting Nay for both amendments was our own Senator, Wayne Allard.

    The Democratic amendment would have raised the minimum wage to $5.85 within 6 months, $6.55 after a year, and $7.25 after two years.  It also provided for a gradual ramp-up to include the Marianas Islands in the minimum-wage laws.

    The Republican amendment set the minumum wage to $6.25 and adjusted the definition of “small business” upwards to account for inflation as compensation.  It also made other “technical corrections” that were bi-partisan in nature.

    The Democratic amendment would have corrected the minimum wage for inflation, while the GOP amendment would have done even less than that, yet Allard voted them both down.  He may be voting his conscience or belief, but he’s racking up an impressive stack of ammo to hand his opponent in 2008.

  15. Is it true that the lines between Dems and the GOP have blurred?  It seems to me the the Democrats are just a watered down version of the GOP.  They are standing on a platform of “we are not Republicans” and not on the platform of what the party was founded on, in short, they are not offering any real solutions to the nations, or the states problems other than to say we are against the Republicans.  Dems court the same upperclass as the GOP, they rarly stand up for the middle class and workingg families anymore.  And if the Dems ever want to regain control it is long past time that they develope a plan other than “at least we are not the other guy”.

  17. Aside from an acute lack of spine over the past several years, I don’t see the Democrats as “not-Republicans” and am not sure where you’re coming from, Wandering Dem.

    One of the key missions of any party in the minority is to criticize the majority party, but lost in the media coverage is the “we’re different – we’d do this” message that is contained in many opposition statements.  For example, Democrats would push for sustainable energy and conservation to offset the GOP’s proposal for more drilling.  Democrats are in favor of some commonsense OSHA regulations that were ditched by the GOP.  Democrats want “Fair Trade” to actually be fair.

    I don’t think the Democrats are Republican-Lite, though some percentage of any person’s vote is likely to be less than 100% conforming to an imagined ideal…  I just think the message is getting lost.

  18. Phoenix:

    The message is getting lost because there is no coherant message.  The 2004 election is a prime example.  The Dems got creamed because as a party they were all over the board by getting off message and not presenting a unified front based on optimism and hope after years of Republicans playing to Americans fear. I would aruge that many of Kerry’s votes were not for Kerry as much as they were against Bush.

    All I am saying is that with the problems that the Republicans are facing right now, the Dems could not have a better time to create a coordinated message that returns the party back to its roots.  There is plenty to bash the GOP on right now but as the Dems have failed to learn it will not be enough.

  25. Yeah!  Delay is guilty until proved innocent!  We should put him in jail untilhe can prove that he is innocent. 

    Lets ignore the fact that Ronnie Earlhad to go to three Grand Juries to get the right indictment!

    Lets forget that Ronnie Earl has accepted and used corporate contributions for state politics, which is the same crime he accuses Delay of!

    Lets forget that Ronnie has allowed a film crew to follow him around to film a documentary!

    Lets forget that Earl allowed the Democrat foreman of th first Grand Jury to speak in public about the case, which is a crime!

    Lets forget the unethical use of prior Grand Jury testimony to convince a new Grand Jury to indict Delay!

    Lets forget that the Texas State Democrats have made the exact same type of transfers to the DNC!

    Lets forget that the DNC sent transfers back to Texas for the same amount to be used for state races!

    Lets forget that the Democrat foreman of the first Grand Jury was friends with James Sylvester, one of the losing Democratic candidates from 2002!

  26. Looks like GiGi told Gessler and Beauprez to screw off.  Their request for an advisory opinion regarding state candidates appearing in political ads paid for by issue committees was denied.  Bob’s attempt to limit constitutional free speech has failed – but I’m sure he will try again…

    VOTE NO ON C!!

  27. Cool – it’s good to hear that the GOP is getting in to blogging; the Daily Kos has posts from a number of the Democratic Congressmen/women on a regular basis and it’s great to see.  I think it was Rep. Boxer who posted one day from her Blackberry in the middle of the Bolton hearing!  The times they are a-changin’.

  28. Re: tomorrow’s purges from the Island.  I’m still bummed out by Morgan Carroll being voted off.
    Okay, maybe there are better legislators.  But this is an ISLAND, people!  At least those of us of the heterosexual male persuasion have to start thinking through our decisions.  Do you really want to be isolated on an island with nobody but Joe Stengel to stimulate the imagination?
    Boot off the dudes, save the babes!

  29. Barry,

    You have taken grasping at straws to a whole new level.  The “film crew” and “Democrat foreman of the first Grand Jury was friends with James Sylvester” bullet points were particularly creative and amusing.

    The arrest warrant was for Tom DeLay.  Prosecutor Earle is not on trial.  If your “swiftboating” succeeds, what does that get you?

    The next few weeks will be a very rough ride for GOP partisans, especially those who won’t admit that the culture of corruption in Washington is real.

  34. Wasn’t the need for college education part of Bush’s plan for fixing America’s economy as part of his prez campaign? I remember hearing W talk about how the secret to success was going to college, in the Bush/Kerry debates. I wish someone would latch onto this for a pro C&D commerical — use their soundbite against them. And can’t someone get John Andrews on film or audio for a commercial? Not just spewing copy, but actually voicing his arrogant musings that pass for conservative *thought*. Once again, why not use his *thoughts* against him?

  35. Beaupreznit,

    For the link to the film crew go here:

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-09-30-delay-movie_x.htm

    For the link on the friendship go here:

    http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3384314

    These are the facts, or don’t the Democrats like the facts?

    As for the arrest warrent, it still doesn’t mean that he is guilty.  When he wins I hope he sues Earl.

    I noticed that you didn’t refute my other facts, so does that mean that you agree with them??

  36. As a rule, Barry, prosecutors have immunity for their official acts.  I’m no Earl fan, but I really don’t think you want to allow defendants to sue prosecutors every time they aren’t convicted.  I think Tom Delay is a jerk, but I’m not convinced he’s a crook.  The same distinction saved Bill Clinton from impeachment and it ought to work for Delay.

  38. The question is are prosecutors immune from defamation of character civil suits?  You would have to think if Delay is found not guilty, and the prosecutor has been filming the process for a documentary that the prosecutor would have some culpability in this situation

  39. In Colorado prosecutors have absolute immunity for official acts.  Unsure of Texas law, but how could you PROVE wrongful prosecution?  If a grand jury rules there is enough evidence to go to trial, that’s it, the prosecutor has met the legal test.  The law thereafter tilts heavily to the defendant’s side.  But do you really want O.J. Simpson suing the prosecutors because he was acquitted?  That’s the road you’d be heading down.  Young Rep’s question is outside my frame of reference, because I’m not sure what he’s alluding to.  The immunity is for official acts, like indictments.  If he’s playing Michael Moore on the side, he’s not immune from a libel suit.  But then the public figure doctrine comes into play and it would be very hard for Delay to collect.

  40. I am alluding to the playing Michael Moore thing on the side.  You would think that since that is outside the scope of his official duties, that if the evidence acquits him, that the prosecutor should have culpability.

  43. Barry,

    I noticed that you didn’t refute my other facts, so does that mean that you agree with them??

    I didn’t refute any of them, if you’ll read closely.  I call them irrelevant.

    Tom DeLay is accused of money laundering.  Tell me why he didn’t do it, not why everyone else does it too.

    Tom DeLay got the arrest warrent, not Ronnie Earle.  You’re playing a cutesy game of “look over there” when the focus is squarely on Tom DeLay.  I could care less whether the odd collection of anecdotes you assembled is true or not, because the prosecutor himself is not on trial.

    Earle has been filmed?  Ok.  The first jury foreman was friends with a Democratic candidate who lost last year?  Fine.  None of that relates to what DeLay did.

  46. True to your name, …nit, you caught one!  Good point. Strickly speaking, Clinton was impeached, akin to being indicted, but not convicted.  I am trusting the parallel with DeLay will go the distance.

  47. As the author of the Yes on C and D, No on E campaign that finally made Hugo lay off his tired attempt to mislead people, I have to agree with Phoenix.  The polls show C running better than D and the few fools dumb enough to go No on C, yes on D, just might give us the margin of victory.  Nobody from that crowd would vote yes on C anyway.  Then, Keith had to go spoil it all!

  48. Senator Allard apparently made a partial redemption for his vote against raising the Minimum Wage today by being one of only a few Senators willing to go against the all-powerful Sen. Ted Stevens by voting for a Sen. Coburn amendment to transfer the Alaskan “bridge to nowhere” funding over to Katrina rebuilding funds.

    The Appropriations Committee apparently made some pretty severe threats on the pork spending of states whose Senators voted for the amendment.

  49. “Tom DeLay is accused of money laundering. Tell me why he didn’t do it, not why everyone else does it too.”

    Just to return the favor, beaupreznit, I’ll pick a nit of my own.  OK, DeLay is accused. But Barry doesn’t have to tell you anything, nor do I, nor does DeLay, not to you, not to the court.
    The defense can sit there playing solitaire, or looking at salacious photoshops of Hillary Clinton, if it wants to do so, even though that isn’t really a good legal tactic. 
    The burden of proof is entirely on the state to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he’s guilty as charged.  I may not like DeLay, but I love the constitution that protects him.

  51. I seem to be seized the the set-the-record-straight virus today.  The Bridge to Nowhere is actually to the island where Ketchikan’s airport is located.  The fact that only 50 people live there is irrelevant — how many people live at DIA as their legal residence?
    The scandal isn’t the bridge, it’s the whole earmarking system, which comes off the top of the highway user trust fund before it’s distributed to the states.  What we should do is eliminate ALL earmarks.  Cut the total highway bill by 10 percent and donate that to Katrina, to the Dead Guv’s Party Down Fund, anywhere you like.  Then distribute the rest of the money to the states by formula.  If Alaska wants to use its share for the airport bridge, let it.  But don’t make Kansans and Coloradans pay for it from their share!  The greater efficiency gained by giving freedom to the states to set priorities would more than offset the loss of 10 percent of the total fund. 
    That said, Good for Wayne.  He’s been an unsung hero in the transportation picture for a long time and more than doubled the amount of money going to new transit starts like FasTracks.

  52. I was going to ask you where you stood on the marijuana initiative, Keith, but I guess you just tipped your hand…err, your bong anyway.
    Yes on C and D, but don’t inhale!

  53. Y’all know Amendment 23?  What’s great about it is it’s the education/teachers of the state using the constitutional process in Colorado to get what they want just like the Caldara, Bruce, and Norquist used the same process to pass TABOR.

    But the II doesn’t think Amendment 23 is a good idea.

    I guess consistency is the hobgoblin of simple minds, right Caldara?

  55. I’m a Reagan Republican that recognizes the war on drugs is a failure. I support medical use. I don’t support making criminals out of non violent offenders. If we would stop putting pot smokers in prison and anklize them ala Martha Stewart we could cut some of this wasteful government spending. AND put the cost on the offender. I love user fees!

  56. There’s hope for you yet, Keith.  But we really don’t put pot smokers in prison.  Possession of less than an ounce is a petty offense, punishable by a fine of up to $99.  1 ounce to 8 ounces is a misdemanor.  Above 8 ounces is seen as evidence of intent to sell.  I don’t actually know of a coloradan in the clink for possessing pot.  But if they find a few bales in your car, yeah, you’ll do time.  Medical marijuana is a fraud and the Denver marijuana initiative is a fraud and I voted for both of them as the only vehicles at hand to protest a war on drugs that’s really a war on people who use drugs. 
    Yes on C and D.  It’s for the pot holes AND the pot heads.

  57. Well, they are a multitude of non-violent offenders in jail that could serve time at home at their expense rather our expense.

    Policy change could eliminate this imaginary need for the greatest tax hike/money grab in Colorado history.

    (oh boy. I may have done it now. fasten my seatbelt 😉

  59. This is what Bush and his cronies did for you Republicans!

    Vice-President Dick Cheney and a handful of others had hijacked the government’s foreign policy apparatus, deciding in secret to carry out policies that had left the US weaker and more isolated in the world, the top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell claimed on Wednesday.

    In a scathing attack on the record of President George W. Bush, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to Mr Powell until last January, said: ?What I saw was a cabal between the vice-president of the United States, Richard Cheney, and the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on critical issues that made decisions that the bureaucracy did not know were being made.

    ?Now it is paying the consequences of making those decisions in secret, but far more telling to me is America is paying the consequences.?

    Transcript: Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson
    Click here

    Mr Wilkerson said such secret decision-making was responsible for mistakes such as the long refusal to engage with North Korea or to back European efforts on Iran.

    It also resulted in bitter battles in the administration among those excluded from the decisions.

    ?If you’re not prepared to stop the feuding elements in the bureaucracy as they carry out your decisions, you are courting disaster. And I would say that we have courted disaster in Iraq, in North Korea, in Iran.?

  60. Friggin war piggies. Can’t anyone see the immorality; the waste of our childre’s lives and national treasure; the damage being done to America’s interests? It’s in all our interests to demand a “regime change” in Washington. Read below:

    Rice Suggests Iraq War Resolution Could Allow For War Against Syria ?

    Yesterday, in her appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lincoln Chafee wanted to clarify a simple issue ? did the Iraq war resolution passed by Congress restrict military action only to Iraq? Chafee asked, ?So would you agree that if anything were to occur on Syrian or Iranian soil, you would have to return to Congress to get that authorization?? Rice responded:

    RICE: Senator, I don?t want to try and circumscribe presidential war powers. And I think you?ll understand fully that the president retains those powers in the war on terrorism and in the war on Iraq. ?

    CHAFEE: So that?s a no.

    RICE: Senator, I am not going to be in the position of circumscribing the president?s powers.

    The first line of the Iraq war resolution signed by the President on October 16, 2002 clearly states its purpose: To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

    Isn’t the military beholden to the American People? Who will stop the madness?

  61. I just called Senator Salazar for the first time to voice my displeasure with him voting against the Coburn Amendment.  I voted for him down in Pueblo, I voted for him in the primary, I voted for him in the general and for all he has done to piss off Democrats this was first time I felt the need to give him a call.  This is so stupid, even pro-torture Allard saw the light, if any of Salazar’s staffers are reading this you should beat some sense into Ken because he is screwing up big time right now.

    http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/10/20/172146/11
    http://www.clubforgrowth.org/blog/archives/026378.php

    http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00262

  62. Defending,
      Please tell me you are capable of thinking and that your post is a joke.  How the heck can an elected official ?hijack? a bureaucracy that they were ELECTED to run.  Go read the constitution (it?s this really good set of rules that run the country).  That should set you straight on how much authority the liberal Department of State bureaucrats have compared to the executive branch. 

    And another thing, the reason that they have to conduct policy meetings in secret is because of freaking libs who cant keep their mouths shut and why sympathize with America?s enemies.  If you don?t know who I am talking about, ask the people of Vermont.

  63. When the fearless leader is George Friggin Bush, the Haliburton officials and the representatives of the military industrial complex can hijack the beuracracy beacause the friggin pre$ident is on vacation. And the liberals are calling him and them on it. This administration was SELECTED not ELECTED. And tell your Ashcroft friends to read the constitution! And, tell your treasonous friend in the WH on the brink of indictment that THEY can’t keep secrets. It’s not anyone other than the Republican controlled branches of government f….ng things up, it’s people like you with your head up your ass that allow it!

  65. For the record, that second post was not from me.  I think ?defending? is so intellectually dishonest that he has to post under other people?s names.

    Now for a free lesson that I hope you will learn something from:

    First, decide whether Bush is incompetent or corrupt.  Your argument that Bush is simultaneously ruining the government and problematically vacationing at the same time is illogical.  Please put forth a reasonable argument next time rather than just rant.  Either he is incompetent or he is vacationing.  If he is incompetent, than you should be happy he is vacationing.  If you are unhappy that he is vacationing, then it indicates that you think he does a better job when he is not vacationing.  Your argument is logically as flawed as your philosophy. 

    Second, Haliburton?  What the heck do they have to do with anything. What is funny about libs (and this goes back to my earlier critique on your lack of ability to reason properly) is that you rant and rave without a coherent argument.  A while ago, you complained that the aid was getting to Iraq and the soldiers too slowly.  Now you gripe about a ?no bid contract.?  Go read something called the FAR (federal acquisition regulations).  It will explain the process of how a contract is awarded without going through a lengthy and drawn out competition process.  It makes things a lot quicker because the government works with the contractor to make sure that the government gets a reasonable deal.  Given the number of people involved in giving Haliburton business, don?t you think it?s a bit odd that none of them have come forward saying that the government got shafted?  Oh wait, you were to busy jumping to conclusions and being illogical to think for yourself on that one.

    Now grow up, learn to think critically, take a philosophy course so that you quite sounding like an idiot, and quit posting under my name.

  66. Robert:

    Bush can be incompetent, corrupt and on vacation all at the same time. Why can’t you see this? Answer me:

    Did Bush take a five week vacation while there was a war on he started with lies while our children died?

    Did Bush push through the only tax cut (for the rich), while there was a was raging, in the history of the country?

    Did he fill many, many important posts, including some all important homeland security posts, with crony incompetent appointments?

    Has he allowed the country to go into great and dangerous debt(also a homeland security issue) on his watch?

    Is this congress Republican controlled?

    Are his Republican friends and congressional leaders under indictment and investigation, while even tonight WH staffers are wondering who is going to be stabbed in the back next?

    Tell me, oh wise one, what cess pool lies under this administrations motives, actions, policies and “philosophy”. What is this administrations philosophy? What are it’s principles? Tell me what this administrations principles are! I can tell you the wheels under this WH wagon are falling off, and none too soon.

    Your “logic” about the number of pepple working for Halliburton should lead to…..what, whistleblowers?… is shocking naive. I’m shocked I tell ya! Were you born yesterday?

    You’re a fool, Bob.

  67. The Colorado Constitution
    Article X
    Section 20

    The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

    (1) General provisions. This section takes effect December 31, 1992 or as stated. Its preferred interpretation shall reasonably restrain most the growth of government. All provisions are self-executing and severable and supersede conflicting state constitutional, state statutory, charter, or other state or local provisions. Other limits on district revenue, spending, and debt may be weakened only by future voter approval. Individual or class action enforcement suits may be filed and shall have the highest civil priority of resolution. Successful plaintiffs are allowed costs and reasonable attorney fees, but a district is not unless a suit against it be ruled frivolous. Revenue collected, kept, or spent illegally since four full fiscal years before a suit is filed shall be refunded with 10% annual simple interest from the initial conduct. Subject to judicial review, districts may use any reasonable method for refunds under this section, including temporary tax credits or rate reductions. Refunds need not be proportional when prior payments are impractical to identify or return. When annual district revenue is less than annual payments on general obligation bonds, pensions, and final court judgments, (4) (a) and (7) shall be suspended to provide for the deficiency.

    (2) Term definitions. Within this section:
    (a) “Ballot issue” means a non-recall petition or referred measure in an election.
    (b) “District” means the state or any local government, excluding enterprises.
    (c) “Emergency” excludes economic conditions, revenue shortfalls, or district salary or fringe benefit increases.
    (d) ” Enterprise ” means a government-owned business authorized to issue its own revenue bonds and receiving under 10% of annual revenue in grants from all Colorado state and local governments combined.
    (e) “Fiscal year spending” means all district expenditures and reserve increases except, as to both, those for refunds made in the current or next fiscal year or those from gifts, federal funds, collections for another government, pension contributions by employees and pension fund earnings, reserve transfers or expenditures, damage awards, or property sales.
    (f) “Inflation” means the percentage change in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for Denver-Boulder, all items, all urban consumers, or its successor index.
    (g) “Local growth” for a non-school district means a net percentage change in actual value of all real property in a district from construction of taxable real property improvements, minus destruction of similar improvements, and additions to, minus deletions from, taxable real property. For a school district, it means the percentage change in its student enrollment.

    (3) Election provisions.
    (a) Ballot issues shall be decided in a state general election, biennial local district election, or on the first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years. Except for petitions, bonded debt, or charter or constitutional provisions, districts may consolidate ballot issues and voters may approve a delay of up to four years in voting on ballot issues. District actions taken during such a delay shall not extend beyond that period.
    (b) At least 30 days before a ballot issue election, districts shall mail at the least cost, and as a package where districts with ballot issues overlap, a titled notice or set of notices addressed to “All Registered Voters” at each address of one or more active registered electors. The districts may coordinate the mailing required by this paragraph (b) with the distribution of the ballot information booklet required by section 1 (7.5) of Article V of this constitution in order to save mailing costs. Titles shall have this order of preference: “NOTICE OF ELECTION TO INCREASE TAXES/TO INCREASE DEBT/ON A CITIZEN PETITION/ON A REFERRED MEASURE.” Except for district voter-approved additions, notices shall include only:
    (i) The election date, hours, ballot title, text, and local election office address and telephone number.
    (ii) For proposed district tax or bonded debt increases, the estimated or actual total of district fiscal year spending for the current year and each of the past four years, and the overall percentage and dollar change.
    (iii) For the first full fiscal year of each proposed district tax increase, district estimates of the maximum dollar amount of each increase and of district fiscal year spending without the increase.
    (iv) For proposed district bonded debt, its principal amount and maximum annual and total district repayment cost, and the principal balance of total current district bonded debt and its maximum annual and remaining total district repayment cost.
    (v) Two summaries, up to 500 words each, one for and one against the proposal, of written comments filed with the election officer by 45 days before the election. No summary shall mention names of persons or private groups, nor any endorsements of or resolutions against the proposal. Petition representatives following these rules shall write this summary for their petition. The election officer shall maintain and accurately summarize all other relevant written comments. The provisions of this subparagraph (v) do not apply to a statewide ballot issue, which is subject to the provisions of section 1 (7.5) of Article V of this constitution.
    (c) Except by later voter approval, if a tax increase or fiscal year spending exceeds any estimate in (b) (iii) for the same fiscal year, the tax increase is thereafter reduced up to 100% in proportion to the combined dollar excess, and the combined excess revenue refunded in the next fiscal year. District bonded debt shall not issue on terms that could exceed its share of its maximum repayment costs in (b) (iv). Ballot titles for tax or bonded debt increases shall begin, “SHALL (DISTRICT) TAXES BE INCREASED (first, or if phased in, final, full fiscal year dollar increase) ANNUALLY…?” or “SHALL (DISTRICT) DEBT BE INCREASED (principal amount), WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF (maximum total district cost), …?”

    (4) Required elections. Starting November 4, 1992, districts must have voter approval in advance for:
    (a) Unless (1) or (6) applies, any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above that for the prior year, valuation for assessment ratio increase for a property class, or extension of an expiring tax, or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district.
    (b) Except for refinancing district bonded debt at a lower interest rate or adding new employees to existing district pension plans, creation of any multiple-fiscal year direct or indirect district debt or other financial obligation whatsoever without adequate present cash reserves pledged irrevocably and held for payments in all future fiscal years.

    (5) Emergency reserves. To use for declared emergencies only, each district shall reserve for 1993 1% or more, for 1994 2% or more, and for all later years 3% or more of its fiscal year spending excluding bonded debt service. Unused reserves apply to the next year’s reserve.
    (6) Emergency taxes. This subsection grants no new taxing power. Emergency property taxes are prohibited. Emergency tax revenue is excluded for purposes of (3) (c) and (7), even if later ratified by voters. Emergency taxes shall also meet all of the following conditions:
    (a) A 2/3 majority of the members of each house of the general assembly or of a local district board declares the emergency and imposes the tax by separate recorded roll call votes.
    (b) Emergency tax revenue shall be spent only after emergency reserves are depleted, and shall be refunded within 180 days after the emergency ends if not spent on the emergency.
    (c) A tax not approved on the next election date 60 days or more after the declaration shall end with that election month.

    (7) Spending limits. (a) The maximum annual percentage change in state fiscal year spending equals inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year, adjusted for revenue changes approved by voters after 1991. Population shall be determined by annual federal census estimates and such number shall be adjusted every decade to match the federal census.
    (b) The maximum annual percentage change in each local district’s fiscal year spending equals inflation in the prior calendar year plus annual local growth, adjusted for revenue changes approved by voters after 1991 and (8) (b) and (9) reductions.
    (c) The maximum annual percentage change in each district’s property tax revenue equals inflation in the prior calendar year plus annual local growth, adjusted for property tax revenue changes approved by voters after 1991 and (8) (b) and (9) reductions.
    (d) If revenue from sources not excluded from fiscal year spending exceeds these limits in dollars for that fiscal year, the excess shall be refunded in the next fiscal year unless voters approve a revenue change as an offset. Initial district bases are current fiscal year spending and 1991 property tax collected in 1992. Qualification or disqualification as an enterprise shall change district bases and future year limits. Future creation of district bonded debt shall increase, and retiring or refinancing district bonded debt shall lower, fiscal year spending and property tax revenue by the annual debt service so funded. Debt service changes, reductions, (1) and (3) (c) refunds, and voter-approved revenue changes are dollar amounts that are exceptions to, and not part of, any district base. Voter-approved revenue changes do not require a tax rate change.

    (8) Revenue limits. (a) New or increased transfer tax rates on real property are prohibited. No new state real property tax or local district income tax shall be imposed. Neither an income tax rate increase nor a new state definition of taxable income shall apply before the next tax year. Any income tax law change after July 1, 1992 shall also require all taxable net income to be taxed at one rate, excluding refund tax credits or voter-approved tax credits, with no added tax or surcharge.
    (b) Each district may enact cumulative uniform exemptions and credits to reduce or end business personal property taxes.
    (c) Regardless of reassessment frequency, valuation notices shall be mailed annually and may be appealed annually, with no presumption in favor of any pending valuation. Past or future sales by a lender or government shall also be considered as comparable market sales and their sales prices kept as public records. Actual value shall be stated on all property tax bills and valuation notices and, for residential real property, determined solely by the market approach to appraisal.

    (9) State mandates. Except for public education through grade 12 or as required of a local district by federal law, a local district may reduce or end its subsidy to any program delegated to it by the general assembly for administration. For current programs, the state may require 90 days notice and that the adjustment occur in a maximum of three equal annual installments.
    Source: Initiated 92: Entire section added, effective December 31, 1992, see L. 93, p. 2165. L. 94: (3)(b)(v) amended, p. 2851, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 95, p. 1430, January 19, 1995. L. 96: IP(3)(b) and (3)(b)(v) amended, p. 1425, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 97, p. 2393, December 26, 1996.

    VOTE NO ON REF C!!!!!

  68. Defending,

    ?Bush can be incompetent, corrupt and on vacation all at the same time. Why can’t you see this? Answer me:?
    My point was that you should decide how you want to bash him.  Read my earlier post and talk about it with a friend who understands coherent thought.
    ?Did Bush take a five week vacation while there was a war on he started with lies while our children died?? 
    Can you fit any more clich?s in there?  Yes the president took a working ?vacation? while there was a war on.  He hosted numerous press conferences, countless working groups, and probably got some must needed rest as well.  Would you really want a president to be going 24/7 while trying to make national security decisions?  Don?t answer that because you will sound stupid again.
    ?Did Bush push through the only tax cut (for the rich), while there was a was raging, in the history of the country?? 
    You might want to restate this using proper English.  But I?ll answer what I think you are talking about.  Econ 101 will teach you that lowering taxes often INCREASES overall revenue.  Virtually every credible and independent economist who has commented on the situation agrees that the tax cuts helped keep the US from sinking deeper into the Clinton and 9/11 recession. 
    ?Did he fill many, many important posts, including some all important homeland security posts, with crony incompetent appointments?? 
    Condi Rice, Carl Rove, and John Roberts are probably some of the smartest people in the country.  Are you?  Didn?t think so.  Back to the earlier post, of course he filled the ?important posts? with his picks.  He was elected remember??? 
    ?Has he allowed the country to go into great and dangerous debt(also a homeland security issue) on his watch?? 
    Please explain how debt is a homeland security issue.  You need to read more books and less internet to find out the true answer.
    ?Is this congress Republican controlled??
    Yes, and thank God.
    ?Are his Republican friends and congressional leaders under indictment and investigation, while even tonight WH staffers are wondering who is going to be stabbed in the back next??
    Delay has been indicted after 3 attempts by a blatantly partisan elected DA.  Don?t bother with telling me that he has indicted more dems than Reps.  Pretty much all the dems he went after were conservative and would be called Republicans by normal standards.  And if you respond, tell me how he can be independent when he is making speeches at democratic fundraisers talking about how he is going to bring Delay down.
    ?Tell me, oh wise one, what cess pool lies under this administrations motives, actions, policies and “philosophy”. What is this administrations philosophy? What are it’s principles? Tell me what this administrations principles are! I can tell you the wheels under this WH wagon are falling off, and none too soon.?
    You are not dealing with reality and I will not waste my time on this until you do.
    ?Your “logic” about the number of pepple working for Halliburton should lead to…..what, whistleblowers?… is shocking naive. I’m shocked I tell ya! Were you born yesterday? ?
    This makes no sense.  There are 1000s of people involved in that process.  I guarantee you that a number of them are liberals.  And not one single one of them has filed a complaint that the contracts are unfair.  The only people who make those allegations are uninformed hacks like you.  Your implications are naive and moronic, but at least it should give reasonably minded people an idea of how crazy and illogical people on the left are.  Keep up the good work!!!

  69. I want to applaud Wayne Allard for what amounts to a courageous vote on the Coburn Amendment.  Government pork has got to stop, and cancelling the Alaskan bridge giveaway in favor of assisting hurricane victims seems like a no-brainer, but few Senators voted for it.

    I called Ken Salazar’s office today and gave them an earful.  There was no reason not to vote for this, unless you are so addicted to pet projects that you will put them above the general welfare of Americans.

    Salazar should be ashamed.  We had a chance to draw a line in the sand and begin to examine bogus expenditures more closely.  He failed, along with nearly all Democrats, and we will not forget.

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