President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%↑
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(R) Jeff Hurd
(D) Adam Frisch
50%
50%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
52%↑
48%↓
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
March 05, 2009 05:24 PM UTC
31 Comments
This is what bipartisanship looks like.
I bought a Land Rover becasues it was the safest vehicle for the wife to drive the kids around. First year’s license fees? $1142. Absolutely insane.
I will NEVER buy another new vehicle in Colorado. You lovers of tax-increases don’t seem to realize the detrimental affects of all the taxes and fees on economic activity. Government bloat and overhead expense is the best way to convert a recession to a depression. Y=C+I+G+(X-M). Simple as that. More G equals less I and less C. Why do you think the equities markets have reacted so badly to the poorly-targeted stimulus and Obama budget?
Al White sucks.
Do you think our roads just build themselves? If you want to be able to drive your car anywhere except up and down your driveway, you need to pay taxes to fund road construction & maintainence.
As to the equities market being such a good indicator – they were climbing like crazy when all the bad loans were being repackaged and resold. I’d say their value as an indicator is piss-poor.
consumer spending and investment started tanking before this spending bill passed. The increase in government spending is supposed to make up for the current fall in consumer spending and investment due to the collapse of the housing market that left massive numbers of people with negative equity.
Good for Al White.
If you want to pay less in taxes, then don’t by a Land Rover. It’s a heavier automobile, and therefore requires the purchaser to pay more in taxes and fees. There many highly safe sedans (volvo for instance) that would be less expensive. It also might depend on which county you live in as that’s how sales tax is determined. I imagine some of that number includes sales tax–which is much, much lower than other states thanks to our powerful automobile lobby. And I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m pretty sure it was the same way when the Republicans controlled things too.
Furthermore, FASTER hasn’t taken effect yet so your license fee wasn’t any higher than it normally would be, so using it as a way to attack FASTER is rather specious.
Let me lay it down like this: I think $41 a year is a small price to pay for safer roads and bridges, and obviously you don’t. If you want to have a discussion about that, then that’s an ideological debate we can have, but don’t whine about how titling and licensing a new car is expensive. Pretty much everyone knows and expects that going into the car-buying process anyway–that’s one of the reasons so many people buy used cars if they’re really worried about $1100 versus $600 to the state.
And really, blaming the Democrats? At least they have a plan. Remember Josh Penry’s plan? He wanted to reroute severance taxes from water projects into road-paving projects. That’s not conservatism, that’s lunacy. The Democrats have created an annual fund for roads and bridges that creates $250 million in funds. To me, that’s good government, I’m sure you disagree (again it’s probably an ideological divide that I would love to get into another time. It’s fun to get down to the nuts and bolts of political thought because I usually find we have more in common than we might think.)
Al White saw a plan that made sense and signed on. If there had been a Republican plan that made sense, then I’m sure many Democrats would have signed on to that. The problem is all of the leadership and ideas on this issue are coming from the Democrats.
$1142? Insane. The fees are already too high. Raising taxes and fees increases disincentive, although it is difficult to quantify because there are numerous variables in the consumer-decision process. In my case, I seriously will not buy another new vehicle in Colorado. I have had enough of fees. Furthermore, flaming environmetalist that I am, I don’t even like cars, their impact is too severe. I drive very little, and I wouldn’t have bought a new car at all, but I had nothing to transport twins. I’m a light rail fan. Say, how much new light rail are we getting for all that stimulus money? What is it, about $4T now? If our politicians don’t get us rail lines all over this state, they should be all be fired.
And where in my original posting did I say anything about Democrats or Republicans??? I was talking about the effects of higher taxes and fees on economic activity illustrated using one personal experience. I am not the least bit interested in partisan BS. I am actually assisting a Democratic congressman in drafting a bill right now. There are good ones and bad ones in both parties; the bad ones are {opinion alert} the ones who grow government, raise taxes, and raise fees. And, speaking of Volvo, Sweden is seriously trying to cut government and cut tax rates in this environment. They tried it the other way, now they are wanting it our way. (see http://www.thelocal.se/17964/2… or better yet http://www.thelocal.se/gallery). You’ll thank me later……
Government spending crowds out private spending. It is a tautological relationship and hardly qualifies as a bad interpretation of neoclassical economics. Anyway, in this environment, I am pro-Keynes actually. Keynes understood that government intrusions were abnormal, and that if government stimulus was employed, it should be well-targeted to the working class, who will spend it and create lasting economic impact. Key points that Milton Friedman agreed on. The current government seems to be bastardizing Keynesian theory in order to increase their voter base. That benefits the few at the expense of the many. Ironic isn’t it?
Of course equities markets are not always immediate direct indicators of overall economic health but try running your public company without being able to raise capital. Equities values have a massive impact on consumer sentiment. Assessments of personal wealth affect numerous quantitative economic indicators.
I am unable to defend any of Josh Penry’s plans, I don’t know anything about him. What business was he in before he got into government? If he is another politician with no business experience (like the President who is raising taxes in a recession turning it into a depression) then I couldn’t care less what he thinks.
Don’t increase costs to the consumer during an economic downturn. Period. It will increase the amplitude of the economic cycle.
that you bought an SUV? Right.
It’s the total consumption that matters, not the type of vehicle, smartass. I have 20+ years in environmental programs, waste minimization, and process economics. You really want to debate me in those fields? What progress have you made cleaning up the environment and protecting workers and the environment?
It’s pretty obvious which of you bloggers are interested in intelligent debate and which of you are schticking for the Democrats. Your credibility is gone with me redstateblues.
On a lot of other votes besides this one this session, too–nice to see him getting some credit. Too many more Republicans like him and people might start to rethink Republicans.
Fortunately there are very few like Sen. White out there.
Which reminds me, Pols, this makes two posts in a row praising Republicans today. Kindly cut that shit out, I’m sure Betsy Markey [JeffcoBlue emphasis] has done something good recently.
when Democrats do what is natural in our character (good things); it is news when someone does something out of character (Republicans doing good things or a Democrat doing someting bad–like Rod Blagojevich or Roland Burris)….
has served her quite well!
First female Speaker of the House, increasing her numbers in successive elections. Not a shabby record to emulate. Perhaps Boehner should take lessons….
Progress Now Action TPs require you to call Boehner a drunk, stupid or/and anti-family.
My point was that Boehner, if he is hoping to someday be speaker, might want to emulate Pelosi…she has been pretty successful. (She also has mananged to avoid being a wimp and crying on camera…unlike Boehner).
As to his being a drunk, intellectually challenged or anti-family, I don’t have enough evidence to make a case. I will say that given that he’s only had one family and historically Republican Leaders in the House have been expected to burn through wives like it is a race, I suppose one could assume he is anti-family.
Without volunteer CARD-CHECK 5 mins “forced to vote” TP liberty justice AXP PDQ. ‘Nuff said.
He has always been one of my favorite Rs and it was a sincere pleasure to serve with him in the House for my 4 years. We both understood that it’s not about who’s right, it’s about what’s right. Stay true to your convictions Sen. White! The Ds won’t forget this either!
you are gonna wake the other voices in your head
Here is White’s website
Greetings from Colorado Senator Al White
…you can always cross the aisle and become a centrist Dem! (And bring Ken Kester with you!)
http://www.politicswest.com/36…
It seems there may yet be some distance to traverse there.
I wonder why they did that. If ever there was a chance that White would become Colorado’s Jim Jeffords, the cross over would have been engineered through the D.L.C.
And even if there’s no chance he’s going to leave the GOP, wouldn’t it give him some leverage in his caucus to be seen chatting with centrist Dems in public?
And for the D.L.C. Dems, it would just be fun to mess with the minds of Renfroe, Schultheis, and Brophy by holding such a meeting!
Notes that the meeting was ending, which is why everyone headed out the door.
Al White is NEVER buzzkill.
Senator White’s presence always evokes a sense of reality.
That would explain why all of the members of his caucus seem to want to disown him then….
… only when you pull an Anne McGihon do you get such caucus treatment.
is highly subjunctive.
Notice how White doesn’t have any leadership positions in the Republican Party. Moderate Republicans, like Russell George and White, languish alone in the silent majority, waiting for the day when Rush Penry, er, Senator Penry, talks his way out of a job.
Al White is truly a quality guy…who speaks his mind, speaks the truth, and does what’s right. If the R’s had more like him they might have a chance to get the majority back.