President (To Win Colorado)
See Full Big Line
(D) Kamala Harris
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
See Full Big Line
(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) V. Archuleta
98%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
See Full Big Line
(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Marshall Dawson
95%
5%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
See Full Big Line
(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Jeff Hurd
50%
50%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
See Full Big Line
(R) Lauren Boebert
(D) Trisha Calvarese
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
See Full Big Line
(R) Jeff Crank
(D) River Gassen
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
See Full Big Line
(D) Jason Crow*
(R) John Fabbricatore
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
See Full Big Line
(D) B. Pettersen
(R) Sergei Matveyuk
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
See Full Big Line
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
70%↑
30%
State Senate Majority
See Full Big Line
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
See Full Big Line
DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
April 08, 2009 12:42 AM UTC
13 Comments
I disagree that the R’s (especially Penry) are up in arms about the cuts to higher ed just for show. A few years back the Republicans were the only reason CSU (aka Penley) was not able to push through a last minute long bill amendment that would have raised tuition 43% in ONE YEAR.
Penry was the most vocal opponent and, in my opinion, the reason a few D’s joined the republicans.
Penry may not be the best when it comes to finding funding sources, but he is genuinely interested in keeping state schools affordable.
Let’s see their “sweeping examination” of the state budget. What is their alternative? A generalization makes for a good sound bite, but isn’t serious policy.
The Dems should say they are eagerly looking forward to their proposed budget and every day loudly ask where is it in the press.
.
but when governance actually requires a difficult choice,
its the fault of the minority party ?
Boy, being in charge looks fun !
.
making tough noises instead of tough choices here, Barron. Just as they are doing in Washington where their contribution is organized heckling of Freshman Dems in congress. It’s becoming a party of two year olds holding their breath until they turn blue. No wonder the GOP approval rating nationally is down to 31%.
and his “Soggy Bottom Boys” remind me of my college debating days when my partner and I went up against a team from Cornell (if memory serves me right) who presented a non-plan in place of the required plan. They made a prima facie case easily enough but their plan was for commissions and dependency on what might happen in the future. The judge about laughed the out of the room and blasted them for having nothing in the way of a plan to solve the ills in his critique.
But this what the “Party of No” has become. And Americans are not stupid. Today’s NYT/CBS poll shows that Republicans are at a 25 year low in how Americans view them. And on the economy, it shows that Americans trust President Obama by a 3 to 1 margin over Republicans. Republicans without a plan are known as simple whiners. I guess it is time for us to start asking if there will even be a Republican Party this time next year.
When Ref. “C” was on the ballot in 2005, they fought it tooth and nail, and when it was disclosed that without “C” we would have to close 10 of our 13 community colleges, they said fine, we don’t care.
When informed that if “C” didn’t pass tuition at our colleges would rise to level of private universities within five years, they said we don’t care.
Now they attempt to blame the Democrats for the budget cuts and yet the Republicans like Sen. Penry have fought to the death to protect TABOR and the other constitutional restrictions that insure we have to make significant cuts in higher education during an economic downturn; a downturn that Gov. Ritter and the Democrats in the legislature did not cause.
Yes, like others have said, I to want to see their plan to fund higher education, a budget area they have intentionally forsaken for years.
There new found feigned concern for higher education can’t be taken seriously or believed when one looks at the Republican Party’s record of disdain and contempt for higher education over the past nine years.
We should all remember that former Senator John Andrews, who is still a leader in the Republican Party and who praised the website that supports the defunding of public education as recently as February of this year, supports the termination of all public funding for public education, K through university.
We don’t need no stinkin’ public investment in higher ed!
As for Andrews advocating for privatizing and outsourcing public education- Tancredo too.
Republican standard bearer and he openly advocated the repeal of Ref. “C” and the rollback of “C” monies to the original estimates. In other words, he believed then, and he has said nothing to the contrary since then, that it was ok to close 10 of our 13 community colleges and to force our colleges and universities to raise tuition to the levels of private universities. Former Rep. Beauprez is now running for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination next year.
He is one of those who spoke at a major statewide Republican dinner several weeks ago, as did former State Senate President Andrews, and they both specifically said there is no need to change or rethink Republican principles or policy positions. All that needs to be done is to repackage it.
Bottom line: The Colorado Republican Party does not believe our institutions of higher education are worth anything to our society. Their feigned concern, without providing an alternaitve funding mechanism, belies their concern as does their leaders continuing belief that everything they’ve stood for in the past, including the defunding of higher education, is fine.
If the Republicans want to be honest about the funding crisis in higher education they will have to admit first, there aren’t any significant funding sources in other areas of the state budget available to make up the short fall and second, they will have to admit that new revenues are required, but of course that would require them to violate the absolute Republican ideology that taxes can never be raised under any circumstances or for any reason. That ideology of course produces the fantasy statements we now hear coming from the Republican senate caucus – “a complete review of the budget.” They know there isn’t any savings in other areas of the state budget to cover this shortfall but they simply can’t admit it because that would lead to one conclusion – the need for additional revenues. It all boils down to whether we believe our institutions of higher education are worth preserving. IF the Republicans really are sincere about saving higher education in Colorado, they will honestly and forthrightly face reality and in a nonpartisan manner support additional revenues for higher education. Based on past performance, I’m not sanguine about that happening.
Funny play on words. 🙂
The national debt is approx 75% of GDP – just like it was in 1943 and 1953.
Obviously, in 1943 it was still trending up as we paid for WW2. And in 1953 it was trending down – because the national leadership prioritized. Yes there was an R president and there were D congressional majorities.
And then the R’s killed Goldwater, elected Nixon twice and coalesced around Reagan. Reagan cut taxes- at the time a record large cut. But then had to raise taxes- acknowledging he got it wrong and the debt was going the wrong way. And electorally the R’s all learned what VP Cheney articulated – deficits don’t matter. All that matters is taxes are cut- never raised. Deficit reduction is always about welfare queens driving Cadillacs and illegal immigrants.
But deficits do matter. What Cheney meant was deficits don’t matter when it comes to getting elected and rallying the base.
Deficits do matter- but no one campaigns on debt reduction. Not seriously. Gingrich led the R Contract with America in 94 – huge electoral success, not so much in the legislative success. Did R’s bring back in 2000 the parts the couldn’t get in the 90’s? No- because deficits don’t matter.
And here in Colorado, our R leadership stays close to the ideological bone – taxes may only be cut. Public funding is always suspect or wrong. We don’t have the mythical Cadillac driving welfare queen to demonize, so we demonize illegal immigrants (not their employers- just them). We rail at paying academic staff or funding higher ed. We laud TABOR and can’t understand why we’re the only state that has adopted it. We laugh at the initiatives and amendments other states get on their ballot and we’ve created a labyrinth of a Constitution with conflicting amendments.
Partisan candidates really are serious. About getting elected. and re-elected. And non-partisan candidates don’t get elected. For all the CSB-ing that goes on about individual liberty, freedom, accomplishment and blah blah blah, we don’t elect U candidates.
We should select our reps like we select jury pools.
We certainly would welcome an independent thinker like you.
Ref “C” monies,sold as the saviour of education, was another political travesty. Only 16% of the Ref C money has gone to schools, check it out. Go through the last 20 years of ballot questions, there is always a plan to bail out education and public services(fire, etc.), and when they get the money, it goes somewhere else so the forgetful public can vote the corrupt politicians more money each time. Viva TABOR@!
Ref C was never the end all, fix all and was never sold as such. And it is state law which requires increased education spending each year.