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June 18, 2009 05:05 PM UTC

Shaffer Acknowledges Error, Will Repay "Retreat" Funds

  • 19 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

As the Denver Post’s Lynn Bartels (we’re still getting used to that) reports:

Following a rash of criticism, state Senate President Brandon Shaffer has decided to use private Democratic funds rather than ask taxpayers to foot the bill for a $4,200 workshop from which Republicans were excluded.

“The perception was that it was an unwise use of funds,” John Cevette, Senate chief of staff, said Wednesday.

The Denver Post reported Tuesday that Shaffer, a Longmont Democrat, used Senate funds to pay for a workshop on team building and conflict resolution. He also covered the instructor’s $179 plane ticket.

Republicans were peeved at the use of taxpayer money because they weren’t invited, and even left-leaning blogs were critical. Shaffer said he erred in excluding them, and that the cost will be paid for out of “personal donations.”

“I think that was a smart move on their part,” said Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction…

Thus ends this brief foray into the stupid for our new Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer. We suppose everybody gets one pass while they’re just getting their feet under them. This was, if we’re to be so charitable, definitely the one such pass he’ll get–and we assume that the swift kicking he received will result, as we recommended the day before yesterday, in better consideration of the political consequences of all these bright little ideas people come up with at staff meetings.

As for as the other problem that emerged on Tuesday for Senate leadership, the bonuses that were paid to primarily the former staff of Sen. Peter Groff, there’s no doubt it will be used against Democrats in the coming months. Like we said before, the simple facts open up an excellent line of attack for Republicans that they won’t fail to exploit. That said, the real damage reputation-wise for these ill-timed bonuses would seem to be firewalled at former Sen. Groff personally, since he is the one who gave out by far the most bonus money this year, as well as higher salary costs in general according to the Post. And going back only one year, you see the GOP gave out much more bonus money than Democrats–which limits their ability to legitimately capitalize on this.

One more word about “team building.” We have heard from a number of Gold Dome sources since the session ended and Shaffer took charge that the Senate leadership is considerably more functional now than it was under prior leaders. Gaffes aside, we’ve heard good things about the outreach efforts of the new senior staff, in an effort to close communication gaps that have caused huge problems in the last year. We don’t know if it was this ‘conflict resolution’ seminar they attended that did the trick, in fact those kind of annoy us so we doubt it was. Whatever it is, if we keep seeing good stuff behind the scenes, and less stupidity making its way into the newspaper of record, the latter being really important, there are reasons for Democrats to be optimistic.

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19 thoughts on “Shaffer Acknowledges Error, Will Repay “Retreat” Funds”

    1. Bottom line:  Once this got out did he want to leave message that he’s going to use your tax dollars for what everyone will see as partisan purposes and if you don’t like it tough? Obviously not.

      Did both the right and expedient thing. Big wow. Should have had more sense in the first place. Clearly never asked himself how this would look and could be used.  Answer would have been obvious.

      Of course if this is the stupidest thing he ever does as Senate President, Dems won’t have much cause for complaint.  No lasting harm done.

      1. Let’s not turn this entirely into a question of perception. He also clearly never asked whether it was the right thing to do.

        But you’re absolutely right, let’s hope this puts Shaffer on notice to consider those questions before the fact.

      1. like ‘the other guy did the same thing’ or ‘I wasn’t responsibile for all of it’ not only sends the wrong message, but shows a lack of principles in making this decision in the first place.

        This says ‘I lack principles’ and ‘I failured to fully value my decision’; then it attempts to cover up the errors by blaming someone else.

        1. Accidentally typing Republicans when they meant Democrats and then making a joke about it is the very epitome of unprincipled behavior. Perhaps we should have a referendum on whether Colorado Pols should have front-page status for the next six months. This is a serious transgression.

          1. people miscommunicate or have typos all the time.

            Focus back to the diary boy!  Its about the bad leadership decisions and the follow-on blame game that show just how they lack principles and rational reasoning.

            1. Yeah, I made the point earlier that Shaffer (but mostly his critics and defenders) not turn this into a perception problem — that they admit it was a real problem and a poor decision, not just because it can be spun to their disadvantage by political opponents. I’m not sure where you’re going with the “follow-on blame game,” though, Shaffer admitted it was a mistake and has set about correcting it.

              Forgive me, though, for thinking you were commenting on Pols’ remark, since you were replying to that remark, boy!

  3. Slightly OT, but I must question whether this was really written by Bartels. No self-serving vapidity from Dickwad(hams), no shrill rants from golden, not even a pip from Katy Atkinson.Thus, I suggest Bartels couldn’t have written this. Unless she lost her speed dial capabilities! She and little vince are the obstacle to me subscribing to the “Dinkyville Bargain Shopper”  🙂

    1. But I have little patience for people who register just to say something bad about someone else.

      I can’t speak for everyone who posts here, but I think at least a few of them think the same way.

      Perhaps you should lurk for a while before posting again.

      Or maybe take a pill and wait until tomorrow to insult people.

      1. He’s got every right to flame, but registering to do so kinda knocks his cred right out the gate.  

        Worse though is her/his comment “…She and little vince are the obstacle to me subscribing to the “Dinkyville Bargain Shopper”.

        limpenough2 just shows s/he is so principled that only when the Post conforms to deliver the 101% groupthink message will they subscribe.

        Hey limpenogh2, this is America, not Iran or China.

  4. “The perception was that it was an unwise use of funds,” John Cevette, Senate chief of staff, said Wednesday.

    Did Shaffer undo this because he realized this was wrong to charge to the taxpayers, or was it just that he was getting pinged and so was reacting to the bad press?

    If it’s (1), then that’s good. If it’s (2) that is bad for two major reasons, first that he doesn’t understand, and second that he will immediately change direction if he gets bad press.

    I’m hoping it’s (1) but that statement sure makes me wonder…

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