Referendums C and D
Early voting starts today in Denver .
Here's an article about Medicaid in Colorado from the Rocky Mountain News [October 17, 2005, "Bare-bones coverage"]. Opponents of Referendum C often point to Medicaid as an area where government can cut excess. From the article, "Call it the Medicaid monster. The health care program for the poor and disabled gobbles up more of the state budget every year, leaving less for other needs."
Mental Health programs are one area that have received cuts over the last few years, according to the Rocky Mountain News [October 17, 2005, "A hopeless feeling"]. From the article, "Tryon is among the hundreds of severely mentally ill patients who got kicked out of Colorado's community mental health centers in recent years. Some, like Tryon, found other therapy. Hundreds more are unaccounted for. They could be in jail, homeless, dead or in other states. And that, mental health advocates say, is a symptom of a cash-strapped system in shambles after years of budget cuts. It's also a system, critics say, that lacks accountability or much motivation to admit its failures."
Here's another story from the Rocky about consumer-directed attendant support [October 17, 2005, "In loving hands"]. From the article, "Through a new program, though, Brian's care just got much better. He was among 146 Medicaid patients enrolled in a state pilot program called CDAS, or consumer-directed attendant support. It's Colorado's experiment with allowing patients to hire, fire and train their own caregivers, in lieu of working through home health care agencies. Costs are down as a result and the state just expanded CDAS to enroll as many as 33,000 elderly, blind and disabled people.Through a new program, though, Brian's care just got much better. He was among 146 Medicaid patients enrolled in a state pilot program called CDAS, or consumer-directed attendant support. It's Colorado's experiment with allowing patients to hire, fire and train their own caregivers, in lieu of working through home health care agencies. Costs are down as a result and the state just expanded CDAS to enroll as many as 33,000 elderly, blind and disabled people."
Opponents of Referendum C are under fire for their misleading tactics again, according to the Rocky Mountain News [October 17, 2005, "Referendum C foes throw new hardball"]. From the article, "Duck before the mud splatters because the Referendum C campaign just got uglier. Supporters of the statewide ballot issue are accusing the opposition of hitting a new low with a recent recorded message sent to voters who requested absentee ballots in Larimer, Weld and El Paso counties. Even a staunch Ref C opponent balked. The message, paid for by Vote No, It's Your Dough, says that Referendum C will 'take away your tax refunds and allow the state to use them on programs, such as services for illegal aliens.' It continues: 'In order to keep your tax refunds, you must vote 'no' on C and mail in your absentee ballot today.'"
Here's an opinion piece from the Rocky urging voters to approve Referendum C [October 17, 2005, "Speakout: Tech industry needs benefits of C, D"]. From the article, "The fundamental question at issue is this: Can Colorado continue to 'ratchet down' its budget without squeezing the life out of higher education and public infrastructure? I believe that it cannot. The point has been reached where the skilled young people and the world-class infrastructure needed to sustain and grow our state's economy cannot be provided under the current system of budgeting. Caught between shrinking budget baselines and growing federal mandates, these accounts have seen the buildup of relentless pressure with no relief in sight. The governor and the state legislature have made prudent cuts, increased efficiencies, undertaken creative financing and implemented 'make-do' measures, but that hasn't been enough. Even further significant strides in these areas will not make up for the severe revenue shortfall the state has suffered due to 9/11, the national recession in 2001 and record-setting drought conditions."
It might be a bit early to start the process of going into debt based on the potential passage of Referendums C and D but that is exactly what CDOT is doing, according to the Denver Post [October 17, 2005, "Bond bids pursued before vote"]. From the article, "The Colorado Department of Transportation is asking investment firms to submit applications to handle a $1.2 billion bond offering that is contingent on voter approval of two hotly debated ballot measures. If passed by voters, Referendums C and D would let state government keep more tax money that would otherwise be refunded to taxpayers under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, known as TABOR. Referendum C would provide financing to pay the bonds back, said Tom Norton, CDOT's executive director. Referendum D would authorize CDOT to issue bonds to finance 55 road projects. For the bond sale to occur, both C and D would need to pass."
David Harsanyi profiles DPS School Board candidate Matt Webster in today's Denver Post [October 17, 2005, "Fresh ideas worth more than money"]. From the article, "Matt Webster has plenty of ideas about public education. Regrettably, for him, few voters are going to actually hear about them...And while no one is questioning his commitment to the race, Webster hadn't exactly anticipated the cutthroat and high- stakes world of school-board politics."
Category: Denver November 2005 Election
6:14:27 AM 
|
|
