Referendums C and D
Early voting continues today in Denver .
David Harsanyi writes about Initiative 100 in his column in today's Denver Post [October 24, 2005, "SAFER could still be smarter"]. From the column, "Show me an honest campaign and I'll show you a losing one. You would think proposing the legalization of pot would be provocative enough, but SAFER has made sure to antagonize our pious city leaders even further...If you believe in more individual freedom, you may still feel comfortable voting for I-100. But don't fall for SAFER's wobbly logic."
Progress Now and other campaigns are using the Internet to spread ads for and against Referendum C, according to the Rocky Mountain News [October 24, 2005, "Row, row, row your ads down the campaign trail ..."]. From the article, "The shot is part of one of the most talked about ads developed yet for the Referendum C campaign, only viewers aren't seeing it on television. The ad, one of three developed by Jen Caltrider of the group ProgressNow, is available for viewing only online. The premise of the video ads, from do-it-yourself driver's licenses to fixing potholes to fighting fires at state parks, is this: Some things you shouldn't have to do yourself. You need government. Government needs money to operate. Vote Yes on Referendum C."
To view the ads click here then scroll down the left side to Progress TV. Coyote Gulch salutes Progress Now for including the clips in MP4, QuickTime, and Windows formats. That's a very inclusive message.
The Denver Post editorial staff explains the reality of budget cuts if Referendum C does not pass in today's edition [October 24, 2005, "Planners eye election aftermath"]. They write, "Opponents of Referendum C pretend Colorado can further slash services without pinching the public, and that money can be found to fill the gaps. A new report by the state's leading budget authority shows both claims are false. The truth is, if Referendum C fails at the ballot box, harmful budget cuts are unavoidable. The TABOR provision in Colorado's constitution means state spending is stuck at recession levels even as our economy recovers. Referendum C would let the state keep revenue it already collects. If C fails, state government would have to take an across-the-board 10 percent cut, says the Office of State Planning and Budgeting. At that level, the Department of Corrections would be forced to release some inmates early and relax measures to keep all high-risk prisoners under tightest control."
The Denver Post editorial staff defends Ronald Reagan against those that would distort his record (Jon Caldara [October 24, 2005, "Ronald Reagan, a fiscal realist"]. They write, "President Ronald Reagan reversed course on taxes when he had to. More than once. He was never comfortable doing it, but when he saw it was in the best interest of the country, he signed on the dotted line. In 1982, just a year after a massive tax cut he had hoped would spur the economy, Reagan signed the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act - the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history. Later that year he signed the Highway Revenue Act of 1982, which raised the gasoline tax $3.3 billion. And still he wasn't done. In 1983, faced with future shortfalls in Social Security, Reagan raised the Social Security payroll tax and the Medicare tax."
Dan Haley worries that city leaders are asking too much of taxpayers this election cycle in his column in today's Denver Post [October 24, 2005, "When do voters say 'Enough, already'?"]. He writes, "Denver voters, historically, have been very kind when government passes the hat. But can government ask for too much and turn voters off? That very thought has some proponents of this year's ballot issues worried. Besides Referendums C and D, which ask voters to let the state keep $3.7 billion in revenue, Denver voters also will be asked to raise their property taxes for teachers with ProComp, allow the city to keep some $4 million to $5 million in revenue and raise the lodging tax on hotel guests."
Category: Denver November 2005 Election
6:38:09 AM 
|
|
