Referendums C and D
Early voting ends today in Denver .
Here's an article from the Rocky Mountain News dealing with the effects of Colorado mineral severance taxes and their possible role in solving the state's budget crisis [October 28, 2005, "Energy taxes may swell coffers"]. From the article, "Dave Koskella, an engineer with Encana, the largest producer of natural gas in North America, questioned why the tax 'windfall' hasn't been part of the discussion on Referendum C, the tax measure on Tuesday's ballot aimed at the state's budget problems...Koskella believes that soaring prices and production - the two factors used in calculating taxes - could produce $1.5 billion in severance taxes over the next five years, easing the state budget crunch. But the state calculates the collection during that same period at $761 million, said Henry Sobanet, the governor's budget director. But the issue, he said, is not the amount of money coming in but the spending limits imposed by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. The state estimates this fiscal year it will collect $200 million in severance taxes, he said. But in the following year, he said, the state expects the tax collection to shrink to $146 million. That's because oil and gas businesses then will be able to deduct the amount of their county property tax bill from their severance tax checks to the state."
The effects of state budget cuts fall disproportionally on the mentally ill according to supporters of Referendums C and D [Rocky Mountain News, October 28, 2005, "C backers say failure will swell homeless"]. From the article, "Homelessness will grow dramatically and the mentally ill and poor will suffer more sickness if Colorado voters turn down Referendum C, speakers at two Denver rallies said Thursday...But an opponent of Ref C, Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, said the referendum's backers were 'painting the ugliest picture possible. There are choices available to us to avoid making those cuts.' Mitchell said the state could raise funds by selling bonds from tobacco settlement money...Parvensky said the state budget for mental health care has been cut by 25 percent since 2002. He said further cuts will put more mentally ill people on the streets...Parvensky said hundreds of people are turned away from shelters in Denver on a daily basis. State funding for affordable housing had been slashed to nothing during the past three years, he added...Later in the day, more than 75 doctors and health workers outside the state Capitol called for funds to be restored to health care and human service programs."
Opponents of Referendum C often say that non-profits should be taking up the slack caused by budget shortfalls. Here's an opinion piece about non-profits from the Denver Post [October 28, 2005, "Foundations can't make up revenue"]. From the article, "One of the many myths being spread by opponents of Referendums C and D is that private foundations can make up for lost state government dollars. If only this were true! Foundations in Colorado have been growing in number and size in recent years. Many generous families, individuals and corporations have established foundations as a vehicle for supporting charitable causes and helping people in need."
Mike Rosen is urging voters to reject Referred School District 1 Ballot Question - Denver Public Schools Teacher Compensation Plan in his column in today's Rocky Mountain News [October 28, 2005, "Rosen: No on 3A, aka ProComp"]. He writes, "In the private sector, managers apportion pay increases among their staff, within a finite budget, based on individual merit. The best performers get more; the worst performers get less or nothing at all. ProComp bonuses would be on top of the existing pay schedule, which rewards teachers strictly on the basis of seniority and college credits. Since it's nearly impossible to fire a tenured teacher for mere incompetence, someone who just hangs on taking periodic graduate courses over the years can methodically make her or his way to the lower right-hand corner of the DPS salary grid, currently paying as much as $61,872 with a master's degree or $65,818 with a doctorate. Whether or not someone can actually teach - that is, convey an understanding of the subject matter to a student - isn't a factor. This is a collective compensation system tailored to a union mentality that abhors competition among its members. ProComp hardly lays a glove on it."
Here's an article from the Cortez Journal about budget cuts and the effect on state parks. From the article, "After hearing that Mancos State Park was on a list of 11 state parks that might be closed to balance the state budget in 2006, The Mancos Times asked 'Why Mancos?' The answer, according to Gary Thorson, assistant director of Colorado State Parks, reached by phone Monday, is that Mancos State Park doesn't come near paying its own way. With a present operating budget of $70,830 and annual revenues of $35,091, Thorson said the park has only a 49.5 percent 'level of sufficiency.' In other words, Mancos State Park costs the State of Colorado slightly more than twice as much as it generates in fees. The answer, according to state Rep. Mark Larson, R-Cortez, also contacted by phone Monday, is that the Tax payers' Bill of Rights is coming home to roost. Statewide, he said, state parks are funded about 70 percent by fees. Within the area of discretionary spending - beyond those expenditures mandated by constitutional requirements, Larson said, 'We're going to have to make cuts across the board.' State Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus, said, 'The governor told everybody to prepare the budget with a 25 percent cut.' In reality, Isgar said, the cuts are going to have to be selective, not across the board. The senator is interested in 'making parks an enterprise,' which means they would be 90 percent or more funded by fees."
Governor Owens is trying to patch up his relationship with conservative think tanks over his support for Referendums C and D, according to the Denver Post [October 28, 2005, "Think tanks think little of guv letter"]. From the article, "Gov. Bill Owens has sent a letter to conservative think tanks around the country explaining his support of Tuesday's ballot measures to suspend provisions of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. Critics say the letter is an effort by the governor - for years a national star in Republican politics - to protect his conservative legacy, which has taken a beating since he helped craft Referendums C and D. Owens spokesman Dan Hopkins says the governor is simply trying to help conservative think tanks 'understand what is really happening in Colorado.'"
Revenue numbers support the need for Referendums C and D along with the need to reject them, according to the Denver Post [October 28, 2005, "C, D sides say revenue lag backs them up"]. From the article, "The biggest source of revenue in the Colorado budget has not yet bounced back to prerecessionary levels - adding fuel to each side's argument over Tuesday's ballot measures to let the state keep more tax money. In 2001, the state collected $3.99 billion in income tax revenue from individual taxpayers. By 2003, that revenue fell to $3.11 billion. That's a 22 percent decrease in revenue in the most important category of the state's funding sources. In fiscal 2005, which ended June 30, the state collected $3.68 billion in individual tax revenue. To backers of Referendums C and D, the decline is evidence that the state is in a deep hole, from which it can't recover. To opponents, it shows that politicians want to exempt themselves from the economic hard times affecting Colorado families."
Here's a short article about Mayor Hickenlooper lending his support to the campaign to pass Referendums C and D from the Rocky Mountain News [October 28, 2005, "Hickenlooper brings strong 'legs' to campaigns"]. From the article, "Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's name doesn't appear anywhere on the Nov. 1 ballot, but it seems that every time you channel surf he's in a political ad. There's the mayor in a blue bear costume in support of a tourism tax for Denver. Hey, it's Hickenlooper and his former chief of staff, Michael Bennet, touting a new pay system for Denver Public Schools that voters will decide on Tuesday. Look, it's the mayor parachuting out of an airplane, pitching Referendums C and D as he falls to earth."
The Rocky reports that State college administrators claim that higher education will suffer without Referendums C and D [October 28, 2005, "Colleges make final appeal for Refs C&D"].
Brad Buchanan is under fire for claiming the support of teachers when in fact the teacher's union has endorsed Jill Conrad, according to the Denver Post [October 28, 2005, "Teachers union condemns candidate claim"]. From the article, "The Denver teachers union president scolded school board candidate Brad Buchanan on Thursday night after receiving an automated phone call on her personal answering machine from his campaign claiming that he has the support of 'thousands' of Denver teachers. Denver Classroom Teachers Association president Kim Ursetta said in a news release that at-large candidate Buchanan was deceiving voters with that message because the teachers union endorsed Jill Conrad for the at-large seat."
The Denver Post fact checks another TV ad from the Referendum C wars.
Category: Denver November 2005 Election
6:11:52 AM 
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