Amendment 33 is attracting support and dough on both sides of the issue according to the Rocky Mountain News [September 6, 2003, "The race is on"]. From the article, "London-based Wembley has been trying to persuade the legislature for years to allow it to have some additional gaming at its facilities in Commerce City, Arapahoe County, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Each time either the legislature has refused or the governor has vetoed the plan. Tourism interests have been looking for a steady stream of promotion money since the state tax on tourism-related spending ended in 1993. According to state and tourism industry studies, every dollar spent on promotion returns anywhere from $50 to $200 in tourism spending. 'We're not taking sides as far as the casino operators versus the tracks is concerned,' said Pete Meersman, head of the powerful Colorado Restaurant Association. 'What we're taking sides about is we support a permanent funding mechanism to promote tourism. We think this initiative does that.' According to the Colorado Legislative Council, which has performed the only objective analysis on the long-term effects of the proposal, the ballot initiative would provide about $25 million a year to tourism promotion. Tourism groups have been signing up to support the plan. The powerful Colorado Ski Country USA came out in favor of the proposal on Friday. Amendment 33 also would provide about $30 million a year to local parks and recreation, $8 million a year to state parks, $6.1 million a year to Great Outdoors Colorado and $8 million a year to construction needs for poor public schools, according to the legislative council's analysis. And it would produce nearly $59 million for the tracks that house the new gaming, with the lion's share going to Wembley."

Here's an article in support of the ballot amendment from the Rocky [September 6, 2003, "Pro: Big lift or big lie?"]. The Rocky [September 6, 2003, "Con: Ballot issue does more to favor gambling than to support the tourism industry"] also has an article in opposition to Amendment 33.

The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff [September 6, 2003, "Vote 'no' on casino measure"] has come out in opposition to Amendment 33.

Another statewide issue that will appear on the November ballot is Referendum A. It's a proposal to create a funding mechanism for water projects across Colorado. Here's an column from Peter Blake in the Rocky Mountain News [September 6, 2003, "Blake: Diverse, enthusiastic group wants to sink water plan"] explaining some of the issues around the referendum.

Club 20 is opposing Referendum A according to the Rocky Mountain News [September 6, 2003, "Water plan lacks support"]. From the article, "Referendum A would give the state $2 billion in bonding authority for new - and as yet undesignated - water projects. The proposal would make the state responsible for as much as $4 billion in debt if private partners in the future projects failed." Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [September 7, 2003, "Powerful Club 20 joins W. Slope foes of water bond issue"].

Here's a short editorial about the preparation of the Blue Book that the state sends out each election to explain ballot issues from the Rocky Mountain News [September 7, 2003, "A blue book conflict"].
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