And Referendum C

There’s another great story by Jim Tankersly in the Rocky Mountain News today concerning the united team that will be bringing Referendum C to Colorado Voters.

Bruce Benson is a Republican "Super Ranger." Al Yates has worked hard to elect Democrats. Now, like Godzilla and Mothra teaming up to take on humanity, they're working together to pass a budget plan that legislators referred to voters on Monday.

Benson, Yates and Joe Blake, the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, will head the Coloradans for Responsible Reform, which will push Referendum C on the Nov. 1 ballot.

Add to the three Rick Reiter (Managing), Katy Atkinson and Walt Klein (Message and Communications) and David Hill (Polling) and you’ve got a talent heavy – experience deep – lineup.

Who in their rational minds would chose to go against that Force? Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, and Jon Caldara, President of the Independence Institute, have stepped up, but have no formal campaign yet. Add to them the CUT members and a few rank and file Fiscal Republicans in the Legislature – and it just may look like some wacky version of “Fantasy Politics”.

Who’s takin bets?

Comments

[red dove]

I'll take that bet, Red Hawk. 1194 will lose. The business community will spend $14 million - but all opponents need is a quarter of that much money. It is, after all, a massive tax grab.

The bill doesn't ask to keep $3.1 billion - it asks to keep all revenue over the next five years, currently projected to be $3.1 billion. Expect to see much larger estimates of what that number will be by mid-summer.

And really, who's impressed by Atkinson and Klein?

[Keith]

Tax and spend isn't going to play well aside rising energy costs.
As people pay more at the pump and incur higher production costs for the products they like, I think you'll find that they need their money.

I'll bet.

[blogicus maximus]

Are there any poll numbers out yet?

[wonderwoman]

No matter how well run the campaign, Benson and crew cannot hide the fact that there is currently no revenue shortfall.

[Keith]

Haven't seen numbers yet. But we just got the bill. I'd imagine Cirulli is looking for a client.

[heavenly]

There was a poll this morning of registered voters and it would fail by something like 75 percent. There's no way it is going to pass, people depend on that money, they aren't just going to give it away.

[Marshall Collins]

heavenly - can you please give us a reference or link to this poll.

Keith - I will take your bet and raise you that this referendum will PASS with flying colors. The intelligent voters of Colorado are sick of being the lab rats in some sick political experiment by Washington outsiders like Grover Norquist that don't live in our state and don't care about Colorado except for preserving some archaic political agenda.

Business leaders like Joe Blake understand when responsible reform is necessary to preserve our way of life in Colorado.

Vote Yes for a strong Colorado, Vote Yes on Referendum C (...D).

Marshall

[Cleophus]

Norquist and Caldera would have to pick up George Orwell to have any shot of winning this one. Decreasing the tax rate and retaining money the state collects to fix roads, education and health care will resound with the people....especially when the highest ranking Republicans and Democrats are saying so.

[Colorado FreedomWorks]

Colorado FreedomWorks will also be heavily involved in the battle over the right for taxpayers to keep their refunds.

[Jenn]

Heavenly-

People had better not be depending on that money, because they haven't seen it in three years. Referendum C deals with TABOR refunds, not the refund I calculated last Friday night.

[Keith]

Marshall-
What would you like to bet? I suggest that If you win... I'll push you in a wheelbarrow in the following Columbus Day parade.

If I win...you push me.

[Marshall Collins]

Keith,

How much do you weigh? Just Kidding! Why don't we agree to give some time or money to our favorite charity? As much fun as pushing you around might be I rather give to our communities which are going to need all the help they can find if Referendum C fails. Email me and we can decide on the details.

Marshall

[Keith]

My favrorite charities are the NRA and the RNC.

[Marshall Collins]

Ummmm, I just tried to send this to your email address - [email protected] - it looks like you have blocked the entire yahoo domain. You can send me an email back if you like.

--- Marshall Collins [email protected]> wrote:
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 12:47:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Marshall Collins [email protected]
Subject: Friendly Wager
To: [email protected]

Keith,

I have no problem giving to a hunting or gun sportsman charity. I used to hunt more when I was younger. My step-dad has MS so you can give to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

RNC is not a charity any more than the DNC is.

In the mean time I will be working hard to pass a referendum that is responsible reform for a strong Colorado.

Marshall

[BigBrother]

Calling all republican operatives.....

What do you think about guys in the Governor's office who didn't participate in the last cycle(Hillberry)?

Should they still have jobs?

Just curious.

[Keith]

Marshall....I was joking that the NRA is charity, but please send them money.

As for the bet, please send to:

freedomservicedogs.org

[Pablo]

Hillberry is screwed!!

[Strider]

wonderwoman,

"No matter how well run the campaign, Benson and crew cannot hide the fact that there is currently no revenue shortfall."

Are you kidding here? You must not live in teh same Colorado that I am living in. Revenue limitations are what this whole TABOR thing is about!

[Stripper]

Strider, a revenue limitation is not the same thing as a revenue shortfall. Despite all the fuss about TABOR, no one can refute certain facts. For example, the total state budget in the 98-99 fiscal year was slightly over $10 billion. The fiscal year 05-06 budget just passed is slightly over $15 billion. That's a 50% increase over 7 years, during a recession.

Yes, there have been dramatic budget reductions in certain areas, but total state spending has increased every year, except for the FY 03-04 budget.

When wonderwoman says there is no revenue shortfall currently, she's absolutely correct. There is no deficit this year. There is a small one projected for next year, but there is currently absolutely no shortfall of spendable revenue.

[wonderwoman]

Thanks for the assist Stripper.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

I can't wait for "Save our refund" folks to out the reason Benson is jumping on this bandwagon.

Rich guys don't care about your refunds!
Academics want your money!
Bill Owens double crosses you again!
It's all about morality. Ask Bill Owens!
Contractors want your money to build more rough roads!
You're schools are a mess. They want to be a rich mess!
Billionaires want to raise your taxes 20% (or whatever it is)
Oilmen for higher Colorado taxes. Aren't they happy with $3 gas?

Denver Contractors Chamber of Commerce. Screw the little guy!
The dark hole wants our refunds!

Bucks for politicians? Oh, Yeah. Sure!

Defeat Amendment C R A V E N

Defeat Amendment C O N T R A C T O R

Defeat Amendment C U N N I N G

Defeat Amentment C L E V E R

Defeat Amendment C H O K E

No Tax Increase: Defeat Amendment C

Defeat Amendment C. It's is all about them. Not the taxpayers.

Break the Tax Habit: Defeat Amendment C

Send the legislature a message. Defeat Amendment C

Don Tinker with TABOR. Defeat Amendment C.

One TABOR Tinker leads to another. Defeat Amendment C

Don't tinker with TABOR. No on C

TABOR Tinkers waste our taxes. No on C

Save your TABOR. No on C

Don't let Owens spend your TABOR refund. No on C

Just some ideas. Not there yet. Ideas?

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

Big Shots Want your TABOR Refunds. No on C
Save Colorado jobs. No on C
TABOR means jobs. No on C
TABOR lets you do the spending. No on C
Three little piggies want your TABOR refunds. No on C
It's not about roads, schools or you. It's about political power. No on C

When politicos want your TABOR refunds. Run. No on C!

Next year they'll want to kill TABOR. No on C

TABOR protects taxpayers. No on C

Raise TABOR refunds, not taxes. No on C

[thinkin]

I prefer to keep it simple. It's "TINKER WITH TABOR". Why give Romo any free name ID?

[a]

Donald - you're starting to fall off the Loon Wagon... Chill, Man.

[Donald E. L. Johnson]

My only problem with "Tinker with TABOR" is that tinker implies a minor adjustment. No big deal. Not the message we want to send.

Don't TRASH TABOR. No on C

Amendement C TRASHES TABOR. No on C

Big shots TRASH TABOR. No on C

TRASH TABOR? No on C

TRASH TAXES—NOT TABOR. No on C