If Colorado’s budget were entering a death match like the classic video game Mortal Kombat, it would go a little something like this: Round 1 begins with Ref C and D squaring off against TABOR. TABOR sustains multiple blows from Ref D, but emerges victorious, but just barely. However, at that instant, Ref C comes flying in with a Chuck Norris style roundhouse kick that puts TABOR on the ground and bleeding badly. Round 2 begins with TABOR hurt and barely hanging onto life. TABOR cringes in pain and cries out for help. One person hears the plea and walks over. TABOR is relieved at first, but soon realizes that the man coming forward is none other than its biggest adversary: Andrew Romanoff! Not only that, Andrew is carrying the device that will end TABOR’s life… for good. With its one good eye, TABOR strains to see what’s in Andrew’s hand that will deliver the deathblow. It’s none other than Amendment 59: the education lobby’s blank check that will gut TABOR for good.

Barry Poulson’s new Issue Backgrounder discusses Amendment 59’s adverse effects on Colorado taxpayers – albeit in a less dramatic fashion that I did above. Barry shows that under the guise of helping kids and the education system, 59 will siphon all budget surpluses – money that would have gone back to taxpayers – to the State Education Fund. This will eliminate potential tax refunds indefinitely. Thereby finishing what Ref C started: the death of TABOR.

Is Colorado truly colorblind?  What role if any should race and gender play in Colorado’s public system of hiring, contracting and education?  To answer those questions and more, Linda Chavez chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and Executive Director of the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative Jessica Corry join me on Independent Thinking. Tune in tonight at 8:30 p.m. to KBDI Channel 12; repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

There are still some spots left, so give us a call (303.279.6536) if you are interested.

The Independence Institute’s Campus Accountability Project Presents:

Linda Chavez, chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and former staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, will present her findings concerning the role race and gender play in Colorado’s public system of hiring, contracting, and education. Chavez, a co-sponsor of the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative (Amendment 46), will discuss why CoCRI will not end all affirmative action programs, as alleged, but rather open public outreach efforts to all disadvantaged individuals, regardless of skin color or gender.

Jessica Peck Corry, director of the Campus Accountability Project, will present her latest findings about The University of Colorado at Boulder’s multi-million dollar diversity administration. Corry, CoCRI’s executive director, also serves on the University of Colorado’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity.

The event will take place at the Independence Institute:
13952 Denver West Parkway
Suite 400
Golden, CO 80401
Reception: 5:30pm
Lecture: 6:00pm
RSVP: call 303-279-6536

While I was out of town last Thursday (on a very important scotch tasting junket) the Colorado Supreme Court heard our case against the Ritter mill levy freeze. If you recall the Denver district court ruled with us and the Colorado taxpayers that this new law, which is expected to give the state an extra $4 billion to spend, is unconstitutional. Our constitution here in Colorado says government can raise taxes, and even change tax policy to bring in more cash, but politicians have to do just one little thing first. They have to ask voters first. That’s it. Not just out of respect, but it’s the law.

Instead of just asking voters, the state decided to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. Wise move on the state’s part since the left-leaning high court rarely ever misses an opportunity to rule against TABOR.

The Rocky Mountain News makes a powerful point about the whole thing. If the court waits until after the election this fall to announce their ruling, voters won’t know their full tax burden before they vote on several more tax and bond issues on the November ballot. Why wouldn’t the court want you to have a full picture before you vote? Respect?

Thanks to the Rocky Mountain News for letting me speak my mind about Ethical Standards, Colorado Amendment 49. For the other side’s take, check out Protect Colorado’s Future.

© 2008, Benjamin Hummel. To see more cartoons like this go to www.politixcartoons.com.

We told you so.  We told you that the tax and spend lobby would ask for more even if the massive tax increase known as Referendum C passed. Again this fall Coloradans will be asked to give up more of their hard earned tax dollars by gutting what’s left of TABOR.  Amendment 59 would allow the state to keep all TABOR tax refunds forever!  To discuss the ballot measure, economist Barry Poulson from the Independence Institute and State Senator Scott Renfroe join me on Independent Thinking. Once again those seeking more of your tax dollars either were unavailable or didn’t respond to our invitation to be a guest on the show.  Tune in this Thursday night to KBDI Channel 12 at 8:30 p.m. and repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

I mentioned just a few days ago the fight for transparency had acquired another soldier, Fort Collins City Councilman, Diggs Brown. Well Diggs took aim and fired a shot right through the muddied waters of government. The city of Fort Collins is now going to open its books to the public and allow taxpayers to look at their spending habits on a searchable online database! Yup, that’s right. Taxpayers now have an easy way to see how their hard earned dollars are being wasted…. er, I mean spent. Unfortunately, it may take up to 9 months for taxpayers in Fort Collins to reap the benefits.

Other governments around the country have created software that can handle the task, Brown said. If the city’s information technology department cannot come up with a program, one could be purchased elsewhere, he said.

The elsewhere in this instance is the $9,300 software that is available upon request by emailing Chris Kliesmet at ckliesmet@wi.rr.com. He will provide it to your favorite government entity for much less than the $9300 it cost to develop.  A small price to pay for some much needed government transparency.

Are you looking at your calendar and thinking, “man, I’ve got almost nothing going on in this glorious month of September.” Well, here comes the Independence Institute to save the day once again. We’ve got two very crucial events coming up next week.

The first is next Wednesday, the 17th and it’s called, “A Colorblind Colorado: What Does it Look Like?” Linda Chavez, chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and former staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, will present her findings concerning the role race and gender play in Colorado’s public system of hiring, contracting, and education. Along with Linda, Jessica Peck Corry, director of the Campus Accountability Project, will present her latest findings about The University of Colorado at Boulder’s multi-million dollar diversity administration. Discussion will revolve around the role of affirmative action, “diversity” training, Amendment 46, Colorado’s Civil Rights Initiative, and more.

Just two days later on Friday the 19th, the Education Policy Center is hosting a night titled, “Democrats are Standing up to the Teachers Unions: Can this be True?” Last month, a group of national and Colorado Democratic leaders met in Denver to vocally challenge the teachers union and the status quo in education. Organizer of the event and Democrats for Education Reform executive director Joe Williams will discuss the education reform movement within the Democratic Party, and his book, Cheating Our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education. This event is special in that if you are unable to attend, you can tune in live online. Just go to http://Live.iVoices.org at 6:15 MST.

You can RSVP to both events by emailing rsvp@i2i.org or by calling either Kay or Nancy at 303.279.6536. I will see you there!

Can you name all the governments you currently live within the boundaries of? Probably not. There are over 3,000 governments at the moment in Colorado, a third of which are metropolitan districts. These governments, specifically, are ones we need to keep a very close eye on. Tremendous amounts of debt, secret ballots, questionable accountability, hazy transparency, and shady formation permeate the landscape of Colorado’s metro districts. The Independence Institute’s Justin Longo and State Representative Morgan Carroll join me on this week’s Independent Thinking. They share their insights into why these metro districts are so dangerous to the average Colorado taxpayer, and what we need to know to protect ourselves. Tune in tonight at 8:30 pm to KBDI Channel 12, with a repeat showing the following Tuesday at 5 pm.