Colorado Votes Yes On C, No ON D (Big Spenders Win Split Ballot Alert)

Denver Post ^ | 11/02/05 | Mark P. Couch And Nick Frates

[goldstategop]

"I'll take a split decision," said Jon Caldara, leader of the opponents to Referendums C and D. "I'd rather take the whole match, but more importantly our kids and grandkids are not going to be straddled with billions in debt." ...

Caldara said Referendum C passed because of the proponents' superior resources.

"I walked into this with my eyes open. They had the money, they had the politicians, they had the media," he said.

Opponents have threatened to challenge the ballot measures in court.

[goldstategop]

Bill Owens and Democrats succeeded in convincing Colorado voters to give up $3.7 billion in tax cuts to make way for more spending over the next 5 years by passing Proposition C, that gutted the historic TABOR state spending limit passed in 1992. A companion borrowing measure, Proposition D, narrowly failed. The opponents of more spending where outspent and the politicians and the media warned of doom and gloom if voters didn't back off. Oh well at least the public decided whether to spend more for a change.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[ken5050]

Rememebr back when Owens was viewed as the GOP's rising star for 2008, before this marital problems, and now this?

[goldstategop]

The proponents got a majority of the voters because of Denver. Otherwise it would have failed. The Democratic House Speaker is from Denver. At least there's no new borrowing. Co conservatives should take what they can get and now they should make sure the proponents keep their promise to spend the money on providing vital services. The voters will be watching as well.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[Morgan in Denver]

Voters were duped. Plain and simple. Referendums that effect taxes should never be held in off year elections, as this has proven once again.

[goldstategop]

I don't agree with the result. But its not all bad news. Now the burden is on the "C" proponents to deliver. If they waste the money the taxpayers are giving them, there'll be hell to pay in future elections. Of course, they could just blow it and TABOR will be reinstated. You can view this as a sort of trial run in whether the politicians can govern responsibly without the spending limit for five years.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[Morgan in Denver]

Sadly, it's already proved that none of our politicians will govern or spend wisely. Republicans didn't do it when in power and Democrats won't now. Nor will Amendment 23 be adjusted to reflect reality. The Democrats will use this as a whipping boy point to prove to voters they are capable of governing, and not enough Republicans will counter it, thinking that spending is the way to success.

[OldFriend]

The public always wants their government to spend more. They haven't figured out that they are the government and the money will come from their own pockets.

[goldstategop]

The looting of taxpayers is a bipartisan affair - and not just in Co. Whoever coined the phrase there's not a dime's worth of difference between the parties was right... when it came to deciding what to do with your dime, they act like they're doing you a big favor in not allowing you to keep it in your pocket.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[goldstategop]

Every one is in favor of more spending and low taxes. No politician has ever lost an election by promising people you can have both at the same time.

("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")

[OldFriend]

Here in NJ we get all the county races' campaign ads.

Hilarious to hear the dem ads. They claim to be fiscal conservatives and go on to talk about all the programs they're going to provide seniors, more money for schools, etc.

Somehow there's a disconnect betweent the fiscal conservative and the spending for more programs part.

Sickening.

[Morgan in Denver]

Agreed. Keeping politicians on both sides in check is a full time job. Better luck holding Republicans back, but both sides believe it's the path to reelection.

[ajolympian2004]

Bill Owens' political career is over unless he runs as a democRAT in the future.

Related LIVE thread from last night: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1513762/posts

[ajolympian2004]

As we were watching returns on-line last night and the vote for referendum D was flipping to AGAINST we were thinking the the democRATs in Boulder had probably launched plan D to fill out unused ballots. :)

Latest results of C & D here... about 96% reporting: http://extras.denverpost.com/2005election/refer.html

[BohDaThone]

It's interesting that, although the big vote in Denver and Boulder is what put C over, the CHANGE from the 2004 election was mostly in the strong GOP counties. The percentage for C in the big dem counties usually fell short of the Kerry percentage, or barely exceeded it. But in many counties that went 60-70% for Bush C carried or only lost by a much smaller margin. That was the difference.

BTW, there is a big glitch in Custer county. It doesn't have nearly enough voters to support the result given, either in numbers or percentage. I think it will become obvious that there should be about 600 votes for C&D, not 6000. This will get caught eventually, so the C margin will be about 5500 less, and the D defeat margin about 5500 more, than shown now.

[loreldan]

Bill Owens is the reason C passed. Grrrrrr.

[Red Boots]

The proponents got a majority of the voters because of Denver. Otherwise it would have failed.

Yes, it seems so. Our county, Mesa (Grand Junction) voted 66 % no.

Once again, Denver rules.

Hey - maybe the remaining small government people on the front range should all move over here and we could seceed, or something.

[jrp]

I wonder how many California transplants voted for this?
Sadly, it seems like CO is sliding left.

[Lesforlife]

Many calling Peter Boyles show this am saying they were told
they had to wait 2 hours to vote after their mail in ballot never
came.

Sounds like hundreds left from frustration - not having that
much time to spend.

Pathetic!!

How about a law suit?

[dljordan]

" Once again, Denver rules."

Denver is a black hole for taxpayer money. It's amazing that the place that sucks up the most resources gets to approve more spending. I've been listening to reports of voting irregularities on the radio all morning.

[dljordan]

"How about a law suit?"

I'll be the solidly socialist voting districts didn't have any trouble with their ballots.