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The major political rift is within the GOP ranks. Bruce and other El Paso County politicians had said that Republicans who supported Referendum C were RINOS — Republicans in Name Only.

For Democrats, the outcome is plainly a victory because virtually every elected Democrat in the state supported the measure.

Looks like the liberals of this state pulled out all the stops. The financing to ensure passage and support from the liberal press was the nail in the coffin.

What a sad day in Colorado. Let this serve as a reminder that just because they are Republicans doesn't mean they are conservative. For everyone who voted for Owens this should be a wake up call.

1 posted on 11/02/2005 6:05:51 AM PST by RockyMtnMan
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To: RockyMtnMan

The ignorant citizens of Colorado have given the tax and spend pols a blank check and they are to dumb to realize that it is they who have to deposit their money to cover it.


2 posted on 11/02/2005 6:10:24 AM PST by Eagles Talon IV
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To: RockyMtnMan

This just blows my mind. I guess Colorado is ripe for the taking by Dems in '08.


3 posted on 11/02/2005 6:10:36 AM PST by Galtoid ( .)
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To: RockyMtnMan

C passed in both Jefferson and Arapahoe counties so it appears there is more to it. I'm guessing too many Republicans decided to pass it and get the budget funding problem over with. To our own peril, but that's what happened, IMHO.


4 posted on 11/02/2005 6:10:38 AM PST by Morgan in Denver
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To: RockyMtnMan

The support for Ref C and D was wrapped up in a slick marketing campaign. People were too stupid to see through it. Three times as much advertising money was spent on supporting it rather than opposing it.


5 posted on 11/02/2005 6:13:52 AM PST by lmavk
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To: RockyMtnMan

A world turned upside down. What can you say? How do argue with insanity? Looks like Churhill is going to get another raise.


7 posted on 11/02/2005 6:23:09 AM PST by Archon of the East ("universal executive power of the law of nature")
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To: RockyMtnMan

Idiots...


15 posted on 11/02/2005 6:41:02 AM PST by Former MSM Viewer ("Some of our successes will be known only to a few." W 2001)
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To: RockyMtnMan
Inconceivable!!!
16 posted on 11/02/2005 6:43:08 AM PST by OB1kNOb (Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.)
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To: RockyMtnMan

They could have funded the budget with the miney they spent getting this passed.

Next time have a ballot initiative that allows the individual to choose whether they want to keep their OWN rebate check or give it back to the government. Just send out a form that says, "If you would like for the government to keep your rebate, then sign the enclosed form and return it within 10 days."


17 posted on 11/02/2005 6:43:10 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: RockyMtnMan
Some people learn to love the squirrel cage.

Sickening...

18 posted on 11/02/2005 6:52:10 AM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be. -El Neil)
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To: RockyMtnMan
The Referendum C & D campaign was expensive. Bruce Benson, co-chair of the Vote Yes on C and D, said supporters raised $7.5 million.Millions more were spent by the opponents.

The last sentence is deceptive, it implies that "millions more than 7.5 million" were spent by opponents, but that's false; the opponents spent only ~2 million. Although it isn't a lie, because 2 million is "millions more". It's just deceptive.

So much for taxpayer's rights, and so much for campaign finance reform, too.

I have yet to meet the government that tells its subjects "We have enough money, we have enough power, and we have enough laws."

As for the "ratchet down" effect - recessions are real. When a recession hits a family, their income drops and they must cut spending. When a business is hit, it must scale back - or go out of business. But somehow "conservative" Owens claims that it's a flaw in TABOR that the government should somehow be subject to the same force; no matter how bad the economy is, no matter how little money people have to pay taxes, government spending must never, ever go down.

19 posted on 11/02/2005 6:53:21 AM PST by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: RockyMtnMan
The supporters of C cobbled together enough people with their hand out that when combined with scaring the old people they managed to do what DeTouqueville (sp?) predicted. When a segment of the population discovers that they can vote themselves the money of another segment, then the so called democracy falls apart.

Our Governor, elected as a Republican, has become a Democrat. This would never have passed without him.

Why the Governor feels that government must grow at a rate not supported by reality is beyond me. But it has happened.

My only remaining hope is that the referendum will be declared unconstitutional because it would reset a constitutional provision. The referendum was not a modification to the constitution.
21 posted on 11/02/2005 7:16:58 AM PST by Pylot
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To: RockyMtnMan
Did the voters honestly believe that education/transportation/health care for "da poor" was really going to get cut? IT WOULD HAVE FORCED THE STATE TO FIND THE MONEY ELSEWHERE, DUH! Besides, if there's a 3.7 billion surplus, that means that they're still being overtaxed!!! At least voters should have demanded that if the state would keep the money then the state must lower the tax rates simultaneously.

Stupid CO voters fell for the old "Washington Monument" lie...

22 posted on 11/02/2005 7:21:36 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Harmful or Fatal if Swallowed)
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To: RockyMtnMan

I wish the anti-C people would have simply said the percentage tax hike 'C' represented. Thanks to all the liberals from Kali and Texas who voted for this POS bill.


23 posted on 11/02/2005 7:26:47 AM PST by CodeToad
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To: RockyMtnMan
Republican Governor Bill Owens pushes this crap. Five years ago when he campaigned he was against it.

Republican Governor Bill Ownes is another lying sack of s*** RINO.

24 posted on 11/02/2005 7:28:06 AM PST by CodeToad
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To: RockyMtnMan
In response to the threat, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, quipped, ?There is an old Arabic saying: The dog barks, but the caravan moves on.?

Romanoff could be an Islamist in disguise.

25 posted on 11/02/2005 7:30:13 AM PST by logician2u
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To: RockyMtnMan

I am happy to see that El Paso county voted it down (that is where I live). That is the only good news on this. Owens once had presidential aspirations. Fat chance. Following the Columbine incident he immediately caved in to the leftists when they started screaming for more "gun control". He gave his full backing to both C and D in this current election. Colorado was one of the few bright spots for the leftists in 2004 and now this vote last night looks like it may become a blue island surrounded by solid red. What a shame.


30 posted on 11/02/2005 7:37:21 AM PST by scory
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To: RockyMtnMan
Just because some Republicans supported these measures does not mean that they are RINOs. Douglas Bruce is a Libertarian. He wrote TABOR so that government would be ratcheted down during recessions but not be able to recover in better years. The state government is only allowed to grow a certain percentage from the previous year regardless of need. Colorado faced some bad years recently. Since revenues were way down during those years, the state was not allowed to grow even though we had started to recover and had increased demands and increased revenues. Those increases were mandated to be returned to taxpayers.
If I were Queen, we would have addressed Amendment 23 which was passed a few years ago. It mandates an increase in education spending regardless of the state of the economy. I think that is absurd but we are stuck with it. The polling on Amendment 23 is so strong (still) that we did have have the choice of including it in a compromise.
The bottom line is that with TABOR ratcheting down revenues and Amendment 23 mandating up spending for education, we were in a real bind. This is not a simple tax increase referendum. I am solidly conservative but our government by constitutional amendment (thank you, California) has created a mess. We also have a lottery that was helping fund higher ed and prisons when the enviros got an amendment passed to force all of that money to parks and recreation. So now we have roundabouts on the bike paths because Parks and Recreation has so much to spend.
I have lived in Colorado since 1969. It is frustrating to see these important issues decided by 30 second TV ads. We had to do something, though in this case. The opponents glossed over the shorfall in the state budget. We have had draconian cuts in many areas including higher ed, roads- any place that we can cut that isn't federally or state mandated. The opponents glossed over the shortfall and tried to say that "surely there is waste somewhere in government". Yeah, well, I agree that government is inherently wasteful but that doesn't mean you can truly eliminate it nor would it be enough to overcome the shortfall we were facing.
32 posted on 11/02/2005 7:40:14 AM PST by luv2ski
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To: RockyMtnMan

There should be nothing surprising about this outcome. It is a clear indication that in Colorado, as in the rest of our country, the TAKERS now outnumber - and outvote - the MAKERS. Simple as that. The socialists have won.


33 posted on 11/02/2005 7:43:12 AM PST by USMA '71
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To: RockyMtnMan

I believe Referendum D failed. So the message is keep the current money but don't spend any more? I doubt the politicians will take that to heart.


34 posted on 11/02/2005 7:49:39 AM PST by mpreston
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To: RockyMtnMan
Republicans and Democrats who don’t often cross paths on election nights mingled over cocktails awaiting the results.

And these same Republicans wonder why conservatives stay home or vote Libertarian.

37 posted on 11/02/2005 7:55:49 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Harmful or Fatal if Swallowed)
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