What does it take to restore fiscal sanity when RINO’s and Democrats get a free hand with tax and spend policy? Colorado has over the past few years been somewhat protected by The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, more commonly known by the acronym TABOR. This past session of the legislature saw TABOR pretty much gutted. It also saw the advent of special interest legislation reaching new heights of recklessness. Not to even bother mentioning the use of “fees” to circumvent TABOR restrictions. Before leaving Colorado I briefly thought of using the initiative process to re-define the word taxation in that any charge by government at any level would be deemed a “tax.” That went nowhere. Now, the Colorado legislature, and the state of Colorado are also going nowhere. I have often had disagreements with Governor Bill Ritter about issues that span the entire realm of politics. Now, in a perfect example of broken clock economics the Governor like a broken clock that exhibits the correct time twice on a daily basis he get’s the correct answer.
Hat tip, and thanks to Senator Ted Harvey for this.
Bill Ritter 180
The day has come. The numbers are in. With only one week remaining in the 08/09 fiscal year, the Colorado budget is $250 million in the red. Once again Governor Ritter and the Democrat legislative leadership misjudged the depth of our economic downturn. Despite Republican warnings and objections during the last legislative session, the Democrats chose to approve the largest budget in state history.
While Colorado families were struggling through these tough economic times, the Democrats increased taxes and fees on all Coloradoans by $1 billion, raided the state’s trust funds and emergency reserves – and even tried unsuccessfully to seize $500 million in assets from the Pinnacol Assurance Company, Colorado’s largest provider of workers compensation insurance. They also took advantage of their majority to remove the 6% spending cap that has controlled government growth for over three decades – a mechanism that has protected Colorado from the kind of out-of-control spending that has pushed states like California to the brink of bankruptcy.
Adding insult to injury, last month the Democrats handed out $30,000 in staff bonuses and spent nearly $4,000 in public funds on a “team-building” retreat.
The 2009 legislative session was a prime example of unchecked Democrat power on parade.
When actual revenues came in $250 million short of expectations, one would have expected Colorado taxpayers to receive an apology from the Governor and the Democrat leadership for their fiscal mismanagement. Sadly, there were no apologies. Instead, taxpayers were treated to another serving of the Democrats’ brand of faith-based budgeting.
On the day the actual budget numbers came out, the Governor held a press conference explaining that the state would balance the $250 million shortfall by utilizing federal stimulus funding and pushing off payment of the state’s payroll from June 30 (the last day of 2008-2009 fiscal year), until July 1 (the first day of the new fiscal year). Of course the only thing this did was add $250 million to the already anticipated $140 million shortfall for the new fiscal year-making the state $390 million in the hole from day one! This was simply Enron bookkeeping to avoid making the tough choices and leaving Colorado taxpayers to pick up the tab.
The Governor then rebuffed any media questions regarding an immediate special legislative session to balance our growing deficit. He continued to insist that the problem could wait until the legislature reconvened in January. Unfortunately, the Governor failed to admit that delaying for another six months until the start of the 2010 session would only magnify the impact any impending cuts would have on the state budget.
The truth is, on the Day of Reckoning, when the actual budget numbers came out, our Colorado Democrat leadership revealed their true soul and proved once and for all that they were incapable of cutting even one government service or one state employee.
Predictably, the public was outraged. The lack of Democrat leadership was undeniable. Faced with an economic reality and voter rebellion, Governor Ritter quickly realized that it was time for government to tighten its belt.
On Thursday, only two days after his initial response, the Governor held another press conference…one that I have dubbed “Bill Ritter 180.” Surprisingly, he announced what Republicans had been demanding for over two years, that he was directing each of his department heads to review their budgets and cut 10% across the board. Hallelujah, the leader of our state finally showed leadership! And may God bless him for it. He may have just saved our great state from following California’s lead…straight off the cliff.
Indeed it has been our Republican legislators who have led the charge for fiscal sanity over the last 24 months while pushing for across-the-board cuts…but this week we must give credit to whom credit is due. Bill Ritter has finally taken a stand and come out against many members of his own party. Good for him and good for Colorado!
Conservative Libertarian Outpost 