On Election Day - Let's not forget!

With a special Thank You to Governor Bill Ritter I say…

Hopefully come election day – the Colorado voters will not forget what Democrats, Republicans and especially Governor Bill Ritter has brought for us in the last 4 years.

Remember this?
The Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR)
"Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution to require voter approval for certain state and local government tax revenue increases and debt; to restrict property, income, and other taxes; to limit the rate of increase in state and local government spending; to allow additional initiative and referendum elections; and to provide for the mailing of information to registered voters?"
We voted YES way back in 1992.

Here are a few “accomplishments” from our Colorado State Government in the last few years…

House Bill 1365 (the conversion of coal-fired power plants to natural gas)
This bill forces the conversion of coal-fired power plants to natural gas – coal being one of the most economical ways to generate electricity, natural gas being more expensive – this will cost us all money out of our pockets. Making matters worse – the demand for gas in the winter will force electric rates to skyrocket during the winter months because we rely on natural gas for more of our electricity.

SB 199, enacted in May 2007 with Ritter's support, freezes mill levies.
Governor Bill Ritter’s cleverly named “Children’s Amendment” to set in motion a school district property tax increase that will raise an estimated $1.74 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years. The proposal came as part of S.B. 199, the annual School Finance bill. The bait-and-switch backdoor tax hike was rammed through the legislature and soon will be shoved down the throats of Colorado taxpayers – including senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Colorado Car Tax increase, the so-called FASTER bill (SB 108).

The Colorado Car Tax increase passed (SB108, the so-called “FASTER” bill) is quite possibly THE most unpopular tax increase in Colorado history - made all the more repugnant by how it became law (evading the TABOR requirement to receive prior voter approval for any new or increased taxes).

Vehicles/Trailer FY09-10 FY10-11 FY11-12+
2,000 lbs. & under $22.50 $25.75 $29
2,001-5,000 lbs. $32 $36.50 $41
5,001-10,000 lbs. $39.50 $45.25 $51
10,001-16,000 lbs $51.50 $58.75 $66
16,001 lbs & over $55 $63 $71

Actually, it’s even worse than you think. The FASTER bill (the Colorado Car Tax) consists of TWO new “fees”: a “road safety” surcharge fee, and a “Bridge Fund” fee (that will increase in each of the next two years). The new law also imposes a new “vehicle rental fee” of $2/day - with an exemption for politically-correct “vehicle sharing” arrangements, such as instituted in Boulder and other trendy spots.

The two new “fees” - and the additional bureaucracy created for each - have been ignored in most of the reporting about the impact of the Car Tax increase on most citizens.

“Road Safety” Surcharge Fee
(incl. trailers & other “nonmotorized” vehicles) “Bridge Fund” Fee Rate Schedule (50% 1st year; 75% 2nd year; 100% 3rd year +)
$16 Vehicles <=2000 lbs (incl. motorcycles)
$13 Vehicles <=2000 lbs (incl. motorcycles)
$23 Vehicles 2000 - 5000 lbs $18 Vehicles 2000 - 5000 lbs
$28 Vehicles 5000 - 10000 lbs $23 Vehicles 5000 - 10000 lbs
$37 Vehicles 10000 - 16000 lbs $29 Vehicles 10000 - 16000 lbs
$39 Vehicles 16000+ lbs $32 Vehicles 16000+ lbs

And of course there are the “Late Fees” -

“A late registration penalty of $25 for each month or portion of a month that a vehicle is not registered after the one month grace period, not to exceed $100, will be charged beginning June 1, 2009. Expired temporary permit registrations are also included in the $25 penalty. There is no grace period for permits.”

Late fees are now mandatory - the bill removed existing language allowing clerks to exercise discretion:

Here are a few other taxes that Ritter has “helped us” with…

SJR 10-010 (Enacted)Declare Fiscal Emergency Tobacco Tax

HB 10-1320 (Enacted)Use of Tobacco Tax Fiscal Emergency

This follows on the heels of the 2009 Legislative Session’s Tobacco Tax increase, HB1342 (technically, an elimination of the long-standing Colorado state tax exemption for tobacco products).

House Bill 1189, which eliminates a sales tax exemption on direct mail materials;

House Bill 1190, which suspends a sales tax exemption on energy used in the industrial process;

House Bill 1191, which eliminates the sales tax exemption on candy and soda;

House Bill 1192, which repeals a sales tax regulation that imposed a sales tax exemption on downloaded software;

House Bill 1193, which would attempt to collect sales tax on out-of-state online retail sales in the same way online sales made by retailers with physical locations in Colorado are subject to sales tax;

House Bill 1194, which eliminates a sales tax exemption on “non-essential” food items purchased by restaurants like paper napkins, plastic forks and cardboard containers;

House Bill 1195, which suspends a sales tax exemption on agricultural compounds like pesticides and bull semen;

House Bill 1196, which limits an income tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles

House Bill 1199, which temporarily limits the amount of net operating losses companies can carry forward on their taxes.

House Bill 1197, which would put new limits on a tax credit for conservation easements

House Bill 1200, which would tighten a tax credit for companies that locate in enterprise zones.

Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 which expands “anti-discrimination” law to cover sexual orientation, meaning not only homosexuality or bisexuality, but also “transgender status or another person’s perception thereof.”
The bill is so ripe for abuse and creates so much risk for private business that it’s no surprise the ordinarily media-hungry Ritter signed the bill late in the afternoon (too late for most newspapers to cover the story) with no fanfare (although he frequently has bill-signing ceremonies and particularly for measures such as this which have received this much media attention).

And let’s not forget the new bike law.

Senate Bill 148, sponsored by Rep. Merrifield and Sen. Greg Brophy. It requires drivers to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist and sets penalties for motorists who endanger cyclists. Gov. Ritter, noting that he, Rep. Merrifield and Sen. Brophy all are avid cyclists. It also allows cyclists to ride double abreast – even on our mountain roads – where enough room for a bike and a passing car were already questionable.

Here are a few more that Ritter has in the works before he leaves…
Proposed fees need approval...

Three fee hikes included in Gov. Bill Ritter's budget- balancing plan will need legislative approval next year:
Gun purchases: New $10.50 fee for running background checks. Raises: $550,000

Hiring: An undetermined increase, as much as 50 percent on a $17.95 fee, on criminal background checks for would-be civil employees. Raises: $550,000

Water flow: An undetermined fee for information gathered from the Department of Natural Resources' water flow measuring system. Raises: $40,000

Let’s not forget Ritter and the Colorado Government that did all this for us…when we go to the voting booth in November!

These were just a few of the items I could think of. There are others so I hope other posters will add more to the list!

Of course some of these proposals might inspire people to vote for the Dem or Green candidate.

Also check out Hickenlooper's record.

Wow... You're right... I won't forget...

I'll be voting for Hickenlooper.

I can't imagine that comes as any surprise to anyone on this forum!!!!!!!!!!! :bash

Nor would I want it to be...

There's much in that list that needed to be done, and since the wingnuts wouldn't do it, it was up to Ritter to get it done.

Yep... I'll vote for Hick.

Ritter, there's a POS assclown that knows when to get the F' outa Dodge.

Owens, there's a POS assclown that knew when to get the F' outa Dodge.

Their all assclowns LJ and it's up to the peeps to make em toe the line.

There's much in that list that needed to be done, and since the wingnuts wouldn't do it, it was up to Ritter to get it done.

None of those items needed to be done - if you take a close look at that list, they are all money grabs for the state.

Ritter used his power to "eliminate" tax credits and incentives - one after the other. He did all this without a vote from the people. This is a good example of how he got around TABOR every chance he got.

Most of the items on the list cost businesses in our state- and those costs were passed on to the consumer. And LJ - that means you and I.

The Looper will do the same thing, raising the cost of doing business in Colorado- just at a time when business and consumers can not afford it. This is how the Demoncrats help business in Colorado.

+1 BearMtn

Some folks just don't get it as they want the government to tell them what, where, when, and how. (dems)