Absentee ballots will be
mailed shortly and voting will begin across the state of Colorado. When you open your ballot you will first look
with amazement at the 16 (yes, sixteen) presidential candidates, and wonder how
on earth we only managed to see two of them featured in debates, news clips,
discussion groups and advertisements. (But
of course, the fair and balanced media couldn’t be aiding and abetting a
corrupt system, could they?)
After the ballots for
Federal, State, City and Judicial elections are completed you will come to the
various amendments to the state constitution, state statutes, and various city,
school and water issues. Perhaps at that
point you will use my screen name in vain and ask “how in the Sam Hill did this
ballot get so large?” At this point I
will forgive you, and point largely to governmental officials, special groups,
etc. Only one amendment was a grassroots
movement that originated directly from the people themselves (Amendment 48).
No on everything?
By now your eyes are glazing
over. You just want to throw all the
bums out, vote no on everything, and watch your favorite TV show. But wait! There’s help! I am here today to
give you my picks on the 2008 ballot. That’s
right. If you are thinking like a
liberal who wants to be led around and have everything easy, this is a rare
chance for you! You can have the best of
the conservative world, with a liberal application. Without further delay, here are my votes on
this years’ ballot.
My picks
Amendment 46 – I vote Yes!
This amendment prohibits the
state from discriminating or giving preferential treatment to anyone based on
race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Opponents will tell you it is discriminatory,
when actually the opposite is true!
Amendment 47 – I vote Yes!
This amendment allows you to
choose whether you want to be in a labor union or not. Colorado is currently NOT a right to work
state; this would help keep freedom of choice in your hands.
Amendment 48 – I vote Yes!
This is a no brainer. Since science and medical texts universally
state life begins at fertilization, we can insert that into our laws. Will it create controversy? Yes. But it will also protect babies injured in car crashes, elderly people
on life support and many others. It’s a
great, simple, clear bill. And get this,
it’s not sponsored by a special interest group!
Amendment 49 – I vote Yes!
This bill ensures deductions
are not forcibly taken through a payroll check. Unions want this to fail so they can be less
visible in removing money from your pocket; individuals want this to succeed so
that people will think twice about what dues money goes toward paying.
Amendment 50 – I vote No
This bill would allow the
three gambling towns in Colorado to raise minimum betting limits, etc. (instead
of the state gaming commission). While I
prefer government be as close to the local level as possible, I feel it might
be easier for big gambling businesses to buy off local officials and create
Vegas in the Rockies.
Amendment 51 – I vote No
Sales tax is not the way to
fund support for people with developmental disabilities. Colorado has the need for this funding, but it
should come through the state legislature in the 2009 session. Don’t tax groceries and fuel; figure out a
better way!
Amendment 52 – I vote Yes
Colorado has no budget for
highways, which is appalling. This
changes that focus and helps maintain our highways. It does not force funding to rework I-70, but
recommends it as the primary focus. Good
highways keep supply lines open for jobs!
Amendment 53 – I vote No!
Just stupid! If a contractor steals from a homeowners’
association, the volunteer board could be sued for negligence. This is a poorly written piece of work!
Amendment 54 – I vote Yes!
This is a great one! Simply put, those contractors who have
government contracts would not be allowed to donate to political candidates
(NOT the individual, just the business). This could help clean up government!
Amendment 55 – I vote No!
This states that employees
cannot be fired unless there is “just cause.” However, it’s the state that determines what
is just! This bill also exempts
unions! It smacks of “big brother”
socialism. It could also seriously harm
middle management in larger corporations who make downsizing decisions based on
direction from above, and find they were doing so “without cause.”
Amendment 56 – I vote No!
Any business with 20 or more
part- or full-time employees would be required to provide “major medical”
insurance for all employees and dependents. So, any retail outlet, restaurant, etc. that
is currently in this realm would see their costs double at the very least. If they don’t close down, who absorbs these
costs? We do. And the middle class goes bankrupt.
Amendment 57 – I vote No!
If a worker is injured on
the job, workers will collect worker’s compensation AND sue for unlimited
damages for issues including “inconvenience, mental anguish,” and loss of “enjoyment
of life!” This amendment is poorly
written, and trial lawyers are already salivating over the possibility of this
passing.
Amendment 58 – I vote No!
Stick with me on this one. The reason people and companies with oil and
gas leases do not currently pay severance taxes to the state is because the
state allows them to pay local taxes instead to cities, counties, school
districts, etc. They then pay the state
whatever remaining tax liability would be owed. If this passes, these folks will pay the full
amount to the state, plus local taxes. And,
they will be much more opposed to any form of taxation at the local level. You can expect to see more resistance to
school bonds, local sales tax increases, etc. Furthermore, the money would go to a Ritter
slush fund, not directly into schools and education.
Amendment 59 – I vote No!
This is big government
thumbing its’ nose at we the people. This
kills TABOR (the taxpayers bill of rights), and puts a huge amount of money
into the hands of Ritter and his socialist friends. If you examine the support of such amendments
you find socialists such as “Grandpa” Jim Riesburg and RINO’s Tom and Kay
Norton. That alone should tell you
something!
Measure L – I vote No
This measure changes the age
of eligibility from 25 to 21, to run for a seat in the Colorado House of
Representatives or Colorado Senate. I
oppose it because I know too many mush-brained people this age, who start to
wise up once they have to pay for houses, student loans and vehicles on their
own. It could go either way.
Measure M – I vote Yes
This eliminates some old
language related to hedges, orchards, forest and tax values.
Measure N – I vote Yes
Again, this eliminates some
very old language regarding how liquor is transported in vehicles.
Measure O – I vote No!
This changes the standards
for getting an amendment on the ballot. After going through the ballot you may be
tempted to vote for this one. But if you
do, it will curtail free speech. The
amount of signatures needed goes up significantly, and it also demands that the
signatures are spread evenly throughout the 7 congressional districts in
Colorado. However, I still believe that
the people should have a voice at this level, and I believe we need to act like
a state, not little kingdoms within a state. I say leave the law alone, and let’s take
responsibility to vote, act, and live in this land that we love. But then again, I’m thinking like an
intelligent conservative.
sales taxes hurt the poor the most. so i say yes in concept, but NO on 51
From the Denver Post and the "Bluebook"
Sales taxes disproportionately affect poor people, for whom daily purchases make up a larger chunk of income. And with price tags on gas and groceries climbing, Coloradans can ill afford to pay more on other purchases as well, according to the 2008 Bluebook.
Posted by: Farid Tabhaz | October 04, 2008 at 02:25 PM
if you FORCE someone to join a union to have a job, where is the freedom in that? I had a job one winter and the union made more money than I did. I had two paychecks during short training weeks of ZERO after the union boss took his cut.
so, try telling me that being forced to join a union to have a christmas job was in any way helpful or that you are anything other than a troll, paid by the unions, to use your 5th grade education to cloud this issue.
yes to 47, no to the Sopranos.
i'm farid and I approved of this message.
Posted by: Farid Tabhaz | October 04, 2008 at 02:20 PM
Amendment 51 does not increase tax on gas, utilities, groceries,medicine, or medical services. If you are going to post information on these amendments you need to give accurate information. Please read the nonpartisan information sent out by your county to see what you are really voting on and get accurate information.
Posted by: Aimee | October 02, 2008 at 02:55 PM
You have a major misunderstanding about Amendment 47. It does not ban forced unionization. Why? Because that is already illegal. No one can force you to join a union.
If the union collectively bargains for you under a union shop agreement, then you get the benefits of that representation even if you are not in the union. In those circumstances, and only in those circumstances, can the union recoup the cost of representing the non-union workers.
All 47 does is ban the union from recouping the costs of representing non-union workers from them. That is it.
In other words, if 47 passes, it will allow non-union workers to freeload off the union and their union co-workers. Now that does not sound very American or fair.
The government should not interfere with how workers and owners negotiate. If the business agrees to a union shop arrangement, so be it. Everyone applying for a job in a union shop knows what they are getting into. If they do not like it, they do not have to take the job.
"NO" on 47.
Posted by: Bob | October 02, 2008 at 11:30 AM
YES on 51 -- HELPS COLORADO!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snC87K6NNl8
Posted by: humorist2be | October 02, 2008 at 10:45 AM