RUNNING TO THE LEFT: Hickenlooper Announces Support For Impending $1 Billion Tax Hike Campaign

Published on May 22, 2013 by

Democrats applaud Hickenlooper for signing SB213, the bill attached to the impending $1 billion tax hike campaign

In a sign Governor Hickenlooper has all but abandoned any hope at retaining his moderate political brand, yesterday he announced his support for an impending $1 billion tax hike campaign.

Reports The Durango Herald‘s Joe Hanel at the bottom of a piece about Hickenlooper signing the attached SB213:

Hickenlooper pledged Tuesday to campaign for the tax increase once the sponsors pick a single initiative.

This, folks, is big news. In 2011, Hickenlooper steadfastly refused to take a public position on the Prop 103 tax hike ballot initiative, earning the derisive nickname “Chickenlooper.”

Currently tax hike proponents are deciding between raising taxes through increasing the flat tax rate, or creating a graduated system, with higher incomes being taxed at an even higher rate.

The fact that Hickenlooper has already agreed to back the billion dollar tax increase, without even knowing what form it wil take, is a risky move.

A recent poll that purposely over-sampled Democrats found that voters strongly oppose a tax increase, no matter what form it takes.

From our post on the poll:

Magellan polled 675 respondents from April 24-25 and found an overwhelming opposition to income tax hikes, with 55% of respondents opposed to the idea of raising the state income tax from 4.63% to 5.35% to only 36% supportive of the idea.

When asking about a graduated income tax hike, with those making less than $75,000 seeing their taxes go up 1%, while those making over $75,000 would see a 3% hike, the opposition increased slightly with 56% opposed and 35% in support.

We honestly can’t think of a single ballot initiative in Colorado history that started at 36% support to 55% opposition that succeeded in the end.

In a still fragile economy, voters simply aren’t willing to hand over more cash to the government.

With Hickenlooper’s approval rating already underwater with independents, this certainly can’t help his political standing.

 

GOLD DOME DRAW: The Sister-Kissers Of The 2013 Legislative Session

Published on May 13, 2013 by

Navy football coach Eddie Erdelatz once described a scoreless tie as being equivalent to “kissing your sister.” The folks in this category are the legislative equivalent — neither winning nor losing, often to a frustrating degree.

We’re not sure whether sister-kissing will be included in the comprehensive sex education for kindergarteners passed by Democrats this year, but here are our nominees for the scoreless ties of the 2013 legislative session.

(Check out our picks for 2013 legislative session Winners here)
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GIVE IT UP, MIKEY: Statewide Poll Shows No Appetite For Tax Hike In 2013

Published on May 6, 2013 by

State Senator Mike Johnston, the better looking version of failed Prop 103 tax hike leader Rollie Heath, is pushing a $1.1 BILLION dollar tax increase for the ballot this year. A new survey by Magellan Strategies indicates Mikey would be better off staying at home than wasting his time pushing a tax hike when Colorado voters have no intention of supporting it.

Magellan polled 675 respondents from April 24-25 and found an overwhelming opposition to income tax hikes, with 55% of respondents opposed to the idea of raising the state income tax from 4.63% to 5.35% to only 36% supportive of the idea.

When asking about a graduated income tax hike, with those making less than $75,000 seeing their taxes go up 1%, while those making over $75,000 would see a 3% hike, the opposition increased slightly with 56% opposed and 35% in support.

Those results are close to the last tax hike attempt in Colorado, Prop 103 in 2011. That ballot initiative lost 2-1 across the state — a crushing defeat for Rollie Heath and his team.

Based on Magellan’s survey, it doesn’t look like this year’s tax hike attempt will fair much better.

The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3.77%. The sample reflected the conservative leanings of odd year elections — historically low turnout affairs — with 39% Republican, 36% Democrat and 25% Unaffiliated. It used a combination of cell phones and landlines to reach respondents.

There was a bright spot in the poll for tax hikers — people are positive about the general idea of raising taxes for education 50%-43%. The problem for the tax hike set is that as soon as you ask about specific proposals, the bottom falls out.

It seems people like the idea of spending more money on education — as long as it’s someone else’s.

Long live TABOR!

UPDATE: An interesting note from the polling memo: The sample used is slightly more Democratic in its makeup than previous off-year elections, giving the pro-tax hike side a slight bump. And they are still getting crushed. See the partisan makeup of the electorate in 2009 and 2011 below:

 

PeakFeed: What Will The Proposed $1 Billion Tax Hike Get You?

Published on April 24, 2013 by

Legislative Democrats are pushing a billion dollar tax hike this fall that is connected to the education bill, SB213. What, exactly, will Coloradans get for giving up an additional billion dollars a year to the state government?

The Independence Institute’s education policy expert, Ben DeGrow, answers after the jump:

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GLASS JAW GOVERNOR? Hickenlooper’s Ability To Withstand A Political Punch Relatively Untested

Published on April 23, 2013 by

Governor Hickenlooper has been the recipient of a hard-hitting, professional attack ad campaign by Republicans just once in his political career. Once. And then Dan Maes took the GOP nomination and every outside player fled the state.

With Hickenlooper taking a 20-point hit in favorability in the latest PPP poll, it’s instructive to look back at that brief moment of political peril for the governor for what it says about his ability to take a political punch.

The assault by the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) in early May 2010 focused heavily on his raising taxes as Denver Mayor and the job losses at Frontier Airlines that happened as a result, and tied him to unpopular one-term Governor Ritter.

The smartly produced, memorable spot had a little over half a million behind it over a one-month period — a not insignificant, nor exceptionally huge, budget.

As a result, Hickenlooper’s numbers went into freefall.

Less than two weeks after the assault on the airwaves began, a PPP poll found Hick had gone from an 11-point lead over Scott McInnis in the previous PPP poll to being tied.

It was a crushing blow that reshaped the race dramatically.

Unfortunately, soon thereafter everything fell apart. The plagiarism scandal consumed McInnis’s campaign and paved the way for the most disastrous major party nomination in modern history in Dan Maes. 

But it’s that ever-so-brief moment that makes some wonder whether Hickenlooper is as politically invincible as conventional wisdom would suggest.

The second sustained assault Hickenlooper has faced from Republicans in his career, though with virtually no paid media, was over gun control.

And just like after the RGA attack, Hickenlooper’s polling numbers plummeted like a cartoon anvil.

Two assaults, two big poll hits.

Does Governor Hickenlooper have a glass jaw?

 

READ THE BOLD PRINT: Hickenlooper, Democrat Budget A Spending Orgy

Published on April 3, 2013 by

State Senator Pat Steadman and the organization he ghosts writes for…The Denver Post Editorial Page…have been doing their coordinated best to create the impression that Republicans are being stubborn for not backing Governor Hickenlooper’s budget.

The Denver Post editorial page called GOP opposition to the Democrats budget “sour grapes” over guns. Not quite. The Democratic budget is just the latest illustration of Democrats overreaching on guns, the death penalty, drivers licenses for the next Mohammad Atta, destroying the oil and gas industry, unionizing firefighters, etc., etc., etc. 

Steadman, the former school funding lobbyist, knows this. He is a budget conman, knowing just enough about the budget apparently to speak with forked tongue. Because as with all that is John Hickenlooper in 2013, this budget is a retreat from the moderation that was the Hick “schtick” in the last two years.

Check out this year’s budget:

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TAX HIKE HOORAY! 20 Democratic Senators Vote In Favor Of Bill Tied To Billion Dollar Tax Increase

Published on April 2, 2013 by

Today, the full Democratic Senate caucus voted in favor of SB213, the School Finance Act that is tied to a billion dollar increase.

For that, let’s give them three cheers.

No, not for the actual raising of taxes — which requires a vote of the people that is destined to fail — but for going on the record for a billion dollar tax hike.

A number of GOP consultants have asked us to extend their sincere appreciation to Senate President John Morse and his caucus — they just helped write a whole flight of direct mail hit pieces and fundraising solicitations.

We too would like to thank the fine Senators for helping clarify things. In 2011, we tried to get every member of the Legislature on record on the last tax increase try, Prop 103. Unfortunately, the mainstream press didn’t seem interested and didn’t try to track down the position of legislators, so we were forced to comb through the petition circulator list, legislator newsletters and video of town halls to figure out where our elected leadership stood on increasing taxes.

Tracking down tax hike stances of those in support of raising them has been difficult ever since the passing of TABOR. The Constitutional amendment that has helped save Colorado from a California-like financial reality has indirectly been a huge boon to Democrats in Colorado, as it has allowed them to hide their support for tax increases. SB213, with it’s reliance on a billion dollar tax hike to take effect, helps bridge that gap for campaign rhetoric. 

Sure, Democrats will cry that they didn’t vote for the tax increase itself, merely a bill that would only take effect should the tax hike pass. We’re sure GOP consultants will be glad to let local networks and papers explain the distinction without a difference. Today’s vote gives the consultants all the paid media grist they need to start slamming the senators as tax hike loving, gun hating left wingers, focused more on social policy than economic legislation.

You hear that, Democrats? That’s the sound of consultants clinking glasses in cheers for the business you just brought them.

 

GRIDLOCK ON HICK’S WATCH: Return To Budgeting Business As Usual In State Budget Debate

Published on April 1, 2013 by

UPDATE: Was Republican opposition to the budget busting long bill “sour grapes”? Oh contraire mon frere. Per a press release from Senate Republicans:

Denver- Today, Senate Democrats passed Senate Bill 213 on a party line vote, asking voters to approve a one billion dollar tax increase without reforms that improve student achievement.

“Just one week after Senate Democrats approved a historic budget that increases government spending at three times the rate of inflation, the voters will be faced with a one billion dollar tax increase,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Mark Scheffel (R-Parker) and member of the Senate Education Committee. “We need a student centered system that emphasizes improving student outcomes and instilling teacher accountability instead of perpetuating the present system that merely asks for more money without solving the problem.”

This year’s budget is set to be the first in a number of years not receiving a bipartisan blessing. Governor Hickenlooper and legislative Democrats’ left-wing agenda outside the budget process has no doubt poisoned the bipartisan well, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t clear reasons to oppose this year’s budget.

Sorry, Singleton, “sour grapes” are not the reason Republicans are opposing this year’s spending monstrosity.

It’s unfortunate for Governor Hickenlooper, as he has loved to trot out the line about Colorado’s bipartisan budget process. Here’s how Hickenlooper characterized last year’s bipartisan budget:

“The budget provides a comprehensive and thoughtful allocation of taxpayer dollars,” Hickenlooper said at the signing ceremony. “The support that both parties in both houses gave to the budget demonstrates that we’re trying to find the right compromise.”

Does the lack of support from one party then demonstrate the lack of compromise in this year’s budget, Governor?

Aside from political reasons, here’s five reasons why Republicans will and should oppose this year’s budget:

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EDUCATION REFORM SHOWDOWN: Evie Hudak vs. Michael Johnston

Published on January 8, 2013 by

Ed News Colorado is out with a story discussing education issues that are expected to take a high profile when the Legislature comes to order this week.

But Ed News missed the real story, as it has been described to us: Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) vs. Senator Michael Johnston (D-Denver).

Hudak, who has made her career doing political quid pro quo with the teachers union, is rumored to have her plate full with legislation to roll back various accountability measures. At the top of the list, we are told, is an effort to undue or delay SB 191, the much talked about teacher tenure reform bill spearheaded by Johnston in 2010.

Hudak’s obvious problem is that Johnston serves on the Senate Education Committee. Since Johnston is, on education reform issues at least, more Republican than Democrat, Johnston carries the Big Stick of being able to work around Hudak and the Union Bosses who command her.

Hudak, however, is not known to lie down quietly. You can bet at every turn, the Burly Union Bride will pull out all the stops…attack, threats, appeals to Morgan Carroll, physical violence…to work around Johnston and Republicans.

Johnston, who has gone off the reservation on tax hikes, is still a reliable voice when it comes to fighting for sensible school reform.

Will Johnston back down?

Will Johnston have his way?

Will Republicans and Johnston control the fate of all school accountability legislation?

Will Evie Hudak’s head explode?

These questions and more will be answered, in entertaining fashion we predict, over the coming 120 days.

 

TAX HIKE COMETH: Legislative Democrats Could Push Bank-Breaking $2.75 Billion Tax Increase In 2013

Published on December 19, 2012 by

An online education-focused publication, funded in large part by the Colorado teachers’ union, is the first to report a shockingly audacious plan by newly-empowered legislative Democrats.

In 2013, Ed News Colorado reports legislative Democrats could seek up to $2.75 billion in tax hikes for education.

Colorado voters could face a $1 billion decision on school funding in the November 2013 election, if a complicated two-step reform plan plays out as its backers hope.

Discussions about the issue have been underway for more than a year but have intensified in recent weeks. Backers now plan to make school funding a top issue for the 2013 legislative session – and they hope to have a bill passed by mid-March…

Supporters of finance system reform, led by Democratic Sen. Mike Johnston of Denver, hope to achieve their goals in two steps. First, they want the legislature to pass a thorough modernization of the state’s school finance formula. Then they plan to ask voters for the money to support the new system. If the public doesn’t approve the necessary tax increases the new funding system wouldn’t go into effect.

Johnston’s partner in the effort is Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder and author of a proposed tax increase for education that voters rejected in 2011…

At a meeting last week of what’s called the Technical Advisory Group, which Johnston has used as a sounding board on school finance, he estimated the cost of his suggested reforms at more than $2.75 billion. [Peak emphasis]

Whether it’s a $1 billion tax hike or a $2.75 billion tax hike, it’s enough to do serious damage to a slowly-recovering economy.

And if that isn’t enough to break your bank, the second and third part of their plans definitely will…including requiring local school districts to increase taxes even more to access these dollars:

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