OUR VIEW: Even crackpot ideas historically have had no real problem collecting adequate signatures to make it to the ballot. The fact that Rollie can’t even muster enough John Hancocks is perhaps the best proof that no one — not even pedestrians on the 16th and Pearl Street Malls — is interested in a recessionary tax hike.
Last week Rollie Heath's Tax Hike Team announced they were halfway (65,000 signatures) towards meeting their signature goal to get their $3 billion, five-year tax increase on the ballot. Bragging about being halfway with only weeks left before deadline? This is like the "Joe-mentum" of Colorado ballot measure messaging.
Looks like Rollie's initiative is going down just as we predicted last month.
They have until August 1, when they must turn in their signatures to the Secretary of State's office.
Their publicly stated goal is 125,000 signatures, about 50% more than the required 86,000 valid signatures of registered voters. When gathering signatures it is necessary to overshoot the minimum by a significant margin as usually a good chunk of signatures are found to be invalid.
Heath announced the initiative on May 16, meaning that in nearly two months they have only made it halfway and have merely weeks left to collect the rest. In signature gathering drives that means virtually certain failure unless they pump a lot more money into paid signature collection.
When gathering signatures you usually hit the easy places first. For a tax hike initiative, that would be places like a Boulder Whole Foods or Democrat Party meeting. Since we can assume they've hit those places already, it will be a hell of an uphill battle to collect the other 60,000 signatures.
Don't be surprised if you see an ex-con looking person coming up to you at your child's soccer game or while you're waiting to catch the bus and asking you to sign their clipboard. To get their job-killing initiative on the ballot, Rollie's Tax Hike Team is going to have to spend some serious change on paid signature gathering mercenaries. At least that portion of it will create jobs, albeit temporarily.
Even crackpot ideas historically have had no real problem collecting adequate signatures to make it to the ballot. The fact that Rollie can’t even muster enough John Hancocks is perhaps the best proof that no one — not even pedestrians on the 16th and Pearl Street Malls — is interested in a recessionary tax hike.
Did it ever occur to any of you, who haven’t set foot in a classroom in over a decade, that our schools are actually in need of funds? Do you not realize our school funding in Colorado is inadequate for the quality we are asking for? In addition, money to schools generates jobs that give money to people who live and spend money within the local economy. When school districts are faced with huge layoffs, as they have been, that hurts everybody, our kids, our communities, and our state. Your article is full of fluff and words designed to scare people, such as “crackpot,” “job-killing,” and “ex-con.” To me it sounds like you afraid that there is momentum behind this effort. I have little doubt the issue will get to the ballot. I think you underestimate the concern Colorado voters have for the well-being of their children, a point certainly not addressed in your “article.”
this obliviously isn’t the “solution” if they can’t even get enough signatures to get it on the ballot.
But even in the outside chance that they succeed (convincing .013% of the population to agree with you isn’t that hard), you have obliviously spent a little too much time in the “classroom” to realize that RIGHT NOW asking people to pay $3 BILLION more in taxes AND cut 119,000 private sector jobs IS NOT A SOLUTION. But good luck trying to defend it, for some reason I don’t think the “for the children” argument is gonna work, when mommy and daddy might lose their job because of it.
Your aim is misguided, Underground. I have no fear of losing my job. How about you? My concern is for that of my son, who is about to start kindergarten. When I learned everything his new school lacks (updated computers, curriculum, enough teachers), I started getting an education on education. You ought to try it. You cannot deny Colorado schools have a severe budget problem, nor can you deny that Colorado kids are not getting an adequate education. Well, I suppose you could ignore the problem and pretend that everything will turn out ok in the long run, as long as you and yours are taken care of. Try getting an education on education. You have no right to an opinion without knowing the facts. The facts speak for themselves. And of course, again, you still did not address the needs of the children in this state. “3 BILLION” and “cut 119,000 private sector jobs.” Scare tactics.
Fact: $3 billion is what Rollie Heath says it would raise.
Fact: 119,700 total reduced employment is what an independent study found would happen were the initiative to pass.
In my world facts are only scare tactics for people who lack facts.
Maybe when you grew up facts or numbers were not important in reasoned argument in school. No wonder you think education is in such trouble.
You say your kids’ school lacks a curriculum. How is that related to the budget? How do updated computers really make the difference between a good kindergarten education and a bad one? Think about your blather before you spew it.
But what really exposes you for the fool you are? This statement: “I have no fear of losing my job. How about you?”
Have you opened a newspaper in the last couple of years?
I have no fear of losing my job. I have fear of not giving my son and all Colorado children an education and the tools they will need to succeed in the future. One does not have to look hard to understand that education is the key to opportunity.
How do updated computers really make a difference? Surely you did not type your post on Windows 98! Again, like Underground, you are not entitled to an opinion without setting foot in a classroom. My son is reading at a second grade level, already bored in his preschool class of 24. How will he get the needed direction in a class of 35?
You want facts? Colorado is 49th out of the 50 states in what it pays in taxes, and 49th in how it funds education. There’s a fact. Again, I’m not scared of losing my job or paying more taxes. Children deserve an appropriate education.
Oh, and your “study?” The best thing I could possibly say is that it might be right about one point. It might hit the people who earn under $100,000 more than the rich. I’d be all about switching that around. Who knows, maybe we might agree on one point.
“The Fool”
Great. Now can someone explain to Denver voters how requiring sick days is just as bad of an idea? I guess it’s a heck of a lot easier to vote yourself another day off than it is to vote yourself higher taxes.
Think that was the name of a book about this very problem liberals/their issues face. Get some shady looking people going door to door or stand outside, make sure they are from out-of-state so they know nothing about locals or their issues, and make sure to coach them to be as aggressive as possible.
Glad to hear this will be an epic fail.
Oh wait. That’s really not any less intimidating.