During a lengthy hearing of the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee on House Bill 1050 on January 30, 2012, Democratic state Rep. Joe Salazar claimed that Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia received a letter from the Secretary of State’s office asking him to prove his citizenship.
The only problem? It’s totally false, according to our source, who said the letter that Lt. Gov. Garcia received simply notified him that he was listed as inactive as his primary ballot was returned to the Pueblo County Clerk as “undeliverable”.
Listen to Rep. Salazar spew his misinformation here:
Rep Salazar wrong on Joe Garcia voter reg.m4v
Here’s a partial transcript of the audio:
“I know that you’re saying that these individuals should be alerted, but this voter eligibility registration form that you’ve provided. This is the same one that was sent to our own Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia, where they questioned his citizenship status.”
That’s ok, Rep. Salazar. Don’t let the truth stand in the way of your talking point.
JOE GARCIA FOR LABOR SECRETARY?
Yes, he is a good man; however, he comes from a state that is attempting to break its labor contracts, due to its own PERA pension mismanagement. Prior to appointment as Labor Secretary Garcia should state for the record whether or not he supports the breach of labor contracts in Colorado.
COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS CONFIRMS COLORADO PERA PUBLIC PENSION COLA BENEFITS AS CONTRACTUAL.
The Colorado Court of Appeals has reversed and remanded an initial District Court ruling that denied the contractual status of public pension COLAs in Colorado. The Court of Appeals confirmed that Colorado PERA pension COLA benefits are a contractual obligation of the pension plan Colorado PERA and its affiliated public employers. A huge victory for public sector retirees in Colorado! The Colorado Legislature may not breach its contracts and push taxpayer obligations onto the backs of a small group of elderly pensioners.
The lawsuit is continuing. Support pension rights in the U.S. by contributing at saveperacola.com. Friend Save Pera Cola on Facebook!
In 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court (in U.S. Trust Co, 431 U.S.) clarified that state attempts to impair their own contracts, ESPECIALLY FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, were subject to greater scrutiny and very little deference because the STATE'S SELF-INTEREST IS AT STAKE. As the court bluntly stated:
“A governmental entity can always find a use for extra money, especially when taxes do not have to be raised. If a state could reduce its financial obligations whenever it wanted to spend the money for what it regarded as an important public purpose, the Contract Clause would provide no protection at all… Thus, a state cannot refuse to meet its legitimate financial obligations simply because it would prefer to spend the money to promote the public good rather than the private welfare of its creditors."
For more resources to protect public pension benefits visit saveperacola.com.