I can’t take credit for the title.  It comes from Poudre School Board member Patrick Albright who, along with fellow Director Barbara Schwerin, had the courage to stand up against the prevailing majority that voted to use taxpayer money to fund Lobato v. Colorado, a class action lawsuit to sue taxpayers for more K-12 funding.

In an email to me, Director Albright described how he called out the school board for its hypocrisy.

The school funding system they seek to overturn is codified into law by the school finance act–this year it was HB10-1369. I asked “What did the Board due to oppose this supposedly unconstitutional legislation that you seek to overturn?” Well, here is what the Board did: We paid a lobbyist (Fofi Mendez) to lobby the legislature in favor of, among other things, passage of HB10-1369.

I asked them “Do we really want to spend taxpayer money to fund a lawsuit to overturn an act that we spent taxpayer money to lobby in favor of?”

The answer?

Yes.

Despite having eliminated 139 full-time employees and offered early retirement to another 63 in order to cover a $12 million budget shortfall, the PSD board decided to give $25,000 to the cause of suing parents and taxpayers in Colorado.

In addition to the cost, Albright cited his concern of an unelected judiciary deciding “adequate” K-12 education funding and the lawsuit’s “unspoken” purpose to further weaken the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Director Jim Hayes won’t lose any sleep over destroying the only line of defense between parents’ pocketbooks and the education lobby. Albright provided what he called the “quote of the evening.” After Albright defended TABOR, Hayes explained how the voters were duped into voting for it:

You say the public has spoken. Well, I disagree. I think the public is naive and easily swayed and the money has spoken.

Poudre School District residents can take some comfort in knowing they aren’t alone.  While crying poverty, the school bullies in Greeley Evans School District 6 voted to do the same thing with nearly $18,000 of parents’ and taxpayers’ money.

The article below is from my friend Nancy Rumfelt who witnessed the assault on the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.  There is a feeling that this is the progressive left’s last hurrah so their coalition is trying to ram through the legislature as much as possible and HCR 10-1002 is no exception.

HCR10-1002 is Educational Trojan Horse for TABOR

Today at the Capital was a hearing on house bill HCR10-1002 which if passed will ask voters in November to decide if TABOR should be thrown under the school bus so the legislature can be given all power, responsibility and authority to raise revenue (taxes) to fund education without any further voter approval.

If voters pass in November, the bill will allow the legislature to raise revenue for education that will not be subject to voter approval, any spending limits and can be used for anything labeled education. There are no safeguards in the bill that will prevent any future legislature from going on a spending spree and saying: “oops no money left for the children – guess we will have to raise taxes to buy the lil urchins some school books”. This makes as much sense as when President Obama said we have to spend more to reduce our debt!

I listened to three hours of testimony at the Capital today most of which was in support of this bill and the supporters truly believe that government is here to help and that education will NEVER have cuts again. I am a person who does try to understand differing positions but today even after 3 hours of listening to “their side” I could not find logic to support their beliefs.

There was much talk of needing to invest in education but no one could define invest in what or invest how much, we just need to invest lots of money and passing this measure means education will never do without ever again. I would like to applaud Rep. Frank McNulty who tried several times to get someone, anyone to explain, what is an adequate level of funding for education but no one could answer. When Rep. McNulty pointed out that legislators are expected to know what is adequate you could almost hear everyone’s thoughts of: “well duh you are the all knowing all powerful legislator Gods that takes care of us”.

As a Mom of two beautiful teenage girls, I understand parents wanting the best for their kid’s education but what I don’t understand is bankrupting their kid’s future. The desire to fund education and to never have to worry about money again blinds them all to the true nature of this bill which is to annihilate TABOR. It is naïve to believe that government will not mismanage general funds and then use education as a justification for raising taxes to back fill the deficit created. Supporters of this measure lament that Colorado has one of the strictest revenue limits in the country without understanding that TABOR is what has stopped the state from becoming the next California, New York, New Jersey and so one.

All one has to do is look to Amendment 23, Ref C, Mill Levy Freeze, Vehicle Tax and know that it is never a good idea to give the government a blank check without requiring the taxpayers to be a co-signer on the account! The government whether state or federal is like the space creature from the classic movie The Blob – whatever it consumes it destroys and the more it consumes the larger it becomes until nothing is left.

Where is Steve McQueen when you need him?

Nancy Rumfelt

Co-Founder Loveland 912 Project & Accidental Activist

The resolution passed out of the House Education Committee along a party line vote.  It faces a tougher vote in the full House where it needs two-thirds support to pass.

If you are wondering how much this will cost Colorado families, that’s a good question.  No one knows because no one knows how much the legislature would raise taxes. The fiscal note reads “unknown increase.”   Make no mistake, this would mean a lot more money from taxpayers’ pockets.  And it  would give the Colorado Education Association, the teachers union, enormous power to raise taxes for members’ benefit.  A recent Denver Post editorial warned of the union’s power to persuade.

The teachers union has far more influence with lawmakers, many of whom depend upon the CEA’s support and manpower during election season.

HCR10-1002 is not for the children, it’s for the school bullies who profit at the expense of our children.  Like Nancy Rumfelt, I’m a mom who is sick of my children being exploited as cash cows for K-12.

So how much did you pay in taxes?  Want to send government a message besides just your check?  Then find a Tea Party near you.  Check out the list below and join in the fun.  I hope to visit Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins so I can be among friends and promote the Independence Institute’s petition gathering process to defend Colorado from ObamaCare.

I would love to go to a Tax Day Tea Party in Lamar or La Junta.  If you are headed that direction, please follow up with details.

Denver - 10:00 am to 1:00pm
Colorado State Capitol
200 E Colfax
http://www.hearus-now.org/taxday2010.html

Colorado Springs - 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Acacia Park (downtown)
http://www.theconstitutionalisttoday.com/come-to-the-tea-party/

Fort Collins - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Washington Park
301 Maple Street (behind City Hall)
http://www.NorthernColoradoTeaParty.com

Loveland - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
South Shore of Lake Loveland
http://www.loveland912project.org/home

Estes Park - 11:30am to 1:00pm
Bond Park (downtown)

Grand Junction - 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Lincoln Park (12th and North Ave)

Pueblo - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Pueblo County Courthouse Steps

Woodland Park/Teller County - 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Lions Park - Gold Hill North
Corner of Hwy 67 X 24

Montrose – 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm
Old Courthouse
South First Street

Montrose (yep, there are 2 in Montrose) - 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Corner of Main & Townsend

Delta (This one is on Saturday, 4/17) 10:00 am- 12:00 Noon
Delta Courthouse

La Junta - 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Santa Fe Plaza
More info: Kathy and Betty - 719.853.6683 or 719.384.2473

Lamar - 4:30pm
In front of Courthouse

Greeley - 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Greeley Post Office, West 10th Street

www.greeley912.net

It’s no news flash that Congresswoman Betsy Markey’s bid for a second term to represent the 4th CD is in doubt.  However, if Markey wins re-election and Democrats retain control in the state house, they have plans to make sure Markey’s seat is never again in jeopardy.

David Thielen, a Boulder County Democrat and contributor to the Huffington Post, blogged during the county assembly and provided some insight as to their strategy courtesy of Democrat Congressman Jared Polis who spoke on Markey’s behalf:

Now going in to speaking for Betsy Markey - “the fighting 4^th Congressional District.” Talking about the tremendous impact and difference that Betsy has made (boy is that true!). Then discusses getting Betsy in this time, then with redistricting we can make her seat safe (I think Betsy can hold it without redistricting - but hey, every little bit helps)

In other words, the Democrats plan to change the boundaries of the 4th CD to Markey’s benefit. Republicans in the 4th CD, consider yourself warned. As I said at the Weld County GOP assembly when I spoke on behalf of Scott McInnis, the election of 2010 is the most important in a very long time.

While asking for his party’s nomination for  candidate  for Sheriff at the Weld County GOP caucus on Saturday, Sheriff John Cooke received three standing ovations.  It’s understandable why. Crime rates and response times are down in the nearly 4000 square miles that make up one of Colorado’s largest counties.

During his speech Cooke held up a copy of the Denver Post and told the delegates that he serves them and not those in Denver or at the state capitol. He referenced a an editorial that took him to task for saying he will encourage his deputies to use their discretion when enforcing the new enhanced emissions area, which requires nearly all Weld County residents to pay $25 to get an emission test when getting license plate tags renewed.

Cooke told the Post:

I’ll tell them [deputies] to use their best judgment and not necessarily write that ticket….It’s already affecting the poorest people in this community, and I would rather have the person going to work rather than trying to run around and come up with $800 to fix his car.

Older vehicles are most likely to fail, thus hurting those who can’t afford late model cars.  The new law will cost Weld County residents millions of dollars at a time when the County can least afford it.  Weld County still is grappling with the collapse of New Frontier Bank and the second highest unemployment rate in Colorado.

Cooke and others including Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway do not support the new law and argue it will hurt the least among us and that Weld County’s air already is clean.  Working with the oil and gas industry, which spent some $30 million, Weld County is in compliance — within the allowable limits for ozone pollution.  Denver merely wants our clean air so it can comply with new EPA standards. From the perspective of Weld County residents, Denver needs our clean air and we have to pay for it.

Memo to the Post editorial board: if you drive even one mile-per-hour over the speed limit and law enforcement sees you and doesn’t ticket you, that officer is using his “best judgment.”

As much as the delegates applauded Cooke for all of the above, his staunch support for the Second Amendment brought down the house. He believes it is the right of every individual to protect himself, his family and his property.  The loudest and longest standing ovation came when he said, “I haven’t and won’t put the name of any concealed weapons permit holder into a statewide data base.  It’s none of the state’s business…”

As a conservative, I was proud to be on the stage with him along with State Senator Scott Renfroe, Greeley Police Chief Jerry Garner, Firestone Police Chief David Montgomery all of whom spoke on the Sheriff’s behalf.

As John’s wife, I understand why they cheer him. I love him too.

Delegates gave him what he asked for — their support and the nomination.

Columnist Peggy Noonan is a master of language and understanding human nature.  Her most recent Wall Street Journal column suggests what we, as average taxpaying Americans, would like to hear from those who played roulette with our money and lost big.

“Let’s be real. This is what happened the past 10 years. You, for political reasons, both Republicans and Democrats, finagled the mortgage system so that people who make, like, zero dollars a year were given mortgages for $600,000 houses. You got to run around and crow about how under your watch everyone became a homeowner. You shook down the taxpayer and hoped for the best.

“Democrats did it because they thought it would make everyone Democrats: ‘Look what I give you!’ Republicans did it because they thought it would make everyone Republicans: ‘I’m a homeowner, I’ve got a stake, don’t raise my property taxes, get off my lawn!’ And Wall Street? We went to town, baby. We bundled the mortgages and sold them to fools, or we held them, called them assets, and made believe everyone would pay their mortgage. As if we cared. We invented financial instruments so complicated no one, even the people who sold them, understood what they were.

“You’re finaglers and we’re finaglers. I play for dollars, you play for votes. In our own ways we’re all thieves. We would be called desperadoes if we weren’t so boring, so utterly banal in our soft-jawed, full-jowled selfishness. If there were any justice, we’d be forced to duel, with the peasants of America holding our cloaks. Only we’d both make sure we missed, wouldn’t we?”

Sadly you won’t find that in the official record because it was never spoken. But Noonan is correct it “would be a kind of breathe of fresh air.”   We’ve got a better chance of proving anthropogenic global warming than hearing that kind of raw honesty.

Here’s what we really heard this week when former Citibank CEO Charles Prince testified in front of the Financial Inquiry Commission and explained why we are experiencing the worst economy since the Great Depression. A commissioner asked Prince if he knew why American homeowners experienced a 30 percent decline in property values, Prince responded:

Yes, we haven’t had such a decline “since the Great Depression.” The reason is before the crash there was “a bubble.” There was too much “easy money.” Then the bubble popped.

With that kind of insight, it is no wonder that Citibank was granted $45 billion in taxpayer bailout funds.  Meanwhile a beautiful and historic home right next to mine has lost nearly 50 percent of its value.

Last year the Democrats tried (and failed) to destroy the Electoral College. This year Speaker Terrance Carroll (D-Denver) wants to “reform” the entire process with a new bill that State Senator Kevin Lundberg calls the “voter fraud” bill.  According to the Denver Post, Carroll will introduce his legislation some time next week.  However provisions within the bill already have been made public including “pre-registration” for 16 year olds, almost same day registration, and mail-in ballots for all elections.

Adding insult to injury, Carroll simply dismisses the fact that voters soundly rejected a similar measure in 2002, “Eight years is a long time. Because something fails on the ballot at some time in the past doesn’t mean it’s off-limits.”

But here’s the kicker — the you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me-what-the-heck-are-they-thinking kicker: third party organizations will be allowed to pick up and deliver the ballots.  Think ACORN.  Think corruption.  Think Mickey Mouse will be voting in Colorado’s next election? I bet he’ll be registered.

In the end, Congresswoman Betsy Markey could not say no to Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and the tax-and-spend lobby.

A couple of months ago during my weekly radio segment with Coloradoan editor Bob Moore, who has a good, working relationship with Markey’s office, I wondered that if push comes to shove, could Betsy Markey say no to Nancy Pelosi?

Bob posed the question to her and reported Markey’s response the following week.  Apparently she said, “I’m a mom.  I’m used to saying no.”

Being a mom myself, I know exactly where she is coming from.  I have said “no” in the face of relentless lobbying efforts on behalf of my three teenagers.  They push as far as possible, but as soon as I shoot them a certain look they know to back off.  The conversation is over; further discussion could lead to unwelcome consequences.

But Markey didn’t do that.  Instead of standing firm, when push did come to shove, Markey proved a pushover.  After voting no (sort of) on the House health care bill, she was one of eight democrats who switched her vote to yes on the Senate bill.

Now, she obediently tows the party line with fairy tale assumptions about this massive expansion of the welfare state such as, “Particularly in the out years there’s significantly more deficit reduction and I have to say this is going to be the largest deficit reduction bill that I will ever vote for.”  Not sure if she meant deficit or debt but I’m sure she is sincere.

In a prepared statement and reported in the Coloradoan she added: “My vote today isn’t about politics. It’s about bringing down health-care costs and doing what’s right for the people of Colorado.”  I believe that statement as much as I believe there are unicorns in my backyard.

The reality is that Markey couldn’t say no in the face of relentless lobbying.  Voting against the majority in the 4th CD, she proved she would rather face the wrath of voters than the wrath of Pelosi.

In November, constituents have an opportunity to cast a vote against her. My guess is she will be out of a job.  With yes votes on unpopular legislation like cap and trade, the stimulus package and health care coupled with her sponsorship of the job-killing card check,  that’s not much of a prediction.  But I do have a bottle of really good tequila riding on it.

Results of the Weld County straw poll:

Governor: Scott McInnis 664, Dan Maes 590, John Hickenlooper 1

Senate: Ken Buck 982, Jane Norton 213, Tom Weins 74, Cleve Tidwell 19, Steve Barton 5, Vincent Martinez 1

4th CD:  Cory Gardner 688, Diggs Brown 192, Tom Lucero 159, Dean Madere 54

2nd CD: Stephen Bailey 88, Bob Brancato 56