BackboneAmerica

By Brad Jones, brad@jones.name

At a recent rally at the state capitol, CU tri-executive Jeremey Jimenez stumped in support of Referenda C and D. His message was an ominous one: scores of students, mostly the poor and minorities, would be unable to attend the state’s flagship university if the ballot measures went down. “How many of you might not be able to come back to school?” he asked.

What Mr. Jimenez failed to mention is he and his two co-executives wield the power to control a full 11.5% of an in-state student’s cost of attendance . In the 2005-06 school year, the University of Colorado Student Union will collect mandatory fees of $619.00 a year from each and every student on the Boulder campus – for a total well over $30 million. (more…)

By Jeremy Schupbach, jshoebox@mac.com

It appears that the White House is getting ready to release even more documents on John Roberts. I understand that the strategery is to suck the venom out of the Democratic opposition by cooperating throughout the process, and hope that the civility will be returned. It won’t be. (more…)

(John Andrews in the Wall Street Journal, Aug. 18) My new favorite CD is “Don’t Let It Stop You,” by local mother-daughter singers Linda and Jessica Storey and their band, the Alleluia Blues. “Hold onto your dreams, though mountains fall,” sings Linda. “Don’t ever give up the will to survive.”

The song was written after Sept. 11. But it also evokes the life story of this 51-year-old rocker, who has battled multiple sclerosis for almost 30 years. She didn’t let that stop her from building a marriage, raising two children, founding Musicians Against MS–and recently, helping to pilot a revolutionary approach to Medicaid in Colorado. (more…)

By Sean Duffy, sean@policycommunications.com

An interesting Reuters story this morning “Elephants, lions to roam North America once more?” outlines a proposal by scientists to reintroduce large mammals to North America to replace populations lost 13,000 years ago. No word on whether the proposal includes reintroducing conservatives to Boulder.

By Beth Skinner, biskinner@comcast.net

Props to El Paso County Republicans who decided to act like real Republicans Monday night and unanimously denounce Referendum C & D. (more…)

Ray Revenue and Debbie Debt, two fictional Democrats who love higher taxes, enthuse about Referendum C & D in our new radio spot. Listen online to the ad:
Broadband connection
Dial-up connection.

The radio buy starts Aug. 18 on 710 AM, KNUS in Denver. We’re hoping Ray and Debbie can become as successful a political pair as Harry and Louise, who helped defeat Hillary Care back in the ’90s .

Ray, Debbie, and all the other liberal Democrats want stack on more taxes, borrow more billions, and trash TABOR. They admitted it on the radio. Will you volunteer to help us stop them? Click here to volunteer. And read on to see what they’re planning.

Ray Revenue – As Democrats, we believe Coloradans should be paying more taxes.

Debbie Debt – The Democratic Party has officially endorsed the Referendum C tax increase. It would mean $3000 out of the pocket of an average family over the next five years. (more…)

By Sean Duffy, sean@policycommunications.com

At a dinner the other night, I got a preview of this story, with some of the top-shelf Democrats working to entice another candidate into the race for Governor (reinforcing the anti Bill Ritter no-pro-lifers-need-apply litmus test of the Democratic party). Despite the focus on Ken Salazar, the more interesting part of the story is the Draft Hickenlooper juggernaut. Democrats clearly believe Hizzoner has the horsepower to win statewide. Really? (more…)

Here’s our preview for “Backbone Radio” on Sunday, August 14. Listen if you can, and scroll down for a soul-searching survey we hope you’ll complete and return.

With voters facing an important decision on taxes, spending, and public debt in the upcoming fall election, Colorado Republicans are on the spot.

Do they still stand for keeping taxes down, keeping TABOR strong, and balancing the budget on the spending side — a signature issue for most Republicans? Or does the GOP now believe, contrary to Reagan’s view, that bigger government is the answer? (more…)

Rumor has it that the campaign for higher taxes and deeper debt will soon roll out their new slogan, “Without C and D There’s No Colorado.” (Get it?)

This gem, besides taking the prize for megalomania and bathos, starts a game that two can play. Because those same two letters are indispensable to Democrats — and as Jon Caldara points out, to dildos and condoms as well.

Then again, without C and D there’s no Caldara either. High stakes indeed.

I’m still going to take my chances and vote no, even if it means we have to spell our state’s name as *olora*o from now on. If the end result is keeping taxes down and keeping TABOR strong, it’s a chance *al*ara and I are willing to take.

Zany stuff isn’t just in the comic strips any more. It can pop up on any page of the Denver Newspaper Agency’s liberal twin dailies. My favorite recently is Don Bain, business leader and tax advocate, complaining in the Post that the media relations tactics of C & D opponents are “like throwing candy at a bunch of monkeys.” Um, Don, did you really mean to say that about the local press corps?

Also laughable is another tax advocate likening me in the News to John Kerry — darn, I’ve searched my house for Teresa and my bankbook for her billions, can’t find either of them — a howler to which my reply appears below. (more…)

(John Andrews in the Denver Post, Aug. 7) What are the war aims of the United States in the global conflict that began on September 11, 2001? No one really knows. All Americans, including the President and Congress, have simply gone about the job of striking back at those who struck at us – without ever formally debating and deciding who the enemy is and what will constitute victory. (more…)

It really made my Monday when I heard that Sens. Ken Gordon, Democrat majority leader, and Norma Anderson, Republican minority leader, were organizing a bipartisan hike-fest to promote the $5.6 billion tax and debt plan called Referendum C and D.

That happened to be a day afoot for me as well — climbing Gray’s Peak with my son, daughter, and a friend — and all the way up to 14,270 feet I just smiled at the mental picture of these earnest soles, er, souls, taking to our Colorado highways and leading a jolly sing-along for bigger government. (more…)

Colorado last year was red at the head of the ticket, President Bush defeating Swifty John Kerry — but blue from the neck down: a sweep for the Salazar brothers, legislative Democrats, and several big-government ballot issues.

Are we in for more the same next year, when Dems defend the state House and Senate, take aim at the 7th Congressional, and bid to recapture the Governor’s office?

Bill Ritter hopes so, and he will lead off our July 31 edition of “Backbone Radio with John Andrews,” this Sunday from 5-8pm on 710 KNUS in Denver. (more…)