Bill Ritter Envisions More Play Money For The Left

Bill Ritter promised to support one ballot tax increase this election year, and as prospect after prospect fell by the wayside, he was left with the last tax proposal standing.

The proposal he is supporting is a citizens initiative by Rep. Kathleen Curry.  It is designed to provide more play money and more income redistribution for the left.  The proposal as to how the money is to be spent is so far outside the mainstream needs of Colorado that it makes it almost certain that there will be another requirement for another tax increase in two years.

Take higher education.  Instead of using the money to pay for needed infrastructure, we are going to get "scholarships" for Coloradoans based on income.  That might be fine except that the infrastructure is still going to be needed.  The money for infrastructure will also require taxpayer approval.

Bill Ritter is betting the state's educational future that he can ask the taxpayers twice for the same money twice without a backlash.

It gets better.  The scholarships are going to be named the "Colorado Promise" scholarships.  Why didn't Rep. Curry simply name them the "Bill Ritter" scholarships?  Would that have been too obvious?

Even better, 25% of the money ($50 million a year) will go to Wildlife habitat and Clean Energy projects, which is pure play money.  The 15% pittance left would go to the impacted communities.

Not a dollar will go for highway infrastructure.

Does anyone recall a few years ago when some Manitou Springs gambling interests tried to enrich themselves by putting an issue on the ballot that would have given themselves a gambling monopoly?

Here in Colorado Springs, Zoo supporters tried to insert a local initiative that would have allowed them to be subsidized by a sales tax increase.  They tried to write the initiative so tightly that a competing zoo couldn't be started to take advantage of the tax.

Traditionally, voters see through these kinds of self serving initiatives and vote them down.  We can hope that happens again this year.

Bill Ritter needs to stop playing Santa Claus to the left wing and start being a governor for all of Colorado.