Democrat Governor Bill Ritter has too much time on his hands. When he’s not defending an illegal tax freeze or unionizing government workers, Bill Ritter spends taxpayer money to star in a “green” commercial:
Gov. Bill Ritter launched a radio
and television ad campaign today that gives tips on saving energy at home.
The one-year media effort will be
paid for with $100,000 from the governor's clean-energy fund. The ads are part
of Ritter's New Energy Economy campaign that began earlier this year.
The ads range from 10 to 30
seconds, and they send a simple message: Turn down the thermostat, unplug
unused appliances, turn off lights and use alternative transportation.
The 30-second television ad shows Ritter following the four steps to save energy. It ends with Ritter high-fiving Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper as the two leaders pedal down a walkway.
The advertisement aired last night during the Rockies game. While it was cute, it was tough to discern a deeper meaning to this advertisement.
Tom Plant, director of the
governor's energy office, said the ads provide a valuable message.
"There's a desire on the part of the people to do things that will not only lower energy use but also save them money," he said. "And we feel we can play an important role in getting that message out."
While it is obvious that utilizing some of these actions could save consumers money, why does Governor Bill Ritter need to spend taxpayer dollars on promotion of these virtues? Is it the government’s responsibility to show citizens how to save money on their electric bills? It seems that a press release would have nearly as much media coverage, would have been practically free to write (with electronic distribution to the press), and would be greener than producing the advertisement in the first place.
Finally, a question for Bill Ritter: you spent $100,000 for a commercial while illegally freezing property taxes and seeking to increase severance taxes to add play money for the state government, all in the name of “education”. Why should taxpayers trust your government with any extra tax revenue in the future when your existing revenues are used to produce cute, but unnecessary, television advertisements?
by Civil Sense
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