Denver Dems Executive Committee Unanimously Votes To Oppose Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101

The Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver passed a pointed resolution yesterday, emphatically calling for a “No” vote on Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101 on the ballots in the November 2, 2010 General Election. 

The unanimous vote of the 46 members of the Executive Committee present at Tuesday’s meeting followed a compelling, bipartisan presentation by Representative Lois Court (Democrat, State House District 6) and Henry Sobanet, the budget director for Republican Governor Bill Owens and currently a consultant working with Coloradans for Responsible Reform.

Experts predict a statewide revenue loss of at least $1 billion and the subsequent loss of more than 70,000 jobs if the measures pass.  The Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver is proud to stand with leaders of both major political parties as well as unaffiliated and third party members, business leaders, and responsible citizens who decry these fiscally reckless initiatives and are standing up to defeat these efforts to crush Colorado’s economy.

“Colorado voters need to cut through the deceptive tactics of these three ballot measures and vote ‘No’ on their ballots this November,” said Owen Perkins, Secretary of the Democratic Party of Denver.  “Collectively, these measures would kill tens of thousands of jobs, cripple state and local governments and their ability to provide basic services in the areas of public safety, transportation, and education, and create a voter-sanctioned recession comparable to the economic recession Colorado is still struggling to recover from.”

Among the projected effects of the three ballot measures are the following:

•  overriding hundreds of local votes to fund schools and essential services such as police and fire departments;

•  preventing state and local governments from financing infrastructure projects such as school buildings, higher education facilities, hospitals, and clean-energy projects while hitting Coloradans hardest in the state’s poorest school districts and cutting up to 8,000 teaching jobs and forcing dramatic increases in class size;

•  slashing revenue from vehicle registration to rates not seen since 1919, thereby eliminating funds necessary to repair Colorado’s 128 structurally deficient bridges while cutting jobs of the independent contractors needed to complete the essential work;

•  killing jobs in the private and public sector, stunting economic growth, and undermining Colorado’s ability to attract employers and investors to the state.

The resolution completes a one-two punch, following the Denver City Council’s proclamation opposing the measures at its meeting on Monday, and the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver joins a far-reaching group of diverse organizations, elected officials, and candidates who oppose the measures.  Among those publicly opposing the initiatives are AARP, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Council of Colorado, Visit Denver Visitor and Convention Bureau, Governor Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis, and countless others. 

An excerpt from the resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS, the cumulative and destructive nature of the three measures will devastate our economy, kill jobs,  and drive business out of our state and ensures that Colorado will surrender its competitive standing to attract large and small employers alike, resulting in little to no economic growth for the state, a steady decline in property values, and erosion of the state and local tax base;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE  OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF DENVER: That the Committee hereby opposes the three ballot measures known as Proposition 101, Amendment 60, and Amendment 61 and urges a “No” vote on each of these measures in the November 2, 2010 General Election.

For the full text of the Resolution In Opposition to Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, please click here.

For additional resources and information regarding opposition to these three ballot measures, please click here.