2008 Colorado Ballot Cheat-Sheet
Having trouble muddling through this year's complicated ballot? Here's Joshua Sharf's cheat-sheet, which very briefly explains what each issue means*, which way Joshua will be voting, and why. Please visit www.SharfColorado.com for more information, and don’t forget to vote for JOSHUA SHARF for House District 6.
Referendum L: Candidate requirements. Would lower the age of a candidate for the Colorado House and Senate from 25 to 21. No. Although maybe we could permit years of military service to count twice. Most legislators need more, not less, life experience. Referendum M: Obsolete constitutional provisions. Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about land value increases. Referendum N: Obsolete constitutional provisions. Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about intoxicating liquor. Yes on both M and N. Nothing in here that needs to be preserved. Referendum O: Initiative Process. Would make it harder for citizens to place constitutional amendments on the ballot for voter approval but easier to call a vote on state statutes. No. State statues can be edited and interpreted to death. The constitutional initiative process is one check we have on the legislature, and the people calling for it now didn't seem to mind it when they were in the minority. Amendment 46: Colorado Civil Rights Initiative (2008). Affirmative action. Prohibit state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting On ballot, litigation pending. Yes. How can our government not trust us not to be racists? The way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. Amendment 47: Right to Work initiative. Business Regulations. Prohibit unions and employers from negotiating "union shop" contracts under which employees would be required to pay union membership or "agency" fees as a condition of continued employment. Yes. I know the business community has been blackmailed into opposing this, but union membership should never be a condition of employment. Amendment 48: Definition of Personhood. Abortion. Change the definition of 'person' in the Colorado Constitution to include any fertilized egg, embryo or fetus. No. This is a mistake both on principle and on politics. Amendment 49: Limitation on Public Payroll Deductions Initiative. Ask First. Bar automatic union dues deductions from public employee payrolls. Yes. The government doesn't need to be acting as the bag man for union political contributions. Apparently, unions don't trust their own employees to contribute to the "correct" causes.
Amendment 50: Limited Gaming Initiative. Gambling. Would allow the general assembly or voters in the cities that permit limited gaming to extend the hours of limited gaming operations; to add roulette, craps, or both to the allowed games; and to increase the maximum bet up to $100, with extra tax revenue generated to be distributed 22% to the cities where limited gaming exists and 78% for student financial aid for higher education. Yes. Gambling is a tax on people who are bad at math. And the community college system needs to be beefed up as an alternative to university-level remedial education. Amendment 51: Sales Tax for Developmentally Disabled Initiative. Services for Developmentally Disabled, Sales Tax. Would increase the sales tax, in July 2009 and again in July 2010, to fund services for the developmentally disabled. No. Breaks my heart that the legislature has failed us on this issue, funding less-important programs instead. But it's a perfect example of how to game the system to get us to raise our taxes. Amendment 52: Severance Tax & Transportation Initiative. Severance Tax, Transportation. Would create the Colorado Transportation Trust Fund, to be funded by that portion of the severance tax that exceeds the amount deposited to the state severance tax fund in the previous year, adjusted for inflation via the Consumer Price Index. Yes. Fund a growing pot of road and transportation money without raising taxes, and by preserving our current land use and environmental spending. Amendment 54: Clean Government Initiative. Government Contracting Reform. Would close a remaining loophole in Colorado election law by banning the practice of "Pay to Play." Yes. This is basic ethical reform, the kind we all say we're in favor of. Amendment 58: Severance Tax Initiative. Taxes. Would eliminate a tax credit for property taxes paid for payers of the severance tax, using the revenue primarily to fund college scholarships. No. This is a tax pass-through that's going to hurt our poorest the most. Those folks already have a hard time heating their homes. This would make it harder on them, and give us the 2nd-highest severance tax in the nation. Amendment 59: Savings Account for Education Initiative. Education Funding. Would create a state education fund savings account within the state education fund, to be funded from 10% of the monies deposited into the state education fund, including revenue that would otherwise be rebated under the TABOR rules, which the measure calls for diverting to the state education fund; would also require that state educational spending increase by rate of inflation plus 1% through fiscal year 2010-2011; and restricts spending of the state education fund to specific education expenses. No. No. A thousand times, no. Treasurer Cary has as much said that it's about killing TABOR, and other supporters admit freely that it's not about K-12 education, but about other "spending priorities."
*Source: Descriptions of ballot initiatives are from Ballotpedia.org