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Western Conservative Summit. Denver Marriott South, July 9-11, 2010.
Hosted by the Centennial Institute, and co-hosted by the Colorado Union of
Taxpayers. Keynote speech: Capitalism at the Crossroads, Arthur
Brooks, American Enterprise Institute.
CUT
Facebook page.
CUT's Positions in 2009. Key votes in
the legislature, plus Rep. Marostica's attacks on the Taxpayer's Bill of
Rights.
Colorado
Legislator Ratings, archive (in PDF).
To read these,
you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Click here
to get it for free.
New! 2009 Ratings and newsletter.
2008 Ratings and
newsletter.
2007
Ratings and newsletter.
2006 Ratings and newsletter.
2005 Ratings and newsletter.
2004
Ratings and newsletter.
2003
Ratings and newsletter.
2003
Grid
2002
Ratings and newsletter.
2002
Grid
2001 Ratings and newsletter.
2000 Ratings and newsletter.
1999 Ratings and newsletter.
1998 Ratings and newsletter.
1997 Ratings and newsletter.
1996 Ratings and newsletter.
1995 Ratings and newsletter.
1994 Ratings and newsletter.
1993 Ratings.
1992 Ratings and newsletter.
1991 Ratings and newsletter.
1989-90 Ratings and newsletter.
1989 Ratings and newsletter.
1987-88 Ratings and newsletter.
1985-86 Ratings and newsletter.
1985 Ratings and newsletter.
1983-84 Ratings and newsletter.
1980-81 Ratings and newsletter.
1979-80 Ratings and newsletter.
1977-78 Ratings and newsletter.
CUT Taxpayer Pledge Full text of
Pledge to oppose all tax increases.
List of
all Pledge signers.
About
CUT --Greetings from Past President Penn Pfiffner
--Join CUT as a dues-paying member.
--Bylaws.

CUT
President Marty Nielson
Links
Clear the Bench Colorado. Against
retention of Colorado Supreme Court Justices who vote to nullify the
Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
Colorado Proposition 101. Roll back
tax increases which evaded the requirement for voter approval by being
labeled as "fees."
Amendment 60. Limit property tax.
Amendment 61. Limit Colorado debt.
Taxpayer groups. State, federal and
international.
No more bailouts petition.
National Taxpayers Union.
Congressional
Ratings:
National Taxpayers Union ratings of Congress. Colorado delegation:
| Name |
2009 Grade & % |
2008 Grade & % |
2007 grade & % |
2006 Grade & % |
2005 Grade & % |
| Rep. Perlmutter |
F 3 |
F 7 |
F 6 |
|
|
| Rep. DeGette |
F 2 |
F 7 |
F 6 |
F 14 |
F 15 |
| Rep. Lamborn |
A 93 |
A 90 |
A 93 |
|
|
| Rep. Markey |
D 19 |
|
|
|
|
| Rep. Salazar, John |
F 8 |
F 14 |
F 5 |
D 24 |
D 26 |
| Rep. Coffman |
B+ 88 |
|
|
|
|
| Rep. Polis |
F 8 |
|
|
|
|
| Sen. Udall |
F 8 |
|
|
|
|
| Sen. Bennet |
F 10 |
|
|
|
|
Americans for Tax
Reform ratings of Congress. Colorado delegation.
| Name |
2007 % |
2006 % |
2005 % |
2004 % |
| Rep. Coffman |
|
|
|
|
| Rep. DeGette |
5 |
5 |
8 |
20 |
| Rep. Lamborn |
95 |
|
|
|
| Rep. Markey |
|
|
|
|
| Rep. Salazar, John |
5 |
27 |
21 |
|
| Rep. Perlmutter |
5 |
|
|
|
| Rep. Polis |
|
|
|
|
| Sen. Bennet |
|
|
|
|
| Sen. Udall |
|
|
|
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Club for Growth RePORK Card.
| Name |
2009 % |
2008 % |
2007 % |
| Rep. Perlmutter |
5 |
0 |
2 |
| Rep. DeGette |
4 |
0 |
2 |
| Rep. Lamborn |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Rep. Markey |
28 |
|
|
| Rep. Salazar, John |
16 |
8 |
2 |
| Rep. Coffman |
89 |
|
|
| Rep. Polis |
9 |
|
|
| Sen. Bennet |
12 |
|
|
| Sen. Udall |
3 |
|
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Colorado Union of Taxpayers
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Contact: Marty Neilson
Colorado Union of Taxpayers Calls for Norton to Stop Personal Attack on CUT
Director
The
Colorado Union of Taxpayers called for U.S. Senate candidate to cease her
personal attacks on Greg Golyansky, who serves on the CUT Board of
Directors. Golyansky was first elected to the CUT Board in 2003, and has
served continuously since then.
In
negative ads against Senate candidate Ken Buck, Norton calls Buck a "A
government lawyer who doesn't follow the rules"—a charge that the Denver’s
Channel 7 News labeled “misleading.”
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/24087213/detail.html
The
Norton ad darkly claims that “Ken Buck was investigated for ethics
violations; improperly undermining the prosecution of pawn shop owner
Gregory Golyansky."
The
Norton attack omits some key facts: Henry Solano, who had been appointed
United States Attorney by President Clinton, determined that his office
should not bring a case against Golyansky. But in 1999, the new U.S.
Attorney, Tom Strickland, decided to make the case into a prop for his
future Senate campaign, and ordered that felony charges be filed against
Golyansky and two of his relatives. Every career prosecutor in the Colorado
U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Ken Buck, refused to prosecute the case.
So the case was given to two new lawyers whom Strickland had hired. The case
was so obviously weak that it ended up with Golyansky pleading guilty to one
misdemeanor, and being sentenced to a single day of probation.
CUT
President Marty Neilson said, “Jane Norton’s attacks on Gregory Golyansky
are outrageous, mean-spirited, and misleading. Norton claims that she is the
taxpayer’s friend, but she is practicing character assassination against a
genuine taxpayer advocate. The Colorado Union of Taxpayers calls on Jane
Norton to cease these malicious and misleading advertisements.”
###
Taxpayer Ratings for Governor hopefuls
The number is
the percentage that the person took the pro-taxpayer side on key votes.
Scott McInnis
|
CUT (State Representative votes) |
|
1983 |
27 |
|
1984 |
80 |
|
1985 |
17 |
|
1986 |
29 |
|
1987 |
15 |
|
1988 |
22 |
|
1989 |
26 |
|
1990 |
46 |
|
1991 |
62 |
|
1992 |
66 |
|
NTU (U.S. House votes) |
|
1994 |
74 |
|
1996 |
88 |
|
1997 |
76 |
|
1998 |
61 |
|
1999 |
53 |
|
2000 |
67 |
|
2001 |
71 |
|
2002 |
69 |
|
2003 |
61 |
|
2004 |
62 |
|
2005 |
63 |
Josh Penry (dropped out
of race)
|
CUT |
|
2005 |
64 |
Colo. House |
|
2006 |
44 |
House |
|
2007 |
68 |
Colo. Senate |
|
2008 |
40 |
Senate |
|
2009 |
63 |
Senate |
Bill Ritter. Not
seeking re-election. Scores are based on signing or vetoing bills.
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DUES ARE DUE! |
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Please renew your membership by remitting annual dues of
$50.00 to CUT, PO Box 24594, Denver, CO 80224.
2010 will be a pivotal year. TABOR haters will be coming at
us full bore. CUT will be on the forefront fighting to save
TABOR! Your additional contribution of $50, $100, or Other
will help us with the fight! Please consider an additional
contribution when submitting your dues.
Thank you.
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Setting the Record Straight on TABOR
By Rep. B.J. Nikkel, R-Loveland
House District 49
Recently, some have attempted to assign the blame for our
current state budget cuts on the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.
The truth is that the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights has not contributed to our
current budget troubles. In fact, without the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights,
there is no doubt that Colorado’s budget troubles would be much worse.
TABOR,
as the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights is more commonly referred to, has actually
served to cushion the effects of the current economic recession on
Colorado’s state budget. This fiscally conservative budgetary provision
keeps spending low when times are good, leaving state coffers in better
shape when the times turn.
For example, under TABOR, in times of economic prosperity, excess tax
revenue in Colorado is returned to taxpayers. By preventing the state from
over-spending in good years Colorado is forced to make fewer drastic budget
cuts during the bad years. In other states, like California, continually
increased taxes have gone into expanding the government budget. When the
economy slowed, deficits soared and California’s government has nearly gone
bankrupt.
Thanks to the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, Colorado has largely avoided that
fate.
Here is why. In 1992 Colorado voters passed the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights
amendment, placing spending and taxing controls on the legislature. Spending
is not allowed to increase by more than inflation and population growth, and
new taxes cannot be enacted without a vote of the people.
Because we also have a constitutional requirement to balance our budget,
TABOR requires government to better set priorities and live within its
means. This is the same for Colorado families. Just as families would no
doubt like to spend money in many ways, they must set priorities and then
live within their boundaries. The same should be true of government, and
under TABOR, it is.
Another popular component of TABOR is the citizens’ right to decide on tax
increases. When an increase in revenue is desired, the government has the
opportunity to ask voters to retain refunds or to increase taxes. This
important provision grants Coloradans the right to have their voices heard
when it comes to the legislature adopting new taxes
With that in mind, why do some attempt to lay the blame for Colorado’s
current budget troubles on TABOR? They do so because they believe that an
expanded government, with nearly unlimited taxing authority, is the answer
to our problems.
The truth is that the reason Colorado is running a deficit is because
proposed spending for FY09-10 exceeds current estimates for anticipated
revenues.
Along with the rest of the nation, we’re experiencing the prolonged effects
of a troubled economy. Like you and I, the state must tighten its belt
during tough economic times and not spend more than it has in its checkbook.
Blaming TABOR for budget cuts that would be even worse without it makes no
sense.
Colorado has gone through good times and bad, but TABOR has been there as a
“guardian” to keep government spending in check, and to lessen the pain when
the budget falls short of expectations.
So, when you hear these attacks against the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, don’t
be afraid to set the record straight.
State Representative B.J. Nikkel represents House District
49 in Larimer and Weld Counties in the Colorado House of Representatives.
The Fiscal Irresponsibility Commission
By Marty Neilson
President of CUT
As a
member of the state Long-term Fiscal Stability Commission, more aptly named
by the minority, the Long-term Fiscal Irresponsibility Commission, here is
the “rest of the story” from my view.
The
Commission was a charade with predetermined agenda and outcomes set by the
Chairman, Senator Rollie Heath. The charade encompassed eleven meetings
where Commissioners were inundated with special interest groups and state
bureaucrats claims of underfunded everything. Colorado citizens were
relegated to one afternoon to make their claims of not enough or too much.
Commissioners had no input into the agendas and were not privy to
instructions given those who presented to the Commission. It was clear,
however, the instructions were to declare their wish list in a perfect
world.
The
Commission failed miserably in its mission. The recommendations from the
Commission all crafted by the Democrat majority do nothing to address the
real issue of strategic planning for the long-term. Instead, the meetings
were simply an opportunity for the state bureaucrats to come forward with
requests for more dollars for each of their fiefdoms, the big six; K-12
education, higher education, health care policy and financing, corrections,
human services, and judicial. Their Christmas wish list was an additional
9.271 BILLION more to be anted up by us taxpayer suckers! It was clear at
the outset that the predetermined outcome of the Commission was to craft a
“crisis” and come forward with their main recommendation to establish a
“Fiscal Policy Constitutional Commission” to consist of unelected and
unaccountable appointees to reach the conclusion that TABOR must go.
The other
bills coming out of the Commission are more Democrat “act like we did
something” bills: 1) allow more flexibility to institutions of higher
education but not when it comes to setting tuition, 2) ask DU to do an
“impartial” tax study (DU gave the recommendation for the Constitutional
Commission and also gave us Referendum O), 3) set up a rainy day fund that
will never get funded, 4) encourage private/public partnerships with
non-profits. Partnerships with the business sector were sadly missing. Can
you see how any of these address long-term fiscal stability for our state?
The
elephant in the room “spending” was avoided like the plague! Any mention of
too much spending fell on deaf ears! The Democrat majority had no stomach
for saving. “We just don’t have the dollars right now” they all opined. Of
course, they never will. The Committee Chairman, Senator Heath, scolded
Colorado citizens for accepting TABOR refunds while he decreed that those
dollars would have made a sizeable Rainy Day Fund. Does any sane individual
believe that had it not been for us greedy taxpayers taking refunds, the
legislature would have a $3 billion rainy day fund today? I have been
watching the legislature for the past twenty-some years; and, Republican or
Democrat controlled, they have never mustered up any stomach for saving. The
cry is always for more dollars from taxpayers.
The 2009
election emphasized once again that Colorado taxpayers take seriously their
right to vote on tax increases. The stunning defeat of tax increase measures
in Greeley, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and even liberal Boulder sends a
message to the Governor and his tax and spend majorities in the House and
Senate. Families and businesses across Colorado are hurting. They must
re-think priorities and adjust their budgets accordingly. Colorado
government should be required to do the same. Colorado citizens are amused
with the 9.271 billion Christmas wish list as they attempt to provide food
and shelter for their families. Providing core functions; safety,
infrastructure, education is government responsibility not attempting to be
all things to all people. Implement priority-based budgeting with measured
outcomes. Attack the ever-growing Medicaid spending by first conducting a
full-fledged audit to smoke out fraud. Look to the successes of other states
which have reformed their Medicaid systems, saved dollars, and provided
better service to recipients. Competition in education would save dollars
and give better results. It’s the spending!
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) is a non-partisan taxpayer activist
group whose mission is to help educate the public as to the dangers of
excessive taxation, regulation, and government spending, thereby encouraging
the reduction of taxes, regulations, and government spending.
"Kent
Lambert named taxpayers' king." Westword. By Michael Roberts.
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