A dumb vote — no lie
How comical to read Jason Salzman’s dark speculation “whether [former Senate President John] Andrews is lying” with my admission that on the 2004 property tax increase bill, I and other Republicans fell for a misrepresentation and voted wrong (“Senate Republicans hardly duped in 2004,” On the Media, June 9).
What’s to lie about? A dumb vote is just that, and some of us were guilty. In the end, though, no tax hike passed the Republican legislature that year, whereas a big one passed the Democratic legislature this year, and Gov. Ritter signed it. Voters might frown on that in 2008.
John Andrews, Centennial, Former Senate president
The Saints and the Angels presarve us!
A Republican politician admitting to a dumb vote!
Faith and begorra! Should we now be expectin the sun to come up in the West tomorra mornin?
Posted by Old Grouch on June 16, 2007 08:37 AMNo Lie?
"no tax hike passed the Republican legislature that year, whereas a big one passed the Democratic legislature this year, and Gov. Ritter signed it. Voters might frown on that in 2008."
That's a lie.
Why is that a lie Todd? - please elaborate for the ignorant among us (obviously my self included!)
There was no tax hike passed by the legislature or signed into law by Gov. Ritter.
The only thing identified as a tax hike by Republicans is the School Finance Act which is revenue neutral freezing the mil levy to current levels.
The tax you pay after this Act is the same as what you have paid before the Act.
The claim that because you'll pay more taxes due to inflation of the value of your house in the future is a bogus argument. That's like saying if I get a raise next year, I'll be paying more in income taxes and so Ritter and the legislature "raised my taxes."
Why is it that conservatives are so damn selfish that they'd let the infrastructure of this state fall apart just so they can hold onto a couple hundred more dollars?
Posted by Todd on June 16, 2007 03:31 PMI find Mr. Andrew's excuse that he was duped by Norma Anderson and didn't know what he was voting for to be pretty lame.
First - Norma Anderson is one of the most respected persons to serve in both the House and Senate (I have voted for her) in some time and for Mr. Andrews to try and blame her for some sort of underhanded trick is just sleazy IMO.
Second - Andrews was the President of the Senate. For him NOT to know what was being voted on indicates he was incompetent.
Posted by CL on June 17, 2007 07:39 AMDon't worry Todd. They let you vote too!.
Posted by momma y on June 17, 2007 03:25 PMAndrews letter cracked me up.
This pompous ass who is a master of rhetoric and all things dirty in politics claims he was misled, by members of his own party no less, and "voted wrong".
Let's look at what Andrews is saying between the lies...er, I mean, lines.
Andrews was going to vote on this bill.
He obviously didn't bother to fully read or educate himself on all the facets of the bill.
Instead he relied on the people around him...namely, other politicians...and we all know how honest they all are...to tell him how to vote on this one issue.
And later...much later...when he can't get elected to any other job...he's desperately trying to keep his name in local politics by throwing these little hissy fits in the pages of the Rocky.
Own what you did, Andrews. You had a responsibility to your position and your constitutents to understand what you were voting on and why.
You voted "wrong" because you didn't do your homework and relied on someone else's answer. You CHEATED.
Now, go away.
Posted by Thomas on June 18, 2007 10:19 AMAndrews letter cracked me up.
This pompous ass who is a master of rhetoric and all things dirty in politics claims he was misled, by members of his own party no less, and "voted wrong".
Let's look at what Andrews is saying between the lies...er, I mean, lines.
Andrews was going to vote on this bill.
He obviously didn't bother to fully read or educate himself on all the facets of the bill.
Instead he relied on the people around him...namely, other politicians...and we all know how honest they all are...to tell him how to vote on this one issue.
And later...much later...when he can't get elected to any other job...he's desperately trying to keep his name in local politics by throwing these little hissy fits in the pages of the Rocky.
Own what you did, Andrews. You had a responsibility to your position and your constitutents to understand what you were voting on and why.
You voted "wrong" because you didn't do your homework and relied on someone else's answer. You CHEATED.
Now, go away.
Posted by Thomas on June 18, 2007 10:19 AM>>The tax you pay after this Act is the same as what you have paid before the Act.
The claim that because you'll pay more taxes due to inflation of the value of your house in the future is a bogus argument. That's like saying if I get a raise next year, I'll be paying more in income taxes and so Ritter and the legislature "raised my taxes."
Why is it that conservatives are so damn selfish that they'd let the infrastructure of this state fall apart just so they can hold onto a couple hundred more dollars?
Posted by Todd on June 16, 2007 03:31 PM
Hmmm, Todd. You really need to check your logic. To say there is no tax increase because the rate stays the same is disengenuous to say the least. The rate would have declined if the Democrats hadn't changed the law. That, Todd, is a tax increase.
As for your statement about "selfish" conservatives, I have to wonder why the Democrats after getting the tax payer to agree to a suspension of Tabor for 5 years which would net the state 3.5 billion dollars and because of the good economy will now net the state 5.5 billion dollars, seem to need to go after even more tax increases. The state budget will go up over 42% in a six year time frame, and it still isn't enough!!
Certainly the Dems are proving yet again that they are the tax and spend party. While in Colorado, the Republicans are the party of fiscal restraint.
Posted by Jim on June 18, 2007 03:17 PMHey Jim,
Can you call John Andrews?
You seem to have a grasp, partisan though it may be, on these issues.
Apparently, this stuff was over Andrew's head so he was just letting people tell him how to vote.
By the way...here's a stat for you:
1980 - the year the U.S. deficit reached $1 TRILLION dollars for the first time.
12 - the number of years it took the conservative-god Ronald Reagan and his misbegotten protege, Shrub Sr. to QUADRUPLE that deficit.
And at least when dems "tax and spend" (Yawn!) they spend it the other people. When republicans tax and spend, they just spend it on themselves.
Posted by Thomas on June 18, 2007 05:37 PMYep, Thomas got it right, Jim.
It's not a tax increase. It's a tax NO CHANGE. You and your buddy John Andrews are just fishing for some wedge issue you can use to rally your selfish conservative friends to vote Republican because you can't stand to see the Democrats do a better job of governing.
Posted by Todd on June 19, 2007 01:01 AMSo Andrews admits he has no brains to go with no backbone. It was a great day for Colorado when this blowhard left office.
Posted by UYRMN on June 19, 2007 02:08 PMAh yes, the new Republican excuse of benign incompetence.
Posted by on June 19, 2007 07:57 PMJohn Andrews was always the best argument for term limits.
Posted by james bowen on June 21, 2007 02:33 PM