And THIS is why people hate politicians…
Our “libertarian” governor, Jared Polis gave an interesting press conference this week. He was again touting how he and his progressive legislature care so much for us little people, they’re sending us $750 “cash,” conveniently just before election ballots are mailed out.
Finally, someone in Polis’ sycophantic press core challenged him on his blatant and insulting hypocrisy.
The governor had a revealing back-and-forth with Shawn Boyd, political reporter for Denver’s CBS 4.
When she asked why he is calling this “Colorado Cash Back” when it is in fact an obligatory refund, he said it was the press, not himself, calling it that.
Nope. This is the casual, carefree type of lying we witnessed under Donald Trump. But the press would constantly call Trump on it.
It was Polis’ own press release and spin team who labeled and marketed it, without even mentioning the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — the ONLY reason these checks are going out.
Polis implied it didn’t matter what his, um, not-refund was called. He told Boyd, “a rose is a rose.”
But mos
t media are giving him yet another pass on the simple fact that for the last four years Polis has been dumping gallons of Weed B Gon on this cash-blooming rose bush hoping to kill it entirely.
If he was successful in his effort to pass Referendum CC a few years ago, there’d be no TABOR refunds for him to take credit for during his re-election.
Polis was not pleased when Boyd asked him to explain this, as she too kindly put it, “irony.” He asserted she was “caught up on accounting procedures” instead of celebrating “Coloradans getting their money back.”
He’s getting accounting procedures confused with simple honesty.
Polis and team should give an immediate explanation for their insincerity.
Voters deserve to know now what their intentions are for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, taxes and “fees” if they are re-elected this fall.
While taking credit for TABOR’s bounty during this election, will they continue to weaken and work around TABOR in the future? This is THE very question that “Colorado Cash Back” begs.
The press is committing malpractice if they don’t demand a simple, straight answer to that question.
Democratic candidate for the new 8th congressional district, State Rep. Yadira Caraveo, has the impudence to campaign that she voted for the “Colorado Cash Back” without mentioning she sponsored the bill that created Ref CC, which would have prevented it.
This too-cute-by-half slickness is emblematic of all the Democrats, and Democrats in Republican clothing (Kevin Priola).
Just the tiniest of pressure from the Fourth Branch would expose the duplicity of these politicians and get them on the record of where they really stand.
It almost makes one wonder if the press is playing favorites?
When pressed on his disdain for TABOR, our governor said, “I support elements of it like the right to vote on tax increases.”
What unmitigated gall. How could ANY reporter in the room not jump all over him for clarification:
“If you support the right to vote on tax increases, why did you sign so many tax increases, resulting in an estimated $11 billion in new revenue, into law without a public vote by labeling them ‘fees?’”
“Voters expressed their displeasure with you raising taxes without a vote by calling them fees by passing Prop 117. If you do support voting on tax increases, why did you create technical loopholes around the new law to avoid asking voters for new ‘fees’ such as the one on every Amazon delivery to their homes?”
“Colorado has never had a ‘fee’ on gasoline, only a gas tax, yet you signed an 8-cent-a-gallon increase on that cost without a vote. How does that square with the statement (lie) you just made that you support the right to vote on tax increases?”
Or, the question that really counts:
“Given your stated support for voters to approve tax increases will you pledge not to raise ‘fees’ in your second term without a public vote?”
It is no wonder that people don’t trust politicians.
Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver.
