My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.
2007-05-14
Colorado Democrats: Generous With Your Money, Stingy With The Teachers' Money
I've been trying to come up with the language for this for a few days now. Let me bounce this off of you. and see what you think.
By the way, this is my idea of an ad that the state party or some group of people with a lot of money should run sometime soon, and then again next summer during the campaign.
[Scene:standard shot of state Capitol with pictures of Ritter, et al., superimposed over it as the ad goes on]
[voice-over]Last week, Democratic Governor Bill Ritter signed into law the "Property Tax Freeze" which was prominently supported by Arvada Democrats Sue Windels, Sara Gagliardi, and Debbie Benefield.
Why do ALL these Democrats support this bill? Because they say it will provide more money for education. This, in spite of Amendment 23, which guarantees more money for schools every year than for any other program in the state, and Referendum C, which allows the State to keep more of your money every year for whatever it wants to.
How much of your money will this divert to the schools? The Rocky Mountain News reported that this plan would raise $48 million next year. [change scene to graphic of small, Excel-spreadsheet-type graphic block representing $48 mil] What the Rocky failed to mention is that legislative analysts have pinned the ten-year price tag of this plan at $1.7 billion [add on to graphic another block representing $1.7 bills].
That's right. One Point Seven Billion Dollars.
And, I suppose you can make the case that educating our children is worth all that money.
But then you'd have to ask why Ritter, Windels, Gagliardi, and Benefield felt the need to take $3.5 million away from charter schools [add graphic (itty bitty block) representing $3.5 mil]
Why do Democrats feel it's okay to take $1.7 billion out of your pockets--FOR EDUCATION--but then aren't willing to designate $3.5 million--2/10 of one percent--for charter schools?
Democrats [show pictures of Ritter, et al.]: generous with YOUR money, very stingy with the teachers' unions' money.
I pick on Arvada Democrats because, a. I live in Arvada and am represented by these people, and b. this area is generally much more Republican than recent votes indicate AND has a huge charter school community. But this sort of targeting should work to hammer up to 15 or 20 Dems around the state in the next couple years.
If the Republican Party fails to make THIS case to the public, then we will have RE-earned our status as a minority party for however long it lasts. | |
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