Go ahead, report us

Slated on Backbone Radio, Aug. 9 Listen every Sunday, 5-8pm on 710 KNUS, Denver... 1460 KZNT, Colorado Springs... and streaming live at 710knus.com.

Guilty plea. Can't deny it. Caught redhanded. We at Backbone Radio, BackboneAmerica.net, Centennial Institute, and the '76 Blog don't like Obama's plan for government health care one bit. We think it's dishonest, dysfunctional, disgusting, dangerous, and deadly. We don't see how a policy that is anti-life for the youngest and oldest among us can possibly be "healthy" for everyone else. We think it's socialized medicine, a bankruptcy prescription, a poison pill. We don't see how a plan that is anti-freedom, and wildly expensive besides, can seriously be foisted on the public as "free."

So on the basis of that, we've been studying that horrible House bill and passing along the ugly realities of what's in it, line by line. We've been running down details on Democrats' townhall meetings in Colorado (not always easy) and urging folks to show up with a civil tone and hard questions.

According to the President's enforcers, this makes us purveyors of "fishy stuff," surveillance targets, undesirables who must be reported to Flag@WhiteHouse.gov. Busted!

The absurdity and creepiness of it all was beautifully captured today by columnist David Harsanyi (see DenverPost.com, opinion section). But since confession is good for the soul, we are fessing up here and now. Go ahead, report us. I understand Guantanamo is nice this time of year.

Actually it's California, not Cuba, that is our family's destination this weekend. Backbone Radio in my absence will be ably hosted by former congressman Bob Beauprez -- an expert on Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats -- with Matt Dunn and Joshua Sharf helping out.

They'll have a great show for you. Please tune in. This can't really be happening in America, can it? Yup, it's happening. But people are starting to wake up. The turn is coming. Thanks for doing your part.

Yours for self-government, JOHN ANDREWS

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Clerks feel car tax backlash

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If you’ve registered a vehicle lately, you may be suffering from mild sticker shock, but don’t blame the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Editor's Note: The author is Arapahoe County Clerk & Recorder.

The Legislature passed—and Gov. Ritter signed into law—SB09-108 known as the FASTER measure. It was co-sponsored by Democrats, Sen. Dan Gibbs and Rep. Joe Rice.

It adds about $32 a year to the average registration fee to pay for “Road and Bridge Safety Surcharges”—none dare call it a tax. But wait, there’s more! You used to be able to get by with a $10 late fee if you exceeded the 30 day grace period when renewing your registration. Now, it’s $25 a month, month after month, up to a maximum $100. Got an old boat trailer you take out once or twice a year? Or a hauler you run to the dump with once in awhile. You’d better send that registration card in on time, or you may end up paying more than the vehicle’s worth to re-register if you are late.

You say, “Thirty-two dollars here, and twenty-five dollars there doesn’t sound like a lot of money?” But here are the numbers: Arapahoe County collected $340,000 in late fees in the month of June (the county retained $67,720 and $272,425 was forwarded to the State). And we’re only one of 64 counties collecting these fees! The Governor’s Office has expressed its intention to address this legislation and its consequences in 2010, but in the mean time we must continue collecting the fees as directed by law, and anyone registering late will just have to pay.

Now some would question, “Why impose another regressive tax in the middle of the worst recession in 70 years?” Have the bridges escaped the Legislature’s attention until just this very minute? Have we, then, been driving on unsafe roadways all along? Will the fees sunset or be eliminated after the bridges and roads are repaired? Don’t bet on it. And are these new fees really taxes that should have been voted up or down by the taxpayers? And finally, what about the windfall federal stimulus money that Colorado has also received for roads?

These are all good questions. However, please “don’t shoot the messenger”. The motor vehicle clerks at the front counters in every county clerk’s office in the state have had to explain these fee increases to customers. As agents of the state, they have had to endure irate drivers who take out their frustrations on them. The Denver Post’s recent editorial stated that threats made by unhappy customers in the DMV offices are unacceptable. I agree. Maybe it’s time to e-mail your senator and representative and ask them:

“Why this, why right now and why no vote by the taxpayers?”

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