No more freedom on the cheap

(Denver Post, Oct. 28) Have you voted yet? Our state’s nine electoral votes could hand the presidency to Romney or Obama -- and the Colorado outcome in 2012 could turn on a few hundred ballots, much like the Florida outcome in 2000. Within months of achieving statehood in 1876, Colorado tipped the presidential election for Rutherford B. Hayes, as historian Tom Noel noted recently in these pages. Yet the dominant issue of that era, equal rights for former black slaves, wasn’t settled by the election. It troubled the American conscience for almost another century. So in battling over the high stakes to be decided between the candidates next week, we need to recognize how much this election will NOT settle. It’s folly to assume that the Nov. 6 verdict ties a ribbon around everything. “Keeping the republic,” our task as free citizens in Benjamin Franklin’s words, is a marathon not a sprint.

Whether your ticket wins or loses, we’ll all wake up in the same America as before. It’s an America where neither Republicans nor Democrats have yet shown the backbone to keep our deficits and debt from worsening to the level of Greece -- with broke California, no longer the Golden State, leading the way. Think that will suddenly change in 2013?

An AP profile on Xi Jingping, soon to be president of China, says he will assume power confident in “Beijing’s belief that its chief rival Washington is in decline.” Osama bin Laden’s taunt that America is a “weak horse” echoes from beyond the grave, emboldening al Qaeda in Libya, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the mullahs in Tehran.

Much as I favor the GOP, one party’s victory won’t instantly dispel those doubts. For they arise from what a smart investor or a winning coach calls the fundamentals. Those who are short-selling the USA take note of the actuarial tables for the rise and fall of great nations – which predict a lifespan of about 250 years – and the indicators of slackness in our national character.

They look at what has been called the Tytler cycle, whereby a people climbs up from bondage through faith and courage to liberty and abundance, but then slides down through complacency and apathy into dependency and finally into bondage again. Detractors see America in the late afternoon of our greatness, with darkness coming on. Can we prove them wrong? Absolutely, but it will take more than campaign slogans.

The worst deficit our country faces, looking beyond election 2012, isn’t in jobs, budgets, pensions, or infrastructure. It’s not in energy, health, education, or national security. It is the deficit of personal responsibility. In our enjoyment of liberty and abundance, we’re in danger of forgetting that the price of both is responsibility and self-discipline. Our experiment in freedom on the cheap is running out of time.

A president who constantly ducks responsibility and blames others is but a symptom of this. We elected him with our eyes wide open. Voters took a chance – in hindsight, an irresponsible gamble – on the hip young community organizer over the crusty old war hero. The Obama phenomenon merely shows how far the celebrity culture has gone in swamping principled self-government.

Media elites didn’t care when Obama flew to Vegas for a fundraiser the day Ambassador Stevens was assassinated in an act of war. They shrugged when the former drug dealer Jay-Z threw a party for him. But few noticed either when Kid Rock, whose songs were too dirty for radio, opened for Romney in Denver the other day. Chill out, man.

I hope Mitt wins. He’ll do our country proud. But the rebirth of responsibility America needs, if we’re to survive, isn’t up to him or any politician. It’s up to the person in the mirror: you and me. ----------- John Andrews is director of the Centennial Institute, former president of the Colorado Senate, and the author of Responsibility Reborn: A Citizen’s Guide to the Next American Century (Denali Press, 2011).

Colorado Voter Guide 2012

Friends have asked how I am voting. Here's the rundown for what it's worth. State Ballot Issues

* No on Amendment 64, Marijuana Legalization: It's tempting to agree that prohibition of pot has failed as badly as prohibition of alcohol, and should be ended. But if Colorado does so, locking it into the constitution is the wrong way to go. To my libertarian friends who say that how an adult besots himself is his business alone, I'd argue that widespread doping has huge social consequences which are within the state's police power to mitigate if we can.

* No on Amendment 65, Campaign Finance: This is a symbolic gesture aimed at making Congress narrow the scope of political free speech. Madison spins in his grave. Wrong goal and wrong approach, doubly misconceived.

* Yes on S, State Personnel Reform. Bipartisan support for this measure has long precedent. It went to the ballot when I was a senator, and unions defeated it. Unions are even more powerful now among Colorado's unaccountable bureaucrats. S will give our elected governor more authority to staff the executive branch for results as voters expect.

Local Ballot Issues

* No on school tax increases, in the Cherry Creek district where I live and all across Colorado. Schools have enough money, what they lack is freedom to succeed or fail. See "Won't Back Down" for dramatic proof.

* No on municipal tax increases, in Centennial where I live and all across the Colorado. Government at all levels across this country is over-funded and bloated. Show me one exception. Put'em all on a crash diet.

Judges for Retention

* I vote no on retention of all judges, for impersonal reasons of principle. Of course there are many worthy incumbents. But it's my conviction that America's entire judicial system, top to bottom in Colorado and other states, along with the federal judiciary, suffers from a "God complex" brought on by excessive public deference and weak systems of accountability. Let every judge on election night see a substantial protest vote from citizens. Some day I hope Colorado will lead the way on judicial term limits, a fight I led and lost on the 2006 ballot.

Nonpartisan RTD Board of Directors

* RTD is Colorado's fourth biggest government in terms of spending. Party affiliations are not used in these races, making it harder to gauge who is likely to be more fiscally conservative and market-minded, suspicious of government solutions and labor unions. Nine director seats are up this year. According to my research, the following candidates are best attuned to taxpayers and the private sector.

District E: Dave Williams District G: Jack O'Boyle District H: Kenny Mihalik District I: Jeff Ilseman District K: David Elliott District M: Natalie Menten I'm not unable to recommend anyone in Districts A, D, and F.

Partisan Candidate Races

* I will vote the straight Republican ticket exactly as I've done in 24 elections since 1966. Democrats, though mostly well-intended, are like quack doctors prescribing sugar shots to a diabetic. Their remedy on all issues, fiscal, social, constitutional, national security, cultural, is 180 degrees off target; couldn't be wronger.

Fire Obama, that failure, that fraud; keep Congress and the state House in GOP hands, and elect a Republican state Senate, in DC and Denver alike.

Thanks for reading this far. Comments, questions, and disagreements are always welcome.

John & Susan's dueling voter guides

Obama's record is so weak, his only hope against Romney is to lie and distract, says John Andrews in the September round of Head On TV debates. No, retorts Susan Barnes-Gelt, the challenger's own weaknesses will undo him and reelect the incumbent. John on the right, Susan on the left, also go at it this month over Colorado legislative races, but find themselves in rare agreement that municipalities and schools haven't earned the tax increases they're asking for. Head On has been a daily feature on Colorado Public Television since 1997. Here are all five scripts for September: 1. PRESIDENTIAL RACE / DOMESTIC POLICY

John: Here's all you need to know about the presidential race. Any incumbent with a failing economy and a foreign policy meltdown is an underdog. Obama's only hope against Romney is to lie, distract, and change the subject. He’s doing that, and the media are helping. I think it won’t work.

Susan: What’s not working is Romney’s duck and dodge on every issue: domestic policy, foreign policy, Medicare reform, tax reform, education reform, balanced budget, student loans, the deficit, healthcare, climate change, fiscal policy, immigration, the dream act, women’s health, energy dependence, human rights – You name it. He dodges.

John: Romney will get government out of the way so free enterprise can put Americans back to work. Romney will respect the constitution and religious freedom and stop the war on churches, war on unborn babies, war between income groups. Romney will stand up for Israel and stand against Iran. America needs Mitt.

Susan: Which Mitt? The moderate, pro-choice, pro-affordable healthcare, pro-gay marriage former governor of Massachusetts? Or the elitist rich guy whose written off seniors, single moms, working people and minorities – nearly half the voters. If he governs with the same clumsy incompetence that he’s running his campaign – BIG TROUBLE!

2. PRESIDENTIAL RACE / FOREIGN POLICY

Susan: Voters must think about whom they want answering the phone at 3 AM, in the White House Residence? Mitt – Russia’s-our-greatest-threat Romney? Or President Obama, who killed Bin Laden and his key operatives, ended the war in Iraq and has kept our country safe for four years?

John: It was Hillary Clinton who warned of Barack Obama’s unfitness to deal with that 3am foreign policy crisis, back in 2008. We now know from the recent 9/11 debacle in Egypt and Libya that both are unfit. Obama’s Muslim appeasement policy has collapsed. Voters should dial a call to Mitt Romney.

Susan: Romney has NO foreign policy experience – to wit: his diplomatic gaffs at the London Olympics; his uninformed reaction to the attack on the Libyan consulate and murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens; including injured veterans in the 47% of victims who refuse to accept responsibility? PULEEZE!

John: Reagan had no foreign policy experience either. All he did was win the Cold War without firing a shot. Because he had what Gov. Romney also has – proven ability as an executive and a leader. Obama has neither, and it’s killing us around the world. This apologizer, this appeaser, has to go.

3. DENVER & CENTENNIAL SEEK TO DE-BRUCE

Susan: Denverites should vote NO on 2A. The measure promises to repave streets, add police training classes, expand library and recreation center hours and eliminate furlough days for city employees. Truth is, it’s a substantial tax hike with no guarantees – just unenforceable promises.

John: Government always wants more. It never has enough. Politicians always believe they can spend our money better than we can. I too would oppose Denver’s tax hike, if I were an urban guy. I am opposing Centennial’s tax hike as a suburban guy. Our little city wasn’t created to be a revenue hog.

Susan: Denver voters have a choice. Approve a blank check that never expires for higher taxes, or send Mayor Hancock back to the drawing board to craft a balanced initiative with a mix of reduced expenses and tax increases. 2A is bad for jobs, small business and homeowners. Vote NO.

John: The first word in Tea Party stands for “taxed enough already,” and I’m delighted to hear you of all people urging Denverites to vote that way on school construction and the Hancock proposal. If Coloradans look at the huge tax increase Obama plans for Jan. 1, they will vote him out too.

4. PUBLIC SCHOOL TAX INCREASES

Susan: Several school districts are on November’s ballot with tax increases for K-12 education, including Denver. DPS wants more than a half a billion for new schools, renovation and updating of existing schools and increased operating funds. It’s a tough time to ask for the biggest tax increase in history.

John: I’m voting no on Cherry Creek school taxes. And I agree with your no vote in Denver. Taxpayers in Jeffco, Aurora, and all 29 Colorado districts where a total of $1 billion is being requested should join us. The answer for better education is more choice, not more money.

Susan: Regarding DPS, I’m undecided. Should Denver build new schools when existing ones are way under capacity. Should the District go to a 12-month school year to support student achievement? Yes – I support 3B – increased operating funds. I’d like to see more reform before we build more schools.

John: A lot more reform. Something is happening when I as a conservative Republican and you as a liberal Democrat begin agreeing that taxpayers forever digging deeper while teacher unions keep making excuses is no longer a viable strategy for helping kids learn. For devastating proof, see the new movie “Won’t Back Down.”

3. LEGISLATIVE RACES

John: The battle for the White House is intense, but don’t overlook the state House and Senate. Control is divided now. If Dems take over, it means tax and spend, regulate and redistribute. If Republicans take over, it means economic growth and fiscal responsibility. Vote with care, fellow Coloradans.

Susan: Truth is, Colorado’s legislature is constrained by Gallagher, TABOR, Amendment 23 and federal mandates. The real difference between whose in charge is simple. Small government Republicans will focus on what happens in the bedroom. Dems will pay attention to rebuilding the economy and job creation.

John: Legislative Democrats here don’t understand job creation any better than Obama Democrats in DC. As Coloradans vote for a new president to revive prosperity, they should also elect a Republican state House and Senate to energize our economy with oil and gas. Plus send Joe Coors and Kevin Lundberg to Congress.

Susan: There’s no more informed advocate for the pursuit of conventional and alternative energy that democrat, former geologist Governor John Hickenlooper. If Colorado’s Republican agenda reflected a commitment to small government instead of fascination with people’s bedrooms – we would all be better off.

Why the legislature matters

(Denver Post, Sept. 27) “It’s sucking Colorado dry,” a Republican state senator lamented the other day. He wasn’t talking about the demand on our rivers from Arizona and Nebraska. He meant the massive outflow of campaign dollars to Obama and Romney, diverting money from state races in this election. If you don’t have to think about political fundraising, as do state Sen. Bill Cadman, working to dislodge an eight-year Senate Democratic majority, and state Rep. Mark Ferrandino, trying to oust the House Republicans who took over in 2010, count yourself lucky. Even so, you feel the effects in TV ad saturation, where Denver trails only Cleveland and Reno in the air war this fall. Those spots we’re all tired of focus on the presidential race. You see about as many ads for legislative candidates as for dogcatcher. Of course the White House is the world’s biggest political prize. But voter beware. The legislature matters too. Which party controls the Colorado General Assembly can really make a difference in your life

We elect 100 fellow citizens to make laws for our state. If they prioritize individual liberty, personal responsibility, free enterprise, and the Constitution over big government, collective solutions, and progressivism – or vice versa – this becomes a more desirable or less desirable place to raise our families and better ourselves. Ask yourself these questions:

1. How much economic freedom? Republicans favor entrepreneurship and deregulation to spur growth. Democrats like to pick winners and losers. What’s your pick?

2. Who cares about taxpayers? Republicans favor spending limits and voting on taxes. Dems evade TABOR when they can and are suing to annul it.

3. Who says the budget is out of control? It’s stabilized since the GOP took the state House. Maybe a GOP Senate, facing Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), would help even more.

4. Will the PERA pension bomb blow us all up? Not if the party less beholden to unions takes charge. (Hint: it doesn’t rhyme with “bureaucrat.”)

5. Why not unlock Colorado’s energy treasures? Conservatives like the job creation, the revenues, and the non-Arab aspect. What’s not to like? Fracking, say liberals, armed with junk science and groundless fears.

6. Any way out of the Obamacare swamp? The whole unpopular PPACA law collapses if states resist the health-insurance exchange provision. Both parties in Colorado have fumbled this, but the GOP more nearly gets it.

7. Who will put students first? Democrats just caved to the Chicago teachers union. Republicans just de-unionized Douglas County schools and passed parental choice.

8. Is armed self-defense still a right? Democrats cite recent mass shootings to urge disarming us through gun bans. Republicans prefer tougher enforcement of existing laws, and polls agree.

9. Will we become the cannabis capital of America? Polls also suggest Amendment 64 may pass. Either way, marijuana is on a roll here. Which party do you trust to put the brakes on?

10. Is freedom of expression and conscience still a right? Muslims, gays, and Obama’s administration advocate speech codes and church-busting mandates. Your General Assembly has a role here too.

America’s going through a rough patch. Our genius for self-correction needs to surge. Decentralized government, responsive human-scale institutions, and reform from the bottom up are a big part of that – which gives us an advantage over ungainly rivals like Europe and China. The 50 state legislatures not only matter. They matter as never before.

When I was a state senator, it was always funny to have someone who should know better ask us how it was going in Congress. Sheesh, we’d say to each other – is the legislature that obscure? But I’m betting that you, a discerning reader of this newspaper, are a cut above. You can prove it on election day by voting smart for state House and Senate.

Tax-hungry Centennial wants it all

Centennial's city council, at its 13 August meeting, authorized a November ballot proposal allowing the city to "retain and spend excess revenues." TABOR, our Taxpayer's Bill of Rights in the Colorado constitution, permits a government to retain a limited amount the prior year's revenue increased by the inflation rate plus the percentage increase in real property valuation. Revenue collected above that threshold must be returned to the taxpayers. About 65% of Centennial's revenue is already exempt from that revenue cap. The remaining 35% is temporarily exempt as well. The exemption expires on 31 December 2013. The city's ballot measure would seek to make that expiring exemption permanent.

Several obvious paths should be considered before voters approve granting the city permanent exemption on all of its revenue.

* While continued economic recession still depresses the city's revenue, voters could approve another temporary waiver. Granted that elections are costly, but the city holds elections every other year anyway for city council members and every fourth year for mayor.

* If the amount to be returned is unreasonably small for the cost and effort needed, voters could allow the city to retain excess revenue until the return amount reached some practical, cost-effective figure.

* Rather than asking permission to retain excess, Centennial could lower its taxes and fees. Thus the city would not have the problem of excess revenue.

Lower taxes and fees would promote economic growth and jobs, thus increasing both the city's revenue and the people's well-being. Even the IRS refunds over-payments.