The purpose of this guide to the guides is not to repeat what others are saying, but to give readers a chance to find a guide that they want to trust. Conservatives will look at a conservative guide, liberals will look at a liberal guide, and independents will probably look at both, as they should.
For those who aren’t aware, the 2008 Colorado Ballot will have fourteen separate amendments / measures: 46-59, with amendments 47, 49, and 54 drawing attention, angst and money from progressives though they can’t seem to articulate a reason. Amendments: 53, 55, 56, and 57 are anti-business measures so bad that many progressives are opposing them. Amendment 48 does not have the support of all conservatives. Amendment 59 is designed to drive a stake through the heart of TABOR, according to one proponent. Amendments 58 and 59 are not well thought out tax increases for the sake of increasing taxes.
The Colorado legislature has put four referenda on the ballot: L, M, N, and O. Only Ref O is controversial, and it is really controversial as it is one of many steps the legislature has taken to destroy the initiative process for all but the very rich.
Conservative view:
First out of the block was The Colorado Index, a conservative site which attempted to provide a one or two paragraph description of each of the eighteen 2008 Colorado Initiatives and Referenda and their real impacts if passed. That post has been updated, hence the name: “UPDATED Voters Guide to Colorado 2008 Amendments.”
The original post was called “Voters Guide to 2008 Colorado Amendments and Referenda.” We are providing a link to only one, the one where the author was challenged to a duel and accepted (see the comments). It should be noted that as the major media weighs in on the various initiatives, The Colorado Index provides links to those editorials, both pro and con.
Liberal view:
It took the liberals a week to respond. If one looks up “Colorado Ballot Information” on Google, one is greeted with the following false promise: “Independent balanced review of the initiatives & amendments on the Colorado ballot.”
Follow the link and you immediately discover that Colorado Ballot Information is neither independent nor balanced. That is only the first deception. The author calls amendment 47, Right to Work, “Right to Freeload,” forgetting that a worker who is forced to pay “fees” to a union to which he doesn’t belong might think of the union bosses as freeloading of him to inflate their own salaries.
Colorado Ballot Information pretends to list the blogs that discuss the various initiatives, but only lists left leaning blogs when many right leaning blogs have written much about the initiatives. Individuals looking for an “independent balanced view” from Colorado Ballot Information will be disappointed.
As an aside, David Thielen, the author of Colorado Ballot Information, is usually much more honest and admirable when he writes for Liberal and Loving It, as this author has repeatedly noted elsewhere.
We once said about David Thielen:
Keep in mind that one of the reasons that we like LALI is because while he is a
liberal, he is a market orientated liberal, which is quite unusual and
refreshing. Yes, he has crackpot ideas (favors impeachment), but he is not
totally loopy (favors nuclear power).
Such praise won’t happen again. We don't praise unethical bloggers, and this new site is too unethical for our taste.
Another liberal blog source:
Also popping out of the box was Washington Park Prophet, a liberal with recommendations but no analysis. Not really worth the trouble to link.
Full disclosure: The author of this essay is also one of the authors and the owner of The Colorado Index.
