Face The State Staff Report
Two groups opposed to four union-backed anti-business initiatives slated to appear on the November ballot announced today that they are merging to form an opposition coalition.
Defend Our Economy, a group launched in April “to analyze and communicate the potential impacts of this baffling array of proposed initiatives on all Colorado businesses,” is merging with Coloradans For Responsible Reform, an issue committee formed by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. DOE has just shy of $12,000 in the bank, while the Chamber's committee has nearly $500,000. The groups say they hope to benefit from the efficiencies of running a single, centralized campaign rather than duplicating efforts.
“We know organized labor is going to outspend us,” said CFRR spokesman Todd Vitale. “They have a lot of money coming from out of state, so we can’t match them dollar for dollar, but we hope to run a competitive campaign.”
Dan Pilcher, senior vice president at the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, which has been supportive of DOE, predicts contributions to fight the union measures will pick up after Labor Day. He also said people and businesses have been distracted by the Democratic National Convention and the ballot initiatives "aren't on anyone's radar screens, yet."
With 19 potential ballot questions, some opposition campaigns are spending millions. The group fighting Democrat Gov. Bill Ritter's proposed severance tax increase, Initiative 113, has already spent $7 million on mailings, media and campaign fodder.
Thus far, the Denver Chamber has contributed $250,000 to the Coloradans for Responsible Reform. Since 2004, the Chamber has spent six times this amount in support of tax increases. In 2004, the Chamber contributed $750,000 to jumpstart the FasTracks campaign, a $4.7 billion tax increase for public transit, and in 2006 it contributed the same amount to help pass Referenda C and D, a joint $6 billion tax increase. That spending prompted some members of the chamber to question the group's dedication to fostering a low-tax, pro-growth environment for business.
While the Chamber opposes the right-to-work measure, Coloradans for Responsible Reform has remained neutral on the issue. “It’s no secret that right-to-work has divided the business community, but you can say the business community is 100 percent opposed to the union measures,” Pilcher said.