Lawyers fight back with 9 business measures

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 24, 2008 at 11 p.m.

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The latest spate of ballot initiatives aimed at Colorado businesses comes from a group of lawyers that wants voters to back limits on executive pay and real estate commissions.

In an apparent retaliation for an earlier filing to limit attorney fees, the head of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association has filed with the state to put nine measures on the November ballot.

"For too long, corporate interests have been put ahead of consumer interests in this state," said John Sadwith, executive director of the 1,200-member trial lawyers' group. "Real people in this state deserve a break."

Sadwith declined to comment directly on a March ballot filing by former State Treasurer Mike Hillman designed to curtail the amount of money attorneys can collect in contingency fees.

"These measures give consumers the choice to support better consumer protection vs. a measure that is designed to weaken consumer protection," Sadwith said.

Hillman did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Business and labor interests have been locked in an unrelated battle over a host of ballot measures.

The most controversial of that earlier lot would make Colorado a "right-to-work" state by banning all-union workplaces.

Labor groups filed several countermeasures, including one that would make it harder to fire workers without "just cause" and another that would require cost-of- living increases for all workers.

The new measures filed by the attorneys include one that would subject farmers to state taxes on any subsidies they collect from the federal government.

Another proposed initiative involves stripping doctors of licenses after three incidents of medical malpractice.

The executive compensation measure, which would limit pay to no greater than 50 times that of company's lowest-paid employee, drew immediate criticism from pay experts.

"That sounds unconstitutional to me," said Peter Miterko of Denver Management Advisors. "That's crazy. Everyone would bolt the state."

Miterko, head of his firm's executive compensation practice, maintained that shareholders should decide such issues instead of the general public.

Colorado Association of Realtors spokesman Tyrone Adams described the broker compensation measure as "unproductive," noting that "current commission rates are negotiable regardless of the selling price of a property."

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068

Limiting fees

An attorney group, fighting back against a measure limiting lawyers' fees, filed nine measures aimed at business and professional groups. Among them:

EXECUTIVE PAY

* What it says: No company would be able to pay any executive more than 50 times the compensation of its lowest-paid employee.

* Pros: Would curb much higher CEO salaries that far outstrip those of average workers .

* Cons: Would make state less attractive to public companies.

* Status: Pending review/hearing

REAL ESTATE COMMISSION LIMITS

* What it says: Broker fees would be limited to 1 percent of sales of $500,000 or more; 3 percent of properties priced between $250,000 and $500,000, 6 percent of $250,000 or less.

* Pros: Would limit amount consumers would pay.

* Cons: Rates are currently negotiable.

* Status: Pending review/hearing

TAX SUBSIDY

* What it says: Farmers receiving federal subsidies would be subject to tax.

* Pros: Money raised would go toward university programs for farmer training.

* Cons: Farmers getting disaster assistance would pay 25 percent tax on subsidy income of $15,000 or more or less for smaller amounts.

* Status: Pending review/hearing

• April 25, 2008

  5:49 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  roger44 writes:

  About time someone fought back against the states mandating things for employees and the little guys. One they forgot, you can look up Lawyers disciplinary records, but not Dr's. We want to know if they are qualified to do what they do. Another secret sector of "professionals" dealing with the public. Make their records public. Make those rich farmers pay more of the taxes, they can write off most of their expenses, welfare babies for the most part, we have to pay the subsides, then again at the grocery store. The "enemy" (Bin Laden) said they wanted to destroy our economy, hell, our politians are doing a better job of that than they are.

• April 25, 2008

  7:01 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jacka writes:

  RTW is not controversial, do some polling.

  Shouldn't all Coloradans have the Right to Work?

• April 25, 2008

  8:32 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  EvanRavitz writes:

  To sort out ballot initiatives, voters need what legislators get: public hearings, expert testimony, amendments, reports, etc. The best project for these and other initiative reforms is led by former Sen. Mike Gravel: the National Initiative for Democracy. See http://Vote.org. Another less ambitious proposal is at http://cirwa.org

• April 25, 2008

  11:16 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  timeandagain writes:

  Colorado Trial Lawyers Association... Sounds like a pretty prestigious organization, huh? Don't be deceived people. From my perspective, this group may as well be called the Ambulance Chasers of Colorado. They are the same type of people that have devastated our health care system, made all types of insurance too expensive for the average Coloradoan, chased medical doctors out of practice, strained community resources with frivolous lawsuits, terrorized employers with the threat of lawsuits and made our EVERYONE'S life more bureaucratic and expensive. ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR OWN POCKETBOOKS!!!

  In short, if they are selling it, I'm not buying it...

• April 26, 2008

  11:04 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  jacka writes:

  Trial lawyers are democrat scum sucking communists bent on increasing litigation and the costs to the courts and businesses.

  Now they are trying to shore up the anti right to work group of conspirators by doubling down on the Union threat.

  Who is behind the trial lawyers association, where is their funding from, who is their board, names names Rocky.

  Lets get them on the record with quotes. Who are their scum lobbyists and PR people. Who is their membership. Who is this radical organization.

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