Despite widespread Democrat victories this November, election night was bittersweet for Gov. Bill Ritter as he was forced to watch voters soundly reject Amendment 58, his proposal to impose $321 million in new taxes on Colorado's energy producers.
COLORADO'S FRONTPAGE
Face the State
Content Index: AMendment 58
Follow this topic by RSS5/21: Bill Ritter's about-face on energy taxes
Gov. Bill Ritter still has a surprise or two up his sleeve.
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Ritter light on fees, energy talk at chamber lunch
A Face the State Staff Report
May 8, 2009At a Thursday lunch hosted by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Bill Ritter summarized recent gains relating to job creation and his oft-promoted "new energy economy." Missing from the speech: any mention of millions of dollars in new fees or regulations coming out of this year's legislative session, which ended Wednesday.
Ritter's calendar redactions leave lingering questions
February 3, 2009Through an open records request for Gov. Bill Ritter's 2007 and 2008 calendars, Face the State has received hundreds of pages pointing to Ritter's whereabouts over the past two years. While Ritter's legal counsel complied with the request by providing information about meetings and public appearances, the documents also included various election-related redactions.
1/30: Warning! Tax hikers are on the march
Here we go again. Just months after being shellacked at the ballot box, Colorado's tax hikers are gunning for your wallets.
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Timeline: Ritter Flip-flops on Budget
A Face the State Staff Report
January 5, 2009Throughout 2008, Gov. Bill Ritter advocated for growing the budget and spent his summer campaigning for tax increases. He only more recently acknowledged the dire fiscal shortages facing the state.
Rep. Judd: 'How could anyone even notice' an energy tax hike?
A Face the State Staff Report
December 18, 2008State Rep. Joel Judd wants to give his constituents a peek into the life of a Colorado lawmaker. Subscribers to his e-mail list recently received a detailed retelling of the Denver Democrat's attendance at a seminar sponsored by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, after which he questioned the economic model of Colorado's largest industry.
Oil & gas lobby digs in for battle over rules
November 17, 2008Political Cartoon for 11/10: Ritter's political casualties
Face The State Humor
November 10, 2008
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter had a rough election day. With a key legislative ally losing his re-election bid and his energy tax increase proposal overwhelmingly rejected by voters, is Ritter becoming politically toxic?
Dems shine as Ritter flounders on election night
A Face the State Staff Report
November 5, 2008
While Democrats had much to celebrate Tuesday night, their top state leader, Gov. Bill Ritter, saw a pet ballot measure fail and a key House ally fall in a western slope upset.
The reason for the (political) season
FTS Opinion
October 30, 2008
By Krista Kafer
Ultimately this election is not about who hangs out with domestic terrorists, who shops at Saks Fifth Avenue, or who thinks “jobs” is a three letter word. Ultimately, this election is about freedom and whether people are willing to give it away.
Political impact of falling gas prices difficult to quantify
A Face the State Staff Report
October 28, 2008Is the falling cost of crude helping or hurting campaigns?
The counter at the pump has become a staple of this year’s campaign ads, and both parties have spent the last few months tapping into frustration over high gas prices.
FTS Humor: Don't be a Palin hater
Face The State Humor
October 24, 2008It’s almost Halloween, and this means it's time for scary things might appear, including ghosts, goblins, and haunted houses, but hopefully not Mark Udall in the U.S. Senate.
10/23: A political leave of absence
Should government employees be allowed to take leaves of absence to play politics?
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Initiative campaigns' final pitch for your vote
A Face the State Staff Report
October 21, 2008Mail-in ballots have been trickling back to County Clerks' offices, and early voting began Monday with record turnout. Face the State gave each of 10 remaining ballot initiatives the opportunity to write a short column explaining why voters should support or oppose each measure.
DNR faces questions over possible conflict of interest
A Face the State Staff Report
October 17, 2008A lobbyist for the state's Department of Natural Resources has formally stepped down from her position to head up the campaign opposing Amendment 52, a proposed ballot initiative that if passed, could bring direct fiscal changes to the agency.
Polling data prone to manipulation
A Face the State Staff Report
October 14, 2008Voters be warned: while campaigns heavily promote polling data to suggest public support, political analysts allege that such data is highly subject to manipulation by pollsters, spinsters, and campaign consultants.
Does Ritter help or hurt when he comes out against an initiative?
A Face the State Staff Report
October 13, 2008
In the last two weeks, Gov. Bill Ritter has publicly come out against two ballot proposals, worked behind the scenes to knock a few more off the ballot, and has continued to serve as a key spokesman for another. And now with recent polls showing the Democrat's approval ratings at under 50 percent, his diluted stamp of approval is being dismissed by his political opponents.
Ritter declares October 'energy awareness month,' detractors declare guv 'out of touch'
A Face the State Staff Report
October 6, 2008
Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, has proclaimed October as “Energy Awareness Month,” offering Coloradans advice on how to conserve energy around the home. Detractors say such suggestions are short-sighted and accuse Ritter of stalling energy development in Colorado.
Colorado profs join economists from across the nation to stand up against Amendment 58
A Face the State Staff Report
October 1, 2008Economics and business professors from Colorado universities have joined economists from across the nation to voice their opposition to Amendment 58.
9/12: Two very different plans for higher ed
Two ballot initiatives, two campaigns saying they’ll generate more money for higher education. But only one plan raises taxes to do so.
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18 initiative campaigns bunker down for general election season
A Face the State Staff Report
September 5, 2008With just 59 days until the election, competition for the hearts and minds of voters has begun. But with 18 different questions poised for this November's ballot, campaigns are fighting an uphill battle not only for that coveted "yes" vote, but also for sources of communication, including advertising space.