constitutional jconvention

Today I will take a break form “Bailoutgate” and turn my attention to the Colorado Ballot issues. Before I
make a few comments, I will briefly describe each of the 13 (thirteen??!!) proposed amendments and 4 referendums.

• Amendment 46 - an anti-discrimination measure

• Amendment 47 - stipulates that an employer cannot require an employee to belong or pay dues to a labor union

• Amendment 48 - requires that the term “person” be applied at the moment of fertilization

• Amendment 49 - addresses payroll deductions form government employees

• Amendment 50 - Allows increased stakes at Colorado casinos, with the increase in tax revenue funding community colleges

• Amendment 51- somehow increases the state budget limit to fund development disabilities

• Amendment 52 - requires that 1/2 of of severance tax revenues go to a transportation construction trust fund

• Amendment 53 - extends the potential of a business’s criminal liability to that business’s executives

• Amendment 54 - limits campaign contributions for contractors holding government contracts

• Amendment 55 - creates “just cause” conditions as a requirement for an employee’s dismissal by by the employer

• Amendment 56 - establishes at 20 the maximum number of employee’s that can be employed without the employee providing health insurance
• Amendment 57 - requires an employer to provide a safe workplace
• Amendment 58 - increases the severance tax on oil and gas ($321 million)
• Amendment 59 - requires that any excess state funds be delivered to K-12 education

Referendum L - requires that an elector be 21 years of age to serve in the Colorado general assembly

Referendum M - addresses obsolete defininitions of land value

Referendum N - eliminates outdated provisions of the Colorado constitution

Referendum O - increases the number of signatures required to initiate an amendment to the Colorado constitution

WOW! That is a bunch of stuff. All of those references were loosely paraphrased from a (5) page notice in the Denver Post on Sunday, September 21. By loosely, I did nothing more than try to describe in very simple terms the just of each amendment or referendum. To actually read and attempt to understand every proposal absorbed over 2 hours of my time. I consider myself at least in possession of average literacy, and I quite frankly did not completely understand over 1/2 of the material presented. Many Amendments conflict with one another. I am given to understand that these conflicts are deliberate, presented by organizations with opposing agenda.

At the risk of offending many well meaning people, the voters in Colorado should reject every proposal on this years ballot, and then demand a constitutional convention. The Colorado constitution is a mess, rife with conflicting provisions that limit taxes on the one hand and demand taxes on the other. The constitution is littered with provisions that should reside in the statutes. While the electorate should most certainly have the ability to challenge and amend the Colorado constitution, it should certainly be more difficult than is presently true.

If we continue to dilute and obfuscate the principal governing document for Colorado, we will make Colorado a very undesirable place to live. Of course a voting population that has become self absorbed with personal benefit probably deserves no more than a failed government.

Written by Larry D. McGee, Denver Realtor - Visit Website Sphere: Related Content