Letter to editor, Longmont Times-Call
Published 4-24-09

SEN. SHAFFER CO-OPTS REPUBLICAN VALUES

Regarding state Sen. Brandon Shaffer’s “Colorado’s guiding values,” 4/19/09 Times-Call opinion page: Nowhere identifying himself as a Democrat, he co-opts for his own purposes long-held principles of the Republican Party, such as “putting people above the pressures of special interest groups” and “creating a (state) budget process that is strong and stable … based on the beliefs and the values that guide us.” Sound familiar? That’s right, Republican principles are based on moral and family values.

Recently chosen as president of the upper house of the Colorado Legislature by his fellow Democrats, undeniably an honor, one might think Shaffer ascended to the governorship instead by immediately promising to convene an interim commission of legislators and community leaders “to craft a state budget process.” How this would differ from similar “bipartisan” budget studies underway or already performed by committees appointed by either Gov. Ritter or the Legislature is not clear.

Of course, Shaffer exemplifies the historic role of tax-and-spend Democrats: expand government at every level and control peoples’ lives. That’s all they know how to do. The only difference currently is that the progressive liberals who now run the party think they can outflank the Republicans by hijacking the GOP’s long-held moral principles (e.g., thou shall not steal from Pinnacol) just long enough to form a bipartisan coalition to go about dismantling TABOR –- the only barrier that protects the common people of Colorado from confiscatory taxation.

Do not be fooled.

Voters in states teetering on bankruptcy today such as California, New Jersey, Kentucky and Missouri had the opportunity to adopt their own version of TABOR but failed to act. In all good conscience, we who believe in financial integrity in government cannot let Shaffer and his gang push Colorado into that abyss.

Longmont deserves better representation than this.
P.