COMMISSIONERS SET LEGISLATIVE AGENDA FOR FELLOW LIBERALS

According to the Longmont Times-Call in an article filed by reporter John Fryer, the Boulder County Commissioners have compiled a wish list for the Colorado Legislature’s 2010 session. The itemized list follows with my comments added in italics.

• Criminal sentencing reforms that promote drug-treatment courts and alternative treatments.
Code words for legalization.

• Allowing local governments to post certain legal notices online rather than requiring them to be published in newspapers.
If they truly believed in transparency, they would publish and post too.

• Limiting the interest rates and other fees charged with “payday” loans, as well as limiting the number of consecutive loans such lenders can make to a consumer.
The county commissioners should be examining their own list of unfair fees.

• Allowing counties and statutory cities and towns — those without home-rule charters — to enact ordinances that could require existing residential and commercial buildings to meet minimum energy-performance standards.
Who’s going to pay for all of this? Oh, see next item.

• Allowing counties and municipalities to impose fees that building owners would be allowed to pay in lieu of meeting “green” building standards for their structures, if those owners cannot make required energy-conservation improvements.
Another tax increase masquerading as a fee.

• Allowing state and local governments to collect sales taxes on items purchased over the Internet.
Our three commissioners might explain why their fellow liberals in Congress and the White House refuse to act on this.

• Providing a “pay-as-you-go” auto insurance option for Colorado vehicle owners, tying insurance premiums to the number of miles driven.
More miles, higher premiums -- just the thing for those rural residents.

• Legislation or administrative changes to improve eligible Coloradans’ access to Medicaid and Children’s Health Plan Plus programs.
No use thinking about this until Congress gets through playing around with healthcare reform.

• Giving counties authority to impose a transportation maintenance fee to help pay for local roads’ maintenance needs.
Yet another tax increase masked as a fee so that even more money can be transferred out of the R&B fund. The people are catching on.