Common Cause: Dead to Me – Part 2

UPDATE: Rocky Mountain News agrees with DHP
Dangerous overkill in Amendment 41
A Draconian measure in the name of ethics

This only gets worse.

Ok, I’ll concede that lobbyists are public enemy number one. Thank you Jack Abrahmoff. But closer investigation into Amendment 41 (so-called ethics initiative) shows that it actually is more than a hate campaign against lobbyists and legislators, the general public and all public officials are implicit in the degradation of representative democracy. Here's the blue book for the pro/con.

Let’s interpret that. The following people (and their spouses and children) cannot receive FROM ANYONE a gift or thing of value (piece of paper, lunch, or African Safari) over $50 per year: public official (governor, appointed regulators, etc), legislators, local government officials, and governmental employees (that's our friends Hdog & VA). That $50 is cumulative. 13 venti mochas from FourBucks in one year from one person is out. There is an exemption for the spouse of a (we’ll call them all) government employee, but no exemption for single or gay government employees. Seriously. It’s dutch all the way. I need any attorney (or someone with common sense) to define “government employee” to me. If the state or local government pays your salary, I’m guessing you are a government employee. Hmmm. The State is the largest employer in Colorado, so this is pretty far reaching. Next time you have a dinner party, you better not invite your neighbors who are employed (or contracted by) the state or local government if they might have over $50 is food and drink. You have to watch their spouse and kid too. Those little bastards can eat their weight in cookies.

Now, I get that lobbyists are evil and legislators are corrupt and this overly general public sentiment has caused mislead do-gooders to make everyone complicit, but come on, this is overdoing it. Vote NO on Amendment 41. Common Sense over Common Cause.

Finally, a fun fact. Millionaire Jared Polis can spend $180,000 (that we know of) to influence policy-making by putting Amendment 41 on the ballot but a citizen cannot “influence” their legislator with more than $50 in gifts. I think that is called irony. Or, a really fucking stupid idea.