Ritter and Obama: Same lack of respect for taxpayers
Another aspect of transparency allows the public enough time to review and comment on legislation. Both Governor Bill Ritter and President Barack Obama show the same lack of respect for those paying the bills. We don’t even get to review the bills that affect our lives and wallets.
Candidate Obama promised that the public would be given five days to review and comment on any legislation before he signed it into law. Cato has documented how President Obama repeatedly has broken the hearts of transparency advocates.
That same habit of rushing a bill through the legislature is happening here in Colorado. Whether you agree with SB10-36, the “teacher tracking bill,” or not, the public should be given more than 48 hoursto read, review and comment on legislation before it is signed by the Governor Ritter or any other governor for that matter.
This is especially true since SB 36 was passed with the “Safety Clause,” which says: “The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety.” In other words, the legislature has decided the public cannot challenge the bill. This is a classic example of safety clause abuse so common in the Colorado General Assembly but taken to a new level since the public wasn’t given time to review and comment.