Colorado Spending Transparency

COST actually agrees with State Senate President Brandon Shaffer.  The Democrat legislative committee chairs desperately need some training on how to treat the public! 

In an article explaining how Shaffer spent $4300 in taxpayer money to pay for a Democrats-only retreat, the Colorado Springs Gazette reports that Shaffer ”organized the retreat partly because of complaints about committee chairs being disrespectful to the public and other lawmakers. All committee chairs are Democrats since the party controls the Senate as well as the House.”

COST knows first hand how rude some legislators were to Colorado citizens during testimony.  During testimony on SB 57 Public School Financial Transparency, our own Amy Oliver watched as Representative Judy Solano scolded citizens whose only crime was to endure hours of waiting just to get their 3 minutes of time before the House Education Committee.  They simply wanted to tell the committee that they supported SB 57and hoped the committee would pass it on to the full House.  Instead, they got a lecture from Solano and no vote from the committee.

Also, Senator Bob Bacon lectured Amy when she took time off work to testify against HB 1299, the legislation to destroy the Electoral College.  At the same time Bacon nearly gave attorney/lobbyist Mark Grueskin a standing ovation.

From our perspective, some arrogant legislators (including committee chairs) treated citizens with whom they disagreed with contempt and hostility.  So Shaffer was correct to address the problem with a cotillion-type class for legislators.  However, COST happily would have done it for free and saved Colorado taxpayers $4300.   Too bad Shaffer didn’t go through a more public, competitive bid process — another reason for transparency in all areas of government!

Greeley Evans District Six, the largest Colorado school district ever to be placed on accreditation watch, wants more money.  According to the Greeley Tribune the district is asking for a mill levy override to fund $32 million in various projects. 

With a bad economy, a mill levy override is going to be a tough sell.  But also working against the district is its lack of transparency.  District Six school board member Robert Stack was part of the education lobby that testified against SB 57 the Public School Financial Transparency Act, which was defeated in the House Education Committee.  He did say in testimony that he represented himself and not the entire school board.  However, the Colorado Association of School Boards, which lobbies at the state capitol on behalf of Colorado school boards, actively worked to kill SB 57.

COST’s suggestion to District Six: show respect for stakeholders and taxpayers. Show them how you are spending their money before asking for more. 

Remember No Taxation without Information!

If it has to do with showing taxpayers how their money is spent, then the teachers’ union doesn’t like it.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State Web site, the Colorado Education Association, a taxpayer-funded lobbying organization, has taken a stance against HB 1288 the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act.  It seems odd that a lobbying organization that exists becauses of taxpayers dollars opposes a measure that taxpayers support. 

According to the CEA Web site the “State Treasurer is already working on this and a bill is not needed.” COST acknowledges that Treasurer Cary Kennedy said she was working on transparency, but if the Governor Ritter’s Executive Order is the result than the words that come to mind include unimpressive, weak and pointless.

COST wonders if the CEA’s real reason for opposing transparency is it doesn’t want taxpayers to know how their money is spent.  This isn’t the first time that the CEA has concerned itself with transparency.  While not taking an “official” position opposing SB 57 Public School Transparency Act, it was part of the lobby that killed it.

For the record, the Colorado League of Women Voters is listed as a supporter of HB 1288.  COST thanks the League for respecting taxpayers!

Having passed the House, HB 1288 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, April 28.  If you have an opinion on transparency that you would like to share with members of the Senate Finance Committee, COST has listed legislators names and contact information below.

Senate Finance Committee
Committee Chairman Senator Paula Sandoval  303-866-4862
Committee Vice-Chairman Senator Evie Hudak 303-866-4840
Senator Greg Brophy 303-866-6360
Senator Rollie Heath 303-866-4872
Senator Keith King 303-866-4880 
Senator Jim Isgar 303-866-4884 
Senator Mark Scheffel 303-866-4869

nwden34@yahoo.com;
senatorhudak@gmail.com;
rollie.heath.senate@state.co.us;
isgarsenate@frontier.net;
mark.scheffel.senate@state.co.us;
greg@gregbrophy.net;
keith@keithking.org;

The democrats on the House Education committee may have killed the legislation but they cannot kill the momentum for transparency.   Our friend Ben DeGrow alerted us to an article in American Thinker that asks the same question COST does nearly everyday:

in Colorado, Senate Bill 57, also called the Public School Financial Transparency Act, which simply require public school districts to put their spending online, died in committee. How could any responsible public official forbid parents from seeing how their tax-dollars are spent educating their children?

American Thinker lays the blame at the feet of taxpayer-funded lobbying associations such as the Colorado Education Association.   COST exposed the education lobby’s strategy to kill SB 57.  Apparently lobbyists and those who hire them have something to hide. Anding insult to injury, these lobbyists are paid with taxpayer dollars.

Citing the defeat of SB 57 School Spending Transparency and Governor Ritter’s weak attempt at transparency, in her YourHub article, Linda Sasenick asks a reasonable question: “Who’s afraid of Transparency?” 

Generally it’s those with something to hide. Linda names those she believes have something to hide, “it seems the Governor, legislators, and education union and school board lobbyists want to limit our review of their actions and performances.”

 Linda also explains her concern over attempts to kill HB 1288 Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act.

 This political maneuvering could preempt the perceived need for the House bill, calling for the same searchable database for expenses which is becoming the standard for governments at all levels nationally, because of it’s PROVEN effectiveness in reducing expenses and encouraging meaningful public dialogue and accountability. In their view, having to report to the public every expenditure of OUR money would be a nuisance, it would be a waste of their time having to explain items we might not understand the necessity for.

Then Linda makes a compelling philosophical case for transparency but one that elected officials seem to ignore at the request of high-paid lobbyists:

 From my perspective, the idea that any level of government can decide what its boss, the taxpayer, can and can’t know about its spending is insulting. From my perspective, our constitutional foundation of representative government is being abused by tactics which obfuscate the ability of the people to really evaluate the judgment and values of our elected officials. From my perspective, we are NOT too stupid to understand big issues, and paid lobbyists, relied on by legislators as experts at the Capitol, certainly aren’t being paid because they have our interests at heart.

This seems like a great time to remind everyone of our original motto: No taxation without information!

If a picture is worth thousand words, than COST should stop writing and let Benjamin Hummel capture all COST ramblings in cartoon form! Remember, the education lobby killed SB 57 but it claims to support it.  Mr. Hummel illustrates what the education lobby means when it says “we support transparency.”

On Thursday, March 19, at 1:30 p.m. SB 57 will be heard in the House Education Committee in HCR 0112.  Opponents of transparency have been working hard to get this legislation killed.  Primarily the opposition has come from some school district administrators and their lobbyists.  Officially the Colorado Education Association (the teachers’ union) has taken a neutral position on public school transparency.  

Sources tell COST that the CEA, at the very least, is concerned about SB 57 and the teachers’ union has contributed a lot of money to members of the Education Committee.  One of our intrepid interns pulled numbers from Follow the Money, a “resource on money in state politics”.   Below is a chart of House Education Committee members and the amount of teachers’ unions campaign contributions he or she received during the 2008 election cycle.  COST reported earlier that Committee Chair Mike Merrifield, who received $4250 from the CEA, contacted transparency opponent Glenn Gustafson. Tomorrow we will see how the CEA’s investment pays off.

Follow tomorrow’s hearing with Education Policy Analyst Ben DeGrow on his twitter page.

COST has learned that the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) discussed how to defeat SB 57, the popular, common sense legislation that would provide financial transparency to public K-12 education.  It seems that CASE is sensitive to the public relations nightmare of opposing transparency so its members are trying to figure out how to kill the legislation without appearing to oppose the intent.

One suggestion that anti-transparency forces are researching is to kill the bill on the grounds that it is unconstitutional because the bill title does not align with the bill’s requirements.  The bill drafter may have something to say about this but essentially this is an attempt to kill the bill through a technicality.

Another suggestion included loading the bill with amendments that would force it to go to the House Appropriations Committee where it would never pass.

Another suggestion was to introduce a new bill that would require transparency for counties and other recipients of public funds in hopes that other entities would then join school districts to defeat the bill.  This way it wouldn’t be just a school district issue.

COST finds this suggestion most enlightening because it exposes the true colors of the education lobby.  First, just because CASE is opposed to transparency it assumes other recipients of public funds are opposed to showing taxpayers how their money is spent.  COST suggests that CASE check out Greeley, Weld County, Fort Collins, and Falcon 49, Durango and Rangely school districts before making that assumption.

Second, it shows the confidence that the education lobby has in getting a late bill introduced into the state legislature.

Third, it shows that CASE is in desparate need of cover in order to kill transparency.  COST believes the reason for this is the enormous amount of grassroots support for SB 57.  It passed out of the Senate with strong bi-partisan support on a 26 to 8 vote.  In addition, both the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post penned editorials in favor of the legislation.

COST also learned that District 11 CFO Glenn Gustafson may be ready to concede that SB 57 will pass and that perhaps the best strategy is to amend the most troubling aspects of the bill rather than kill the bill altogether.  Apparently, what Gustafson finds troubling is payroll information, which is already a matter of public record.

COST suspects that Gustafson is most worried about administrators’ salaries.  Transparency might expose top-heavy school district administration costs.  Taxpayers might want to see those dollars allocated differently – say to teachers or school supplies.  Again, this information already is a matter of public record, but SB 57 would make is easier for taxpayers to access it because it would be online, searchable and free of charge.

COST also learned that Chair of the House Education Committee State Rep Mike Merrifield called Gustafson to discuss school spending transparency and SB 57.  We hope that Rep Merrifield receives a balanced education on transparency and also seeks input from those who support the measure.

Finally, as a last resort, sources tell us that CASE plans to lobby Governor Ritter to veto SB 57 should it pass.  The bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on Thursday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m.

The Public School Spending Transparency Act will be heard in House Education Committee on Thursday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m.  A list of membership and contact information is below. Transparency advocates are meeting in the basement of the Capitol at 1 p.m.

SB 87, which would provide additional accountability for Special Districts, passed out of the Senate 35-0.  It’s been assigned to the Local Government Committee in the House, which meets Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. and Thursdays upon adjournment.   A list of committee members and their contact information is below.

The Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act passed out of Finance and is on its way to Appropriations.  It has not been scheduled yet. When it is, COST will let you know.  A list of Appropriations Committee members is below. 

If you have an opinion on any of these transparency measures, feel free to contact them.

House Education

Randy Baumgardner - 303-866-2949
Debbie Benefield - 303-866-2950
Tom Massey - 303-866-2747
Mike Merrifield, Chair - 303-866-2932
Karen Middleton - 303-866-3911
Carole Murray - 303-866-2948
Cherylin Peniston - 303-866-2843
Kevin Priola - 303-866-2912
Christine Scanlan - 303-866-2952
Sue Schafer - 303-866-5522
Judy Solano, Vice Chair, -  303-866-2918
Ken Summers - 303-866-2927
Nancy Todd - 303-866-2919

randy.baumgardner.house@state.co.us
debbie@debbiebenefield.org
tom.massey.house@state.co.us
michael.merrifield.house@state.co.us
karen@karenmiddleton.com
murrayhouse45@gmail.com
cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us
kpriola@gmail.com
christine.scanlan.house@state.co.us
sue.schafer.house@state.co.us
judy.solano.house@state.co.us
ken.summers.house@state.co.us
nancy.todd.house@state.co.us

House Local Government

Cherylin Peniston, Chair – 303-866-2843
John Soper, Vice Chair – 303-866-2931
Cynthia Acree – 303-748-9534
Laura Bradford – 303-866-2583
Larry Liston – 303-866-2965
Wes McKinley – 303-866-2398
Karen Middleton – 303-866-3911
Sue Schafer – 303-866-5522
Scott Tipton – 303-866-2955
Ed Vigil – 303-866-2916
Mark Waller - 303-866-5525

cherylin.peniston.house@state.co.us
john.soper.house@state.co.us
cindyacree@comcast.net
laura.bradford.house.district.55@gmail.com
larry.liston.house@state.co.us
wes.mckinley.house@state.co.us
karen@karenmiddleton.com
sue.schafer@comcast.net
COHD58@yahoo.com
edvigil1@gmail.com
markwaller.law@comcast.net

House Appropriations

Maybe.

COST learned that while Independence Institute Investigative Reporter Todd Shepherd was doing some research on school district expenditures he discovered that several districts paid Office Depot more than $250,000 for supplies between July and December 2008. 

That’s doesn’t necessarily raise any red flags unless you are Todd and know that the giant office supplies retailer “has been or is being investigated by a total of six states for potential ‘bait and switch’ pricing methods to government agencies like school districts, city and county governments, and police departments.” 

Todd’s research does suggest yet another reason to support SB 57 which would provide transparency for public school districts.  More eyes on spending equals more savings for school districts.