Sentinel: We urge you to vote Yes on 59

Yesterday, the Grand Junction Sentinel endorsed Amendment 59, urging Coloradans to vote for the SAFE plan. Among other statements of support, the wise editors noted that:

Colorado will still have one of the strongest taxpayer protections of any state.

As we get closer and closer to Election Day, you're likely to hear more and more desperate pleas from opponentst of Amending 59, including that it will somehow "gut" TABOR.

We'll call that what it is: a lie.

The truth is that 59 preserves key TABOR measures, so Colorado will still have the strictest limits on government growth and the strongest protections for taxpayers in the country.

If you still don't believe us, then read this. Good bedtime reading.

SAFE: Getting Colorado Back on Track

Check out this great Denver Post op-ed piece from Gail Schoettler about Amendment 59 and the SAFE (Savings Account for Education) plan:

So, why do we need this amendment? Because for years, Colorado hasn't been able to save in good times to carry us through the bad. We haven't been able to invest in our schools and highways and health care. We haven't been able to provide our kids with the affordable higher education they need.

Unless you've been trapped under something heavy, you know that we are in a serious financial crisis that could be even more devastating consequences than it already has been. It's an unfortunate example of why we need to save in the good times, so the bad times don't hit our schools and our economy quite so hard.

SAFE requires the state to have a substantial rainy-day fund, to ensure essential services are provided even when times get tough. It is a common-sense
measure that makes our future more secure.

Colorado has approximately 1.2 million reasons to save when times are good so we can sustain when times are bad. When markets fail and uncertainty hits, it's our schools and our economy that suffer. Amendment 59 puts us back on the right track.

What do Colorado Springs and Boulder have in common?

Both of their Chambers of Commerce have endorsed Amendment 59.

Find out who else is on board right here.

ColoradoPols: Vote yes on Amendment 59

ColoradoPols.com issued its latest write up on ballot initiatives today, recommending a yes vote on Amendment 59:

If you want to invest in our state's future, this is the single most important vote on the ballot.

The more you read about the SAFE (Savings Account for Education) proposal, the more you know it's the right thing to do for Colorado's future.

Quick facts about Amendment 59

SAFE (Amendment 59) is a crucial proposal to help Colorado's government save and spend responsibly, grow our economy, and ensure that our children have a bright future here in this great state. 

Amendment 59 does a couple of important things:

• Forces our state government to save money in good times so that we don't have to cut spending and essential services for our kids and our schools in bad times
• Dedicates a source of revenue to the State Education Fund without raising taxes, and creates a long-term savings account for public education
• Moves us closer to untangling the fiscal knot in Colorado's Constitution
• Preserves the right of Colorado citizens to vote on tax increases, and maintains our position as the state with the strictest limitation on spending in the country

Amendment 59 is an accountable, responsible and bipartisan policy that strikes just the right balance, helping both the economy and our schools. Good schools mean employers want to relocate to Colorado and helps grow our economy. It means that Colorado's children can have a future here, rather than somewhere else. 

These are just a few of the reasons that Republicans, Democrats and Independents, business developers and teachers, concerned citizens and parents, have all come together to support SAFE. 

Passing Amendment 59 is just the responsible thing to do.

Denver Post: Vote Yes on Amendment 59

Check out the Denver Post editorial piece supporting Amendment 59, calling it a "blueprint for fiscal responsibility."

Amendment 59 may be last on Colorado's overcrowded ballot, but don't overlook it. It's critical to the state's future and could shape Colorado for decades to come.

Who Else Supports SAFE?

If you heard that students, teachers, parents, school boards, local chambers of commerce, business leaders, small business owners, child advocates, health care advocates, retirees, community foundations, faith-based leaders, rural leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, and many more, all supported Amendment 59, that would sound pretty good, right?

Well that's exactly what has happened. In little more than two months, the SAFE (Savings Account for Education) campaign to vote Yes on Amendment 59 has attracted a groundswell of support from across the state and across the political spectrum.

The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News have both said Colorado needs to pass this responsible plan to create a Savings Account for Education.

Democrats like Gov. Bill Ritter, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, and Senate President Peter Groff support it. So do Republicans like Attorney General John Suthers, Rep. Ellen Roberts, and Sen. Steve Johnson. Every major statewide organization dedicated to children and education supports it, including the Colorado Children's Campaign, the Colorado Education Association, and the Colorado Association of School Boards. So do Chambers of Commerce in Denver and Boulder, the AARP, our friends in the faith community, and nearly 100 other organizations.

The chief opposition so far is Doug Bruce. He thinks this plan to create a Savings Account for Education amounts to "slavery."

We don't even know how to argue with illogic like that.

Another opponent, Penn Pfiffner, says the SAFE plan is a handout to "special interests."

If by 'special interests' he means the education of Colorado's kids and the future of our state's economy, then he's exactly right. Because those are, in fact, interests that are very special to us.

To fight back against that tired, old way of thinking, we're making sure you know that people all over Colorado agree that Amendment 59 is a responsible plan at the right time to move our state forward.

You can find out who all supports Amendment 59 right here.

You can help spread the word about the Yes on 59 campaign here.

Interested in volunteering? Getting involved is easy. Just go here to sign up and be sure to check the SAFE box at the bottom of the form.

The bottom line is this: If you care about education for our kids and economic progress in our state, then you need to vote Yes on Amendment 59. It's up to you!

Amendment 59: A Savings Account For Education

Welcome!

If this is your first time coming to our blog, we're glad you stopped by! If you have been here before, the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute is doing a lot of exciting work, and we're rededicating this blog over the next 7 weeks to an incredibly important cause: passing Amendment 59 (SAFE). 

In the next few days, we'll be posting information, endorsements, testimonials, and an easy-to-follow video description of SAFE, featuring State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, Speaker Andrew Romanoff, and concerned citizens explaining why they are supporting Amendment 59. 

We hope to see you back here soon!