Volunteer, Baby, Volunteer!

Here are some upcoming volunteer opportunities for Amendment 59 over the final few days before the election:

Phone banking:

Thursday-5:00pm to 8:00pm at the SAFE Campaign Headquarters (join COFPI staff and friends!)

Saturday-11:00am to 4:00pm at the SAFE Campaign Headquarters

Sunday-3:00pm to 8:00pm at the SAFE Campaign Headquarters

On Monday and Tuesday (Election Day!), volunteers are meeting at the SAFE Campaign Headquarters at 7:00am, 11:00am, and 4:00pm to be deployed for visibility activities in high-traffic locations.

SAFE Campaign Headquarters are located at 1080 Cherokee, in Denver.

Interested? RSVP at nader@coloradoSAFE.org.

Romanoff: A SAFE move from checking to savings

Last week, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff traveled around the central part of the state talking about why Coloradans need to vote Yes on Amendment 59. Check out this radio interview he gave during the trip.

Hick: We can all agree on Amendment 59

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper cut this great video, mocking the endless string of bickering campaign commercials and pointing out that we all should be able to agree on a responsible plan to create a Savings Account for Education (SAFE).

Argyle is cool again.

Very cool.

Steamboat Pilot, Aspen Times: Vote yes on 59

In recent days, both the Aspen Times and the Steamboat Pilot endorsed Amendment 59, calling on Coloradans to vote yes on the crucial ballot measure. The two newspapers added to a lengthy and growing list of news outlets, organizations, and individuals that support creating a Savings Account for Education (SAFE).

12 more days people.

Where to vote? Google it.

Google unveiled an amazing new tool this week that allows voters to type in their home address and locate their polling place on Election Day.

Hat tip to PoliticalWire.

Everything you always wanted to know about SAFE...

...but were afraid to ask.

Check out the Amendment 59 campaign's new Voting Center, where you can find out if you're registered to vote, look up early voting locations, request a mail-in ballot application, or learn more about Election Day procedures.

You Can Vote Right Now

A reminder that early voting started today. You can vote at polling locations between now and October 31st.

Click here for more information, including a list of Denver polling locations.

If you have questions, you can contact your County Clerk's office for details.

Bagels and Ballots: Yes on 59

Hundreds of Coloradans joined Gov. Bill Ritter, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien, Speaker Andrew Romanoff, and State Treasurer Cary Kennedy at Denver's Merrill Middle School on Saturday morning for some bagels and ballot talk. Supporters were gathered to highlight the need to pass Amendment 59, and SquareState.com has a recap.

Ft. Collins Coloradoan: Yes on 59

With just a few weeks left until the election, the endorsements for Amendment 59 continue to pile up. The Fort Collins Coloradoan is the latest newspaper to urge voters to pass Amendment 59, calling the SAFE (Savings Account for Education) plan a "meaningful way that protects K-12 education."

In spite of all this momentum, the race is not going to be won without some hard work. But the hard work can be easy to do, and that's where you come in.

Sign up to volunteer here.

Help make some phone calls here.

Get your yard sign here.

Write a letter to the editor or call your favorite (or least favorite) radio show.

Contribute a few bucks to the cause and it will go straight to paid media and TV ads.

Whether it's a few minutes of your time or a few dollars of you can give, the fate of Amendment 59 in your hands. Colorado's future is at stake and you can help pass Amendment 59 to prepare our kids and protect Colorado taxpayers.

Soundbites for SAFE

In case your eyes are tired from reading about financial crises, crowded ballots, and cold October temperatures, you can click on the names below to hear a few quick words from a couple of Colorado's esteemed leaders, talking about why we need to pass Amendment 59.

Governor Bill Ritter

Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien

Also, the Amendment 59 yard signs are here! Click here to order yours.

Write a Letter to the Editor in 59 Seconds

Ok, it might take a little bit longer than 59 seconds, but not by much. It's incredibly easy to write a letter to the editor, so we want you to take a crack at it, and you can do so right here.

Whether you live in Lamar or Louisville, Grand Junction or Greeley, Denver or Durango, Aspen or Alamosa, make your voice heard and tell your community why they should vote Yes on Amendment 59.

It's a smart plan to prepare kids, protect our taxpayers, and force government to save when times are good so our schools and our economy don't take a hit when times are bad.

Cortez Journal: Vote yes on Amend. 59

The Cortez Journal added themselves to the growing list of newspaper endorsements around the state, urging Coloradans to vote Yes on Amendment 59. The highlighted what so many others on both sides of the aisle have:

Amendment 59 is a reasoned and reasonable use of the Constitution to protect both school funding and Colorado taxpayers' concerns about how their money is used. Vote "yes" on Amendment 59.

Find out who else is supporting Amendment 59 right here.

We like numbers. And the numbers say we need SAFE!

In case you needed a real time example of why it's important to save when times are good so you don't have to make drastic cuts when times are bad, COFPI did some analysis of the state's September 2008 revenue projections.

You'll notice that there's a $100 million reduction in FY 2008-2009.

You'll also notice that it was reported last week that Governor Ritter issued a state hiring freeze and halted various capital construction projects.

Coincidence? Not so much.

And while a halt in government spending might not sound so bad on the face of it, consider that one of the things being cut is full-day kindergarten, which is also one of the most effective investments in economic development that the state can make.

Moral of the story: save when times are good, so our kids and our economy don't have to suffer devastating cuts when times are bad. That's exactly what Amendment 59 forces state government to do by creating a Savings Account for Education (SAFE).

Need Ballot Guidance? Get It Here.

The crowded ballot giving you a headache?

Then check out the 2008 Colorado C3 Roundtable Ballot Guide, which provides some helpful information on where member organizations stand on some of the key measures this year.

Please note that 53, 55, 56, and 57 have been withdrawn.

Durango Herald: Yes on 59!

The Durango Herald endorsed Amendment 59 this week, citing all the reasons that you might expect:

Amendment 59 is a reasoned and reasonable use of the Constitution to protect both school funding and Colorado taxpayers' concerns about how their money is used.

All across the state, more and more people are recognizing that passing Amendment 59 is the smart thing to do.

Yes on 59: Technical Support

Some of you have been asking about more technical inforamtion about Amendment 59. You asked for it, you got it.

You can read the Blue Book entry here, starting on Page 34.

And here you can read the actual content of Amendment 59.

If you are still awake after all of that, and thirsty for more, check out this fact sheet about SAFE that COFPI put together in July. (Please note that in the fact sheet, it's referred to as Amendment 126, which was obviously changed to 59 after the ballot was finalized.)

Carol Hedges: Telling It Like It Is

Check out this radio interview that COFPI's Carol Hedges did, which aired all over Colorado earlier this week.

She points out, accurately, that the current economic crisis is another example of why Colorado needs Amendment 59 to pass.

SAFE is a responsible way to avoid devastating cuts in the future. It forces state government to save when times are good, so our kids and our economy don't have to suffer when times are bad.