Amendment 66: Colorado Voters say NO! to East Coast Elite

Last night Colorado Voters had a choice via Amendment 66; to either become more and more like California or maintain the historic "Right or Center" stance that up until recently was the hallmark of the state. Change that from "Was" to "Is now."

Amendment 66 was a billion dollar tax increase, speared headed by Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston and funded by folks like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg along with special interest groups from Washington, DC and New York City.

This was Bloomberg's second attempt to mess with Colorado politics, earlier getting involved in two recall elections and our 2nd Amendment rights.

Bloomberg now 0-2 in Colorado politics.

Why did Amendment 66 Fail? Let us count the ways.

1. As I write this the vote count is 66% against, 34% for with 85% of precincts reporting. What we call and old fashioned "Butt Whuppin"
2. The man behind the initial legislation and resulting amendment on the ballot, Senator Mike Johnson could never answer the most basic questions. Question like "Just how will the money be spend." Another non-starter in the Q&A department was why there was no focus on things like accountability and things like excellence. When the guy asking for a billion dollar blank check can't answer what it's for, well, you can't fool all the people all the time.
3. Ultimately the voters of Colorado can't be bought. The folks back east tend to look down their noses at us country folk here in the West. The spent 10 million bucks trying to, again, fool us. We in turn decided to thumb our noses back at them and offer them two words, which most assuredly weren't "Good luck.

South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Brackney summed things up rather nicely in a post on Facebook:

"Colorado has pivoted back to it's historic roots of a center right* state. November 2014 early prediction: This change will be cemented for a generation.

We will still be considered one of the most competitive swing states in the nation as "experts" will fail to understand the underlying cultural conversation that is going on in homes, neighborhoods and businesses across Colorado. * but libertarian leaning."

Leading up to the election, John spent every Monday out of the office as part of his "Colorado Common Sense Tour", meeting with fellow Chambers, local news outlets and the folks who live on Main Street. What didn't surprise him was understanding the fundamental disconnect between the rural and metro areas of Colorado. It's something John, as leader of the South Metro Chamber is going to work to fix. Part of that will include and already significant and continuing dialog with our State Legislators.

So to the folks back east, we hope you've learned a lesson. All your money don't mean squat when it comes to Colorado setting it's own course. Sadly, it's a lesson you won't learn. I have no doubt that the likes of Bloomberg will continue to stick their noses in our business.

They might consider however that the next time they try, we just might bite them off.

Brian Olson
Highlands Ranch/Westcliffe CO

Dear Mayor Bloomberg

October 30, 2013

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
City of New York
New York NY

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

Thank you for your continued interest in the State of Colorado. We note your most recent Million+ dollar contribution in support of Amendment 66 which will raise taxes on Coloradans by a Billion Dollars every year.

A Billion Dollar annual tax increase will negatively impact all citizens financially, especially the small businesses along Main Street CO. These are the job creators, not higher taxes. It should also be noted that there is no accountability built into the amendment as to actually how the money will be spent.

As for improving education, innovation beats taxation every time.

Our records also show you contributed to a recent recall election here in Colorado, your motivation and support based on restricting the 2nd Amendment Rights of Coloradans. We hold these truths to be self evident sir, that everything in the United States Constitution is sacred and not to be taken away piecemeal.

Your record of getting involved in the business of the people of Colorado indicates a couple of issues that concern us.

1. Despite being Mayor of a city as big as New York City, you obviously have too much time on your hands. Your focus should be on the citizens you represent.

2. In addition, you obviously don't understand that while you like to micro-manage your constituency, this not the type of government we in Colorado approve of. We have proven ourselves pretty darn capable of running our own affairs without the interference from outsiders. It kind of raises our hackles.

Therefore we must decline your application in becoming Grand Exalted Poo-Bah of the State of Colorado.

We do wish you the best in your future career endeavors.

Yours truly,

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"

Amendment 66: Just say NO!

I write this today as an MVP  member of the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Business Leaders for Responsible Government Committee of the Chamber.

There's a $950,000,000 tax increase on the ballot this fall in Colorado. It's called Amendment 66. Supporters claim it's all about funding education. But after multiple meeting at the State Capitol and at the Chamber with State Legislators, members of local school districts and State Senator Mike Johnston who crafted the legislation, we as a Chamber come away opposing Amendment 66.

This tax increase is bad because:

    •    It is in the form of a graduated income tax which will hurt small businesses taxed at the individual rate
    •    It is an 8% tax increase on income below $75,000 and a 27% tax increase on income above $75,000
    •    There is no broad base of support
    •    There is not enough reform or performance metrics associated with the tax increase
    •    This is a statewide issue but the tax increase is Denver-centric

The Chamber has also produced this video outlining the many "Cons" of Amendment 66:



The South Metro Chamber is not alone in opposing Amendment 66. The National Federation of Independent Business has joined in opposition. So are a growing number of other organizations and taxpayers across Colorado.

Not surprisingly there are millions of dollars flowing into Colorado in support of this tax increase, much of it from Washington, DC and ...NEW YORK CITY! Wow, there's a surprise. Wonder why people who don't live here, want to tell us how to run our affairs? Special interests perhaps?

This is a non-partisan issue. We all pay taxes regardless of the letter beside our name. The choice is if you want to pay $950,000,000 more in taxes every year with little if any accountability as to just how and where the money is spent. I've personally asked Senator Johnston 4 times specifically where the money will go and he hasn't been able to give me (or anyone else in the room) a direct answer other than we'll find out after the money is spent. I like Senator Johnston personally, his heart is in the right place on this, but this Amendment isn't.

Supporters are promising a lot, but over and over again when we press for details we don't get any.

So ...we say NO!

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you!"

"Eyewitness News" finally a reality.

The catch/marketing phrase "Eyewitness News" has been used for decades. According to Wikipedia, the earliest use in American television was in April 1959 by KYW-TV in Cleveland.

The whole point was their crews were on the scene of news, seeing it person giving "Eyewitness" accounts which we then watched at home. It was the stations however, who decided what we actually got to witness ourselves, and when we did.

Flash forward to September, 2013 in Colorado and flash flooding. The most compelling images arguably coming from actual eyewitnesses, folks like you and me on the ground with our smart phone cameras, instantly sharing pictures and video to the media or on Social Media.

 

Words not necessary

Time and time again I've seen local outlets thank citizen journalists for their content and encouraging then to send more. The earliest pictures were stunning to see. Sure, some of the shots were shaky but who cares. A wall of water coming down a canyon on city street is powerful stuff. Folks living there got the pictures while traditional news crews were either on the way to the scene, or simply couldn't get there because of the aforementioned walls of water.

 

Impactful

This is a compelling argument of the power of Social Media. Sure, there have been rare instances, at least up until now where folks have posted things on Facebook or Twitter that failed the standards of journalism as to accuracy and fact-checking. But in breaking news situations, even the most seasoned of journalists make mistakes. (Sadly at a growing rate but that's for another blog post)

But today's it's all about the image. A picture is worth a thousand words, video is worth a hundred thousand words. To their credit, Denver area news operations have enlisted us to help tell the story. Because sometimes we are part of the story.

That said, we ourselves become our own news outlets. We can publish accounts, videos and pictures on any number of Social Media outlets. With that, at least morally and ethically comes the responsibility to get the story right.

Nothing spreads faster than misinformation. As with international relations and "Eyewitness News," trust, but verify!

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"

College Football: Time for Pay for Play

Aggie QB Johnny "Football" Manziel may just prove to be the catalyst for a seismic change in college football. He's under scrutiny for ....gasp- ...maybe accepting a few bucks for signing a few autographs. Or a lot of money for signing a lot of autographs. None of this of course might be true but it's the stuff of sports TV and Radio up and down the dials.

College football has grown in a multi-billion dollar business. Networks are paying billions of dollars for rights fees to show the games, then charge us for watching. Colleges are selling all sorts of memorabilia with the names and yes, even "authorized" autographs of their players for millions of dollars more.

Everyone is getting rich. Except the players who make it all possible. The argument against actually sharing some of the loot with them is "purity." They tell us the players already get full-ride scholarships, great housing and food and the training facilities are top o' the line. But the players who put on the show we tune into, are required to be amateurs. Play for no pay.

Up until the flow of money to the schools and networks turned into a flood, one could accept the premise.

Not any more. It's time for the players to get a piece of the action.

Here's one solution: Players would earn money based on sales of everything from t-shirts to ball caps. Sure the big stars would get the most, but there could be a fund established for all players equally for a cut of a very juicy pie.

How would they get paid? Not while actually in school, but on a pro-rata basis. Play one year, you get 25% of what's in your trust account. Two years and you get 50%. Play all four and well ...a nice nest egg even for players that don't make it to the pros. Plus a degree which might come in handy if you don't get drafted or picked up in free agency.

The NCAA has long ago lost any power or true credibility. It's a toothless old lion from another time. I won't be surprised at all if the big programs like Texas, 'Bama, USC etc decide to go their own way without the NCAA. Then they can make even more money.

Take Johnny Maziel for example. He's not allowed to receive any sort of money for what he does, but Texas A&M can charge a bunch of money to sit with him at a fund raiser or take part in a meet and greet.

Fair? Hardly.

Time for the money, or at least some of it, to go to who is truly feeding the cash cow called college football in the first place.

The players.

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you."

The Hillary Movies. Perception is Reality.

Sorry not to have been more regular with this blog, but I essentially goofed off June and July. Time to re-engage and there is so much to talk about. And wouldn't you know it's political?

Not the least of which are the planned movies about former Secretary of State, former Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton by CNN and NBC.

Back when serving on the Board of Directors of the Radio-Television-Digital News Association I learned when it comes to watching the news, "Perception is Reality" on the viewer's part. What they believe is what they perceive to be true. Regardless of whether it is or not. It's their perception, at least to them, that counts.

Mrs. Clinton's story is certainly worthy of a movie. Like her or not, she is and remains a major political figure. But the timing of the movies is in question. There is no doubt among political experts that she's the presumptive nominee for the Democratic nomination for President in 2016.

NBC is quick to point out, and fairly so, that their news division is separate from their entertainment division. Over at CNN the lines are a little more blurred. Not the least of which is CNN stands for Cable NEWS Network. Neither network has plans for movies profiling Republican political figures.

There is a perception among at least some folks that both NBC and CNN lean a tad to the left. It may or not be true but it's their perception. Which re enforces GOP Chair Reince Priebus in his perception both NBC and CNN are playing partisan politics. His initial reaction is to ban both networks from covering the GOP debates.

This at a time when there is a declining perception/approval of journalists in general. So why push your own news divisions under the perception bus?

Frankly, regardless of one's political point of view, a movie about Clinton prior to the election seems suspicious, or at least coming off as obtuse on the parts of NBC and CNN.

My take on all this is "What's the hurry?" Her story is a legitimate one, and could even be more interesting after the election, win or lose. Why risk the perception you are taking sides in the 2016 election?

All this just muddies the waters when we should be focused on issues instead.

At least that's my perception. But at this point, what difference does it make?

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
"We start the conversation about you"

"What we've got here is failure ...to concentrate!"

OK, the header is a play off the classic line where the prison warden in Cool Hand Luke lays down the law. Or at least his version.

But the Asiana Airlines Crash in San Francisco and subsequent sub-stories has me wondering about failure to ...CONCENTRATE.

Let's start with the crash itself. It initially appears the flight crew came in too low and too slow, resulting in the landing gear and tail of the Boeing 777 hitting the sea wall, resulting in a terrible crash.  3 people are confirmed dead, many more seriously injured. It could have been worse.

Yes, the pilot in command was relatively new to the aircraft, but still an experienced pilot already checked out on other aircraft like the Boeing 747. His check pilot and relief crew were also highly experienced. Thousands of hours of flying time among the four.

The biggest plane I ever landed was a Piper Cherokee but regardless of the size of aircraft certain principals apply including maintaining proper approach speed and angle of descent. Technology makes it almost automatic but the person flying the airplane has to be paying attention. Landing is a critical time. In this case, the weather was good, and it was a straight in approach. Routine. Perhaps too much so. It can effect ...concentration.

It will take a while for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to sort things out but failure to concentrate likely will be among the findings.

Then we get to the issue of area station KTVU who mistakenly named the flight crew as follows, live on air.

Captain:
Sum Tee Wong
Other crew:
Wi Tu Lo
Ho Lee Fuk
Bang Ding Ow

I'm a former television news director and executive producer, but that experience aside, one quick look/read of the script and you have to know something is wrong. There are numerous people involved in the production of a newscast and at the very least the news anchors should have caught the obvious before reading it live on air. Like reading it prior to air. Failure to concentrate up and down the food chain.

Adding insult to injury is that San Francisco has a significant Asian population who were justifiably ...insulted.

KTVU, while accepting full blame (as they should) did say they "confirmed" the names with the NTSB. Which leads us to even more failure to concentrate.

Apparently the NTSB "Representative" KTVU "confirmed" the story with was an intern! You don't leave such duties to interns, it should be handled by senior communications officers with the agency. Especially involving an incident like this. Failure to concentrate by the very agency tasked with finding out if the flight crew was concentrating.

The Asiana Flight Crew, KTVU and the NTSB. What indeed we've got here ...is failure to concentrate. We all have every reason to be very, very concerned.

Brian Olson
Owner/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations 
"We start the conversation about you!"