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"

When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home. What's Next?

This past weekend the nation honored all those who have served, serve now and those who made the supreme sacrifice to keep us the "Land of the Free."

More focus is being placed on what happens when Johnny and Jane come marching home. Will there be jobs for them, will they be able to get an education, will they even have a place to live?

More importantly there's a growing focus on the quality of life they'll live. Earlier this year I had the honor of meeting Chad Robichaux. He's a PhD, MBA and Director of the Mighty Oaks Warrior Training Division. His resume also includes 8 tours in Afghanistan with the elite Marine Corps Force Recon. While I know just how he served those tours in Afghanistan and with whom, I'm only allowed to say he served "with small, specialized Naval units." You can do the math from there.

Chad and his team help soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He's qualified because he's a PTSD survivor himself. Both Chad and his wife are very candid about what they went through and how it motivated them to reach out and help others.

Chad runs his programs in Westcliffe, CO a small community nestled in the Wet Mountain Valley of South Central Colorado. Chad says many soldiers with PTSD tend to look for small towns because they can simply hide from family and society.

Chad shared some stunning numbers with me, numbers that I've verified because I didn't first believe them when I heard them. There are 58,000+ names on the Vietnam War Memorial. What is far less known is over 160,000 Vietnam-era troops have committed suicide. War victims just as if they'd been killed in combat. No monuments for them.

As for recent/current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the numbers are equally stunning. The government tell us "officially" we're losing a vet from those conflicts to suicide every day. Chad says the number if much higher, well into the teens. Every day.

One of the problems is simply time spent in actual combat. Since World War II combat time has gone up. Here's what's posted on the Might Oaks website:

• World War II – 6 months
• Korea – 9 months
• Vietnam – 13 months
• Our current troops in Iraq / Afghanistan – 45 months

I asked Chad if more could be done starting with basic training to prepare for life after war. He says no. Our military are trained to fight, to seek out and destroy the enemy. But he adds, when they finally come home, it's up to us, the people they fought to defend, to step up and both recognize the signs of PTSD and reach out to help them.

It starts with the family unit. Chad has one program called "Fight Night." Because of his national reputation in Mixed Martial Arts, I thought he was using those skills as some sort of therapy. Instead he says, it's about these vets, who after fighting in times of war must now fight even harder for their families.

In the best of circumstances, the stress and strain on military families is enormous.

Ideally, the problems could all be solved if there were no more wars. Sadly, other people keep starting them and our men and women, as they've done since we became a nation step up to defend us.

The government is doing what it can, but it's not near enough. It's now more than ever, OUR duty to not only welcome them home, but for them to once again feel at home physically and emotionally.

For all of us the work begins right after we say "Welcome home soldier."

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

Making the case, again, for Cameras in the Courtoom.

Two horrific criminal cases here in the Denver area have me raising the issue of cameras in the courtroom, or in too many cases NO cameras in the courtroom.

I begin with the mass-shooting in Aurora. James Holmes is charged with shooting 12 people to death and wounding 58 others in a movie theater. Other than his initial appearance we the people have been denied live/taped coverage of proceedings. What we get are "Artist's Sketches" or in my opinion, cartoons.

                                                               (Courtesy: Denver Post)

Another sad case involves Austin Reed Sigg, charged with the abduction and subsequent murder of Jessica Ridgway.

Both have made the beginning of a line line of court appearances as the "justice" system drags on to a conclusion, we hope, likely years down the line.

Judges make the decision whether or not to allow cameras in courtrooms. Judges are either appointed to the bench by people we elect, or are elected themselves. They are servants of the people, not the other way around. But they are the undisputed rulers of their domains and in too many cases don't allow cameras, and by extension we to see the legal process as it happens, either live or taped.

Here are the current laws, by state as to access to courts by cameras.

As a 4-term board member of the Radio-Televison News Directors Association, I twice represented RTNDA (Now RTDNA) twice at the National Judicial College in Reno making the case for full access by cameras to courts ranging from Federal to Local. While many judges have saw the proverbial light, many have not. The most frequent push back I always got was that judges didn't want lawyers "showboating" in front of the cameras. Really? As opposed to showboating in front of juries and judges themselves?

The worst offender of course, is the highest court in the land, the United States Supreme Court. Other than the rarest of occasions with audio being allowed, nary a camera has made inside the room where the most important legal precedents of our nation are set. The Supreme Court Justices are appointed by an elected President and approved by an elected Senate. Servants all of we the people.

Coming full circle to the Holmes case, RTDNA Executive Director makes a clear and concise case in how a"Colorado Court got it wrong."  I've known Mike and worked with him for a long time and his points are well taken. Today's cameras as incredibly small. Surveillance cameras are everywhere, in private and public buildings, stop lights and the list goes on. Ironically courts use them in legal cases as evidence.

They just don't allow them to document the process itself. And that, is wrong.

The courts belong to us. The judges work for us. The time is long overdue for them to realize just that. Nothing about the judicial process should be cartoonish. Yet sadly, it is.

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

Random Thoughts

Lots of stuff on my mind today, (In no particular order of importance.)

Speaking of sports:
What a debacle at Invesco. I know, it's always darkest before the dawn but right now it sure is dark!

Baylor comes to Austin this Saturday. Baylor is ranked and bowl eligible. Texas is just rank. They're going to retire Colt McCoy's number at the game, here's hoping his replacement's got game.

The baseball season is too long. NHL and NBA seasons are underway before the World Series has even started.

Speaking of the economy:
"They" says the recession is over. I don't think the 17% of Americans not working or hardly working would agree.

What comes after Trillion? Gazillion? Because the ways things are going, we're going to need a new number to measure the deficit.

How can we expect to help countries like Haiti when 13 million American kids will go to bed hungry tonight?

Speaking of politics:
I get a kick out of candidates here in Colorado who wear cowboy hats and jeans in their campaign ads, pretending they're just like "us." Wonder what candidates in Florida wear? Shorts and flip-flops?

Why can't people vote online?

The Tea Party is here to stay. It's ever-morphing but with the constant and growing belief that government has failed us. We share in the blame. Too many of us believe what we see in attack ads, yet don't tune into the numerous televised or attend public debates.

Speaking of the new television season:
I love Hawaii 5-0. It's so outrageously over the top, with a great cast and it doesn't take itself too serously. The Good Wife remains intelligent, thoughtful dramatic television. Ditto for House and Blue Bloods. The CSI trilogy is getting tired. Weird plotlines. Still trying to get into The Event, but it's hard work.

Ok, I'm done thinking.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"