OPED: $3.6 billion shell game at the legislature

SUBMITTED BY: Sherry D. Collins

Colorado Democrats in our Legislature have misplaced $3.6 billion!  They can’t find it and when asked, they don’t know what they did with it.  “It’s okay, never mind” seems to be their response.

We have the RIGHT to know! Where’s our money?

In 2005 Colorado voters were told a “goodly portion” of Referendum C money was to go to K-12 and Higher Education

At last week’s meeting with the Colorado Republican Business Coalition, CU Regent candidate Steve Bosley was the guest speaker.  The question was asked “Mr. Bosley, did the University of Colorado get the increase in funding from the Referendum C vote?” 

 “No.”

 “The voters of Colorado were told the majority of the Ref C money was going to K-12 and Higher Education and you didn’t get the increase?”

“No.”

The question is, where’s the money?

What Democrats are not telling the Colorado Taxpayers is volumes. It seems that instead of increasing the CU budget by the Ref C amount, they “took away” from CU the same amount of money that Ref C gave them. 

“It’s a shell game, and all that money is gone,” says an unidentified Capitol Hill source.

This morning, when Representative Jim Kerr was questioned about this issue, “That’s right.  Once the money hits the General Fund, it’s gone.  They can’t account for $3.6 billion.”

 If CU didn’t get their increase, who else didn’t and where’s the money? 

 “Mismanagement” doesn’t begin to describe this.  This is $3.6 billion. 

 Where’s the money? What did the Democrats do with it and why has this escaped the notice of the Denver media?