Backers of Amendment 47, the right-to-work measure, are not giving up hope despite a six-page ad taken out against the proposal in today's Rocky Mountain News and two similar full-page ads in The Denver Post.
COLORADO'S FRONTPAGE
Face the State
Content Index: Protect Colorado's Future
Follow this topic by RSSRight-to-work backers stay confident into home stretch
November 3, 2008The reason for the (political) season
FTS Opinion
October 30, 2008
By Krista Kafer
Ultimately this election is not about who hangs out with domestic terrorists, who shops at Saks Fifth Avenue, or who thinks “jobs” is a three letter word. Ultimately, this election is about freedom and whether people are willing to give it away.
"The Buzz" on Newstalk 1310 KFKA, 10/27 - Colorado Concern and Amd. 54
October 27, 2008
Face The State managing editor Brad Jones visits with Newstalk 1310 KFKA's Amy Oliver. An internal fundraising memo obtained by Face The State indicates Colorado Concern, the statewide "pro-business" group, has redoubled its efforts toward defeating Amendment 54. What does this last-minute appeal for cash say about the Nov. 4 election?
Initiative campaigns' final pitch for your vote
A Face the State Staff Report
October 21, 2008Mail-in ballots have been trickling back to County Clerks' offices, and early voting began Monday with record turnout. Face the State gave each of 10 remaining ballot initiatives the opportunity to write a short column explaining why voters should support or oppose each measure.
Union Coalition Faces Ties To FBI Investigation of ACORN
October 20, 2008Protect Colorado’s Future, a union-backed coalition organized to defeat Amendments 47, 49 and 54, received some bad news last week when one of its prominent endorsers was accused of voter fraud and is now being investigated by the FBI.
Jake Jabs: Unions want it all in Colorado
October 8, 2008
Who doesn't like Jake Jabs? He's been bringing trademark low, low prices to cost-conscious Coloradans (not to mention college students and transplanted Californians-turned-Coloradans) since the 1970's through his growing network of American Furniture Warehouse retail outlets.
With just one vote, you too can help a starving lobbyist
October 8, 2008
Lobbyists have banded together to voice their collective opposition to a ballot initiative seeking to eliminate the government's ability to use public payroll systems to transfer money directly to special interest groups. Well, maybe the site is satirical, but it's still dead on.
10/8: Legal extortion, and the effort to stop it
You'd think it would be illegal to accept money in exchange for removing your initiative from the ballot. Turns out, everybody has their price.
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Unions make business community an offer it can't refuse
A Face the State Staff Report
October 3, 2008
Union bosses struck a deal with members of the business community Thursday, agreeing to pull four measures from the ballot in an act some liken to extortion.
Breaking: Labor-Business negotiations fall through
September 30, 2008Negotiations between the state's largest labor unions and a group of Colorado business leaders over the possible withdrawal of four amendments from the November ballot fell through late Tuesday afternoon.
"The Buzz" on Newstalk 1310 KFKA, 9/29 - No deal after all on "poison pill" amendments?
September 29, 2008Face The State managing editor Brad Jones talks with Newstalk 1310 KFKA's Amy Oliver about the back-room negotiations between Colorado Concern, Gov. Bill Ritter and the state's largest labor unions. Sources tell Face The State a deal, once thought to have been agreed upon, is unraveling amidst critical media attention.
Blake fallout hinders union fundraising effort
A Face the State Staff Report
September 25, 2008News reports by The Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post exposing a backdoor deal between organized labor and business "leaders" have forced Joe Blake, president of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, to publicly distance himself from what opponents are calling an "unholy alliance."
Amendment 54 ad
September 23, 2008In response to alleged backroom political deals between the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and union bosses, Amendment 54 is launching a strongly worded ad that calls the collaboration an “unholy alliance.”
Union rep skips televised debate
A Face the State Staff Report
September 21, 2008
KBDI Channel 12 has been playing host to a series of debates about Colorado’s 14 ballot initiatives, giving both sides of each issue a chance to meet face-to-face. But Monday night's shows will feature an empty chair where Jess Knox, executive director of Protect Colorado’s Future, would have sat. Knox pulled out of two "Colorado Decides" debates, taped Friday, leaving producers no time to seek an alternative representative.
Political Cartoon for 9/19: Appeasement, chamber style
Face The State Humor
September 19, 2008
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce president Joe Blake is deeply involved in negotiations with Gov. Bill Ritter and bosses of the state's biggest unions. Will Blake sell out the business community in a pact with big labor? Before following through, he may want to study up on how well appeasement worked for British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
Capitol Hill rumor mill
September 18, 2008As Election Day approaches the Capitol rumor mill is churning at twice its normal rate, and we are working overtime just to keep up.
The biggest topics of speculation: Who will be Colorado’s next Secretary of State? Who will take over for term-limited leadership in the General Assembly? And most exciting, of course, the secret political dealings behind this year’s ballot initiatives.
Liberal ballot 'education' event draws fire
A Face the State Staff Report
September 17, 2008
Representatives from Colorado’s liberal non-profits gathered for the first of several “educational” forums, during which speakers advocated for or against the different measures on this November’s ballot. The speakers went unchallenged and according to some campaign representatives, provided false information to attendees. While 35 organizations heavily promoted the event, only about 50 people came to forum held in Sturm Hall at the University of Denver Tuesday night.
Amendment 54 backers challenge union opposition to debate
A Face the State Staff Report
September 12, 2008Organizers for the Clean Government Colorado initiative, a proposed constitutional amendment titled Amendment 54 for this November's ballot, on Thursday challenged union opponents to a series of public debates.
Is that you, Pot? Meet Kettle!
September 9, 2008Protect Colorado’s Future, a union front group fighting this November's Right To Work initiative, titled Amendment 47, is hypocritically pointing the finger at "out-of-state" interests the group alleges are trying to “divide Coloradans.”
Business Groups Merge to Fight Union Initiatives
A Face the State Staff Report
August 22, 2008Two groups opposed to four union-backed anti-business initiatives slated to appear on the November ballot announced today that they are merging to form an opposition coalition. Defend Our Economy, a group launched in April “to analyze and communicate the potential impacts of this baffling array of proposed initiatives on all Colorado businesses,” is merging with Coloradans For Responsible Reform, an issue committee formed by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Left Uses Grueskin-led Litigation as Latest Campaign Tool
A Face the State Staff Report
August 19, 2008Campaign managers and consultants move over and make way. The most important weapon in today's political arsenal is a campaign's attorney. Lawsuits are the latest device employed by the left to take on conservative and libertarian candidates and causes. Mark Grueskin, a favorite litigator among Democrat activists, is leading the charge.
Campaigns submit petitions at the 11th hour
August 5, 2008Today marked the deadline for initiative campaigns to submit signatures to the Secretary of State for the November general election. Six waited to the last day, but all insist they will have garnered enough valid signatures to make the ballot.
Union campaign casts stones in a glass house
July 31, 2008Protect Colorado's Future, the union-backed campaign behind a slew of contentious ballot initiatives, has been quick to cast aspersions on its opponents. But a Face The State undercover investigation reveals signature gatherers circulating its petitions are not following state law, failing to comply with identification requirements.
Clean Government Initiative Submits Signatures to Secretary of State
A Face the State Staff Report
July 31, 2008Clean Government Colorado, the campaign for Initiative 59, submitted nearly 125,000 signatures Wednesday to the Colorado Secretary of State. If certified for the ballot and approved by voters this November, the proposal would prohibit government contractors holding no-bid contracts from making campaign contributions to political parties and candidates.
Unions seek to counter conservative ballot dominance
A Face the State Staff Report
July 30, 2008With an August 4 signature submission deadline looming, four union-backed initiative campaigns maintain that they are one step closer toward seeing their proposals make the November ballot. If successful, the initiatives could provide a dramatic ideological shift to the election, with the only four initiatives certified for the ballot thus far all representing conservative and free market causes.
Union attack ad fails two TV stations' truth tests
July 21, 2008An attack ad aired by the union-backed campaign coalition Protect Colorado's Future received failing grades from two Denver television stations. CBS 4 found the ad "ignored" key substantive information while a 9 News analysis found it contained more opinion and conjecture than fact.
"The Buzz" on Newstalk 1310 KFKA, 7/14 - The initiative scramble
July 14, 2008Face The State managing editor Brad Jones talks with Newstalk 1310 KFKA's Amy Oliver about the slew of initiative campaigns scrambling for a place on the November ballot.
Judge tosses lawsuit targeting Aurora Councilman
July 11, 2008A lawsuit against Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier has been thrown out by an Arapahoe County Judge.
FTS Investigation: Signature Gatherer Caught Lying About Civil Rights Initiative
A Face the State Staff Report
July 9, 2008Face The State has obtained audio of a signature gatherer distributing false information about a hotly contested ballot initiative to an undercover reporter.