View Full Version : A Modest Proposal. Now is the time for Colorado Republicans to Charge.
Given the stunning victories in the recall elections, it's probably safe to say that the state party Democrats are wandering around in a daze of befuddlement and shock. If this is the case, the Republicans need to redouble their efforts and push a fast and furious agenda before the Democrats have a chance to catch their breath and regroup.
As such, I think the Republicans should come back with a list of legislative efforts aimed at setting things right, and maybe extracting a pound or two of flesh.
Guns:
1.) Immediate proposal to repeal the idiotic magazine ban.
2.) Immediate proposal to repeal the Universal Background Check law.
3.) Immediate proposal to repeal the gun show background check law.
4.) An open invitation to any and all companies related to guns and gun accessories to open up shop in Colorado. This should be accomplished by offering tax incentives and the like.*
5.) Incentives to aid in the construction of shooting ranges.
6.) Some sort of public support for Colorado's hunting, plinking, and competitive shooting cultures. I don't know what this would look like, but a bill geared at bringing back the hunters and competitions driven out of the state would be great. (I'd like to hear suggestions on what form that could take.)
7.) Allow anyone with a valid concealed carry permit to carry in schools.
8.) Constitutional carry.
Weed:
1.) Whatever it was that Morse was dragging his feet on regarding Amendment 64, get rid of it, and institute the will of the people.
2.) Get behind the bill to allow dispensaries access to financial institutions.
-This helps build a coalition with some of the hippy-libertarian types, and also allows them to play the "job creator" card, even if those jobs aren't the sort of thing a typical Republican would approve of.
Taxes/Business Development
1.) Look into passing bills that would incentivize BD in Colorado and boost job growth. (I'm not savvy enough to know what such a bill would look like.)
Rural Power
1.) I'm not familiar enough with this issue to weigh in, but the bill that caused power bills to go up for people in rural districts should probably be repealed.
General Infrastructure Development
1.) Propose bills to get back to the mainstay of government, which is to pave the roads.
Social Issues
Stay the fuck away from abortion, gay rights, or anything to do with the pill. That stuff's a third rail that will drive away libertarian types and moderate voters, and is the Democrat equivalent of the Bat Signal.
Would all of these bills pass?
Probably not, but the point should be to force the Democrats to blink. They're hurting right now, and a series of bills that would force them to either capitulate to us or double down on the same sort of idiocy that got two of their party leaders recalled is a win for us in either case. If they repeal the bills, things go back to being good. If they refuse to go along, it gives the Republicans yet another stick to beat their opponents with in the next election.
Thoughts?
*This offers us at least a couple of advantages. It gives the Republicans some talking points on helping to get Colorado's economy moving again, makes them look like job creators, and helps to build a base of businesses that have a vested interest in keeping Colorado pro-gun. MagPul did some amazing work fighting the idiotic gun control proposals, and I would love to live in a state that has a half-dozen Magpul-level companies.
Aloha_Shooter
09-12-2013, 20:33
Inviting gun-related industries back into Colorado doesn't work until the gun control legislation is repealed. As far as the weed legislation goes, I'd go as far as proposing weed be taxed like alcohol or gaming industries. On the rural power, just repeal the recent bill boosting rural rates to pay for Denver-based "green" crap.
Republicans need to show some fiscal discipline so I would NOT spend public funds on shooting ranges; instead, pass legislation that removes obstacles to privately-funded shooting ranges like the BS environmental appeals and whiners complaining about the noise.
Need to dump the $1.1B PERA payoff masquerading as an education tax as well as the other tax increases Morse pushed through.
Most importantly, they should push for public comment from Coloradans who were shut out (no out-of-staters and no repeat testimony) on all legislation passed in the last session. Overwhelm Hickenlooper and the remaining Democrats with the voice of the people so we can continue to press the point that the recalls were about Morse and Giron violating the democratic process, not just some push by the "gun lobby".
DavieD55
09-12-2013, 20:51
Don't forget to throw in HB13-1303 AKA the "Voter Access & Modernization Act" to your list of things to repeal right off the bat.
AlohaShooter, your criticisms are valid, however, I'm not looking for a policy debate so much as a wishlist designed to piss off the remaining Democrats.
Social Issues
Stay the fuck away from abortion, gay rights, or anything to do with the pill. That stuff's a third rail that will drive away libertarian types and moderate voters, and is the Democrat equivalent of the Bat Signal.
Bingo. The reasons I jump ship to the libertarians whenever possible. Freedom results in people doing things that you may not like. If you don't like it, don't do it. If you really do believe in God, he'll fry 'em all in good time.
O2
Justin, Do you have any inroads to the R party that you could pass polished proposals to? I like you list and would expand #5 to protect existing ranges as cities spread up to them.
DeusExMachina
09-12-2013, 21:40
The grassroots conservatives won the recalls, and the Republican party must yield to the people or face them too.
Aloha_Shooter
09-12-2013, 21:40
Justin, if you want to piss off the remaining Democrats, invite every person who felt shut out of testifying last session to come on up to Denver and offer their testimony before the legislature takes up any new business. We can tie them up for a month giving testimony on everything wrong with the legislation passed last session -- and poke the Dems in the eye at the same time.
Justin, Do you have any inroads to the R party that you could pass polished proposals to? I like you list and would expand #5 to protect existing ranges as cities spread up to them.
No, nothing really worth mentioning. I did have a pretty extensive phone conversation with Kent Lambert, and spoke to him in person at the capitol prior to the gun control laws being passed, but I doubt he'd be able to pick me out of a crowd at this point.
He was pretty responsive about calling me back, and I'm thinking about giving him a call to see about putting forward some of these proposals, but would like to refine them a bit before picking up the phone.
Justin, if you want to piss off the remaining Democrats, invite every person who felt shut out of testifying last session to come on up to Denver and offer their testimony before the legislature takes up any new business. We can tie them up for a month giving testimony on everything wrong with the legislation passed last session -- and poke the Dems in the eye at the same time.
You are officially my new favorite person. [Beer]
Under guns, how do you propose having number 7 and number 8 at the same time?
Irving, the list is one that I compiled more or less off the top of my head, though a proposal for constitutional carry in schools would be worth doing just to watch their heads explode.
Heads would certainly explode.
JM Ver. 2.0
09-13-2013, 00:54
Sadly, I agree with the gun show checks.
Those could stay. But the others, those could go.
Sent from my teepee using smoke signals.
The BG check fees were left off the list. Since those were passed purely out of spite they have to be on any list.
Aloha_Shooter
09-13-2013, 09:31
The BG check fees were left off the list. Since those were passed purely out of spite they have to be on any list.
Agreed. It would never pass but I'd love a counterproposal just to see the rise it gets from the hoplophobes: A surtax for police protection services, refundable with proof of an ability to defend yourself and your loved ones (e.g., proficiency in martial arts or practical shooting, CCW permit, possession of Taser, etc.). After all, we're costing the government less by not having to have as many policemen to protect ourselves or our property ...
DeusExMachina
09-13-2013, 09:53
The BG check fees were left off the list. Since those were passed purely out of spite they have to be on any list.
The whole CBI should be on the chopping block. It's a waste of taxpayers' money.
Busta Prima
09-13-2013, 17:43
Social Issues
Stay the fuck away from abortion, gay rights, or anything to do with the pill. That stuff's a third rail that will drive away libertarian types and moderate voters, and is the Democrat equivalent of the Bat Signal.
I absolutely agree 100%. I wish all conservatives felt this way. This election recall thing can be used by EITHER SIDE to oust extremists.
As much as I think it's complete and total BS- the gun show background checks shouldn't be touched... you think it's bad now with the idiots that keep mentioning the non-existent "Gun Show Loophole"? Give them a leg to stand on with that issue and they'll run with it until we begin to resemble CA even more. I say let's work on getting the mag cap limit and UBC repealed first, then we can reassess the situation from there.
<MADDOG>
09-14-2013, 12:02
The grassroots conservatives won the recalls, and the Republican party must yield to the people or face them too.
This.
Based on what I hear on 740 & 630 AM, CO voters are pretty sick of both the Democrat and Republican parties, as both have their own agendas and special interest groups. In taking a look (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VoterRegNumbers/2013/August/VotersByPartyStatus.pdf), CO voters are pretty much split 3 ways with registered Democrat, Republican, and Independent voters.
Long story short- The Republicans will have to cleanse its ranks of the zealots, rebrand, and put forth the key points of the OP in order to gain more of the 33%. Will it be done in 2014? Yet to be seen.
My $0.02
As much as I think it's complete and total BS- the gun show background checks shouldn't be touched... you think it's bad now with the idiots that keep mentioning the non-existent "Gun Show Loophole"? Give them a leg to stand on with that issue and they'll run with it until we begin to resemble CA even more. I say let's work on getting the mag cap limit and UBC repealed first, then we can reassess the situation from there.
It does not matter what is there or what is not there they will not stop until it resembles Ca. Give it a few months and there will be another media embellished "loophole". This loophole just like the others will only makes sense to the people that have no idea how the system works and go off stats only MSNBC and moms demand your rights could dream up.
Our goal as gun owners should be to repeal all gun legislation until you reach the words "shall not be infringed" no matter what they think they have to stand on.
DavieD55
09-15-2013, 02:43
Make it illegal for LE agencies to host or sponsor gun buy backs.
HoneyBadger
09-15-2013, 07:41
Bingo. The reasons I jump ship to the libertarians whenever possible. Freedom results in people doing things that you may not like. If you don't like it, don't do it. If you really do believe in God, he'll fry 'em all in good time.
O2
Agreed. This recall was not a "grassroots republican" effort, but really a "grassroots liberty" effort.
Agreed. It would never pass but I'd love a counterproposal just to see the rise it gets from the hoplophobes: A surtax for police protection services, refundable with proof of an ability to defend yourself and your loved ones (e.g., proficiency in martial arts or practical shooting, CCW permit, possession of Taser, etc.). After all, we're costing the government less by not having to have as many policemen to protect ourselves or our property ...
This makes the most sense out of anything I've read so far, and oh, how I wish it were true!
The whole CBI should be on the chopping block. It's a waste of taxpayers' money.
yep. Redundant and wasteful system.
This.
Based on what I hear on 740 & 630 AM, CO voters are pretty sick of both the Democrat and Republican parties, as both have their own agendas and special interest groups. In taking a look (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VoterRegNumbers/2013/August/VotersByPartyStatus.pdf), CO voters are pretty much split 3 ways with registered Democrat, Republican, and Independent voters.
Long story short- The Republicans will have to cleanse its ranks of the zealots, rebrand, and put forth the key points of the OP in order to gain more of the 33%. Will it be done in 2014? Yet to be seen.
My $0.02
Very true. And going back to addressing social issues, the Republican Party (in this state especially) needs to drop them from their platform. There is a new political alignment surfacing that is a split between "pro-liberty" and not. This isn't some arbitrary assignment of how the rules apply - both Republicans and Democrats seem hell bent on taking away your liberty. Examples: patriot act, NDAA, TSA, DHS, etc.
I think it's time to start placing our voter alignment with principles, not party rhetoric. I'm taking about the principles of liberty that America was founded on.
if people voted for principles, we wouldn't have ever had douchebags like Morse in office. We wouldn't be trying to find ways to repeal crazy unconstitutional laws. We wouldn't be heading down the road of Idiocracy.
osok-308
09-15-2013, 08:40
Social Issues
Stay the fuck away from abortion, gay rights, or anything to do with the pill. That stuff's a third rail that will drive away libertarian types and moderate voters, and is the Democrat equivalent of the Bat Signal.
Weed:
1.) Whatever it was that Morse was dragging his feet on regarding Amendment 64, get rid of it, and institute the will of the people.
2.) Get behind the bill to allow dispensaries access to financial institutions.
-This helps build a coalition with some of the hippy-libertarian types, and also allows them to play the "job creator" card, even if those jobs aren't the sort of thing a typical Republican would approve of.
Both of these are key to making sure that the republicans can gain a larger following with independents and more libertarians. We should push to repeal the idiotic gun legislation pushed through this last year, especially with the backing of the sheriffs that were there to stand against the bills, it would be possible to repeal these bills. They only won by a narrow margin anyways.
If we make ourselves at the state and national level as the party of prosperity, liberty, choice,
If we stand strong and do not compromise on the following
Fair trade
Energy independence
Sound money
Balanced budgets
States rights
Securing the border
School vouchers
And standing fast and restoring the 2nd Amendment to pre 1934 infringements
The Democratic party will not have a pot to piss in..WE DO NOT SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, ANY TIME THE DEMS ATTACK US WE THROW THEIR FAILURE IN THE FACE, WE GRAB THEM BY THE NOSE AND KICK THEM IN THE ASS, WE ARE GOING TO KICK THE HELL OUT THEM ALL TIME!
Aloha_Shooter
09-16-2013, 17:40
Here's the thing ... you say stand strong and don't compromise on 8 things. Someone else says stand strong and don't compromise on 8 things but 1 or 2 are different from your 8. Another person says he wants to stand strong on 7 things but 2 of HIS are different. The way things stand now, the Dems win every time because the non-Dems fight about the 1 or 2 things they disagree on instead of pressing for the 5 or 6 they agree on. Dividing the non-Democrats is how the Dems have been winning for the last 7 or 8 years (and during the first Bush presidency).
Oh and as far as the OP goes ... every time I see "A Modest Proposal", I think of someone eating Irish babies. Geez Louise, don't they expose anyone to Jonathan Swift and satire anymore?
I'm well aware of Swift, and my intention in starting the thread was to be somewhat tongue in cheek with the proposals, hence the choice in title.
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