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ACEC/CO Still Accepting Your Financial to Oppose 2010 Ballot Initiatives that Will Affect Colorado’s Communities

Thank you to the 42 firms that helped us raise $87,750 to oppose the 2010 Ballot Initiatives – Amendment 60, 61 and Proposition 101; the list of firms and contributions were submitted to ACEC national with our request for $49,999 from Minuteman Funds.  
 
There is still time to be part of the submittal to ACEC because we are sending updated names and amounts to ACEC national as we get them.  We believe it will be the broad support of the membership that will have the most impact on ACEC which is why each contribution is important no matter what the amount.  For those who have not contributed yet, please read the following as to why it is important to be part of this effort to defeat these measures. 

ACEC/CO’s Board of Directors has taken a position to oppose these initiatives, to encourage our members to educate themselves to the impacts they will have on services provided by our local municipalities and our state, and to support the ACEC/CO efforts to oppose these measures.  

Why is immediate action necessary for a vote that is taken in November? 

1. The “Don’t Hurt Colorado” campaign which is spearheading the efforts to oppose these initiatives has requested funds by July 1st in order to purchase media now before costs escalate by 30% and choice media spots are taken. 
2. ACEC/CO submitted our request to ACEC national for Minuteman Funds for matching funds last week to meet that deadline.  The maximum that we can request now from the Minuteman Fund is $49,999 and that must be done by a special electronic vote of the ACEC Executive Committee. Funds above $50,000 must be made through a full vote of the ACEC Board of Directors at their mid-October meeting in Puerto Rico.  I am confident that we can secure some funds from the Minuteman Fund, yet there is no guarantee.  Action must be taken now to have a chance to leverage our financial support of this effort.
3. We need the financial support from the whole ACEC/CO membership NOW to make an impression on the ACEC Executive Committee. These initiatives will have an immense negative impact on our communities and businesses – across the state and all engineering disciplines.   

What are Amendment 60 and 61, and Proposition 101:

1. Amendment 60 would:
• Require school districts to cut property tax rates in half by 2020; losing about $1 billion annually. The difference is to be made up by state revenues.
• Repeal all past votes since 1992 to retain property tax revenues above TABOR limits; repeals “de-brucing”.  Local voters throughout the state have chosen to give greater flexibility to their schools districts, library districts, fire departments, police departments, and other services to meet local needs.
• Require enterprises and authorities to pay property taxes, and require local governments to offset that revenue with lower tax rates
2. Amendment 61 would:
• Eliminate Colorado’s ability to build or expand its schools, roads, hospitals, college buildings, light rail, water and sewer systems, prisons by doing away with state and local bonding. By eliminating the use of long term bonds for large projects repayment costs will rise to exorbitant levels
• Require bonds be repaid within ten years, instead of a reasonable time frame such as 20-30 years necessary for large projects.
• Prohibit using revenue anticipation notes and certificates of participation.
3. Proposition 101 would:
• Eliminate a major funding source for road and bridges construction across the state by drastically reducing vehicle registration fees to $10; this fee hasn’t been this low since 1919.  Not only would state highway projects be cut, but local projects would be as well, since cities and counties receive a major portion of their road funding from this fee.
• The Specific Ownership Tax on cars would be reduced to $2 on new cars and $1 on used cars.  This revenue helps fund school districts and other local government priorities. 
• Reduces State Income Tax which would eliminate a quarter of the state’s revenue from income tax when the state budget already has been severely impacted by the recession.

4.     Last week, I held a conference call with a few of our members concerning these ballot measures and the request for funds to oppose them.  A recording of the 20 minute call is at:   https://cc.readytalk.com/play?id=b2mg7h. 

5.  For additional information, please go to Coloradans for Responsible Reform campaign’s web site at www.DontHurtColorado.com.  CFRR is a pro-Colorado, pro-business group formed in 1994.  Additional details of these initiatives impacts can also be found at The Bell Policy Center at: http://thebell.org/node/1231.
  
What can you do NOW?

1. Please pledge: $10,000, $5,000, $2,500, $1,500, $1,000, $500, $250 (or any amount).  Please email me your support and we will bill your ACEC/CO account, and you will be part of our request for ACEC Minuteman Funds. 
2. If the firm prefers to send their contribution directly to the “Don’t Hurt Colorado” campaign, you can do so but please send an email (mar@acec-co.org) or fax a letter to ACEC/CO (303-832-0400) stating you have done so and are part of ACEC/CO’s efforts to oppose Amendments 60 and 61, and Proposition 101.  It is imperative that we have your support of ACEC/CO fundraising efforts in writing to be included in our Minuteman Fund request.   
3. Corporate and personal funds can be used for this effort.
4. It will make a great impression on ACEC if we get broad support for this effort.   
5. Educate the importance of defeating these ballot measures to your employees, family, friends, colleagues, neighbors.

If you have any questions, please contact Marilen Reimer at the ACEC/CO office, 303-832-2200, mar@acec-co.org. 

Thank you for your support and your immediate action to this important fundraising effort.





Bill Hoffmann, ACEC/CO President

 

Marilen Reimer, ACEC/CO Executive Director