A New State…… 51st State Imitative

 

There is a group in Colorado that has started talking about forming a new state from some counties in Eastern Colorado.  They are dissatisfied with the policies that have been coming out of the state capital.  Many of the new policies from the state house have had a negative impact on the people of rural Colorado, which is where the dissent is. 

The majority of people live along the Front Range of Colorado, about 70% and they tend to control the state legislature.  Like so many in the city they lose contact with their roots and ignore the country folk.  It has created lots friction between the country people and city slickers. 

There is a liberal axis of power along the Denver/Boulder corridor.  Denver has not had a Republican mayor, US representative in decades.  The Democrats have ruled Denver for years and the same is true in Boulder, the home of the University.

The governor of Colorado is the former mayor of Denver and very liberal.

Recently the state legislature passed a bill mandating that all rural electric Co-Op’s but 30% of their electricity from green energy sources, IE’ wine turbines.  The Co-ops wanted input ot the process as did other rural people.  The Democrats locked them out, had a closed door meeting and brought forth the bill.  Afterwards, there were commercials galore, mocking the rural people that hey would have to be green.  That did not set well in the outlying areas.

Another area of contention has been the use of fracing for gas and oil wells.  The liberals have contended that fracing pollutes and that the chemicals are toxic.  So the county of Boulder banned fracing in their county.  A recent government study shows that fracing does not cause ground water contamination.  The liberals ignored this and still deride the oil and gas industry.

Then there is the issue of taxes.  Colorado has a law stating that all tax increases are to go to the voters for approval.  The democrats have been stymied for years with this.  So they now use fees to generate new taxes.  They have added all kinds of fees onto the oil and gas industry plus agriculture.  These fees are difficult to pass on in higher prices yet at the gas pump one can see some of the jumps in prices from added taxes…. oops…. fees.  Recently the US Supreme Court ruled that any revenue the government collects is a tax.  No one has challenged the Colorado fees.

These factors along with other issues have many a person in the rural areas upset and see no hope for relief from the over bearing policies of the Democrats that control the Colorado State House.  Therefore their solution is a divorce from the Colorado Democrats, form a new state.

One thing to consider is lots of the laws that have been passed by the Democrats have been penalties on rural Colorado, which tends to vote Republican. 

Those of you that have read “Atlas Shrugged,” know who John Gault is.  Forming a new state is a type of John Gault, leaving the morass. 

Yet look at all of the benefits one could have by forming a new state.  Yes it would take lots of work, arguing and thought.

Are you thinking about the plethora of things that could happen in a new state.  Oh joys, hand springs a return to sensibilities. 

The constitution is pretty well outlined, make a few additions and then carefully draft laws that would be difficult to change, for there will always be those who do not like things and want to change them.

Write the tax code in such a way it can be understood by all, limit what can be taxed, ear mark taxes for specific projects, put in sunset laws for taxes, and the list goes on.

Sunset law is a crucial piece of the new constitution.  For ordinances  do not need to have a life of eternity, they can be renewed by congress otherwise they expire.  Look how many laws are on the books now that are meaningless.  There are some laws that are good for a year or a few, then they should fade into non existence.  Same with taxes, there were many special; project taxes that ushered forth and the project is over but the tax is still there. 

Then develop a bureaucracy that would be responsive to people it is to serve.  For a small group can control the state departments and manipulate power.  Regulations are written by the different agencies and here is where the abuse of power is great.  Make all regulations reviewable by the legislature before ii is put into effect.

Just pausing and contemplating all the facets one can work with becomes mind boggling.  Hopefully if it happens the people that work on it won’t have big egos and are benign. 

I’ll probably pull this blog out a later date and add some things to it and post a few thoughts I hear from others.