By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Colorado’s three gubernatorial candidates squared off yesterday for their first debate, focusing heavily on tax and spend issues.
Democrat John Hickenlooper separated himself from his two conservative opponents, while Republican Dan Maes and American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo found themselves agreeing with each other more on the issues than they disagreed.
Maes’ and Tancredo’s sharpest disagreement came over a package of three anti-tax ballot proposals that critics have said would cripple government’s ability to provide necessary public services. Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 aim to drastically cut taxes by reducing government taxing and spending. The ballot initiatives cover vehicles taxes, property tax mill levies and government debt.
Tancredo said he supports all three proposals.
“I recognize that everybody thinks that they’re draconian in nature, but I’ll tell you this, the people of the State of Colorado are not undertaxed, we are over-governed,” said Tancredo. “The solution is not to keep placing taxes upon people, it is in fact to figure out a way to deal with a scripted budget just like any family in this state has to deal with.”
Maes said that he couldn’t support the majority of the proposals, but does support Amendment 60, which would reverse a measure that froze property tax mill levies in local school districts.
“The freezing of the property tax was unconstitutional, I don’t care what the Supreme Court justices have to say,” said Maes. “The other two, in spirit I agree we should cut taxes, but not all at the same time.”
Hickenlooper found himself defending himself against comments by his two conservative opponents that he would raise taxes if elected governor.
“We’re not going to raise taxes, we’re going to focus on what are those services that people most value and prioritize them, and then simultaneously, we have to turn the economy around, we’ve got to, as you’re making government smaller and more tight, you’ve got to cut the red tape, and É we have to help small business grow,” said the Denver mayor.
Discussions also turned to reforming the state’s retirement system for public employees, relieving congestion along Interstate 70, establishing a health insurance exchange and higher education issues. But the debate settled on immigration reform for quite a while Ń a topic near and dear to former Congressman Tancredo.
Tancredo once again called Denver a so-called “sanctuary city” and blamed Hickenlooper for allowing conditions that make it a sanctuary city.
“Denver is a sanctuary city, the mayor and I have argued this I don’t know how many times, and I’m sure we will continue that discussion, but it is a sanctuary city and when you have sanctuary cities you create problems,” said Tancredo.
Hickenlooper defended himself against the accusation. But his campaign as a whole also fired back, arguing that Denver is not a sanctuary city. The campaign points out that Denver has always complied with state and federal laws, and the city has reported 7,300 arrestees to federal immigration officials since 2006.
“We have always been serious,” said Hickenlooper. “And I don’t care how many times people say that Denver is a sanctuary city, it doesn’t make it true.”
Colorado Decides 2010
“Gubernatorial General Election Debate”
AIRING: Tonight, 9 p.m.
STATION: Colorado Public Television Channel 12
