Following the Monday Denver Post’s front-page, above-the-fold coverage of the “tough vote” facing Colorado Supreme Court justices in the upcoming statewide elections this November, other media outlets around the state are picking up on the issue - which may become among the hottest political topics in Colorado this year.

Shamelessly mixing metaphors, Monday’s Denver Post front-page story - coming close on the heels of a guest commentary outlining weaknesses in the current judicial performance review process in this last Saturday’s Post, an earlier article noting the Attorney General’s remarks that he advocates a “NO” vote on three of the four justices scheduled for retention, and extensive coverage across the state on the “Dirty Dozen” tax increase bills - may have been the proverbial snowball that provided just enough critical mass to unleash a veritable avalanche of coverage on the issue of statewide retention elections for the Colorado Supreme Court this year.

Naturally, the “new media” was quickest to pick up on the topic, with articles such as Ballot 2010:  Supreme Court of Colorado and these news items about judicial performance evaluations and Clear The Bench Colorado picking up steam), along with an extensive listing of the various subterfuges, evasions, and outright constitutional violations enabled by the Colorado Supreme Court’s rulings in order to raise (or “freeze” at a higher rate) taxes, increase “fees” and eliminate other limits on taxing and spending by state government and capped by coverage of Sen. Chris Romer’s statement which “lauded last year’s controversial Colorado Supreme Court ruling that said a constitutional provision requiring tax increases to be put to a popular vote did not apply” - taking a stand against the rights of citizens so that the “legislature, thanks to the Supreme Court decision, has the right to be back in charge…”

“Old media” was not far behind in picking up on and amplifying the topic, such as the commentary  in Thursday’s Fort Collins Coloradoan (”Citizens should get to vote on taxes“), decrying a “misguided state Supreme Court decision that allowed for these tax increases without a vote of the people.”

“The Colorado Supreme Court got this one wrong. This is why I offered amendments to the bills seeking to put these higher taxes to a vote of the people. Allowing the citizens of Colorado to have their constitutionally guaranteed chance to weigh in on job-killing tax hikes is the least that we should do.”

Even smaller newspapers around the state such as the Summit Daily News are weighing in on the issue (”Smaller government = more power to the people“):

Closer to home, within the state, we need to do all we can as citizens of Colorado to nip a growing misuse of power within our Supreme Court. We have the constitutional right to vote on whether we want to be taxed, in any event, for any reason. Some lawmakers in our government are presently busily taking away our right to vote on taxing. There are four unjust judges who will want to be confirmed in November who should be thrown out by a simple NO vote next to their names on the ballot. They have been increasing taxes and creating other unconstitutional atrocities against the will of the people for too long. In November say NO to The Mullarkey Bunch - Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey. There will be plenty of reminders as their unconstitutional tax increases start hitting you in the wallet. Visit the [Clear The Bench Colorado] website for the full scoop on the sweets tax and the other dirty dozen agenda-driven invasions of our rights as voters, especially when it comes to taxes. Ritter’s (he must go too) vehicle registration fees are really unconstitutional tax increases that we would not have voted for if we had been given our rights as citizens to vote on tax increases. This kind of misuse of power must be stopped and we have the power to say NO.

Thanks in part to the increased (and growing) coverage - acknowledging that there actually ARE scheduled statewide elections to allow voters to retain (or NOT retain) our Colorado Supreme Court justices in office, more and more people throughout Colorado are becoming aware that “we have the power to say NO” - and learning of the ample cause for exercising that power (indeed, that right).

Defend your right to have a vote before being taxed- and exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on the four ‘unjust justices’ of the Mullarkey Majority (Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, instead of rule by an oligarchy of activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Help to Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices!

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