Colorado: Joe Rice

So they built them. Many roads. Bridges too. And they were vital to society. Then the Colorado state government began charging a car registration fee to maintain this new transportation infrastructure.

-And you’re okay with this. "We wouldn’t want the roads and bridges to deteriorate," you said.

- But the roads and bridges deteriorated.

-This confused you. So you approached the state and asked: "What the hell happened?"

-"We need more money," the state said. So they implemented a gas tax. Over the years, they raised this and raised this to the point where now they charge you 22 cents a gallon. (This on top of the 18 cents a gallon tacked on by the feds).

If you work on Capitol Hill, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you've probably heard at least something about House Bill 1170, which would allow an employee who is subject to a lockout initiated by an employer to receive unemployment insurance benefits [Pols edit]. Or maybe you've noticed that GIANT YELLOW BANNER UP THERE ^^^

The bill goes before Representative Joe Rice's (D- Littleton) Business and Labor Affairs Committee tomorrow (3/4 upon adjournment) and for the most part, this common sense bill has had a lot of support from House Democrats and even a few Republicans (albeit privately).  

But not until the day before this bill goes into committee, does the so-called business community really start to go BoNkErS (Blue Day Colorado crazy letters emphasis).

A bill to raise vehicle registration fees to fix the state's frail roads and bridges pushed through its last major roadblock Wednesday.

In winning a 34-31 victory on final reading in the House, Senate Bill 108, known as FASTER, is now a couple of small steps from Gov. Bill Ritter's desk.

Debate Wednesday was largely along the same lines as debate that has surrounded the bill since Democrats introduced it with great fanfare a little more than a month ago.

Democrats said the bill — which would raise vehicle registration fees $41 for the average car, phased in over three years, among other funding mechanisms — is vital to preserving jobs and fixing highway infrastructure.

Gov. Bill Ritter's major economic development bill received House approval Wednesday, but not before members of his own party called it a "misuse of our funds" and "economics of the absurd."

House Bill 1001 allows companies that create at least 20 new jobs in Colorado to get a 50 percent tax credit on each worker's salary. Ritter said the measure allows the state to compete for jobs, and a Joint Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth endorsed it.

Democrats, however, have tried to kill the proposal, saying the $2.9 million that would be spent next year should be used to help balance the budget.