KFKA's Oliver distorted revenue estimate for Ref. C, again

Summary: Amy Oliver of 1310 KFKA on her January 8 broadcast claimed that the voter-approved Referendum C "was supposed to cost $2.9 billion, then it was going to cost $3.7 billion." She later added, "Now I think we're upwards of $6 billion." However, as Colorado Media Matters has noted repeatedly, the 2005 Colorado Blue Book specifically stated in its fiscal analysis of the measure that the $3.7 billion revenue figure was an "estimate" and that the exact amount "could be higher or lower."

After saying on her January 8 1310 KFKA broadcast that the 2005 voter-approved Referendum C originally "was supposed to cost $2.9 billion, then it was going to cost $3.7 billion," Amy Oliver added, "[A]nd by the way, I use 'cost' and not 'projected,' because in the campaign literature it says 'cost.' " Oliver, who is director of operations for the "free-market" Independence Institute, continued by stating that Referendum C actually "was going to be 2.9, then 3.1, then $3.7 billion. Now I think we're upwards of $6 billion."

Oliver did not specify what "campaign literature" cited a "cost" of $2.9 billion or $3.7 billion for Referendum C. However, the 2005 Colorado Blue Book specified in its analysis of the measure that the $3.7 billion figure was an "estimate" of the revenue the state could retain under the legislation. Furthermore, the Blue Book specifically stated that the "exact amount of the spending increase could be higher or lower, depending on the economy and the amount of money collected," as Colorado Media Matters has noted repeatedly.

In approving Referendum C, Colorado voters authorized the state "to retain and spend all state revenues" through 2010, suspending the spending restrictions imposed by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) on state coffers. (emphasis added)

Oliver's comments about Referendum C costing a fixed amount echoed those she made on a previous broadcast of her program, as well as those of Independence Institute President Jon Caldara, who on numerous occasions has made the same baseless claim.

From the January 8 broadcast of 1310 KFKA's The Amy Oliver Show:

OLIVER: Well, there was a news story that I want to cover. Amazing to me that -- what was it? Two years ago we passed Referendum C -- D failed -- and Referendum C passed 52-48. 52 percent favored it, 48 percent didn't. And by the way, this was with a massive amount of -- propaganda? I don't know. Pretty much every single newspaper in the state endorsed Referendum C, major businesses, they outspent the opposition, you know, something like 4-1.

You know, there was a massive, massive movement for Referendum C, which is, quote, the TABOR "timeout." It also got rid of the "ratchet" effect; so, in other words, the budget for the state of Colorado could never go down, it only goes up. And despite all of the support it got from, oh, chambers of commerce, and the newspapers -- and really, I mean, the newspapers were, campaigned for rather than actually reported on C and D. Despite that, it only passed 52-48. It was a close vote. And originally it was supposed to cost $2.9 billion, then it was going to cost $3.7 billion -- and by the way, I use "cost" and not "projected," because in the campaign literature it says "cost." And it was, actually it was going to be 2.9, then 3.1, then $3.7 billion. Now I think we're upwards of $6 billion. $6 billion.

—C.K.