On KNUS, Andrews let GOP state House candidate distort TABOR reform proposal

Summary: On Backbone Radio, while discussing former co-host Joshua Sharf's candidacy in a Colorado House Republican primary, host John Andrews allowed Sharf to distort a proposed initiative by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff by saying it "would essentially gut TABOR and take the extra money and give it over to the teachers unions." In fact, as the Associated Press noted, under the proposal, "[V]oters would give up future tax surplus refunds and that money would go into a separate 'rainy day' account in the education fund created by Amendment 23."

On the June 22 broadcast of KNUS 710 AM's Backbone Radio, while discussing former co-host Joshua Sharf's candidacy in Colorado's House District 6 Republican primary, host John Andrews allowed Sharf to distort a proposed initiative by state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (Denver) by saying it "would essentially gut TABOR [the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights] and take the extra money and give it over to the teachers unions." In fact, the wording of Romanoff's proposal to reform TABOR and Amendment 23 to the Colorado Constitution does not address teachers unions in any way. As the Associated Press reported on April 17, under the proposal, "[V]oters would give up future tax surplus refunds and that money would go into a separate 'rainy day' account in the education fund created by Amendment 23."

Sharf's comment echoed a misleading headline linking to the same April 17 AP article on the "news" website Face the State that stated of Romanoff's proposal: "Surplus would go to teachers unions, not citizens." As Colorado Media Matters noted, the article to which Face the State linked made no mention of teachers unions.

In addition, although Andrews and Sharf repeatedly attacked the other District 6 Republican primary candidate, Rima Barakat-Sinclair, during the broadcast, Andrews did not state whether he planned to provide Sharf's opponent with airtime.

Romanoff is vacating his District 6 seat due to term limits.

From the June 22 broadcast of KNUS 710 AM's Backbone Radio:

ANDREWS: You are packaging yourself, Sharf, as a potential state legislator who's ready to deal with the issues that face the state legislature, and it seems to me if you have a primary opponent who wants to do the victim thing --

SHARF: Well, apparently, the thing didn't record, so we're gonna to have to maybe wait till next week and we'll get it cleaned up a little bit. But, yeah, I mean, my position has always been that you should be running as who you are, and you should be running as -- with certain positions that are relevant for the state legislature and that when somebody attacks you for those positions or when somebody comes after you for your record, you don't turn around and claim that they're attacking entire classes of people in order to try and be a victim and --

ANDREWS: Identity politics --

SHARF: -- and hide behind this stuff.

ANDREWS: Joshua --

SHARF: It's not appropriate.

ANDREWS: -- identity politics is left-liberal stuff, and the posturing about issues of no direct relevance to the way the state of Colorado governs itself and makes its laws, such issues as the long, bitter struggle between Israel and those radicals, the Palestinians who want to see it exterminated -- Rima Barakat-Sinclair seems to be marginalizing herself increasingly week by week. So how are you going about the campaign?

SHARF: Well, I'm -- you know, obviously this is something that is relevant to a voter's choice, but I'm going about the campaign talking about issues that are relevant to the state. I'm talking about health care, talking about education in terms of increasing our choice options. I'm talking about protecting TABOR against the attacks that are inevitably going to come. In fact, Andrew Romanoff is already continuing to try to push this initiative that would essentially gut TABOR and take the extra money and give it over to the teachers unions. And at the Capitol Hill --

ANDREWS: Do away with spending limits in the state budget forever.

SHARF: Essentially, yes. And at Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods meeting, all three of the Democrats came out in favor of that. So that tells you where they are. That tells you where the Democrats running in this district are.

The final text of the proposed ballot measure does not include any provision for directing funds to teachers unions. As the AP reported on May 5, Romanoff "said his plan will ask voters to let the state keep tax surplus refunds under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR, to invest in the State Education Fund." The AP further reported:

He [Romanoff] says his plan would also create a state rainy day fund, particularly for education, while asking voters to eliminate mandatory education spending increases under Amendment 23.

If approved, the initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution, making the changes permanent.

Romanoff said the plan would still allow voters to approve or reject tax increases under TABOR, which limits state spending based on inflation and population growth.

—C.H.