Face the State headline distorted News article to suggest Ritter "violated TABOR"
Summary: Linking to a Rocky Mountain News article, the "news" website Face the State published a headline that misleadingly claimed Gov. Bill Ritter "violated TABOR with statewide property-tax hike." The News article specifically stated that "foes" and "opponents" of an education funding measure Ritter enacted in 2007 argued that it violated restrictions on retaining and spending state revenue.
On May 6 the "news" website Face the State linked to a May 6 Rocky Mountain News article with a headline asserting that Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter "violated TABOR with statewide property tax hike." In fact, the article, which was headlined "Ritter violated TABOR, say foes at trial on property tax measure," reported that "[o]pponents argued Monday that Gov. Bill Ritter and legislative Democrats violated Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights by deciding last year to increase tax revenue."
From the "Latest Headlines" section of the May 6 Face the State home page:
Contrary to Face the State's misleading headline, the News article made it clear that "foes" and "opponents" of Senate Bill 199 -- a measure enacted in May 2007 that shifts much of the burden of K-12 education funding to the local property tax base -- claimed that Ritter violated TABOR's restrictions on retaining and spending state revenue:
Opponents argued Monday that Gov. Bill Ritter and legislative Democrats violated Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights by deciding last year to increase tax revenue.
The 2007 bill, SB 199, will produce $117 million more in local property taxes this year.
Opponents argue that under TABOR any measure that brings in more tax money must go before voters.
Backers say voters in 175 school districts had already exempted themselves from parts of the 1992 tax limitation measure.
The issue is before Denver District Court Judge Christina Habas in a trial that could last all week.
Face the State's use of a misleading headline to link to an article from another news source continues a frequent practice that Colorado Media Matters repeatedly has documented.
Face the State describes itself as "the 'go-to' news resource for Coloradans interested in state and local politics." The website's founder and managing editor, conservative political activist Brad Jones, defended Face the State's journalistic practices in a February 6 News guest editorial and in an article published in the February 7 issue of the weekly Westword, which stated that "Jones resents the insinuation that he'd sacrifice accuracy and journalistic credibility if given the chance to spatter political opponents."
— C.K.
Posted to the web on Tuesday May 6, 2008 at 5:05 PM EST