| LovelandPolitics.com |
| Don Marostica Accuses Republicans of Being out of Touch Special meeting meant to mend fences offends even more Republicans |
Loveland - April 27, 2009
Colorado State House Representative Don Marostica, whose District is comprised mostly of the City of Loveland, hosted a
meeting with area Republicans last Saturday in an apparent attempt to mend fences given his recent falling out with his own
political party.
The nearly 2 ½ hour meeting was held in Penguin’s coffee shop in Loveland and was attended by ten people.
Representative Marostica commented on the state of the Republican Party in Colorado and attempted to explain his own
recent verbal attacks against the leadership of his party. He argued Colorado’s Republican Party lacks leadership and a
coherent plan for reclaiming the majority of Colorado’s legislature, Governorship and the 4th U.S. Congressional District in
Northern Colorado.
Marostica warned that Colorado ’s Republican Party desperately needs money. He told those assembled that he knew Pat
Stryker (editor’s note: Stryker is a wealthy political activist in Ft. Collins) has already contributed $500,000 towards
defeating Colorado State Senator Kevin Lundberg. Marostica further warned that as the next election approaches, voters in
Colorado’s 15th Senate District will begin receiving daily mailers attacking Senator Lundberg funded by Stryker.
A number of recurring themes with regards to his Republican colleagues included the following:
1. Republican leadership in the Colorado Legislature is out of touch.
2. Only Marostica and perhaps one or two of the other Republicans actually reads all the bills (Rep. Bob Gardner was one
of the names he mentioned). Marostica said he only sleeps four hours a night and spends his weekend reading bills that his
colleagues do not.
3. Republicans in the legislature use a cheat sheet that tells them how to vote on issues so they do not have to read the bills.
In responding to questions regarding his longevity on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, Marostica explained that he is
the “expert” on the budget implying his Republican colleagues would be lost without him. Therefore, he is not concerned
that his recent clashes with his own party would result in him loosing that position.
Marostica’s Future Interests
One member of the small audience questioned Marostica as to why he doesn’t use his self-described superior knowledge
and talents to assist the Republican leadership by finding consensus and working to improve the budget process.
Marostica responded that he, “hates having a boss” in reference to his own work history. Those attending the meeting
reminded him that “we” the public are his bosses.
He then stated that he doesn’t want politics to be a career. In typical Marostica fashion, he said he doesn’t want to go to
Washington (as if the choice were only his) and he said despite many friends asking him to run he has turned down the
opportunity to run for Governor of Colorado. According to those in attendance, his denial of any future aspirations in politics
appeared sincere and he made the point emphatically.
Marostica also discussed problems with primary battles for the party and indicated he believed the Republican candidate for
Governor of Colorado in 2010 will be Rep. Scott McInnis.
Transparency
When asked why the budget was not online where people could see it in detail, Rep. Marostica commented that it soon
would be with transparency. He describes his earlier efforts and how his original effort was killed because of the fiscal note.
In describing his efforts to bring about transparency, he commented that he was “disappointed” in Rep. B.J. Nikkel for
introducing HB1288 without first consulting him to understand what his plans were.
He then commented that he did support HB1288 (Nikkel’s transparency bill), and it was only through his efforts that the bill
was not killed in committee because of its fiscal note of $72,000 and that the Democrats were fully prepared to kill the bill
(In fact it passed the committee unanimously and by 61 to 4 in favor in the State House).
Death Penalty
Representative Marostica said his Catholic faith is guiding him on the death penalty issue when describing his recent
abandonment of his Republican colleagues on the issue. He argued that Republicans who believe certain types of life have
sanctity and others do not are wrong. He then expressed satisfaction that a supermax prison cell where prisoners are
confined in a very small space for 23 hours a day is a punishment worse than death.
Arveschoug-Bird and the Budget
Rep. Marostica expressed frustration when budgetary issues were raised in the discussion. He commented the state has
hired 1,100 new employees last year (the actual number is 1,400) and complained about the high ratio of engineers to
overall employees at CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation). Marostica told the audience he is unable to get
answers from CDOT regarding the total number of employees and complained the state doesn’t use a single IT (Information
Technology) system thus creating difficulties when sharing information between state agencies.
Finally, Marostica addressed perhaps his most controversial stand among Republicans – his attempt to overturn Arveschoug-
Bird by sponsoring SB228.
He explained that he wants to end the ratchet (in which funding is not automatically restored, but subject to the spending limit
after a downturn in revenue) and free up funds because K-12 education can take up to 48% of the general fund money
while corrections are being reduced and higher education is in trouble. He said that he supports the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
revenue limit but that Arveschoug-Bird must go. One attendee made the point that issues like those which Marostica
addressed regarding new government employees and inefficiencies in CDOT and the IT system should be addressed before
the state even thinks of spending more of the taxpayers’ money.
Marostica stated the rainy-day funds have failed because Arveschoug-Bird forces the state to spend to the limit and
removes the possibility for saving money and that SB228 actually requires a fund for long term savings (though it is statutory,
not constitutional) and that SB228 will sunset after five years, so that it can be revisited if it does not work.
Throwing A Colleague Under The Bus
Rep. Marostica, in describing his duties on the JBC, wanted to make the point that not just Democrats are prone what he
described as the “evils” of spending.
Marostica pointed his finger at fellow Republicans by saying they asked him to allocate funds for projects in their districts.
In one example, Marostica alleged that fellow State House Representative Cory Gardner commented to Marostica he
needed money for farmers only to look good in an upcoming political race. Marostica told those assembled “He [Cory
Gardner] is running for the 4th CD and needed a bill to make him look good to the farmers out on the plains.” Marostica
accused Gardner of asking for $212,000 for this purpose indicating the primary motive was political in nature and not to
benefit the agricultural community Gardner represents.
Colorado State House Representative Don Marostica, whose District is comprised mostly of the City of Loveland, hosted a
meeting with area Republicans last Saturday in an apparent attempt to mend fences given his recent falling out with his own
political party.
The nearly 2 ½ hour meeting was held in Penguin’s coffee shop in Loveland and was attended by ten people.
Representative Marostica commented on the state of the Republican Party in Colorado and attempted to explain his own
recent verbal attacks against the leadership of his party. He argued Colorado’s Republican Party lacks leadership and a
coherent plan for reclaiming the majority of Colorado’s legislature, Governorship and the 4th U.S. Congressional District in
Northern Colorado.
Marostica warned that Colorado ’s Republican Party desperately needs money. He told those assembled that he knew Pat
Stryker (editor’s note: Stryker is a wealthy political activist in Ft. Collins) has already contributed $500,000 towards
defeating Colorado State Senator Kevin Lundberg. Marostica further warned that as the next election approaches, voters in
Colorado’s 15th Senate District will begin receiving daily mailers attacking Senator Lundberg funded by Stryker.
A number of recurring themes with regards to his Republican colleagues included the following:
1. Republican leadership in the Colorado Legislature is out of touch.
2. Only Marostica and perhaps one or two of the other Republicans actually reads all the bills (Rep. Bob Gardner was one
of the names he mentioned). Marostica said he only sleeps four hours a night and spends his weekend reading bills that his
colleagues do not.
3. Republicans in the legislature use a cheat sheet that tells them how to vote on issues so they do not have to read the bills.
In responding to questions regarding his longevity on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, Marostica explained that he is
the “expert” on the budget implying his Republican colleagues would be lost without him. Therefore, he is not concerned
that his recent clashes with his own party would result in him loosing that position.
Marostica’s Future Interests
One member of the small audience questioned Marostica as to why he doesn’t use his self-described superior knowledge
and talents to assist the Republican leadership by finding consensus and working to improve the budget process.
Marostica responded that he, “hates having a boss” in reference to his own work history. Those attending the meeting
reminded him that “we” the public are his bosses.
He then stated that he doesn’t want politics to be a career. In typical Marostica fashion, he said he doesn’t want to go to
Washington (as if the choice were only his) and he said despite many friends asking him to run he has turned down the
opportunity to run for Governor of Colorado. According to those in attendance, his denial of any future aspirations in politics
appeared sincere and he made the point emphatically.
Marostica also discussed problems with primary battles for the party and indicated he believed the Republican candidate for
Governor of Colorado in 2010 will be Rep. Scott McInnis.
Transparency
When asked why the budget was not online where people could see it in detail, Rep. Marostica commented that it soon
would be with transparency. He describes his earlier efforts and how his original effort was killed because of the fiscal note.
In describing his efforts to bring about transparency, he commented that he was “disappointed” in Rep. B.J. Nikkel for
introducing HB1288 without first consulting him to understand what his plans were.
He then commented that he did support HB1288 (Nikkel’s transparency bill), and it was only through his efforts that the bill
was not killed in committee because of its fiscal note of $72,000 and that the Democrats were fully prepared to kill the bill
(In fact it passed the committee unanimously and by 61 to 4 in favor in the State House).
Death Penalty
Representative Marostica said his Catholic faith is guiding him on the death penalty issue when describing his recent
abandonment of his Republican colleagues on the issue. He argued that Republicans who believe certain types of life have
sanctity and others do not are wrong. He then expressed satisfaction that a supermax prison cell where prisoners are
confined in a very small space for 23 hours a day is a punishment worse than death.
Arveschoug-Bird and the Budget
Rep. Marostica expressed frustration when budgetary issues were raised in the discussion. He commented the state has
hired 1,100 new employees last year (the actual number is 1,400) and complained about the high ratio of engineers to
overall employees at CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation). Marostica told the audience he is unable to get
answers from CDOT regarding the total number of employees and complained the state doesn’t use a single IT (Information
Technology) system thus creating difficulties when sharing information between state agencies.
Finally, Marostica addressed perhaps his most controversial stand among Republicans – his attempt to overturn Arveschoug-
Bird by sponsoring SB228.
He explained that he wants to end the ratchet (in which funding is not automatically restored, but subject to the spending limit
after a downturn in revenue) and free up funds because K-12 education can take up to 48% of the general fund money
while corrections are being reduced and higher education is in trouble. He said that he supports the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
revenue limit but that Arveschoug-Bird must go. One attendee made the point that issues like those which Marostica
addressed regarding new government employees and inefficiencies in CDOT and the IT system should be addressed before
the state even thinks of spending more of the taxpayers’ money.
Marostica stated the rainy-day funds have failed because Arveschoug-Bird forces the state to spend to the limit and
removes the possibility for saving money and that SB228 actually requires a fund for long term savings (though it is statutory,
not constitutional) and that SB228 will sunset after five years, so that it can be revisited if it does not work.
Throwing A Colleague Under The Bus
Rep. Marostica, in describing his duties on the JBC, wanted to make the point that not just Democrats are prone what he
described as the “evils” of spending.
Marostica pointed his finger at fellow Republicans by saying they asked him to allocate funds for projects in their districts.
In one example, Marostica alleged that fellow State House Representative Cory Gardner commented to Marostica he
needed money for farmers only to look good in an upcoming political race. Marostica told those assembled “He [Cory
Gardner] is running for the 4th CD and needed a bill to make him look good to the farmers out on the plains.” Marostica
accused Gardner of asking for $212,000 for this purpose indicating the primary motive was political in nature and not to
benefit the agricultural community Gardner represents.
| "Republican leadership in the Colorado Legislature is out of touch" Don Marostica |