For Immediate Release: Media Contact: John Caldara
September 10, 2008 (303) 641-4255
Farm Bureau Lines Up Behind Amendment 49
Colorado Farmers, Ranchers Support "Ethical Standards"
ENGLEWOOD, CO – The self-styled "voice of agriculture in Colorado" has announced its public support of a statewide ballot initiative to clean up government payroll systems.
The Colorado Farm Bureau has issued an endorsement of Amendment 49, also known as the "Ethical Standards" Initiative, noting that "Amendment 49 is a common sense reform for Colorado," said Bureau president Alan Foutz. "Government should not be in the business of handing out money to special interest groups."
Originally formed in 1919, the Colorado Farm Bureau is an independent, voluntary association that represents 24,000 farmers and ranchers. According to its website, Farm Bureau "provides an organization in which members may secure the benefits of united efforts in a way which could never be accomplished through individual effort."
Amendment 49 will prohibit governments from bundling money from public employees' paychecks and delivering the funds to special interests groups. These special interests use the money to lobby the same politicians who just delivered the cash to them.
"It's unethical for government to be the banker, accountant, and collection agent for political special interests," said Amendment 49 proponent Jon Caldara. "Government should be using our tax dollars and our civil servants' time to provide crucial public services, not to funnel money to political organizations."
Local governments across Colorado have set the pattern for the Ethical Standards Initiative. Twelve counties representing over half the state's population—including Arapahoe, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, and Weld) have implemented this reform since 2007. Amendment 49 would follow their lead and clean up the patchwork of laws to provide consistently simple and ethical payroll standards for Colorado governments.
To learn more about the initiative, visit the Amendment 49 website: EthicalStandardsNow.org
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