The Denver Gazette published Jon Caldara’s column, “Such hubris never before seen in Colorado,” and it is exactly the kind of pointed, no-fluff analysis that explains why Colorado politics feels like a runaway tractor with the throttle stuck. Caldara argues that Colorado’s progressive political machine has grown drunk on power, bypassing voters, weakening transparency, and treating democratic limits like speed bumps on the way to a press conference.
His column walks through a list of examples, from TABOR maneuvers and oil-and-gas setbacks to RTD governance, open meetings rules, renewable energy mandates, and job protections for legislators. The theme is not subtle: unchecked power is getting very comfortable under the gold dome.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Caldara opens with Lord Acton’s warning that power corrupts, then updates it with a Colorado twist: the ruling class has apparently mistaken “public service” for “because we can.”
- He argues the legislature keeps finding ways around voters, especially on TABOR refunds and tax policy. Nothing says “democracy” like asking voters for permission only after you have hidden the keys.
- He points to state overrides of local or voter-backed decisions, including oil-and-gas setbacks and transportation governance. The message from Denver seems to be: your vote matters, right up until it becomes inconvenient.
- Caldara rips Senate Bill 150 for reshaping RTD’s elected board with insider appointees. Apparently, elections are great, unless the people elect the wrong kind of people.
- He closes by calling out big mandates, open meetings exemptions, and special job protections for legislators. Public servants becoming a protected class from the consequences of their own service is rich enough to need a cardiologist.
My Bottom Line
I like Jon Caldara. More and more, I find myself reading his columns and saying, “Well, there it is.” He says the quiet part clearly, and on this one, I do not have much to add.
Colorado has a power problem. Not a left-right disagreement. Not a minor policy dispute. A power problem. When one party controls enough of the machine for long enough, the machine starts sounding like it owns the people instead of serving them.
That is dangerous no matter who does it. I am a Republican, but I am not blind. If Republicans ever get that comfortable, voters should keep a branding iron handy. Government works best when it is limited, accountable, transparent, and just a little afraid of the people who pay for it.
So I will simply leave Caldara’s column here and encourage folks to read it. It is sharp, it is funny, and it is painfully close to the mark. Colorado needs less hubris, more humility, and a government that remembers the voters are not an obstacle. They are the boss.
Source: The Denver Gazette
