Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future (as they’re known here at PPC) has been sending out flyers chock full of misleading and plainly dishonest allegations about these amendments, with images of police and firefighters carefully crafted to appear as if these folks are in uniform. The intent behind these images seems to be to give the casual reader the impression that the positions presented in the flyers represent an official position of police or fire departments, but with the “plausible deniability” that someone looking closely at the uniforms would recognize that they weren’t the real thing.

Clearly, though, the flyers’ authors rely on the fact that most people who find one of these things in their mailbox will look only at the hang-dog faces on the people who nobly protect our communities, read the misleading text to find out what has them looking so upset, and take away the impression that “The Police Department” and “The Fire Department” officially oppose Amendments 54, 49, 47.  But if anything, when the pictures are studied carefully, it’s actually a union position that’s being represented.

As a refresher, Protecting Colorado’s Culture of Corruption’s Future’s first flyer slamming Amendments 54, 49, and 47  stated:

For officers like Jeff Shaw – our safety is his top priority.

But at 2:00am when he responds to a call – Officer Shaw shouldn’t worry whether or not his vest can take that bullet.

But that’s EXACTLY what Amendments 47, 49, and 54 will do.

These amendment swill stop Officer Shaw from joining with other officers to advocate for better body armor and modern equipment – giving him the tools he needs to protect and save lives. 

If you look closely at the pictures in that flyer, you’ll notice that Officer Jeff Shaw isn’t quite wearing a uniform, but a black police-uniform-style shirt with what appears to be a name bar and police badge on it – a badge which bears the letters “F.O.P.”, the acronym of the Fraternal Order of Police.  While the central body of the F.O.P. doesn’t explicitly describe itself as a union, it performs many of the functions of one. I’ve got no problem at all with citizens organizing into professional associations or unions – especially if those groups put the interests of their members before the interests of the group’s leaders.  

But…when you read their words, Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future’s argument is that only by stopping Amendments 47, 49, and 54 will our state’s police and firefighters be able to participate in organizations like F.O.P. They imply organizations like F.O.P. – unions, in short – are the only route for securing the workplace safety of our policemen and firefighters. For getting them the body armor and modern equipment they need.  For obtaining the tools they need to protect and save lives. 

One might construe from that that the F.O.P. is concerned about safety, right? Well…Take a peek at the current F.O.P. Sherriff Lodge 27′s collective bargaining agreement.  Here are a few sample pages (full document can be found at FOP Sheriff Lodge 27′s website):

Full, legible document here [pdf].  

Since we’re all about looking at things closely, we took a close look at this document. 

In this collective bargaining union agreement, the words “pay”,  ”payroll”, “paydate”, or “salary” appear no fewer than 92 times, the words “vacation”, “leave”, or “sick leave” appear no fewer than 108 times, and the word “overtime” appears no fewer than 8 times. 

Since this is an employment agreement we’re talking about, it’s obviously going to include text about pay and benefits. That’s part of what an employment agreement is for, right? But in contrast, throughout the entire agreement, the word “safety” does not appear once; nor do the words “bulletproof” or ”vest”. 

Not. Once.

It’s a completely bogus argument to claim that Amendments 47, 49, and 54 will prevent anyone from joining any union or professional organization they choose – in fact, securing that element of choice is exactly what Amendment 47 in particular is about – or that workers will be unable to organize to negotiate better conditions or the right equipment for the job. It’s also questionable to imply that those unions are the sole route to workplace safety, when the union leaders don’t bother to mention safety alongside hundreds of pay and benefit provisions in their collective bargaining agreement.

You’d think if collective bargaining were the sole means available for securing the safety of their members, the union leadership crafting that collective bargaining agreement would have seen fit to mention it, even just once .

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Honesty just isn’t one of Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future’s strengths.  Taking their Page 4 LIES one by one (click the links to read the actual Amendment text on the Colorado Secretary of State’s webpage):

Amendment 47: How does giving firefighters the right to choose whether they want to join a union take their equipment and tools away?  Amendment 47 will only take away power from Union Thug Bosses from strong-arming firefighters to join a union.  The amendment actually protects an individual firefighter’s right to choose what’s in his best interest.

Amendment 49: Doesn’t dictate how hardworking firefighters spend their paychecks.  It prohibits Union Thug Bosses from stealing money out of firefighter paychecks.  It requires Union Thug Bosses to ask before taking money from our hardworking Colorado firefighters.

Amendment 54: Closes campaign finance loopholes for corrupt, scumbag corporations who presently can spend millions of dollars in campaigns to get crooked politicians elected and then can be rewarded by those politicians with multi-million dollar NO-BID government contracts.  Small businesses actually benefit from an Amendment 54 even playing field allowing them to compete for those same government contracts.  Working families benefit because our tax dollars don’t go to crooked politicians paying off corrupt, scumbag contractors with multi-million dollar political favors.  In addition, Amendment 54 sets up a statewide searchable database that allows us, the hardworking Colorado families, to see which politicians are handing out NO-BID government contracts and which contractors receive them.  We should be able to see exactly how our tax dollars are being spent. 

Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future is shameful and dishonest.  They send out mailers full of LIES on Amendments 47, 49, and 54.  They LIE to Colorado voters’ faces about Amendments 47, 49, and 54.  They refuse to publicly debate Amendments 47, 49, and 54 to defend their LIES.  Unfortunately for Protect Colorado’s Culture of Corruption Future , we Colorado voters actually use our heads and see through the LIES.

These Heroes Don’t Need Capes, so why has Protect Colorado’s Future put these true heroes in costumes?

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From Protect Colorado’s Future’s original No on Amendment 47, 49, and 54 scanned mailer, a commentor noted that the officer in the picture wasn’t wearing an “official” police badge.  Protect Colorado’s Future dressed him up in an officer-looking costume.  What is it that Protect Colorado’s Future is trying to hide?  Why is Protect Colorado’s Future trying to trick voters?   I have at least as much, and likely more, respect for Colorado’s public employees who keep us safe, but something about Protect Colorado’s Future’s mailers don’t add up to me.

The only thing about this ad that’s true is that Colorado’s officers, firefighters, and EMTs are true heroes.  It’s too bad that Protect Colorado’s Future thinks they can dress these real heroes up in costumes.

First Protect Colorado’s Future dresses real public employees up in costumes, then they outright lie to Colorado voters about Colorado amendments on the ballot, and now they’re back to putting Colorado’s heroes in costumes?  Why won’t Protect Colorado’s Future just be honest with voters?  Why are they using such sketchy tactics?

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Now, I’m no election law attorney, but isn’t it illegal in Colorado to use public employees in their official capacity for campaigning purposes? I’ll let others handle the misleading claims, but if the ad inappropriately uses a public official, hasn’t PCF’s political posturing  placed the officer in an awkward position?

Shameful.

Tom Lucero of Clean Government Colorado is not happy about this ad, and has challenged Jess Knox of Protect Colorado’s Future to a debate on the contents of the PCF’s ad:

Many supporters of Amendment 54 called the office complaining of a grotesquely misleading mail piece. Many of the supporters are registered Unaffiliated and Democrat. When the office received a copy of the mail piece, Campaign Chair Tom Lucero was so taken aback that he immediately challenged spokesman for Protect Colorado’s Future to a debate to answer for his campaign’s disgusting mail piece. “Our opponents have taken politics in Colorado to a new low. To suggest that Amendment 54 would prevent law enforcement from advocating for the equipment that they need is absolutely shameful,” said Lucero. “Jess Knox needs to explain to real Coloradans how Amendment 54 will prevent law enforcement from advocating for equipment. In fact, our opponents have been completely unresponsive when approached by the media about the details relating to Amendment 54. Now is their opportunity to stand with me and answer to the citizens of Colorado. I will meet any time, any place, with an agreed upon moderator under any format. Let’s have a real debate about why our opponents insist on protecting a culture of corruption in Colorado.”