Friday, February 09, 2007

Ritter bows to Pressure from Senate Republicans, Small Business

Governor Bill Ritter just bowed to the pressure from Senate Republicans and small business owners by vetoing HB07-1072, the Big Labor Pay-off, closed shop union bill.

Not six weeks into his first term as Ritter has already estranged himself from his party and the union activists who put him in the Governor's Mansion. The veto was certainly good public policy, but it clearly ends Ritter's honeymoon in office.

[UPDATE]
The Denver Post has more here.

Ritter's justification for offending half of his base of support? It wasn't politically expedient.

"...During the campaign, two labor organizations asked me in written questionnaires if I would support an amendment to the Colorado Labor Peace Act that eliminates the second organizing election ratifying an all-union agreement. I indicated that I would, believing that requiring a second super-majority election seems, on its face, undemocratic.

It also interjects government into what should be a private negotiating process between employer and employee.

I recognize how deeply disappointed my friends in organized labor will be with this decision. I know that members of my own party in the legislature stood firm in the face of outrageous, unprecedented and shameful partisan rhetoric done only for political sport. [Emphasis Added]

...Over the last several days, I have listened intently to people I respect who worried deeply about the impact this change would have on our ability to attract new business to Colorado, to create new economic opportunity for all..."
The startling thing about Ritter's letter is that he admits that he's own party "stood firm in the face of
outrageous, unprecedented and shameful partisan rhetoric done only for political sport," while he buckled under the pressure of his real political fight.

For the record Governor Ritter, defending the freedoms of individual employees and small business owners isn't "shameful".

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well for the first, and perhaps the last time let me say THANK YOU to Governor Ritter for a truly upstanding decision. I hope he has more moments like this during his term in office.