May Statement on Latest Round of Budget Cuts

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today issued the following statement in response to Governor Bill Ritter’s latest budget balancing plan:

“As we continue to grapple with measures to balance the budget, I believe that we should use this situation as an opportunity to examine meaningful government reform as opposed to using one time gimmicks and budget balancing tricks.

“I was disappointed to see that many of the governor’s proposals merely delay the inevitable.

“It is time to take a new approach to solving our long term problems.

“We invite the governor to work with us in a true bipartisan fashion to reform government.”

Lambert Questions New Government Hiring on Eve of Furlough Day

State Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, today decried the Governor’s Energy Office for advertising three new job postings on their Web site while state employees face another unpaid day off.
“I find it difficult to understand why the governor would be advertising for new government jobs while state government is facing across the board budget cuts,” Lambert said. “Now is not the time to be expanding government.”

The job advertisements in question are for positions within the Governor’s Energy office. After reviewing the job postings, Lambert questioned why state government would be furloughing existing employees and hiring new state employees simultaneously.

“I have to question the logic behind adding five more highly paid government bureaucrats with lavish benefit packages while we are furloughing state employees,” Lambert said. “It seems that the so-called hiring freeze is now officially dead.”

Lambert also points to other recent media reports citing wasteful spending at the Department of Education and a scathing audit of the CollegeInvest program as evidence that state government needs to rein in spending and control costs.

“It is shameful that the governor is still expanding pet government projects while he unilaterally cuts several days of pay from existing state employees, proposes more cuts to the homestead property tax exemption for senior citizens, and cuts fire and police protection in casino communities,” Lambert said. “It is time we reexamine government priorities and set things straight.”

The job announcements can be found online at Colorado Governor's Energy Office Web site.

Rep. Murray Appointed to SIPA Board of Directors

State Rep. Carole Murray, R-Castle Rock, today announced that she has been appointed to serve on the Colorado Statewide Internet Portal Authority (SIPA) Board of Directors.

Murray will serve as the member of the Colorado House of Representatives on the SIPA Board of Directors. As a member of the board, Murray will work with other board members to oversee the maintenance and development of the Colorado.gov Web site.

“Every day, more and more Coloradans are interacting with their state government through the Web,” Murray said. “That is why it is important to deliver state government information and services as efficiently and user friendly as possible.”

The 13-member SIPA Board of Directors is consists of representatives from both the private and public sector. Created by the state Legislature in 2004, the SIPA Board of Directors is tasked with using the latest in technological and business solutions to deliver the best possible state government experience for Web users.

“Colorado citizens expect their government to deliver as many services as possible via the internet and I hope to be able to facilitate movement in that direction, not only for state government, but for local jurisdictions as well,” Murray said. “For example, the Douglas County School District uses SIPA as their fee payment engine, used by Douglas County parents every day. Any local jurisdiction may use SIPA to handle their local contact with citizens.”

When Murray was Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, she was instrumental in crafting a bill enabling electronic real estate recordings, which now makes Colorado one of the leading states to allow e-recordings.

Murray, who was recommended to serve on the board by House Republican Leader Mike may, R-Parker, was appointed by House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver. She will begin serving as a member of the SIPA Board of Directors immediately.