Amendment 36 is the permanent trading of Colorado's influence in presidential elections and position in the hierarchy of states for a FOUR ELECTORAL VOTE consolation prize to whoever loses.

In terms of political leverage in the executive branch of our government, Colorado will effectively have 1/3 of the power of Alaska, Delaware or Wyoming. Washington DC will have 3 times the effective electoral votes of Colorado and the people behind 36 want you to believe that this doesn't matter. (Not surprising, they don't live here anyway.)

Amendment 36 is not a referendum on using the popular vote vs the Electoral College to elect presidents. That debate is a national one and can only EFFECTIVELY be decided on a national level by all states.

Those who are championing this amendment want Colorado to fall on the sword as a statement. Unfortunately, we would be falling alone and the only statement we would be making is that we have become ignorant and malleable as an electorate.

Absolutely not. Currently, EVERY vote in Colorado does count towards determining who is awarded a nine electoral vote advantage in presidential elections. If Amendment 36 passes, every vote in Colorado would count towards determining who is awarded a one electoral vote advantage in presidential elections.

From Nine to ONE? How is that making your vote count more?

What would be the effect on Colorado's ranking among states in presidential influence if 36 passes?

One word - nosedive

The two states where it is easiest to bring initiatives to ballot are Colorado and California. If 36 is truly the noble effort that the Californians who spearheaded it would have people believe, why don't they spearhead the same effort in THEIR OWN STATE!?!

What's good enough for Colorado is not
good enough for California?

So why are the Californians picking on Colorado? Some say it's to give Sen. Kerry a four-vote boost in the Electoral College:

Assuming that recent trends hold (Colorado goes Republican and California goes Democrat), Sen. Kerry would most likely receive a 4 electoral vote consolation prize if 36 passes. By not putting a similar initiative on the California ballot, Democrats protect the 20+ electoral votes that would otherwise go to Pres. Bush with as little as 40% of the vote.

Others think the combination of a recent court decision and relatively small number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot makes Colorado an easy target.

What we know for sure is they did not put Amendment 36 on the ballot to help Coloradoans.

Amendment 36 has largely been driven and financed by Dr. Jorge Klor de Alva. Dr. de Alva, who currently heads a university in Brazil¹, has spent his life in academia in such places as Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Princeton and Phoenix. One location conspicuously absent from any bio that we could find for the elusive Dr. de Alva - COLORADO

This initiative is backed by San Francisco-based Peoples Choice for President Foundation. We invite you to them, keeping in mind that the goal of most legitimate organizations is to be visible, not invisible.

DONATION UPDATE: Campaign donations in support of Amend 36 received during the week of 10/14³:  Amount Donor $200,000 Ohio-based liberal activist and top moveon.org contributor Peter Lewis $100,000 San Francisco-based People's Choice for President, bringing their total to date to $789,000

Dr. de Alva and his operatives in state want Colorado to jump off a bridge so that they can test the water.

Tell them to jump off a bridge, vote no on 36.

Political parties will come and go from the White House, but Colorado will be stuck with this amendment to our constitution forever. Good people in Colorado of all political affiliations realize this and have put aside their differences to do what is best for our state - OPPOSING AMENDMENT 36.

In addition to current Governor Bill Owens and former Governor Dick Lamm, 15 of the 16 Colorado Democrats and Republicans running for US House or Senate are NOT in favor of Amendment 36.³

The following Colorado newspapers have come out against 36. No one can remember the last time all of these papers agreed on anything.

According² to supporters of 36, the only local newspaper that endorses it is the...
That's right - DAYTONA BEACH
um...
FLORIDA

Not a whole lot left to say about that.