Some Republicans turn toward Ritter

Beauprez hustling to regain support of business community

Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News

Published August 21, 2006 at midnight

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Rocky Scott is a longtime Republican who ran economic development efforts in Colorado Springs for 16 years. Last year he took a job overseeing the huge Centerra commercial and residential project now going up along Interstate 25 in Loveland.

Scott's career has been about business, and he always thought the Republican Party and business went together hand in glove. Now, he's not so sure.

"There's growing discontent in the business community about the position of many Republicans on Referendum C and finding the resources necessary to fund state services," Scott said.

That discontent has been a boon to Democrat Bill Ritter in his race for governor against U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez. Ritter endorsed Ref C, while Beauprez opposed it. Ref C was approved by voters last fall and allowed the state to keep billions in tax revenue that otherwise would have been returned to taxpayers.

Colorado business organizations played a key role in the passage of Ref C, fearing that huge cuts in higher education and transportation funding would harm the state's economy. Scott says many executives share Ritter's fear that Colorado is falling behind other states in funding its universities and roads.

Business people like Scott tend to be Republicans, but many of them are now saying they'll support Ritter.

"I hear an increasing number of Republicans say they'll either be on the sidelines or they're going to vote for Ritter," said Scott, who has yet to endorse a candidate.

Last week, dozens of Republican business executives met with Ritter at a breakfast in Denver to discuss economic development. Republican businessman Blair Richardson, former finance chairman for Mark Holtzman's campaign for governor, hosted the breakfast.

"There were 100 people there, and 75 percent of them were Republicans," Richardson said. "Ritter was very strong. He said he'd create an economic czar and put that person in the governor's office. He gave Bill Richardson of New Mexico as an example of a governor who is always marketing that state."

Richardson said Ritter "won a lot of converts" at the meeting. He has endorsed Ritter himself and now plans to host a series of breakfast meetings to introduce him to other Republicans.

Beauprez, meanwhile, has scrambled to shore up his support in the business community. On Thursday he unveiled a "fiscal accountability plan," calling on the state to float bonds from tobacco settlement money to pay off debts and fund a new round of tax cuts for business. The plan estimates the state could garner more than $500 million from the tobacco settlement.

Beauprez also called for re-examining the way the state rents office space and purchases goods and services.

"It's a common-sense plan that keeps faith with the voters," said John Marshall, spokesman for Beauprez. "It stands in stark contrast to Bill 'Spend It All' Ritter."

Marshall also said Beauprez's years of working in business were a marked contrast with Ritter's career in law enforcement.

"I think fundamentally Bill Ritter is not a business-friendly candidate because he has never walked in their shoes," Marshall said. "Bob Beauprez has an organic understanding of business. That's what he's done all his life."

Some Republicans aren't concerned that the party may be alienating longtime supporters in chambers of commerce around Colorado.

"The Denver chamber of commerce should rename itself the chamber of corporate welfare," said Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute in Golden. "Just because they wear neckties doesn't mean they don't want corporate handouts."

Caldara said business groups in the state support more spending on things like roads because they hope to win lucrative government contracts.

Beauprez's allegiance to causes championed by Caldara has alarmed many business people. Beauprez was the first person to sign a proposed ballot initiative that would have undone much of Ref C. He also endorsed Initiative 38, which would make it easier for voters to overturn government decisions. After an outcry from the business community, Beauprez withdrew his endorsement of 38.

Former Republican state Rep. Bill Kaufman, of Loveland, said Beauprez's alliance with Caldara prompted him to endorse Ritter.

"I said, 'That's it, I'm done,'" Kaufman said. "The people who run the Republican Party today don't care about business. What this party is about now is God, guns, gays and abortion. They don't care about education, health care or transportation. They think cutting taxes solves all problems."

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