Exposing The Whole Truth
Greetings!

I can't begin to tell you how many people have asked for me to get as much of the truth out about the 2010 governor's race as possible.  Some even encouraged me writing a book about it.  Sounded interesting but when would I get the time?  Guess what...I did!  That is why you have not seen anything from me in the last couple of weeks.

 

I had some downtime over the last few weeks and Karen actually said one day, "Honey, why don't you start writing what happened and see where it takes you?'  That is kind of like your wife saying, "Sure honey take that two week hunting trip", or "Sure, buy the sports car".  I started writing and two weeks later I had 150 pages of what I thought was important for all of you to know.  I could have written more but then I would still be writing today.

 

We have tentatively given it a fun name of "Running Without Cowboy Boots" because it seemed like every candidate in the state wore cowboy boots except me.  That's why I lost, right!?  We wanted to give it a bit more appeal than just one angle of all the bad stuff that happened.  For those of you who followed the campaign the reality was that there was 17 months of great times and history made before the arrival of the campaign terrorists after the primary and even after that we experienced many positive things across Colorado with our many new friends. 

 

I want the book to address 4 things:

 

1.  The truth about the smoke filled rooms, GOP manipulation, pressure to exit, and more.

2.  The full details behind the controversial subjects that fed the media machine and contributed to our downfall.  You get the facts first hand and can decide for yourselves what the truth is. 

3.  Setting the record straight on who Dan Maes really is and not who talk show hosts and Post writers say Dan Maes is.

4.  Discussing my faith walk throughout the campaign.  From day one I wanted my campaign to reflect that faith still has a place in who we are and what we stand for as individuals privately and politically. 

5.  We hope to have photos of many of you and some of you will be mentioned as important people to our campaign (and a few who we wish weren't).  It will serve as a record for some and even some therapy for me.

 

I will keep you updated as things progress.  Currently the manuscript is being edited and we hope for a first draft in a few weeks.  I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
The Judicial and Street Attack on TABOR. 

For those who are not yet aware, there is a new federal law suit by a large number of folks in Colorado challenging the constitutionality of TABOR.  Follow me on this.  They are claiming that TABOR is unconstitutional because it is counter the the constitutional concept of a representative republic and empowers citizens to govern while denying the power of government to be in the hands of our elected officials (representatives).  Is that Democrat fast talk or what? Guess what...there are Republicans as plaintiffs too!  No surprise to many of you.

 

The insidious attack on TABOR took a new look in a different forum recently of which I attended.  I was invited as "an influential citizen" in my area to attend a policy discussion with another 100 influential citizens in my area.  It was hosted by "Colorado's Future"  a well disguised group with roots in the University of Denver policy crowd.  The room was filled with all political types and we were being told that this was a fair and even distribution of perspectives in our area.

 

The topics were a narrow range that seemed to be focused on TABOR, the initiative process, and raising taxes.  We had handy dandy wireless voting devices so they could take votes on the spot and reveal the results real time.  After just a couple of questions I voiced my concern that it seemed the questions were worded in a way that forced certain answers or did not provide an answer to my liking.  Another next to me voiced the same concern.

 

Most of my table was Republican as I knew or had heard of most everyone at the table and most seemed to like the term "ratchet effect"  and how destructive it was. When discussing the initiative process one gentleman from a city council stated that these issues were just too hard for the average voter to understand.  I had to double check if some were really Republican or not. 

 

We were then advised by "an expert" that this forum represented only one of many similar ones around the state and that no forums had ever brought together such a diverse and true representation of the Colorado voters and that the legislature must listen to these findings.  I do not know if it was me or Don Ytterburg, State VC,  who rolled his eyes harder at that one.  

 

My friends, the attack on TABOR is full frontal and from within.  We must continue to spread the message that Colorado in still in better shape than most states because of TABOR combined with our requirement to balance our state budget, and our low residential property taxes.  Many of you are focused on national issues that are critical to our future.  I ask that you make this fight as important because if DC fails us the war comes to our state line.     

Have I Lost It or Have They? 

Just yesterday I got an invitation to attend a socio-political event hosted by a Tea Party Group that has as its special guest none other than Tom Tancredo.  It is actually hosted by several Tea Party/Patriot groups.  Now let me see if I got this right.  TARP was the shot heard 'round the world that sparked the Tea Party movement.  Tnacredo voted for it "because the pressure was so high to do so".  He wrapped his fatherly arm around the Tea Party in November 2009 and advised them to stay inside the Republican Party.  They are not to join or form a third party.  He emails at least one head of a Patriot Group advising he will not run for Governor because he just could not win a statewide election.  He then joins a third party and runs for office via legally questionable methods.  He makes a hypocrite of himself and slaps the Tea Partiers in the face and now they make a special guest of him at events?

 

Have I lost it or have they? If some of these folks were Patriots in 1776 we would all still be having High Tea every day. 

I promised to turn to the future in my last email.  With the release of my book I think I can make that move. For those of you who still are interested in me exposing the whole truth you will have to wait just a month or so for the book.

 

In Freedom,

 

Dan Maes
 
Family 2010