Street survey shows Dem budget doesn't sit well with average taxpayer

Just under $700,000 to give more prison inmates their GEDs? How about another $20,000 for the state's wine promotions board so it can promote--what else--wine? Or, $676,000 for salary hikes to the state agency that runs Medicaid health coverage for the poor?

And then there's $150,000 in legal fees to defend the governor against a lawsuit charging him with pushing through last year's property-tax hike in violation of the state constitution. 

Those and other line items in the Democrat-authored 2008-09 budget, now pending before the Senate, were put to the public today when coloradosenatenews.com took to the 16th Street Mall for citizen input. Their feedback, captured on video, ranged from the indignant to incredulous at some budget items they saw as frivolous.

"There's only so much you can do to promote wine," said Jamie Johnston of the proposed wine-board appropriation.

Madison Stewart Wilkins, who runs a nonproift that aims to keep kids off of drugs, agreed.

"We don't need to spend any money on liquor," she said. "You know what happens when kids start drinking."

Gerald DeVargas was put off by plans to spend more on educating Department of Corrections inmates. DeVargas said he understood the need to rehabilitate prisoners but questioned the priorities behind that line item.

"They're already supported by the state," he said of the prisoners. As for the money being proposed for salary hikes to senior execs in the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which runs Medicaid, DeVargas added, "They money should got to the most needy."

Johnston expressed amusement at asking taxpayers to cover $150,000 in legal fees to defend the executive branch against a lawsuit over a tax hike. He said Gov. Bill Ritter should be able to handle that one without hiring outside counsel.

"Isn't he a lawyer himself?" Johnston asked.