The gangster-style government under Colorado’s gold dome

The issues on your ballot aren’t just questions about trains, taxes and spending. They are exhibits in a larger case: dishonesty, intimidation and political bullying have become standard operating procedure at the Colorado Capitol.

The message from lawmakers is increasingly simple: Vote however you like — we’ll make sure it turns out the way we like.

When voters might say no, they rewrite the question. When elected officials won’t cooperate, they replace them. When citizens organize an initiative, they sabotage it. And when the law becomes inconvenient, they exempt themselves from it.

The kings of ColoradoConsider the legislature’s devotion to “democracy.”

Lawmakers exempted themselves from Colorado’s open-meetings law. Why? Because transparency is vital — right up until we want to see what they’re doing.

They warn President Donald Trump threatens democracy, then strip authority from democratically elected officials. They removed two-thirds of the elected Regional Transportation District board so their own appointees could take over.

Nothing protects democracy quite like replacing the people voters chose.

Then there was Initiative 175, citizens petitioning to vote on road funding. So, lawmakers passed a bill to neutralize the initiative before ballots were even cast. Its supporters finally had to pull their now impotent citizens’ initiative.

The legislature didn’t defeat the measure. It kneecapped voters’ ability to even vote on it.

That same attitude is stamped all over this year’s ballot.

Take Issue 7A, the latest choo-choo tax.

Never mind taxpayers are still waiting, and paying, for rail promised in 1971. Never mind we’re still waiting, and paying, for the train to Longmont promised in 2004. Never mind public money is being used to promote the cuckoo CoCo choo-choo tax.