Sixty Years Ago This Week: “Is this surplus real or is it imaginary?” quipped House Speaker Albert Tomsic, D-Walsenburg. He was referring to millions of unspent dollars sitting in the Colorado general fund.

They most assuredly are imaginary, said Tomsic. He told fellow Democrats at the Monday Forum of the Denver Democratic Club the present and future needs of a growing Colorado made the “surplus” and all talk of a tax cut “a mere illusion.” 

“Is this surplus real or imaginary,” repeated Tomsic, “is the question which must be resolved in this session of the legislature and it should be resolved in favor of the ‘no tax cut’ stand that Gov. Steve McNichols has made plain.”

Tomsic said that the funds needed desperately for education, capital construction and state mental institutions would make it impossible to cut taxes or otherwise recklessly spend the surplus.

“The legislature cannot afford to play politics with the future of Colorado,” Tomsic said. “It doesn’t make sense from the standpoint of responsible government.”

Tomsic further argued that the Republican Party, which had expressed concern about “the little man,” were “the ones who cut income tax exemptions down to $600 and put through a 20% tax credit, which gave the biggest break to those with the highest incomes.”

Republican tax breaks for the wealthy contrasted sharply, Tomsic said, with Democrats’ actions when they gained control of the legislature. State Democrats had swiftly lowered the 20% credit to 15%.

It was nonsense, Tomsic told his colleagues, that Colorado taxes would keep businesses out of the state as Republicans had claimed during the previous election. According to Tomsic, 50 new plants had moved to the state in 1961 compared to 31 in 1960.

“And it isn’t necessarily true that you will gain votes by a tax cut,” he said. “People may become suspicious that somebody is trying to buy votes.”

Thirty Five Years Ago: Denver Mayoral candidate Clarke Watson said he was beyond confused by the behavior of state Sen. Dennis Gallagher, D-Denver, regarding the ongoing mayoral race.

“Gallagher called me last Saturday and informed me that he was going to be announcing his candidacy,” Watson said. “Dennis has been saying that for two months now and I’m beginning to wonder what’s going on.”

Watson said that if Gallagher did decide to finally join, his candidacy would offer a “philosophical and intellectual contribution to the overall campaign.”

“But, as I said, I have no clue as to what Dennis may do,” Watson said. 

Gallagher’s invitation to the announcement of his candidacy at the Executive Tower Inn arrived at The Colorado Statesman the next day. Joining Gallagher’s campaign was Phil Bailey, the rural field coordinator for Gov. Roy Romer’s 1986 gubernatorial campaign.

In other news, Colorado Republican Vice Chair Nina Kite was replaced by Dave Oswalt, who would take over as coordinator of county organizing.

Several party insiders said that the switch had come about because of Kite’s alleged support of Bruce Benson for state chairman over incumbent Bo Callaway.

“Nina’s talking to a lot of people and she’s saying things that just didn’t happen,” said Callaway. “I don’t want to say anything to damage Nina, but we’ve got a lot of work to do before the state central committee meeting. Nina’s hardly been in the office all this last month.”

Callaway said he’d told Kite that he was getting someone else to handle county organization and that it was in everyone’s best interests. 

“There was no vindictiveness,” said Callaway. “I just thought it best.”

Kite responded with a “no comment,” but said she was shaken by the whole thing and preferred not to badmouth Callaway or the state party.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.