Sixty Years Ago This Week: With election season in full swing, Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Fred Betz fired back at Republican Chairman Jean Tool over a spate of negative advertisements from the GOP.

“In his desperation to produce a 1962 victory for his party,” Betz said, “Chairman Tool has adopted a policy which gives no consideration to the future of Colorado state institutions and programs and he has very obviously no regard for accuracy and truth.”

Speaking before the Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee, Betz reminded members of their county’s key importance to the state’s economy. “The whole theme of the current Republican state campaign is to cut, eliminate, attack and destroy” the pivotal institutions in Jefferson County,” Betz exclaimed.

Jefferson County was the state’s fastest growing county and two key national defense installations were located within its borders. 

Betz touched on social services and health care work he believed the Democratic Party, holding control of the state’s government, had lead the way on, applauding the work at Ft. Logan where Colorado was “pioneering in the development of an ‘open’ hospital” with the most advanced techniques in the field of rehabilitative treatment.

And after years of neglect, Betz said, the state government was now also heavily investing in the girls home in Morrison, the boys home in Golden, the Ridge home for handicapped children, and Colorado School of Mines (‘almost as old as the state itself’).

“These are not only great resources contributing to the wealth of the community,” Betz said, “but they are places where great foundations are being laid for institutions which will bring national recognition for Jefferson County.” 

The GOP’s campaign had gotten so negative that “even sympathetic newspapers had begun to doubt its validity and sincerity,” he added.

“No other state in the nation, with comparable programs,” Betz said, “has done so much in so short a time to upgrade its programs. If by some quirk of fate the Republicans are returned to control of state government … and they press the case for tax and program cuts, these programs will be the first to suffer.”

Thirty-Five Years Ago: State Sen. Terry Considine, R-Englewood, who had replaced Martha Ezzard in the state senate, delivered remarks to the Colorado Jewish Republican Coalition, telling the group that he considered himself a “conservative Republican” and outlined what he saw as the future of the Republican Party.

“Republicans are low-cost liberals,” Considine said. “We can do what the Democrats do, but more effectively. Goldwater was a hero of mine. But we are defined by our opposition to Democrats’ ideas.”

Considine argued that the Republican Party needed to develop their own agenda and platform, to find what they truly stood for, instead of being consistently reactionary.

“I don’t agree with President Jackson who said that ‘the government which governs least governs best’ but rather with President Lincoln’s philosophy that government should do what people can’t do for themselves,” Considine said.

A seasoned politico, Considine had worked on U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong’s campaign and raised $3 million for U.S. Rep. Ken Kramer, CD-5, during his tenure.

The fundamental issues in front of the legislature weren’t the drinking age and seatbelts – two issues being debated at the time – Considine argued, as they wouldn’t matter in the long run, but rather a quality education with strong teacher accountability. 

“I don’t believe the level of funding determines the quality of education,” Considine said. “I don’t think our educational budget is out of whack. It is not underfunded. The total number of students statewide declined, test scores dropped, but funding increased.” 

In closure, Considine said that federal programs were a “huge waste” and that under the previous Carter administration, farm subsidies had quadrupled to $20 billion. 

“The problem has to be addressed on a national level. Ask federal office candidates to ‘Just Say No,'” Considine concluded.

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.