Sixty Years Ago This Week: Concerning forecast estimates released by Colorado’s budget director, Con Shea, predicted that state revenues would fall some $3 million below the appropriations voted on by the legislature.

Shea suggested that Republican Gov. John Love should warn state agencies and institutions that non-salaried expenses could be slashed by as much as 10% below the General Assembly’s fiscal year allocation.

The release of Shea’s numbers caused a tidal wave of concern throughout Colorado’s policymaking community and prompted The Denver Post to publish an editorial calling on Love to change his tactics.

“Instead of pinching state programs still further this year, the Love administration might be wise to acknowledge that it its losing too much through the two tax cuts and ask the legislature to either reverse the second tax cut or otherwise replace the money.”

Under the budget passed by the legislature, the Wheat Ridge Home and Training School for children with learning disabilities had to postpone moving some children into a new building. With a further 10% cut, Wheat Ridge stood to lose another $54,000.

The Post argued that even with the extreme measures of withholding 10% from state agencies and institutions, considerable doubt remained about the state’s ability to avoid a deficit.

Former Gov. and Democratic National Committeeman Steve McNichols took Love to task for what he called “irresponsibility, false promises, slick and slippery tactics and an attempt to foist a huge sales tax on those least able to pay.”

McNichols said he had observed Love’s administration for the prior six months and warned, “if we continue to allow the present administration to act irresponsibly, the end result will be disastrous to every citizen and every endeavor.”

As criticisms increased, Republican legislators suggested a flurry of revenue-producing taxes to alleviate the budget shortfall, including increases in the sales tax, cigarette tax, liquor tax, motor vehicle taxes and mobile home tax.

Sen. Ray Braiden, R- La Jara, suggested increasing the sate income tax. Although he’d been a vocal supporter of the 15% cut of the 1962 income tax, passed in January, Braiden told The Colorado Democrat that he’d never actually been in favor of the tax cut but only voted for it because he promised Gov. Love that he “wouldn’t break rank.”

“I am asking for tax increases because I fear a possible breakdown in public education unless the state increases its support for the schools,” Braiden said. “Even Gov. Love agrees we are facing a situation of crisis in financing local government, particularly schools.”

Editors Note: The above historical excerpt was extracted from The Colorado Democrat, a predecessor of the nonpartisan Colorado Statesman. The Democrat was a partisan publication apparatus of the Colorado Democratic Party.

Forty Years Ago: U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder told The Colorado Statesman she was flattered by the flurry of media supposition that she had been named as a possible candidate for U.S. vice president, but that she, for one, was not taking the prospect seriously.

“The candidates are the ones who pick their running mates, not the press,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder explained that her name had been dropped by U.S. News and World Report and other publications because, “I’m the dean of the women in the House. I’m not out running for the position.”

Even the possibility that women were being considered as possible presidential running mates was something that made Schroeder immensely pleased.

“It’s an idea,” Schroeder said. “We could end up with a woman vice presidential candidate. It’s on the shoulders of whoever gets nominated.”

Colorado U.S. Sen. Gary Hart and Sen. Fritz Holdings, D-SC, were the only two contenders who had publicly floated the possibility of women candidates.

“The talk of females as vice presidential material indicates that those ideas are moving into the mainstream of American politics,” Schroeder said.

Schroeder’s own plans, for the foreseeable future she said, were to run for re-election to her congressional seat because she’d finally achieved seniority in the House.

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.