Holtzman fires away at Beauprez
DENVER - Marc Holtzman — trailing in the polls and in the battle for endorsements — attacked opponent Bob Beauprez early and often Friday in the first debate between the two Republican candidates for governor.
Beauprez and Holtzman squared off at the Denver Tech Center Hyatt Regency in a debate sponsored by a business group representing firms in southeast Denver.
Early polls have given Beauprez, a suburban Denver congressman with deep roots in Colorado, a substantial lead over Holtzman, the former president of the University of Denver. Beauprez has wrapped up endorsements from Gov. Bill Owens, Sen. Wayne Allard, the state’s GOP delegation to Congress and most Republican members of the General Assembly.
Holtzman has received little support from the party establishment, and his clear goal going into the first debate was to try to overcome that disadvantage by sullying Beauprez in the eyes of Republican primary voters.
He called Beauprez “one of the biggest spenders in the country” for supporting a 2003 ballot initiative would have authorized $2 billion in bonds to build new reservoirs.
He said Beauprez was soft on immigration and ripped him for his position on Referendum C. Beauprez opposed Referendum C, which was approved by voters in November and allows the state to keep $3.9 billion in surplus tax revenue over five years.
Holtzman also opposed the measure, but he accused Beauprez of not doing enough to defeat it.
“Bob, if anything, this was an issue where you earned the name Both Ways Bob,” Holtzman said, accusing Beauprez of taking both sides “in all the issues that affect the future of Colorado.”
Beauprez defended himself by saying that Holtzman was misrepresenting the facts and dodging the issues.
“Marc, I hear you over there saying some things that, frankly, sound political,” Beauprez said. Recalling Ronald Reagan’s often-recited advice to “trust but verify,” Beauprez said, “That’s pretty good advice.”
In another exchange, Beauprez responded, “Marc, I know what you are against, but I don’t know what you are for.”
After the debate, Beauprez’ campaign staff tried to paint Holtzman as grasping at straws.
“Marc can call names and twist the facts all he wants, but it sounds a little desperate,” said campaign spokesman John Marshall.
Holtzman campaign manager Dick Leggitt said his boss was “holding Bob’s feet to the fire, something we intend to keep doing.”
Between the rhetorical thrusts and parries, both candidates managed to outline early positions on a handful of issues.
If elected, Beauprez said he wants to create a statewide plan for water, one that focuses on conservation, augmentation of existing reservoirs and creation of new storage facilities.
“Yes, we are going to build some new storage because, frankly, we must,” he said.
Beauprez also said he would attempt to streamline Colorado’s fast-growing Medicaid budget by standardizing bureaucratic forms and cutting administrative costs.
“We need to encourage portability and competition in the private sector, but government can lead the way,” he said.
Holtzman focused on illegal immigration and transportation.
“I am horrified by the flood of illegal immigration that is plaguing Colorado,” he said.
Holtzman said he would seek to eliminate all government spending on services for illegal immigrants. Without providing supporting evidence, Holtzman said illegal immigrants in Colorado cost government $600 million a year.
It is money he wants to see diverted to transportation projects, specifically the widening of Interstate 70 between Denver and mountain resort communities.
“Our traffic problems are imposing a strangling grip on our tourism economy,” Holtzman said.
Holtzman and Beauprez will be vying for delegate support until May 19, when the GOP state assembly is held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 1-303-837-0613 or kyle.henley@gazette.com
