Prickly tax-basher gets break in contempt case

By The AP
Wednesday, August 25, 2010

DENVER — Colorado’s best-known tax-basher has the government in fits again.

Douglas Bruce, the father of Colorado’s tax-limiting Taxpayer Bill of Rights, was awarded a second delay today in contempt-of-court charges against him.

The postponement left government lawyers and Denver District Court Judge Brian Whitney exasperated because they’ve been trying unsuccessfully for months to get Bruce to answer questions about his role in three more tax-cutting proposals on Colorado ballots this fall.

On Wednesday, Bruce was in court to answer accusations that he illegally avoided subpoenas in a lawsuit over this year’s tax questions to limit government spending. Bruce, a former Republican state lawmaker, was granted the delay after showing up without his lawyer, David Lane, who was away representing another client.

Bruce didn’t escape without a tongue-lashing from the judge, though.

“I think it’s time we brought this back to a court proceeding, not a tennis match,” Whitney said.

Later, he added, “I’m not being bullied.”

The government wants to know what role Bruce may have played in campaigns to petition onto ballots this fall three measures to limit the government’s ability to spend. Opponents of the measures want to have them thrown out, saying Bruce helped the campaigns but wasn’t properly listed as a backer.

Bruce, who led the campaign for the 1992 amendment to limit government spending, has repeatedly said he had nothing to do with this year’s measures.