Campaign To Defeat Single-Payer Health Initiative Kicks Off

<p>(John Daley/CPR News)</p>
<p>Former Colorado governor Bill Ritter, a Democrat, speaks against a ballot proposal to create a publicly-financed, comprehensive, Medicare-like health system. Behind him is Republican Walker Stapleton, who is the State Treasurer.  </p>
Photo: Bill Ritter No On 69 (STAFF)
Former Colorado governor Bill Ritter, a Democrat, speaks against a ballot proposal to create a publicly-financed, comprehensive, Medicare-like health system. Behind him is Republican Walker Stapleton, who is the State Treasurer.

Thursday to defeat a ballot measure to create a publicly-financed, comprehensive, single-payer health system. The campaign is calling itself Coloradans for Coloradans.

At an event at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the group called the ballot proposal “risky and untested.”

Former Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, says if passed it would put another “inflexible fiscal constraint” in the state Constitution, cost too much and hurt businesses.

“To burden small businesses or medium sized businesses at a time where the economy is actually growing fairly well is really counterproductive to what we want in a state with a great economy," said Ritter.

Proponents of the initiative fired back saying, “Coloradans have consistently shown that they don’t need politicians telling them how to vote."

They say the system would cover every Coloradan and eventually save individuals and businesses billions.