Helping Government Officials Face the Music: Colorado's Face the State

Face the State, a new political website, didn’t take long to jump into the spotlight.

Within a week of its launch, the Colorado-based site unearthed a typo-filled e-mail from State Rep. Mike Merrifield, an elected official and school choice opponent, where he said that those in favor of charter schools “deserve a special place in hell.”

Face the State posted the email—which they had found through a Colorado Open Records request—and immediately created a buzz, attracting attention from mainstream media across the state. Getting the word out made a real difference—Rep. Mike Merrifield has since resigned from his chairmanship of the House Education Committee.

“We actually submitted that request to Sen. Sue Windels, who chairs the senate committee,” says Brad Jones, spokesman for Face the State.  “Some of the documents we got were interesting—and the most interesting of those was this email to her.” Brad says it’s important to think outside of the box when bringing problems—like  the often entrenched opposition to school choice—to light. “I think when people are trying to get press for our cause, which is very important, a lot of times it’s not very creative. There are great ways to really co-opt the left’s rhetoric and tactics to use it for our benefit.”

The Face the State website has already drawn attention a number of issues, and the website also posts a daily summary of what’s going on in Colorado politics.

“Our goal is to hold government accountable, and in doing so, help everyday people who might not pay attention to politics better understand what the government is doing,” Brad says. “These are complex issues, government gets bigger and bigger, and it’s tougher to know where the money is going.”

It’s a fantastic goal, and Brad and the team over at Face the State are definitely on the right track. Check Face the State daily for updates in Colorado politics.