The Democrats have pushed through their state budget and have brought massive increases in spending along with it.

As Rep. Amy Stephens pointed out, the Democrats are maxing out the state's allowed spending just as we enter a recession. The Rocky Mountain News reports:

But Rep. Amy Stephens, the GOP caucus chief, said majority Democrats want to spend right up to the 6 percent budget growth cap, while taxpayers are tightening their belts for a looming recession.

"We believe it puts a squeeze on Colorado families at a time when we're headed into a recession and foreclosures," she said. "We're growing government far more than we're growing Colorado."

As if that weren't bad enough, the Democrats also shut down attempts to strip an unconstitutional tax increase out of the budget. Per the AP:

Majority Democrats blocked an attempt by Republicans to force the state to return $118 million being collected from taxpayers from a freeze on mill levies for homeowners.

Republicans claim it represents a tax increase that should go to the voters. Democrats say homeowners in 38 school districts this year would still see a tax cut.

The Democrats are ignoring the fact that tax hikes are supposed to be voted on by the people of Colorado and are instead playing lawyer-style word games with the issue. What's that old saying about "taxation without representation" again?

There is simply no way around the fact that this year's state budget is the crowning failure of the Ritter administration. From the politically motivated games surrounding higher education funding beforehand to putting the state at risk of a serious financial crisis by maxing out spending as we enter a recession, the Democrats have mishandled this budget to the point of disaster.