In what has to be one of the worst misappropriations of public funds since that study about why lesbians are fat, Colorado is going to sponsor “affordable housing” (sic) for artists in rural communities:

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the plan Monday at an artists’ community in Loveland. The governor says that the state will help sponsor a $50 million plan to create artist housing in nine rural communities, starting with Trinidad.

Why should Denver have all the bad public art?

The housing will have income caps. Artists who qualify for housing can’t make more than 60 percent of their area’s median income.

Well, at least we have some standards.

Private foundations are joining the effort. A state spokeswoman says it’s not clear how much of the $50 million will be paid by the government.

How about $0?  Does $0 work for you?

The program will have a generous definition of “artist.” The program will accept architects, filmmakers – even beer and liquor makers.

Gotta get those creative juices flowing somehow.

The argument we hear from the Democrats all the time is, “We need to have a conversation about what we want the government to do, and then fund it appropriately.” This is the sort of nonsense you get when you start from that end of the deal.  Of course when you start by asking, “What is it you want?” you end up with a wish list like me in a book store.  The phrasing completely hides the fact that you’re actually making choices – either about what the government will do with its limited resources, or with what you can do with your own.

Try phrasing it differently: “We need to decide how much we really want to pay for government, and then use that money appropriately.”  Aha, now it’s clear that there’s only so much money to go around, and if you want to spend your own money on this sort of thing, you’ll be paying for it before you fund your food, your mortgage, your kids’ education, and your retirement.

Naturally, the Democrats hate that part of the conversation, so much so that they try, every step of the way, not to let you have it.  They want to have the “What do you want us to do for you?” part of the discussion, and then, once you’ve committed to buying Pierre the Failed Art Student his rent and bitters, tell you how much it costs.  And when you decide maybe your dental bill is more important, they want to insist that, no, we’ve already decided that IPAs for Pierre are in the budget, and it’s no fair going back on that and changing the deal on poor Pierre, once he’s pulled up stakes and moved to Ouray.

It’s the main reason they hate TABOR so much.  Unless it’s a really good budget year, and the government just happens to have money sitting around burning a hole in its pocket, TABOR makes them actually ask you whether or not you want to pay for Pierre’s studio loft.

The next time someone comes up with a harebrained idea like this, the first question should be: “Instead of what?”