The Dead Governors tout a story about their heroic maverick Republican legislator Al White, who bucked the party line to support a tax increase without a vote of the people (an issue completely ignored in the posting and in the news story linked). White has enabled the Governor to hold forth his property tax hike as a "bipartisan" measure. And the Dead Guvs show no interest in taking a critical look at the piece they so enthusiastically quote. (Nor care to mention the Democrats who voted against it.) The Dead Guvs' silence is consistent with their own faulty usage of the phrase "property tax freeze," which is inaccurate and an abuse of the English language - as I pointed out in a previous post. Unprompted, I am glad to offer my own … [Read more...]
Search Results for: property tax increase
Ritter’s Tax-Hike Supporters Standing on Weak Arguments
Mike Littwin's Saturday column for the Rocky Mountain News highlights the tenuous ground occupied by supporters of the governor's official endorsement of the $1.7 billion+ property tax increase. Their best argument apparently is that some opponents mistakenly voted for a similar proposal three years earlier. Meanwhile, Littwin typifies the rhetorical distortions made by the tax-and-spend crowd. (I omitted the partisan cheapshots that are standard fare for Littwin columns and not to be taken seriously, anyway. Instead, I wish to tackle some of the subtle and salient points about the issue itself that readers are supposed to accept at face value.) 1. The use of the term "property-tax freeze," as though the change in law were going to … [Read more...]
Ritter Signs Property Tax Hike, Sticks Finger in Taxpayer Eyes
Colorado taxpayers should remember yesterday - May 9. Governor Bill Ritter signed S.B. 199, which includes a huge property tax increase. He refused to ask for a vote of the people. He stuck a finger in your eye. Have we so soon forgotten Referendum C? It's little more than arrogance, sheer arrogance, my friends. More: - Rocky Mountain News: "Plain and simple, TABOR says all tax increases have to go before a vote of the people," Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, said in a release Wednesday. "Those in charge at the Capitol very easily could have asked first before hiking property taxes," said Caldara. "Instead, they've thumbed their noses at the voters and the constitution." - Colorado Senate News: "It's … [Read more...]
Yes, It’s Time to Sue: Arrogant Tax Hike Leaves Little Choice
This development, reported today in the Rocky Mountain News, was a matter of inevitability. (Disclosure: As an Independence Institute employee, I knew the story was coming. Even if I weren't, I would be convinced the course of action was necessary, but a result of regrettable circumstances.) Yes, the time has come to sue. Even Governor Bill Ritter and the Democrats who arrogantly violated the state constitution and foisted the property tax increase on the people of Colorado had to know they'd be facing legal action. Of course, when liberal officials want to enact liberal policies in Colorado, they gladly prefer to face the courts rather than the people. As The Colorado Index frequently reminds us, the legal system works for Democratic … [Read more...]
iVoices: Hear AG Suthers Explain Need for Vote on Tax Hike
Tune into the Independence Institute's iVoices.org to hear my interview with Colorado Attorney General John Suthers, as he explains why his office filed a formal opinion this week that Governor Bill Ritter and the Democrat-led state legislature needed to submit their property tax increase proposal to a vote of the people. As Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, stated to his Democratic colleagues supporting the tax increase: "The inconvenient truth is TABOR." A narrow majority of the legislature ignored the inconvenient truth, arrogantly passing the tax hike. The governor is sure to sign it into law. And because of TABOR, some kind of a taxpayer lawsuit against the abuse of legislative power seems almost inevitable. I think it's most … [Read more...]
Colorado Dems Ram Through Bill, Snub Voters, Raise Taxes
Today is one of those sad days when I must take upon myself the duty to highlight a clear example of the dangers of putting Democrats in charge. This example involves the Democrats' underhanded scheme and arrogant attack on your pocketbook to appropriate your money into a bloated state budget in the name of "the children." Earlier, a bare majority of 18 Colorado state senators approved Governor Bill Ritter's cleverly named "Children's Amendment" to set in motion a school district property tax increase that will raise an estimated $1.74 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years. The proposal came as part of S.B. 199, the annual School Finance bill. The bait-and-switch backdoor tax hike was rammed through the legislature and soon will … [Read more...]
Dems Beware: Voters, Wadhams Watching Tax Increase Votes
The Rocky Mountain News has great coverage today of the Colorado Democrats' property tax increase. The news continues to be precarious for the majority party at the State Capitol: taxpaying voters - and Dick Wadhams - are watching you. … [Read more...]
Don’t Stop the Presses: House Ed Dems Vote for Tax Increase
Colorado's liberal, out-of-touch House Education Committee has just voted to approve the governor's amendment to the School Finance Act that would raise taxes for most property owners in the state. The vote passed on an 8-5 party line vote, with all Democrats lining up to raid taxpayer pockets. By listening to much of the testimony, you would think that school revenues in Colorado are running dry. Nothing could be further from the truth. And whenever other possibilities for raising funds for education have been introduced, the Democrats resist - unable to dream of doing anything but hiking property taxes. The dirty little not-so-secret? The property tax increase advertised for the "children" is being used so the state government can … [Read more...]
Colorado Schools Keep Raising Funds from Property Taxes
My report for the Independence Institute on Governor Ritter's tax-raising proposal to fund new education programs is officially released today. Here is the summary: On March 12, 2007, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter proposed the “Colorado Children’s Amendment,†a plan to spend $84 million to expand preschool and kindergarten programs. To free state money to fund the programs, he proposed a mill levy rate “freeze†that would shift some of the school funding burden to local sources. On April 10, the governor revised the plan—offering tax relief to property owners in 33 school districts while creating higher property tax bills in 104 districts. The annual revenue estimate for the plan’s new version is $55 million. State … [Read more...]
Toe to Toe with the Treasurer on a Touted Tax Increase
In yesterday's Pueblo Chieftain, my opinion piece arguing the case against Governor Bill Ritter's property tax hike to subsidize state preschool and kindergarten programs ran as "counterpoint" to the argument for the Governor's proposal by State Treasurer Cary Kennedy. Kennedy skillfully avoided discussion of the back-door tax hike while plugging the benefits of the plan for Pueblo. How? Under the Governor's revised plan, 33 school districts will receive a tax cut while most districts will receive a tax increase. Pueblo happens to fall in the latter category. But that doesn't take into account the plight of taxpayers in Grand Junction, Englewood, Pagosa Springs, Wray, or nearby Alamosa, among others. But two points are worth repeating … [Read more...]