Today's Denver Post news story on Governor Bill Ritter's signing of Senate Bill 228 offers the generous headline: "Colorado's fiscal knot loosens". I've taken the liberty to complete the thought with my own sub-headline: "Noose nearly large enough to fit around taxpayers' necks". The article is correct insofar as it points out that the impact of this bill in repealing limits on the growth of discretionary government spending likely won't be felt for a couple years. But that provides little solace, especially when you listen to the righteous confusion coming from the Democratic cast of characters behind this anti-taxpayer legislation. … [Read more...]
Bill Ritter in a “Straightjacket” over Colorado’s Taxpayer Protections
Sean Paige at Local Liberty Online made a great catch, picking up on this excerpt from Bill Ritter's State of the State speech earlier today (H/T Complete Colorado):"There is also an opportunity here – a chance to address TABOR and the constitutional and statutory straightjacket* that makes modern, sensible and value-based budgeting an impossibility. Last year, former House Speaker Romanoff started the conversation, and we need to keep it alive. We need to talk about life after Ref C – whether and when to extend it. We have a chance to find a better way forward, a Colorado way forward." Bill Ritter said what? About 2 months after Colorado voters said No to a proposal to gut TABOR refunds forever and rejected two other major statewide … [Read more...]
Democrat Rollie Heath Wants to Use Economic Downturn to Kill TABOR
It only took seven weeks after the voters of Colorado said no to a statewide proposal that would have gutted the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) - a proposal pushed by a campaign that heavily outspent the opposition - for the Democrats to be back at it again. From today's Denver Post:Rollie Heath, a Boulder Democrat elected to the Senate, said that as lawmakers grapple in the coming session with cutting as much as $600 million from the budget because of declining revenues, they should also look at TABOR, a revenue-capping provision of the state's constitution. The state is in a timeout from TABOR's tax-revenue limits, but that timeout expires in 2010, when Colorado will have to begin refunding to taxpayers any revenue it collects … [Read more...]
All You Need to Know about Why You Should Vote NO on Amendment 59
I've just updated my 2008 guide to the Colorado ballot to include a link to a new website with all the main reasons why you need to Vote No on Amendment 59 (H/T The Daily Blogster). Quite simply, big-spending liberal politicians want to take away your TABOR refunds forever - and they're deceptively hiding behind schoolchildren to do it. So in case you needed the simple reminder, please Vote No on Amendment 59 and avoid getting ripped off. … [Read more...]
Romanoff & Kennedy: Saving TABOR’s Heart by Driving a Stake through It
I think Colorado's Democratic powerhouses behind Amendment 59 need to get on the same page. It was only last month that State Treasurer Cary Kennedy was overheard saying that Amendment 59 will "drive a stake in the heart" of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. In yesterday's Denver Post, however, outgoing House Speaker Andrew Romanoff sought to argue that under Amendment 59 "'the heart' of TABOR — that all tax increases must have voter approval — would be preserved." Uncle Charley came to the valid conclusion:Romanoff and Kennedy need to talk to each other: How do you preserve TABOR’s heart after a stake has been driven through it? Exactly. Someone needs to cartoon this... If you're going to take away all future TABOR refunds … [Read more...]
Democrat Cary Kennedy Admits Amendment 59 is Anti-Taxpayer
In case you had any doubts about the intentions of leading Colorado Democrats in bringing forward Amendment 59, Education Week brings you the straight skinny (H/T Rocky Mountain Right):Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff praised the [National Education Association]’s state chapter as one of the “most aggressive and successful†groups assisting Democrats in their takeover Colorado’s Statehouse and governor’s mansion. State Treasurer Cary Kennedy (no relation to RFK Jr.) said that Democrats would win a ballot initiative to “drive a stake in the heart†of the state’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights [TABOR]--a conservative cost-cutting measure. Yes, the Democrats behind Amendment 59 - Andrew Romanoff and Cary Kennedy - … [Read more...]