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TABOR is Colorado's death sentence
Alex Stephens
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Opinion
If you wanted to destroy Colorado government completely, what would be the most effective way to do so?
It wouldn't be terrorism, it wouldn't be trying to instigate anarchy, it wouldn't even be wide-spread corruption. All it would take is convincing the taxpayers that they have rights -- a Bill of Rights -- that stops the evil, tax hungry liberals from giving their money away to "illiterate peasants."
TABOR -- the infamous Tax Payers Bill of Rights -- written by Douglas Bruce and passed in 1991 is legislation that requires new or modifying tax legislation to be passed directly by the people instead of by the men and women elected to know what's best for the state. Tax cuts, on the other hand, can be proposed by anyone and passed by the state legislature without the consent of the public at large.
Imagine the states general fund, the pile of cash collected from taxes, to be like an inflated balloon.
Combined with the Arveschoug-Bird spending limit measure passed in 1991 that sets a 6 percent annual increased spending cap on the state budget based on prior year spending, TABOR has led to the continual decline of Colorado's general fund, the balloon of state tax spending can let air, or revenue, out very easily, but is very difficult to re-inflate.
Once it starts shrinking it will only get smaller. Add in the aforementioned illusion that TABOR is actually good for Colorado, which dissuades enough citizens and legislators from abolishing it, and we've created the perfect recipe for disaster.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released an analysis of TABOR in 2005 titled "A Formula For Decline." Their results were nothing less than sickening.
TABOR's effects are directly responsible for:
Colorado's decline from 35th to 49th in the nation for K-12, education spending. Our average teachers salary, compared to average pay in other occupations, bottomed out from 40th in the nation to 50th.
A 31 percent decline on higher eduaction spending. Between 2001 and 2005 alone tuition increased by 21 percent.
It wouldn't be terrorism, it wouldn't be trying to instigate anarchy, it wouldn't even be wide-spread corruption. All it would take is convincing the taxpayers that they have rights -- a Bill of Rights -- that stops the evil, tax hungry liberals from giving their money away to "illiterate peasants."
TABOR -- the infamous Tax Payers Bill of Rights -- written by Douglas Bruce and passed in 1991 is legislation that requires new or modifying tax legislation to be passed directly by the people instead of by the men and women elected to know what's best for the state. Tax cuts, on the other hand, can be proposed by anyone and passed by the state legislature without the consent of the public at large.
Imagine the states general fund, the pile of cash collected from taxes, to be like an inflated balloon.
Combined with the Arveschoug-Bird spending limit measure passed in 1991 that sets a 6 percent annual increased spending cap on the state budget based on prior year spending, TABOR has led to the continual decline of Colorado's general fund, the balloon of state tax spending can let air, or revenue, out very easily, but is very difficult to re-inflate.
Once it starts shrinking it will only get smaller. Add in the aforementioned illusion that TABOR is actually good for Colorado, which dissuades enough citizens and legislators from abolishing it, and we've created the perfect recipe for disaster.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released an analysis of TABOR in 2005 titled "A Formula For Decline." Their results were nothing less than sickening.
TABOR's effects are directly responsible for:
Colorado's decline from 35th to 49th in the nation for K-12, education spending. Our average teachers salary, compared to average pay in other occupations, bottomed out from 40th in the nation to 50th.
A 31 percent decline on higher eduaction spending. Between 2001 and 2005 alone tuition increased by 21 percent.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Rick McHattie
posted 4/10/09 @ 11:02 AM MST
One insane, religious zealot didn't pass that law all by himself. He needed the majority of an entire legislative body to do that. The bulk of the legislature is responsible for the existence of the law and they can also alter it if they have the collective political will to do so. (Continued…)
Prof
posted 4/10/09 @ 10:34 PM MST
Actually Rick, TABOR was a ballot initiative which means the people voted it in not the legislature. TABOR also prevented the legislature from enacting any major fiscal changes without a further vote on a ballot initiative which has tied legislators hands in working towards a solution. (Continued…)
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