#HandsOffTABOR
#DontBeFooled
#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#TABOR
#FeesAreTaxes
#FollowTheLaw
#VoteOnFees
#ReplaceThemAllForNotFollowingVotersWishes
Mar
29
Category Archives: Article V
Mar
25
This is what’s happening at the Colorado State Capitol and broadcast media….
This is what’s happening at the Colorado State Capitol and broadcast media….
#DontBeFooled
#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#VoteOnTaxesAndFees
#FeesAreTaxes
#TABOR
#FollowTheMoney
#FollowTheLaw
#ThankGodForTABOR
Mar
08
Citizen watchdogs needed for Arapahoe County 1A tax windfall
In the November, 2024 general election, Arapahoe County voters approved ballot issue 1A, removing spending limits imposed by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). Moving forward, this means county government gets to keep and spend over-collected tax revenue that would have otherwise been refunded to taxpayers.
In other words, voters gave county commissioners what amounts to a tax hike, and now it’s time to keep them accountable for it.
As part of the ballot language, a provision was included that mandates all spending of this tax revenue windfall be transparently reported. Specifically, it requires that the new spending be included in the county’s annual independent audit, published on the county website and that it be monitored and reviewed by a “resident advisory committee.” That’s where you come in.
The county pushed ballot measure 1A as a way to fund existing services that they claimed were potentially going to be cut due to budget shortfalls. And while I understand the need for transparency of how this massive influx of money should be spent, we must also make sure the advisory committee is up to the task and doesn’t just become a rubber stamp for political agendas and new pet projects.
According to the county website, the job of the committee is to ensure that 1A funds “are being used in alignment with their intended purpose, advocating for proper stewardship of these resources.”
If you think you’re up to that task, you should consider applying. It’s a great opportunity to get involved in your community, while also holding your elected officials accountable to the taxpayers.
There are ten committee slots to be filled, with at least one from each county commission district. Members serve three-year terms, with a two-term maximum. And if you’ve ever thought about running for public office, this is a great way to get some local government experience under your belt first.
Arapahoe County voters gave up their TABOR refunds in perpetuity, now it’s time to ensure county commissioner honor that sacrifice and hold up their end of the bargain.
Kathleen Chandler is an Arapahoe County resident and directs the Citizen Involvement Project at the Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver. She can be reached by email at Kathleen@i2i.org.
Citizen watchdogs needed for Arapahoe County 1A tax windfall – Complete Colorado
Mar
03
What is TABOR: The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights? – Advance Colorado Rundown
Advance Colorado Executive Vice President Kristi Burton Brown gives a brief history and explanation of Colorado’s unique taxpayer protection: the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. This revenue cap limits the state government’s ability to spend taxpayer dollars and requires refunds to be sent to Coloradans when the government collects beyond the limit.
Jan
20
Herman: Colorado’s over-spending problem explained
Herman: Colorado’s over-spending problem explained
January 19, 2025 By Nash Herman
Colorado legislators are discovering first-hand the impossibility of having their cake and eating it too.
The Joint Budget Committee continues to meet with dozens of departments to reconcile an approximately $750 million budget shortfall in 2025, with some absurdly claiming that deficit is purely a result of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) at work.
Granted, it does sounds bizarre that the state must make budget cuts in a year that it is still expected to collect a surplus of revenue beyond what is allowed by TABOR. But by looking at the facts, anyone can come to see how the so-called budget “crisis” is actually a self-inflicted wound from the legislature’s relentless over-spending.
Having their cake
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Colorado received a windfall of federal funds to prop up the state economy and boost recovery. To fund that massive stimulus, the federal government printed money, causing an increased supply of dollars chasing the same number of goods. This in turn lead to the dollar being worth less, also known as inflation. Continue reading
Aug
31
Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%
Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%
State-owned enterprises increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% in 2023
FILE – This Jan. 22, 2020, file photo shows the likeness of Benjamin Franklin on $100 bills. Jefferson County’s commissioners are asking voters to eliminate their TABOR refunds and allow the county to retain and spend all of the revenue it collects. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
In 1992 voters enacted the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to constrain the growth of government by requiring voter approval for tax increases. Since then, the state government has built a new structure to avoid that requirement.
The creation of TABOR-exempt state-owned “enterprises” has allowed government to increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% of state spending in 2023 without requiring approval from taxpayers, according to a new report released by the Common Sense Institute, a non-partisan research organization “dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.”
“Fees are a rapidly growing and significant cost for Coloradans,” said Kelly Caufield, Executive Director of the Common Sense Institute. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if we call it a tax or a fee, these costs are driving the cost of living in our state.”
Aug
30
Menten: Weighing in on local TABOR measures for the 2024 ballot
2024 Election, Elections, Natalie Menten, TABOR, Uncategorized
Menten: Weighing in on local TABOR measures for the 2024 ballot
August 29, 2024 By Natalie Menten
One great, though lesser-known benefit provided in the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) is the local ballot issue notice. This guide is sent by mail at least 30-days before the election to all households with one or more registered voters.
The notice includes details about upcoming local ballot measures that increase taxes, add debt, or suspend TABOR revenue limits. It includes a section where registered voters have the opportunity to submit FOR or AGAINST comments, up to 500 words each.
You should know that there are actually two types of TABOR ballot issue notices. One notice is for the statewide measures and commonly referred to as the “Blue Book.” The notice discussed here is for elections held by local governments such as a city, town, school district, or special taxing district. It’s important to know the difference as you could potentially get more than one of these notices in the mail.
Several years back, it was discovered that out that of some 300 local tax issues throughout the state, only 15 had the taxpayer’s voice printed in a ballot issue notice. That’s only 5 percent! You can make a big difference and amplify your voice by being an author of the next ballot issue notice where you live. Considering that you reach thousands of voters, submitting comments in the TABOR notice costs almost nothing and takes relatively little time and energy.
What follows is an explanation of how to participate in the local ballot issue comment process. As in so much of government bureaucracy, instructions must be followed with no room for alteration. The deadline for this year is Friday, September 20 no later than noon to have your comments included in the local TABOR notice. Continue reading
May
09
EDITORIAL: Rein in violations of taxpayer’s rights
EDITORIAL: Rein in violations of taxpayer’s rights
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- Updated
Feb
28
Fiscal Rules and ‘Learning by Doing’
February 28, 2024
Fiscal Rules and ‘Learning by Doing’
An important discovery in understanding productivity change and economic growth is the phenomenon of “learning by doing.” One of the first discoveries of this phenomenon was in the aircraft industry during World War II. Defense contractors discovered that in producing a particular aircraft, the labor force was more efficient with each successive contract. The labor force gained knowledge in producing aircraft in the initial contract that they applied in subsequent contracts.
Learning by doing is found to increase productivity across many industries. It is found in pursuing public policies as well. I gained insight into these learning effects as a member of the Colorado Tax Commission. We held hearings across the state to gain insight into citizen attitudes toward fiscal policy, and in particular to Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights Amendment (TABOR). If any government in Colorado wants to increase taxes, revenues, or issue public debt, it must have citizen approval. Citizens in Colorado have voted on hundreds of these ballot measures at all levels of government since TABOR was passed through citizen initiative in 1992. Continue reading