Category Archives: Colorado Legislature

Oct 07

EDITORIAL: Politicians mismanage funds; don’t reward them with more

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EDITORIAL: Politicians mismanage funds; don’t reward them with more

  • The Gazette editorial board
Colorado Capitol

The Colorado state Capitol in Denver.

The political class can never get enough of the private sector’s money. That is why politicians are trying to con voters into passing Proposition CC in November.

Do not give politicians a blank check. They have proven unable to manage what they already have.

Colorado is not a low-tax state where politicians scrape to fund basic services. Our state did not make Kiplinger’s top-10 list of the most tax-friendly states this year, released last week, despite having a one-of-a-kind Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights in the state constitution. Weakening this protection, as Proposition CC would do, will only make things worse.

By calling taxes “fees,” and because of Colorado’s booming economy, the state government finds itself awash in surplus revenue. It has so much excess income, estimates anticipate constitutionally mandated returns of nearly $400 million for fiscal year 2020 and 2021.

To read the rest of this article, please click (HERE):

Oct 07

GUEST COLUMN: Voters should defend their TABOR refunds

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GUEST COLUMN: Voters should defend their TABOR refunds

  • Thomas Aiello

Oct 5, 2019

Last year, Colorado voters overwhelmingly rejected last year’s ballot measure that amounted to a multibillion-dollar tax increase on families and businesses. But taxpayers beware: pro-tax activists are back on the ballot again this November with a measure to weaken Colorado’s historic Taxpayer Bill of Rights, so that they can more easily pass tax increases in the future.

This year’s ballot measure is Proposition CC, which would alter TABOR in a way that would take money out of taxpayers’ pockets. Since it was approved by voters in 1992, TABOR has provided Coloradans with the strongest set of taxpayer protections in the country. By guaranteeing refunds of excessive taxes, restricting spending to sensible growth rates, and giving Coloradans the ability to vote on tax increases, TABOR has been instrumental in the state’s booming economy. Without TABOR, Colorado would likely not be one of the fastest growing states in the country, even as the state continues to rank high on measurements of public health and education.

Since TABOR limits the amount of money the state is allowed to spend, surplus revenue in excess of the cap must be refunded to Colorado taxpayers. Generally, the revenue cap on the state level grows with inflation plus population increases. Due to a strong economy, however, revenue collections are coming in above the caps, which means the state will have to refund about $500 million to Colorado taxpayers next year, and about $1.3 billion over the next three years. For millions of taxpayers across the state, these refunds could help cover a week’s worth of groceries, family activities, or even help to pay some rent.

But as of now, potentially $1.3 billion in refunds to taxpayers are in limbo and could be scrapped forever.

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Oct 07

Even The Denver Post Editorial Board Says To Vote No On Proposition CC

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“On Sunday, the Denver Post endorsed a “NO” vote on Proposition CC on the ballot this fall.  Although the Post editorial board has not changed its historic support for ever more and higher taxes, even they could not overlook how terribly flawed and poorly thought-out this measure is.”

Click (HERE) to read the Denver Post Editorial:

Oct 01

Refund Madness: Taxpayers From Coast To Coast Set To Receive Surplus Revenue

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That is unless more voters vote to pay higher taxes, give up their TABOR refunds permanently, and lose their brake on tax and spend politicians.
#TABOR
#DontLoseYourRights
#DontGetFooledAgain
#VoteNoOnPropCC
#WhyTABORMatters

November 2019 Ballot Measure Will Decide Fate Of All Future Taxpayer Refunds In Colorado 

The ultimate debate over the refunding of surplus revenue to taxpayers is taking place in Colorado, home to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), a law that requires surplus revenue collected in excess of the rate of population growth plus inflation be returned to Colorado taxpayers.

Thanks to a strong economy, revenue collections have been coming in well-above the TABOR spending cap, meaning that roughly $650 million is scheduled to be refunded to Colorado taxpayers. Proposition CC, a measure referred to the November 2019 ballot by Governor Jared Polis (D) and Democrats who run the Colorado Legislature, would stop that scheduled refund, and all future refunds.

Passage of Proposition CC would gut TABOR, guaranteeing a higher state tax burden in the future, even if all tax increases would still be subject to voter approval.

“Prop CC says you agree to give up your tax refunds not for just this year, not for the next four years, but forever,” Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, writes in the Denver Post this week. “No future generation will be able to give or withhold their consent over their tax refunds…Our children’s children’s children will never get a TABOR refund. Nor even be asked.”

Click (HERE) to read the rest of this story:

Sep 29

What’s next — eliminating the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights altogether?

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“We are perhaps the only state in the nation that has some control over government tax increases. Are we willing to give this up?” – William Hineser of Arvada
 
Sep 26

The Democratic agenda came with a big price tag. Now Colorado budget writers worry about paying the bill.

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The Democratic agenda came with a big price tag. Now Colorado budget writers worry about paying the bill.

The rising costs of Gov. Jared Polis’ full-day kindergarten program is part of an estimated $100 million in additional costs lawmakers will need to cover

John Frank

The Colorado Sun — johnfrank@coloradosun.com

To pass their expansive legislative agenda, the new Democratic majority at the Colorado Capitol spent big this year. Real big. And now even Democratic budget writers are worried about how to make ends meet.

“There were a lot of bills passed last (session) that have continued spending … and some of those were very large,” said Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “I don’t think we completely all truly understand what we have obligated ourselves to.”

The incoming chairwoman of the Joint Budget Committee issued the extraordinary warning about the forthcoming spending constraints Friday, two months before lawmakers will meet to craft the spending plan for the next fiscal year.

A preliminary estimate prepared for budget writers shows the legislation approved in the 2019 session will cost an additional $80 million to $100 million in the next budget. One factor is a low-ball estimate for the cost of full-day kindergarten, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ chief legislative priority in his first year.

The additional costs anticipated don’t include other major obligations that will come due, such as a projected $175 million to expand inpatient treatment for opioid and substance abuse under legislation approved in 2018 and another $30 million more for the state’s share in a federal children’s health insurance program.

Right now, projections show Colorado may not have the money to cover all the bills and continue spending at its current rate in other priority areas, such as education, transportation and health care.

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