Sep
02
Category Archives: Legal Issues
Sep
02
Why #TABOR Matters On September 2
The ballot language of Prop CC begins by claiming “Without increasing taxes…”
If it passes, that means you lose your TABOR tax refund permanently.
That is an increase in taxes.
#TABOR
#ThankGodForTABOR
#DontGetFooledAgain
#VoteNoOnPropCC
#WhyTABORMatters
#TABORYes
Aug
29
Referendum C hurt TABOR; Prop CC will do more harm
They lied to us in 2005, and they are doubling down on this lie in 2019. Colorado voters were sold a bill of goods with Referendum C in 2005, and it is of the utmost importance that we aren’t fooled again with Proposition CC in 2019.
Proponents of Referendum C originally claimed that their measure was “temporary.” The measure was supposed to offer a five-year reprieve from the constitutional limitations created by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), allowing some fiscal flexibility for Colorado lawmakers to invest heavily in education and transportation.
Or so they claimed.
Aug
29
Why #TABOR Matters on August 29
• In 2005, voters passed Referendum C to provide more than $2 billion each year for roads.
• In 2009, the legislature passed FASTER fees, which provides $250 million each year through higher car registration fees.
• In 2017, the legislature “fixed” the Hospital Provider Fee, which freed up $600 million for roads and education.
• This all means we spend almost $3 billion more per year since 2005, yet our roads are still in terrible condition.
Who is accountable?
#WhyTABORMatters
Aug
28
Why #TABOR Matters On August 28
Beware! The Colorado Fiscal Institute has launched a statewide petition drive for the November 2020 ballot to completely repeal your Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. The effort is being disguised using TABOR’s designation in statute: Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado State Constitution.
Aug
27
Why #TABOR Matters On August 27
Building a Better Colorado is another special interest group organized to repeal TABOR.
BBC’s past successes: 1) requiring ballot initiatives to get signatures from throughout the state; 2) instituting a statewide presidential primary (co-opts the work of political parties); 3) allow unaffiliated voters to participate in a Democrat or Republican party primary election – without declaring a party affiliation.
#TABOR
#ThankGodForTABOR
#VoteNoOnPropCC
#TABORYes
#WhyTABORMatters
Aug
25
Why TABOR Matters on August 25
The liberal Colorado Fiscal Institute is one of the special interest groups behind trying to repeal TABOR. Their specialty (method of operation) is pricey lawsuits challenging voters right to choose how much to tax and for what purpose.
Carol Hedges is the executive director
#TABOR
#ThankGodForTABOR
#VoteNoOnPropCC
#TABORYes
#WhyTABORMatters
Aug
19
Proposition CC’s Ballot Language Is NOT Being Honest With Colorado
Chris P. Bacon@CPBacon4CO
#PropCC Ballot Language **IF** the #democrats were being honest with #Colorado
But they’re not being honest
It’s not “Technically” a tax increase, but it IS permission for them to keep OverCharging your tax bills & keep it without asking
Aug
12
SENGENBERGER | Safeguard TABOR — and stand up for Colorado taxpayers
The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is under attack. For at least a decade, Democrats in the Colorado legislature — backed by the Colorado Supreme Court in erroneous rulings and occasionally supported by faithless Republicans — have thwarted some of the protections afforded to Coloradans by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
Typically, these successful assaults against TABOR have come from taxes disguised as “fees.” In fact, this past legislative session Democrats even proposed financing a paid family leave program with a payroll tax (like the Social Security tax) that they would again have labeled a “fee.” (This legislation is likely to return next session.)
But this year’s attack — Proposition CC, put on the ballot by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly and backed by Gov. Jared Polis (D) — is particularly troublesome. Recall that the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights was passed in 1992 and provides two essential protections for Coloradans. First, the amendment requires a vote of the people to raise taxes (unless legislators call it a “fee,” as discussed).
Aug
12
Ex-Basalt mayor touts new ‘social capital’ group
Ex-Basalt mayor touts new ‘social capital’ group
- John Fayhee, Special to the Aspen Daily News
Tim Belinski, developer of Willits Town Center, supports Rick Stevens’ idea of starting a social capital group in Basalt.
Madeleine Osberger/Aspen Daily News
A potentially positive proposal to salve some of the wounds caused by the contentious and increasingly expensive TABOR controversy in Basalt may end up butting heads with the same town government that had been inadvertently collecting property tax revenues for 10 years in violation of the state’s constitution.
All told, town officials estimate that about $2 million had been collected illegally, according to the fine print of TABOR — the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights — which was added to the state constitution by citizens’ referendum in 1992.
TABOR restricts revenues for all levels of government — state, local, special districts and schools. Under TABOR, state and local governments cannot raise tax rates without voter approval.
Two years after TABOR was enacted, Basalt voters approved a property tax rate of 6.151 mills. Soon thereafter, given the increase of real estate values in town, that rate was lowered, finally bottoming out at 2.56 mills in 2010. As real estate values struggled to recover from the Great Recession, Basalt was forced to gradually raise the mill levy to meet its basic operating costs.