Category Archives: Media

Aug 12

SENGENBERGER | Safeguard TABOR — and stand up for Colorado taxpayers

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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).

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

Aug 12

Ex-Basalt mayor touts new ‘social capital’ group

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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.

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

Aug 12

As Colorado’s governor, lawmakers target tax breaks, a program that covers 75% of the state’s land could be in the crosshairs

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Colorado has awarded $7.6 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits to Comanche Solar PV in Pueblo County. The 156-megawatt Comanche solar array, shown here on Jan 20, 2019, is the largest solar project in the state of Colorado. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)

As Colorado’s governor, lawmakers target tax breaks, a program that covers 75% of the state’s land could be in the crosshairs

A Colorado Sun analysis of $223 million in tax credits awarded from 2013 to 2018 found that the state is often doling out taxpayer dollars without much evidence that each tax credit is producing economic activity that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise

Brian Eason

Special to The Colorado Sun

In the grand scheme of public subsidies for professional sports teams, the $19,306.19 the state gave the Colorado Rockies in 2013 probably isn’t enough to get worked up about.

Neither is the $948.57 credit claimed in 2014 by a Walgreens for $31,000 invested in a Pueblo pharmacy. Or the $529 McDonald’s received in 2016 through its restaurant in Greeley.

But when upwards of 75% of the state’s land is classified as an economic development zone, a hundred dollars here, a thousand dollars there adds up. And while the vast majority of the 16,000-plus tax credits claimed through the program in the last few years were worth less than $10,000, at least 42 companies have been awarded more than $1 million each in public subsidies through the program since July 2013.

As Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado General Assembly conduct the state’s first broad review of tax breaks in recent memory, there’s perhaps no program that better illustrates the heated debate over tax incentives than the Enterprise Zone program. The sprawling economic development initiative was designed to spur investment in the state’s most needy areas but has expanded to the point that even some supporters question whether it’s fulfilling its intended purpose.

A Colorado Sun analysis of $223 million in tax credits awarded from July 2013 to June 2018 found that the state is often doling out taxpayer dollars without much evidence that each tax credit is producing economic activity that wouldn’t have occurred without public subsidies. In some cases, the state is also pursuing conflicting goals, explicitly incentivizing renewable energy in order to fight climate change on the one hand, while giving nearly twice as much to the fossil fuel industry that cleaner energies are meant to replace.

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

Aug 10

AG Weiser requests extension of deadline to defend TABOR; motion granted

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Please note that Sherrie Peif has issued an update to her story; the AG did request an extension of the appeal but his office had failed to respond to Sherrie’s repeated requests for information.
See her new story below.
 

AG Weiser requests extension of deadline to defend TABOR; motion granted

 By 

“The Attorney General has said he will defend the constitution and that’s what he will do,” Pacheco said by email Thursday morning.

Complete Colorado attempted to get hold of Weiser through Pacheco before the story published; however, Pacheco did not return phone calls or email requests until after the story published. Weiser was also aware prior to publication that Complete Colorado was attempting to get hold of him through a series of Tweets with Complete Colorado.

Regardless, Complete Colorado regrets the original error.

DENVER — Although he campaigned on a promise to defend the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) despite his personal opinion of the nearly three decades old constitutional amendment, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser made his first move in the opposite direction by letting a deadline pass to argue an ongoing TABOR case in federal court.

Weiser had until Tuesday to ask that the entire circuit court hear the case after a 3-judge panel from the Tenth  Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s ruling. The lower court had ruled that local governments do not have the right to sue.

Aug 10

Why #TABOR Matters on August 10

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Colorado’s annual state budget is nearly $32 billion – a 300% increase over what it was when #TABOR was passed by voters in 1992. How is it possible that $32B isn’t enough for government to operate for a year?
 
#TABORYes
#ThankGodForTABOR
#VoteNoOnPropCC
#HandsOffTABOR
Aug 08

AG Weiser fails to appeal TABOR decision in federal court

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Colorado Democrat Attorney General “Idiot” Phil Weiser lied to you. He said he would defend #TABOR.
Typical liberal modus operandi
Shame on any one who voted for this buffoon.

DENVER — Although he campaigned on a promise to defend the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) despite his personal opinion of the nearly three decades old constitutional amendment, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser made his first move in the opposite direction by letting a deadline pass to argue an ongoing TABOR case in federal court.

Weiser had until Tuesday to ask that the entire circuit court hear the case after a 3-judge panel from the Tenth  Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s ruling. The lower court had ruled that local governments do not have the right to sue.

“It’s disappointing that AG Weiser is not fully following through on his campaign promises,” said Michael Fields, Executive Director of Colorado Rising Action. “The rubber will hit the road when the merits of the TABOR case are heard, and he actually has to defend the constitution.”

Fields added that everyone should be concerned that Weiser chose not to defend the state’s constitution knowing he is not a TABOR supporter.

Aug 01

Basalt wrestles with Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights violations

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Basalt wrestles with Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights violations

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TABOR is a constitutional amendment passed in 1992 that, among other things, requires voter consent for new or increased taxes and debt, as well as  limiting government revenues to a formula of population growth plus inflation. Under TABOR, governments in Colorado are required to refund excess revenue back to taxpayers, or get voter approval to keep it.

In 1994, two years after TABOR was enacted, Basalt residents voted 220 to 42 in favor of lifting TABOR revenue limits, thus allowing the town to keep any excess revenues it brings in over the regular revenue restrictions in TABOR. Numerous taxing authorities in Colorado have asked voters to do this to avoid having to pay out refunds when revenues exceed expectations.

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

 

Jul 31

Appellate briefs started in Donor Disclosure

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TABOR Supporters,

The “Donor Disclosure” lawsuit is about the City of Denver’s ordinance to cause any organization to become an issue committee for speaking out about a Denver ballot measure.  Our two organizations (TABOR Committee and the CUT Foundation) are the plaintiffs.  We are represented by the Goldwater Institute.  We lost on the issue of standing in District Court on February 5, 2019.  Our attorneys have met the deadlines for an appeal.

This message is to let you know of progress made. Our brief was submitted timely on July 12th.  The Defendant (City of Denver) has until August 16 to file its opening brief.  The step after that will be our Reply brief, which will be due September 16.

Plaintiffs’ Opening Brief_7.12.19 on Scribd

Jul 31

Trump’s Greek-Style Budget Deal

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In other words, we’re on the path to fiscal crisis. Is there a solution?

Yes, we could adopt constitutional restraints on the growth of government. I mentioned Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights in the interview, as well as the “debt brake” in Switzerland.

http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/…/trumps-greek-style…/