Category Archives: TABOR news story

Dec 26

Slower economic growth, higher TABOR refunds projected in government forecasts

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FILE - Colorado State Capitol
Clouds build over the state Capitol in downtown Denver.

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Two forecasts for Colorado’s economy cite continued growth in the state, but noted a tight labor market would cause that growth to be muted in the coming years.

The state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee has received forecasts from the Legislative Council Staff and the Office of State Planning and Budget.

The forecasts estimate that taxpayers will see refunds granted by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), as the state collects revenue above the state spending cap.

In a statement, House Democrats said the spending caps “limit the state’s ability to invest in critical priorities, such as education and transportation.”

The Legislative Council staff forecast said the state can expect to see economic activity expand as job growth and rising wages continue.

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

Dec 23

The tax fight continues in Colorado as liberal group files 35 more ideas for the 2020 ballot

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Voters cast their ballots at downtown Denver’s Bannock Street polling location on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2019. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

The proposed ballot initiatives would move the state back toward a graduated, or progressive, tax system that would mean higher taxes for the wealthy

With the November defeat of Proposition CC, the score has become so lopsided in favor of fiscal conservatives, the outcome of any given skirmish over the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is starting to feel like a foregone conclusion.

But to Democrats and aligned interest groups, the losing streak at the ballot box when it comes to tax hikes for schools, roads and higher education just means they haven’t found the right game plan.

“What I took away from Prop. CC was that was not the solution,” says Carol Hedges of the Colorado Fiscal Institute, a liberal tax policy group. “That solution didn’t address the concerns of the folks who voted in that election, and we have an obligation to solve these problems.”

So barely a month after voters defeated the measure to eliminate the state’s spending cap, Hedges’ organization is back on the offensive, introducing an eye-popping 35 new tax-related ballot initiatives for 2020. The specifics vary from proposal to proposal, but a single theme unites them: creating what the left views as a more equitable tax code that requires the wealthy to pay more to fund public services.

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Dec 17

Happy New Year From Your Colorado TABOR Foundation!

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By a vote of 55% to 45%, you helped defeat Prop CC to remove TABOR spending limits, but they’re at it again.

Anti-TABOR activists are already testing ballot language for a 2020 initiative to unwind your Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. With a high Democratic voter turnout, they see next year’s election as their chance to amend the State Constitution to give government taxing authority without a vote of the people.

The TABOR Foundation educates voters on how the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights protects their livelihood and why it matters to their family’s future.

We give seminars, media interviews, social media updates, and we’re a primary contact for citizens asking for help when their local jurisdictions violate TABOR mandates.  Importantly, we engage in legal action to protect TABOR.

Defending freedom costs time – and money. We need more help. What can you do to help us?

Please send your donation of $50, $100, $150 or more. Checks payable to TABOR Foundation, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, may be tax deductible as allowed by law.

And, we welcome your service with our Board of Directors, Speakers Bureau, or in some other capacity.  Please call me to talk about being more involved.  Thanks!

 

Sincerely,

Penn R. Pfiffner
Chairman
303-233-7731

TABOR Foundation
720 Kipling St.
Lakewood, CO 80215
www.thetaborfoundation.org 

Dec 12

In Two Blue States, Voters Back Democrats, But Show a Wariness Toward Taxes

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A lawn sign urges voters to oppose Proposition CC, which would have relaxed a Colorado law that restricts the state's taxing power. Voters rejected the measure in November.

A lawn sign urges voters to oppose Proposition CC, which would have relaxed a Colorado law that restricts the state’s taxing power. Voters rejected the measure in November. AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

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In Colorado and Washington, residents this fall voted to either constrain state tax revenues or cut fees, even as Democratic lawmakers argue the money is needed to support education and transportation programs.

Colorado voters during the past two elections have made clear that while they’re willing to back Democratic candidates, they’re reluctant to give them greater taxing power to help carry out their agendas.

That’s even as progressives argue that funding is falling short in areas like education and transportation. Last month, Coloradans kept up the pattern, rejecting a ballot measure that would have relaxed limits on the amount of tax collections that the state government can keep.

Further west, residents in another left-leaning state, Washington, also voted in November to crimp government revenues. Voters approved a ballot initiative to cap the cost of vehicle registration fees, or “car tabs,” which help pay for transit and other transportation programs.

“I think you could say it’s an anti-tax vote, clearly,” said Rep. Jake Fey, a Tacoma-area Democrat who chairs the Washington state House Transportation Committee.

In both places, the election results show how there can be limits to the appetite people have for paying more money for public services and infrastructure—even when a majority of a state’s voters are willing to support Democrats who tend to embrace more progressive platforms, which often involve bigger government.

The measures also highlight the complications and uncertainty that can arise when making tax policy at the ballot box, as well as some unique facets of each state’s tax structure.

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

Dec 11

$10 million poured into 2019 election, but big money couldn’t push Proposition CC to passage

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A look at the final campaign cash reports shows plenty of dark money on Proposition CC and two major players betting big on Proposition DD.

Sandra Fish

Special to The Colorado Sun

cates for Proposition CC outspent the opposition by more than double but still lost in the statewide November election.

The two campaign committees behind the ballot question — Coloradans for Prosperity and Great Education Colorado — spent a combined $4.5 million on the failed effort, according to final campaign finance reports filed late last week.

Colorado voters  54% to 46% to reject Prop. CC, which would have ended the tax revenue caps in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The measure’s opponents spent at least $1.8 million, most of it from dark money organizations that didn’t disclose the source of the campaign cash.

All told, the five issue committees spent more than $10 million in the 2019 election on the two statewide ballot initiatives. About $3.8 million of that spending backed the successful Proposition DD measure to legalize sports gambling.

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

Dec 03

OPINION | Family-leave ‘fee’ (spelled t-a-x) is another end-run on TABOR

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It looks like @ColoradoDems in the #coleg are moving “full steam ahead” on state-sponsored #PaidFamilyLeave. But watch how they decide to fund it. They’ll prob create a new tax w/out #TABOR vote – & call it a FEE. My latest for @colo_politics

OPINION | Family-leave ‘fee’ (spelled t-a-x) is another end-run on TABOR

  • Jimmy Sengenberger

There are a couple of federal government programs that have been around for decades. You might have heard of them: Social Security and Medicare.

You might also know that these programs are funded by payroll taxes.  If you’re an employee working at a company, then the contribution is “split” 50/50 between you and your employer.  Your portion is withheld and sent to the government each paycheck.  If you’re self-employed, you must pay the full amount yourself.  According to the IRS, the tax rates total 12.4% and 2.9% for social security and Medicare, respectively.

You’ll notice that the creators of these programs were clear they’d be funded with a payroll tax on both employees and employers.  They didn’t play word games.  They were upfront that every working American would be taxed a percentage of their income to support Social Security and Medicare.

Colorado Democrats are moving “full steam ahead” to create a new, statewide paid family leave (PFL) fund.  This program would enable employees to receive “12 weeks of paid family leave for pregnancies, infant or sick relative care, or recovery from illness.”

The 2020 bill is still being written following input from a commission tasked with proposing ideas.  But if the fund ends up being financed in a way that is similar to the 2019 version’s formula, it would involve a split — perhaps 60/40 — between employees and employers.

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

 

Nov 29

What’s next after the failure of Proposition CC?

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Democrats in the Colorado legislature will sacrifice parts of their agenda or find politically risky ways to pay for it
By  The Colorado Sun

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 12:25 PM

With the defeat of Proposition CC, voters ensured taxpayer refunds and the periodic legislative exercise in avoiding them are here to stay.

The 2020 budget cycle is shaping up to be no exception. The legislative session is still weeks away, and Colorado budget writers already face a daunting list of requests.

Continue reading →

Nov 21

Natelson: Educating newcomers about Colorado values

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Colorado’s economic prosperity is mostly a good thing, but it has a downside: Prosperity attracts newcomers ignorant of our state’s culture—and often unaware there is 

 

 anything to learn.

You can see it in the great outdoors. Colorado’s environment is different from those of most other states. Colo

rado has greater altitudes, steeper mountains, harsher sun, drier weather, sudden weather changes, and fierce temperature drops. Our environment, while stunning, is far less forgiving than most newcomers are used to. If you get into trouble . . . . well, as we used to say in the Colorado Mountain Club, “The mountains don’t care.”

For that reason the classic “ten essentials” of hiking—extra layers, extra water, a head covering, maps, good boots, sun screen, etc.—are even more important for Colorado than for most other places.

Yet visit any of our popular hiking areas and you’ll see the trails populated by people outfitted like they were strolling in a public park in Boston: no hats, no extra layers, little water, almost no provisions of any kind.

 

 

 

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