TABOR in Colorado Works
In Colorado, the people have spoken. Thanks to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). Without TABOR, the people never would have been asked.
On Tuesday, the state of Colorado held two statewide referendums. One of them failed: Referendum D, which asked for permission to borrow and spend up to $2.1 billion immediately.
The other referendum passed. Referendum C asked for permission to spend an estimated $3.7 billion in projected tax surpluses over the next five years. Tax collections above the revenue limit. A limit Colorado citizens enjoy because of TABOR.
Those are surpluses they expect to have, because TABOR’s spending growth limits are still in place, still working just as they’re supposed to. Had the voters said no, the state government would have sent those surpluses back to the taxpayers. TABOR works, contrary to what the left is saying.
That Referendum C passed means TABOR works. Because of TABOR, politicians have to ask their citizens – the people, whom our government is supposed to serve – for more money through referendums from time to time.
The lefty spin goes even further: some liberal outlets are claiming that TABOR has been “suspended” or even repealed.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Voters in Colorado didn’t repeal or suspend TABOR. They didn’t change it. They did not change or amend their Constitution. They didn’t raise any tax rates (in fact, Referendum C lowers income tax rates a little – those clever politicians!).
They simply said “no” to borrowing, and “yes” to letting the state keep and spend the extra tax money they collect.
TABOR limits the growth of government spending to the rates of inflation plus population. Any tax revenue the government receives in excess of this limit is surplus – they have to send it back to the taxpayers, unless they get permission to keep and spend it, instead.
Before TABOR, Colorado’s government would simply have kept and spent that money without asking their voters – the people they’re supposed to serve – for permission. They also would have likely raised taxes and borrowed more, because the politicians didn’t have to ask. That’s the system we have in Wisconsin right now.
In Colorado, thanks to TABOR, the people have the final say. The government there is limited – they can grow so fast, but not faster unless they get express permission from their voters to do so.
The people in Colorado have more say and control over their government than we in Wisconsin do. I want our citizens to have these same rights. The right to be asked before our government reaches deeper into our pockets.
Don’t you?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide
On Tuesday, the state of Colorado held two statewide referendums. One of them failed: Referendum D, which asked for permission to borrow and spend up to $2.1 billion immediately.
The other referendum passed. Referendum C asked for permission to spend an estimated $3.7 billion in projected tax surpluses over the next five years. Tax collections above the revenue limit. A limit Colorado citizens enjoy because of TABOR.
Those are surpluses they expect to have, because TABOR’s spending growth limits are still in place, still working just as they’re supposed to. Had the voters said no, the state government would have sent those surpluses back to the taxpayers. TABOR works, contrary to what the left is saying.
That Referendum C passed means TABOR works. Because of TABOR, politicians have to ask their citizens – the people, whom our government is supposed to serve – for more money through referendums from time to time.
The lefty spin goes even further: some liberal outlets are claiming that TABOR has been “suspended” or even repealed.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Voters in Colorado didn’t repeal or suspend TABOR. They didn’t change it. They did not change or amend their Constitution. They didn’t raise any tax rates (in fact, Referendum C lowers income tax rates a little – those clever politicians!).
They simply said “no” to borrowing, and “yes” to letting the state keep and spend the extra tax money they collect.
TABOR limits the growth of government spending to the rates of inflation plus population. Any tax revenue the government receives in excess of this limit is surplus – they have to send it back to the taxpayers, unless they get permission to keep and spend it, instead.
Before TABOR, Colorado’s government would simply have kept and spent that money without asking their voters – the people they’re supposed to serve – for permission. They also would have likely raised taxes and borrowed more, because the politicians didn’t have to ask. That’s the system we have in Wisconsin right now.
In Colorado, thanks to TABOR, the people have the final say. The government there is limited – they can grow so fast, but not faster unless they get express permission from their voters to do so.
The people in Colorado have more say and control over their government than we in Wisconsin do. I want our citizens to have these same rights. The right to be asked before our government reaches deeper into our pockets.
Don’t you?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Lasee’s Notes is a weekly column by Representative Frank Lasee, 2nd Assembly District, covering events in the Legislature and statewide
posted by John Q Cheesehead | 6:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home