The Colorado Joint Budget committee was in town to tour local facilities that may be axed by them during the next round of budget cuts: Rifle Correctional Facility, Rifle area state parks, the Regional Center, Colorado Mesa University, and the Colorado forensics lab in Grand Junction. I don’t know how many jobs are at each of those facilities, but I do know that cuts in state spending to any or all of them is going to result in the loss of good paying jobs in Western Colorado, thus increasing local unemployment. But we’ll lose more than jobs. If there is no forensics lab in Grand Junction, or if the lab is privatized adding the burden of profit to the work it does, we will lose justice. As evidence is transferred from one police department to a forensic lab, the possibility of losing control of the evidence always exists. If evidence is examined here on the Western Slope, transfer risk is minimized. It doesn’t take a huge imagination to see that transferring evidence to Denver elevates the risk that it might be contaminated, lost, or compromised by its handling. Humans make mistakes, and 240 extra miles, whether it is in the air or by ground transportation offers lots of room for human error. Colorado Mesa University isn’t going to close because of budget cuts, but access to it by the families living in Mesa County will be limited. Because of mandates that direct money to K-12 before any goes to higher education, tuition has been the only funding source available to fill the funding gaps for the university. Tuition is already out of reach of many local families because of the low wages (or non-existent in the case of the unemployed) prevalent in the valley. Increases in tuition will mean that attending Colorado Mesa University will cost as much as major private universities, all of which have better academic programs than our local university. If you are going to go into debt for a college education, you may as well pick the school that will get you in the doors of major corporations. Tim Foster recognizes this threat. According to Sentinel reporter Charles Ashby, “He said it seems inevitable the state won’t be able to afford continued funding of colleges and universities, particularly given federal and voter- approved spending mandates that have increasingly limited the Legislature’s control over what it must fund.” Foster couldn’t bring himself to call the problem by its name: TABOR. It is time for us to have a real conversation about TABOR and how it is destroying Colorado. We’ve reached the point where the state can no longer provide justice and a world class education to its citizens. What other rights are we going to give up before we admit that TABOR sucks? Homework Joint Budget Committee Tours Targeted Local Facilities Foster Floats Endowment Idea Lessons from Colorado for States Considering TABOR
On Sunday the Sentinel endorsed School District 51’s ballot initiative that will ask voters for an override on TABOR limitations for school finances for a period of six years. The editorial pointed out the cuts already made, and described what the expected benefits could be. They even took the time to point out that this is not a run around TABOR, since TABOR specifically provided for voter approval of any tax increases. But that didn’t stop the local Tea Party from demanding “accountability” and vouchers. Accountability is a nice buzz word, but I wish these I-don’t-want-no-stinkin’-government GOTPers would explain what they mean. (GOTP is a contraction of GOP and Tea Party, which aptly describes the movement.) The school district publishes a budget every year, which is available to anyone who bothers to look. School Board meetings are open to the public. We know how each and every school is doing when measured by CSAP tests, as dutifully reported to the local press. The only thing I can make of this call for “accountability” is a desire to dictate to the school board all curriculum and financial decisions. If a small group of over the hill protestors can’t tell the school board what to do, there isn’t “accountability.” Vouchers? For as long as I’ve been around politics the GOP, and now the GOTP has been advocating for vouchers. Vouchers do nothing to help public education. They would take money out of a system that is already bleeding profusely, and give it to those who least need it. Any voucher proposal that I’ve seen provides for a sum of money that falls way short of funding any private school. So, who is going to use vouchers? The wealthy will use vouchers to defray their already existing costs of sending their kids to private schools. The poor and middle class will get stuck in public schools that don’t have enough scientific equipment, or technology or access to teachers with the ability to teach things like Chinese. (I’ve been told that kids in the Cherry Creek school system can learn Chinese, but there is no similar option in School District 51.) I’m voting for Referred Measure 3B. If you have any common sense, and want any kind of future for the kids of Mesa County, you’ll join me. Homework Sentinel Endorses School Override I haven’t spent much time discussing the report recently issued by the University of Denver on the economic future for Colorado. I’ll get to it, but if you are curious about what the report had to say, go to the link below. Short version of my commentary: TABOR sucks. University of Denver on the Future of Colorado
It seems that a letter to the editor by Arn McConnell, Co-Chairman of the Mesa County Democrats, has set off a fire storm. McConnell took umbrage with Kelly Sloan’s blind support of TABOR, and pointed out that Kelly Sloan, as a representative of the Koch sucking American’s for Prosperity might not have a clear understanding of what prosperity means to an American. In the printed version of the Sentinel today there is a letter denouncing Arn as a tax and spend liberal, and there is one waiting in the wings in the E-mail version. This is all about TABOR and ideology, not common sense. The history of TABOR is fascinating if one is a political junkie. It was originally the dream of Douglas Bruce, slum-lord. Bruce didn’t like having to pay property taxes on his run-down properties, or at least that is my theory. So he kept talking and talking until voters in Colorado agreed that people should vote on any increase in taxes. But TABOR goes farther than requiring a vote on increases in taxes. It also limits spending to a formula based on things like the rate of inflation and population growth in the state. Because of this formula there is a “ratchet” effect when there is any slowdown of the economy. Douglas Bruce, darling of the taxes-are-a-theft-of-my-money sect, is a pretty slimy character. He allegedly sponsored the evil three tax initiatives that were soundly defeated last November. He failed to pay any attention to campaign finance laws while circulating petitions to get the measures on the ballot, and then spent months hiding from people wanting to see him in court to explain himself. Bruce may also be the only state legislator to be censured by congress in the history of the state. He was censured for his bad behavior aimed at a reporter, while waiting to be sworn in as a legislator. And he’s been indicted for not paying taxes. It is amazing that this guy is anybody’s idea of a hero. The economic history is even more fascinating. Colorado’s TABOR was used as an example of what not to do when other states were considering enacting similar bills. In every other state that tried to pass TABOR, the initiative failed—because voters there saw a post-TABOR Colorado. Just one of the more egregious consequences of TABOR is the race to the bottom when it comes to higher education in Colorado. Or maybe I should say the race to elites-only in our colleges and universities. If you cannot afford to pay private school tuition or be willing to spend the rest of your natural life paying student loans, you need not apply to a Colorado University. You can just go to work flipping hamburgers or try dumpster diving for aluminum cans to support yourself. Arn McConnell is right. There is no prosperity coming from Americans for Prosperity, unless you are a Koch Brother. And TABOR is destroying Colorado’s university system. Homework: CBPP Research on TABOR Douglas Bruce Indicted Bruce Illegally Practicing Law? Rollie Heath Wants TABOR Vote on Taxes for Schools Rollie Heath Speaks Out About Colorado Budgets Support Our Schools For a Bright Colorado Rumors About the Heath Plan
For the past week or so, we have spent a lot of time at our blog focusing on our opponent. It isn’t something that we like to do—we’d rather just tell voters what we are about and let them decide which candidate best represents their interests. To be honest, we were deliberately being incendiary--as a tactic to generate a few headlines. It didn’t work. Local media is not tuned in to this race.I’ve been enjoying the Hickenlooper shower ads where he promises to never air a negative political ad The past week or so has felt like one big negative ad We’ve showered and we now return our blog to our regularly scheduled programming…One of the questions that people on both sides of the aisle seemed most upset with me about was TABOR. When asked if I supported TABOR my reply was that it was a constitutional amendment and that if elected I would be sworn to protect the state’s constitution. If it ever came up for a vote again, it would be a vote before all of the people, and my vote would be secret, just as would their vote.People on the left said I should have explained what was wrong with TABOR. People on the right thought that my answer didn’t give them enough information to decide if they should support me. They are both right. I promised to be transparent, and my answer was probably one of the murkiest I have ever given. In part, it is because the issue is so complicated that it doesn’t lend itself to 30 second sound bites, but here goes…I have a link to TABOR, as analyzed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, bookmarked in my “favorites” file. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it. The idea behind TABOR was that taxpayers would be able to exercise direct democracy instead of representative democracy on any bill that increased taxes. While that appears admirable on the surface, there have been lots of unintended consequences.The most obvious consequence was the ratchet down effect. When Colorado’s revenues fall, the new benchmark for calculating taxpayer refunds ratchets down to a much lower level. That’s why Referendum C was supported by legislators on both sides of the aisle, and why the people of Colorado voted in favor of Referendum C.Other consequences, taken from the linked analysis:· TABOR creates a permanent revenue shortage for Colorado.· TABOR rules out any new initiatives, including support for unemployed workers in times of high unemployment.· TABOR is responsible for cuts in state services like “K-12 education, higher education, public health and Medicaid.” In fact at one point Colorado considered privatizing their public university system in order to preserve funding for other essential services. (That would have made Colorado the only state in the nation without a public university system. And that, in turn would have made Colorado extremely unattractive to business.)· TABOR is a race to the bottom in education. Colorado’s per pupil funding is now lower than most other states. Colorado’s teacher salaries are now lower than in most other states. Higher education is now out of reach of most middle class families because of steep tuition hikes.· TABOR has reduced the number of women receiving prenatal care in Colorado. It has reduced the number of children receiving their full vaccinations.· TABOR has forced Colorado to spend increasing portions of its revenue on prisoners instead of education or health care for the young and the elderly.Again, from the linked analysis, here are some quotes from Colorado leaders:"Coloradoans were told in 1992 . . . that [TABOR] guaranteed them a right to vote on any and all tax increases. . . . What the public didn’t realize was that it would contain the strictest tax and spending limitation of any state in the country, and long-term would hobble us economically." — Tom Clark, Executive Vice President, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation"The [TABOR] formula . . . has an insidious effect where it shrinks government every year, year after year after year after year; it’s never small enough. . . . That is not the best way to form public policy." — Brad Young, former Colorado state representative (R) and Chair of the Joint Budget Committee"[Business leaders] have figured out that no business would survive if it were run like the TABOR faithful say Colorado should be run — with withering tax support for college and universities, underfunded public schools and a future of crumbling roads and bridges." — Neil Westergaard, Editor of the Denver Business JournalSo, bottom line, I think TABOR is a terrible bill. If sworn in as your Senator I will swear to uphold TABOR, but I’ll hold my nose every step of the way. If anyone put a petition in front of me for a new constitutional amendment to put getting rid of TABOR on the ballot, I would sign it. All you get for low taxes is a third world country. I think it’s time to go take another shower…Homework:Detailed Analysis of TABOR--My Bookmark
Douglas Bruce, famous for authoring the TABOR amendment and his cantankerous personality, may be about to meet his Waterloo. In a ruling in Denver on Friday, Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer ruled that evidence proved Bruce was behind the efforts to get Amendment 60, Amendment 61, and Proposition 101 on the November ballot.Bruce has denied any involvement with supporters of the ballot measures. Petition signers, however, testified that he advised them to delete all correspondence about the efforts. Some of the people working on the issues lived in rental units owned by Bruce during the time that they were obtaining signatures on the petitions to get the initiatives on the ballot.During the month of May, Attorney General John Suthers tried 30 times to serve Bruce with a summons to appear in court. Suthers, who has a long history of dust-ups with Bruce, wanted Bruce to testify about his involvement. Evidently notices were left at Bruce’s door, and subsequently disappeared. Bruce claims that he was out of town at the time. However, Bruce filed a motion in a separate lawsuit against the state of Colorado, which was certified, and which bears a postmark. Dates on both the certification and the postmark on the envelope are during the time he claimed to be gone.Suthers has gone to court to ask a judge to rule that Bruce has been properly served. He needs that ruling in order to file contempt of court charges against Bruce. Suthers plans to file the contempt of court charges next week. If Bruce is found guilty of contempt of court, he could face fines and/or jail. Evidently Bruce is no stranger to jail either--he served eight days in jail in 1995 under similar circumstances. Unfortunately the people who did his dirty work are also now his victims. They were fined $6,000 by Judge Spencer.Homework:Supporters of Evil 3 Amendments FinedAnother Story about the Judge fining Bruce SupportersDouglas Bruce Biography
At the recent candidates-forum-to-which-I-was-not-invited, it became apparent that the Republicans seeking the House District 54 seat are hell bent on making Colorado a third-world neighborhood. Their vision for Colorado included selling all of Colorado’s public lands, eliminating public education, and eliminating all regulation of industry.Today’s local newspaper is all about the teeth gnashing over trying to balance Colorado’s budget, which is required by law, within the constraints of TABOR. At the risk of being labeled as a “tax and spend liberal” let me paint the picture for you.What TABOR does is create a permanent revenue shortage for the state. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-partisan think tank that ”examines the short- and long-term impacts of proposed policies on the health of the economy and the soundness of federal and state budgets,” Colorado is beginning to look a lot like a third-world country. Here is what they have to say about TABOR, and why they are advising other states not to adopt the same constraints:TABOR Has Contributed to Declines in Colorado K-12 Education Funding
- Under TABOR, Colorado declined from 35th to 49th in the nation in K-12 spending as a percentage of personal income.
- Colorado’s average per-pupil funding fell by more than $400 relative to the national average.
- Colorado’s average teacher salary compared to average pay in other occupations declined from 30th to 50th in the nation.
TABOR Has Played a Major Role in the Significant Cuts Made in Higher Education Funding
- Under TABOR, higher education funding per resident student dropped by 31 percent after adjusting for inflation.
- College and university funding as a share of personal income declined from 35th to 48th in the nation.
- Tuitions have risen as a result. In the last four years, system-wide resident tuition increased by 21 percent (adjusting for inflation).
TABOR Has Led to Drops in Funding for Public Health Programs
- Under TABOR, Colorado declined from 23rd to 48th in the nation in the percentage of pregnant women receiving adequate access to prenatal care, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Colorado plummeted from 24th to 50th in the nation in the share of children receiving their full vaccinations. Only by investing additional funds in immunization programs was Colorado able to improve its ranking to 43rd in 2004.
- At one point, from April 2001 to October 2002, funding got so low that the state suspended its requirement that school children be fully vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) because Colorado, unlike other states, could not afford to buy the vaccine.
TABOR Has Hindered Colorado’s Ability to Address the Lack of Medical Insurance Coverage for Many Children and Adults in the State
- Under TABOR, the share of low-income children lacking health insurance has doubled in Colorado, even as it has fallen in the nation as a whole. Colorado now ranks last among the 50 states on this measure.
- TABOR has also affected healthcare for adults. Colorado has fallen from 20th to 48th for the percentage of low-income non-elderly adults covered under health insurance.
- In 2002, Colorado ranked 49th in the nation in the percentage of both low-income non-elderly adults and low-income children covered by Medicaid.
TABOR’s interaction with other areas of the state’s budget has created additional problems. Spending for corrections, for example, has grown substantially faster than the inflation-plus-population formula of TABOR, in part due to strict criminal codes and sentencing laws. Because spending for corrections has grown rapidly, other areas of the budget have been squeezed even more in order to keep overall spending under the strict TABOR limit.Colorado Business and Community Leaders View TABOR as Deeply FlawedA wide range of Coloradoans — business leaders, higher education officials, children’s advocates, legislators of both parties, and Governor Bill Owens (R), among others — recognize that TABOR has limited the state’s ability to fund critical services.
- “Coloradoans were told in 1992 . . . that [TABOR] guaranteed them a right to vote on any and all tax increases. . . . What the public didn’t realize was that it would contain the strictest tax and spending limitation of any state in the country, and long-term would hobble us economically.” — Tom Clark, Executive Vice President, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
- “The [TABOR] formula . . . has an insidious effect where it shrinks government every year, year after year after year after year; it’s never small enough. . . . That is not the best way to form public policy.” — Brad Young, former Colorado state representative (R) and Chair of the Joint Budget Committee
- “[Business leaders] have figured out that no business would survive if it were run like the TABOR faithful say Colorado should be run — with withering tax support for college and universities, underfunded public schools and a future of crumbling roads and bridges.” — Neil Westergaard, Editor of the Denver Business Journal
Colorado business leaders and citizens banded together and successfully campaigned to suspend TABOR beginning in 2006 and permanently change some of its most damaging features. It is unclear what will happen when the suspension expires, since in most areas Colorado still has not regained the services and quality of life it lost while TABOR was in effect.Homework:http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/tempers_flare_as__tax_bills_ad ßthe messiness of trying to balance Colorado’s budget.http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14378211ß One attorney’s response to TABOR, which could change it.http://www.newsweek.com/id/233158ß We want our cake and to eat it too.http://www.cbpp.org/archiveSite/ssl-series.htmßDefinition of TABOR.http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=753 ß Think tank analysis of why other states should not follow Colorado and adopt TABOR.
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