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Political Hay
Stimulating Big Government
When President Obama signed the federal stimulus package at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, conservatives gathered just a few miles away at the Colorado state capitol to protest. Many of the protestors sought refuge in the state's spending limits, which could prevent the stimulus from imposing new commitments on the state government.
The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) was originally passed by Colorado voters in 1992 to keep government spending at a minimum and put decisions in the hands of the electorate. But now that the stimulus has become law, citizens have been asking: Will TABOR offer protection against the stimulus dollars coming in to our state?
Answer: The money cannot, by law, be spent by lawmakers without first seeking voter approval. As things stand now, that is.
But there are many hoops lawmakers can jump through in order to achieve the spending they desire. Just ask state Representative Don Marostica. The moderate Republican hopes to repeal a relatively unknown part of TABOR known as the Arveschoug-Bird Amendment. Passed in 1991, it covers public and higher education and prisons, with anything remaining to be spent on transportation. Though it allows for some increase due to inflation, that increase cannot go over six percent per year.
Anything projected over the six percent mark has to be approved by the voters. Arveschoug-Bird was wrapped into the state's constitution when TABOR was passed a year later in 1992.
The repeal of Arveschoug-Bird would water down the TABOR rules and allow lawmakers to spend money, including stimulus money, the way they see fit. Or in the words of state Representative John Morse (D-Colorado Springs), "[Citizens] have no right to this money."
Now that Colorado is expected to get $2 billion over the next two years from the federal government, liberal lawmakers are trying to find a way to have their cake and eat it too.
Because TABOR limits what can be spent based on revenue and the previous year's budget, lawmakers must plan for budget cuts to be made in virtually every program. Governor Bill Ritter has projected that at least $600 million will need to be cut in order to follow the mandates of TABOR. The stimulus package will potentially send billions more to the state -- to be spent at the legislature's discretion if the repeal of the amendment is successful.
In addition to the possible repeal of Arveschoug-Bird A, the governor has suggested a back-door tax increase to further increase the size of spending and keep government programs alive. By charging businesses fees and surcharges for various government "services," the state can raise another $300 million.
Conservatives in the legislature are fighting to keep the spending limits intact, but are so far coming up short. A nearly 10-hour filibuster in the Senate last week was thwarted as the Democratic majority approved the bill to repeal the Arveschoug-Bird Amendment. Senate Bill 228 is now on its way to the House, where it will face staunch opposition but is likely to pass because of a similar majority.
TABOR was passed by the people of Colorado to protect themselves against greedy legislators. Over the years the law has been slowly chipped away and now citizens are seeing the results.
There was once a day when many other states and countless citizens looked to Colorado's TABOR as a model of tight budgets. But with a revenue-loving, big-government legislature, those days are quickly disappearing.
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Stan redmond| 3.11.09 @ 11:36AM
Colorado went for Obama no? WELL YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTED FOR!!! You helped put a tax and spend big government socialist with disdain for America he's going to brush you aside.
Colorado Independent| 3.11.09 @ 1:08PM
Governor Ritter and the Dems have spent the last two years trying to circumvent TABOR. Only a lawsuit and court decision prevented them from keeping tax revenues they weren't entitled to.
Ritter is exactly like Obama--a socialist in moderate clothing. He is into (a) bigger government, (b) creating more welfare services, (c) card-check for unions and (d) throwing more money at education while results decline.
Ritter promotes a clean energy agenda without acknowledging that electricity will cost you 2x - 3x what you are paying now. He has tried to tax oil and gas development out of the state, at the risk of destroying 60,000 high paying jobs. And he just returned from a trip to Japan to promote trade (while flying business class and staying in 5-Star hotels) with 10 of his closest associates. The man has no respect for Colorado tax payers!
Until Colorado (and the other states) stop electing professional lawyers to executive and legislative positions nothing will change. As stated above--you get exactly what you elected.
Duane Hinde| 3.11.09 @ 8:00PM
Well, I can only say this. There is a revolution coming and the people who want this stimulous package are going to be the first ones to suffer from it. You CAN NOT spend your self out of debt. You CAN NOT go to the grocery store with ten dollars and bring home 20 dollars worth of food. The store will not let you. The same thing with this bill. It just WILL NOT work. Wake up people. Ritter is stupid just as obama is. Two and two always adds up to four, not five.
Robert Rosencrans| 3.12.09 @ 7:54AM
I want to take issue with the concept that 2 + 2 always adds up to 4. No, in fact, it doesn't, at least no inside the beltway.
The laws of mathematics are suspended inside the political anarchy zone inside the beltway.
Inside the beltway 2 + 2 can equal 5 or 6 or 8, as long as the taxpayers are too apathetic to do the math and realize that the government can't give them anything it can only take.
Rick Josey| 3.12.09 @ 8:49PM
First step, cut the federal government down to size. We need the State, Defense, Justice and Treasury departments. The rest, should be trimmed way down or eliminated. This would drastically reduce the tax dollar needs, reduce taxes and stimulate the economy. CUT spending, not increase it.
Second, good men and women must rise up to lead this country. We have too many leaders who are corrupt. They lie, they steal. From their fellow Americans.
Third, we must once again teach our nation's great heritage to our children. Teach them what made/makes America great.
We need to downsize, economize and revolutionize our country's government. Let the States govern the people. As envisioned by the Founding Fathers.
All this presupposes that our citizens wise up a bit and stop voting for liberal lunatics who think we can get out of debt by going deeper into it.
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