More taxes still, on top of Ref C? Windels wants’em
By Ben DeGrow (http://bendegrow.com/index.php?p=792)
DENVER – Amid a heated election contest to suspend taxpayer refunds, a leading Colorado Senate Democrat has moved forward in her plan to urge voters to adopt another tax increase to fund K-12 education.
At a Tuesday meeting, an Interim School Finance Committee composed of 10 state lawmakers agreed to proceed with crafting legislation recommending Colorado voters approve a new funding source to finance the state’s schools. Committee chair Senator Sue Windels (D – Arvada) proposed the idea, which she styled as “Referendum E.”
Windels said she would consider putting the measure on the statewide ballot in 2007.
Four committee members objected to forwarding Windels’ idea for immediate action, including Senator Ron Tupa (D – Boulder), who cited the current contentious election battle over Referenda C and D as poor timing to raise the spectre of more taxes.
“I could see the Jon Caldaras of the world saying, ‘Look, the government is out for more money,’” Tupa said. “My heart is with you, [Senator Windels], but my head just isn’t.”
On the ballot November 1, Referendum C asks voters to forfeit an estimated $3.7 billion in refunds under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) over the next five years and ratchets up the state government’s spending forever. Referendum D, dependent on the passage of C, would authorize the state to borrow an additional $2.1 billion for transportation and school construction projects, and police and fire employee pension bailouts.
In a handout given to committee members and guests, Senator Windels described her proposed Referendum E as “Everyone’s Effort for Equity and Excellence in Education.” The plan calls for increased funding for full-day kindergarten and preschool with no price tag yet specified.
Senator Nancy Spence (R – Centennial) proposed that the committee should “craft a trade-off” by also endorsing the removal of Amendment 23 from the State Constitution.
Windels rejected the idea, stating that she did not want “to put K-12 on the chopping block” before voters make a decision on Referenda C and D.
The author can be reached at John@BackBoneAmerica.net
It doesn’t surprise me one bit to see things like this come about, however, this shows how out of touch these people are. My comment is on the problems with C&D and the people that support it. If you look at EVERYONE who is for C&D they are all going to receive huge amounts of funding if it passes. Is that not the same thing as a senator or congressman accepting a bribe from a lobbyist to support an item? If you say it isn’t, you are either stupid or on the take as well! Please understand, I realize there is a SERIOUS problem with the states budget and the direction it is going, but this is not the way to fix it. Here’s a good analogy. If you’re in a boat that’s sinking what should you do? The fist thing you do is plug the holes and then you start pailing water while you find out why the bilge pump isn’t working. What they are suggesting with C&D is going out and buying a 3.2 billion dollar pump that is going to make the boat heavier and sink faster, without pluging the holes, while they sit back and relax for a while. This is no time to relax! What they need to do is fix the problems(plug the holes and fix the pump) instead of treating the symptoms. The holes being waste and mismanagement and people on the government dole and the pump being tabor and ammendment 23. The propblem is that no one has the intestinal fortitude to challenge ammendment 23 or admit the real reasons that secondary education always catches the problems of budget shortfalls.I have more comments, but not enough time to type.
Thank You
by mike | Thursday, Sep 29, 2005 | 12:48 pmMike Castellucci
Pueblo CO