Colorado governor asks judge to toss TABOR tax suit

Colorado governor asks judge to toss bill of rights tax suit

Lawyers for Gov. John Hickenlooper have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Colorado's tax and spending limits.

State lawyers filed a petition Monday characterizing the suit that aims to undo Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights as an attack on citizen initiatives.

A group of Democratic and Republican officials in May filed the legal challenge against the 1992 initiative, commonly known in Colorado as TABOR, that imposed strict rules on how tax money is raised and spent. The bipartisan group called the measure an unconstitutional law that renders the legislative branch ineffective, depriving the state and its citizens of effective representative democracy.

Who'd a thunk it...? That mean ol' Hickenlooper is asking that a lawsuit to repeal TABOR be tossed out... I'm sure Doug Bruce is confused at this moment.

Dont know what kind of game the Hick is playin here- I think I'd rather see this law suit go forward so it can lose in court.

If it's dismissed- the argument can be brought up in the future.

We have every right to vote on tax increases- the TABOR law is not unconstitutional and the courts should point this out loud and clear.

They have shot so many holes in TABOR that it is just about worthless now anyway.

Yes... DAMN him for stopping the law suit....

Yep

Another Democrat on a spending spree....

Let the citizen initiatives continue to be. A little direct democracy lets voters have some power.

Apparently Hickenlooper agreed... It's too bad some here can't take "Yes" for an answer...

My view on this issue is that amendments that are voted on by the people should hold more power than a law voted in by congress. We have seen the liberal state courts stomp on several issues that were voted on by the people.

This particular law suit was frivolous- and it was an attack by the teachers union against the taxpaying voters who have said loud and clear that they do not want their taxes raised without the consent of those being taxed.

The court does not need to listen to Hick- and I'd prefer the case to be found in the courts without merit. The teachers union will mount other attacks to get around tabor - and may even mount a ballot initiative to repeal TABOR.

We've seen how the state government has basically torn apart TABOR- and Colorado needs another ballot initiative to strengthen our rights as taxpayers. Every sneaky- snake like low life attempt to get around the law has been and will continue to be launched against us- including Ritters low handed method of calling a new tax a "fee increase".

That's why we are all paying 3 times more for our license plates now than we did 4 years ago. The wording of TABOR need to be expanded to include any increase in any fee the government levies against us.

Either that- or just bend over and pay the new costs every time they want more of our money- and decide they are going to do it without our permission.

Unbelievable...

Roads and bridges don't stop needing repair in a bad economy. In a bad economy people who are not employed, under-employed, or worried about not being employed, drive less...When they drive less, they buy less gas. When they buy less gas, there is less collected in state fuel taxes. When there is less being collected in fuel taxes, the bridges and roads don't stop needing repair. So, how to get the money necessary to do it? Plate fees, registration fees, title fees, license fees go up... I don't like paying more for plates any more than anyone else...But at least I don't stick my head in the sand about why it was necessary...

You can tighten up TABOR all you want... It doesn't change the fact that if you don't maintain things, they fall apart. Yes, raising the cost of things and calling it "fees" instead of "taxes" is infuriating. But since the no-tax/no-way/no-how/no-reason wackos refuse to pass things in their own interests, it's easy to see why it was done that way.

They get around TABOR just fine. Look at all the "fees" they've imposed.

Besides, I'm a taxpayer and I would like a chance to vote on TABOR. I'm affected by it, but haven't had a chance to vote.