Where does that money go anyway?? Turns out the money from proposed tax hike Proposition 103 actually goes into the General Fund. Which means (in backer Rollie Heath's own words) "the General Assembly decides each year how to divvy it up".
Remember Referendum C which was also supposed to benefit education? Well there is no actual record of where that money went except that we know it didn't all go to education. So this big push that it's for the children is nothing but BS.
I remember Amendment 23; and I remember the Bond Issue for Jefferson County that was supposed to come with a link to grade-improvement--"No performance, no money." Uh-huh. Ever seen a bond issue passed based on a trigger where the money wasn't distributed because the trigger didn't happen? Neither have I.
They've come to the well too many times...I'm going to vote against this one.
I don't support 103 - since I"d just assume not dance around the real problem.
Colorado's system of education is weak and unsustainable - and will remain weak and unsustainable until something is done about TABOR.
The state of Colorado ranks in the top 10 states in "ability to pay for education" ---- and ranks in the bottom 10 states in "actual support for education." (the same goes for higher education).
I would note, however, that I dislike the scare tactics employed by the proposition naysayers:
Raising taxes over five years would slow Colorado’s economy and lead to 27,000 fewer people working by 2016, according to a study by Eric Fruits, president of Economics International Corp. in Portland, Oregon. He was hired by the Colorado-based Common Sense Policy Roundtable, a research organization with several business leaders on its board.
No - not really - since the tax revenue would be turned around and spent on education - most of which would be retained in-state (unlike the Roundtable - which allowed their funds to go out-of-state).
If the Roundtable was really serious about Colorado's economy - they would have hired an economist somewhere in Colorado.
I'll vote against prop 103, why would I voluntarily hand over more of my money to a government that has proven time and time again that it can't manage a budget?
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges; When the Republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous. - Publius Cornelius Tacitus
While there's certainly some junk in Colorado's spending - I'd argue that our state budget is reasonably well spent.
The problem is - mandatory spending (health, pension/retirement, and the mandatory education spending) will be greater than revenue in just a few years.
Some activists introduced Prop 103 to try to introduce a short-term stop-gap measure......
I would like someone to explain .... why do we believe we have an education problem in Colorado? I believe we have a money management and union employee base issue in the education system.
Actually I heard this Prop is dead on arrival and even many leading state Dems don't support the tax increase.
