News
Opinion
The ability for citizens to gather signatures and place initiatives on the state ballot is, fundamentally, a good thing. If state lawmakers are too busy bickering to put their heads together and solve problems, then it’s appropriate that citizens can bypass the Legislature and use “direct democracy” to propose laws to the electorate.
Direct democracy can, however, be messy. And so it is in Colorado.
Ironically, Amendment 59 on the Nov. 4 ballot is the best solution yet proposed to a fiscal squeeze imposed by two earlier citizen-initiated constitutional amendments: TABOR, from 1992, and Amendment 23, from 2000.
TABOR, or the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, strictly caps government spending; it won approval as a backlash against big, tax-and-spend state government. Amendment 23, on the other hand, was a reaction to perceived underspending on public education, and requires state government to pump more money into schools every year.
In years of lean state revenue, these measures come into direct conflict. Truth be told, it’s a fiscal train wreck.
Amendment 59, proponents would say, is here to help. And we support it. Though a bitter pill to swallow for some on both ends of the political spectrum, 59 absolutely is an improvement when compared to today’s constitutional crunch.
Here’s what Amendment 59 would do:
Repeal Amendment 23, which requires annual inflationary increases in public education spending;
Eliminate the rebates that taxpayers receive when the state collects more revenue than TABOR allows, and redirect that surplus money into public schools;
Creates a new savings account, or rainy day fund, for public schools.
Opponents are calling Amendment 59 a tax increase, but that’s a distortion. The measure would, indeed, eliminate the TABOR tax rebates, but Coloradans haven’t received a TABOR rebate since 2001, and the state treasurer doesn’t expect another rebate for at least five years. Amendment 59 is only a tax increase to the degree it would erase these rare rebates and put the surplus money toward education instead.
The new savings account will also receive a portion of the state’s income tax collections, an estimated $46 million in 2010 and $50 million in 2011. The account would be available to legislators during years of lean revenue (in normal or surplus years, a super-majority of lawmakers would have to agree to tap the fund). That’s a much smarter way to fund Colorado schools than Amendment 23, a blunt mandate that has tied legislators’ hands and already forced drastic cuts in other state programs.
Fiscal conservatives are leery of 59, because it repeals the TABOR rebates. This is a valid concern, but we agree with 59 proponents who say the amendment preserves the most important component of TABOR: the right to vote on proposed tax increases. Furthermore, the surplus revenue that would have gone back to taxpayers won’t just disappear into the ocean of the state’s general fund; it will go into a protected account to support public schools in times of need.
For those who fear the repeal of 23 will hurt public schools, we would argue that TABOR and 23 simply cannot coexist. Amendment 59 gives state lawmakers an effective tool to fund public schools: an automatic mechanism that saves money in good times to support schools in bad times. This is a fiscally smart investment in education.
Vote yes on Amendment 59.
Direct democracy can, however, be messy. And so it is in Colorado.
Ironically, Amendment 59 on the Nov. 4 ballot is the best solution yet proposed to a fiscal squeeze imposed by two earlier citizen-initiated constitutional amendments: TABOR, from 1992, and Amendment 23, from 2000.
TABOR, or the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, strictly caps government spending; it won approval as a backlash against big, tax-and-spend state government. Amendment 23, on the other hand, was a reaction to perceived underspending on public education, and requires state government to pump more money into schools every year.
In years of lean state revenue, these measures come into direct conflict. Truth be told, it’s a fiscal train wreck.
Amendment 59, proponents would say, is here to help. And we support it. Though a bitter pill to swallow for some on both ends of the political spectrum, 59 absolutely is an improvement when compared to today’s constitutional crunch.
Here’s what Amendment 59 would do:
Repeal Amendment 23, which requires annual inflationary increases in public education spending;
Eliminate the rebates that taxpayers receive when the state collects more revenue than TABOR allows, and redirect that surplus money into public schools;
Creates a new savings account, or rainy day fund, for public schools.
Opponents are calling Amendment 59 a tax increase, but that’s a distortion. The measure would, indeed, eliminate the TABOR tax rebates, but Coloradans haven’t received a TABOR rebate since 2001, and the state treasurer doesn’t expect another rebate for at least five years. Amendment 59 is only a tax increase to the degree it would erase these rare rebates and put the surplus money toward education instead.
The new savings account will also receive a portion of the state’s income tax collections, an estimated $46 million in 2010 and $50 million in 2011. The account would be available to legislators during years of lean revenue (in normal or surplus years, a super-majority of lawmakers would have to agree to tap the fund). That’s a much smarter way to fund Colorado schools than Amendment 23, a blunt mandate that has tied legislators’ hands and already forced drastic cuts in other state programs.
Fiscal conservatives are leery of 59, because it repeals the TABOR rebates. This is a valid concern, but we agree with 59 proponents who say the amendment preserves the most important component of TABOR: the right to vote on proposed tax increases. Furthermore, the surplus revenue that would have gone back to taxpayers won’t just disappear into the ocean of the state’s general fund; it will go into a protected account to support public schools in times of need.
For those who fear the repeal of 23 will hurt public schools, we would argue that TABOR and 23 simply cannot coexist. Amendment 59 gives state lawmakers an effective tool to fund public schools: an automatic mechanism that saves money in good times to support schools in bad times. This is a fiscally smart investment in education.
Vote yes on Amendment 59.
