Lawmakers punt budget fix
Speaker will back measure proposed as ballot initiative
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
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House Speaker Andrew Romanoff said Sunday he'll turn to the state's voters to help untangle a constitutional knot of spending limits and mandates by pushing to get a reform measure on the ballot this fall.
After having failed to secure enough votes in the legislature to put the issue to the voters, Romanoff said he instead will back a similar measure filed as a citizens' ballot initiative.
"I think it's going to be easier to gather 76,000 valid signatures than it was to get two-thirds of the Senate," Romanoff said.
By doing so, Romanoff hopes to reassemble the same coalition that helped pass Referendum C, which voters approved in November 2005. Ref C enabled the state government to hang on to surplus revenues during a five-year "time out" from the 1992 Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.
Earlier in the session, Romanoff proposed SAFE, the "Savings Account For Education," which would have lifted spending restrictions imposed by
TABOR while also repealing Amendment 23's mandated spending on education.
That measure hit a dead end Friday when a committee chairman postponed a vote, saying it would be better to let the session end this week without risking the bill being killed by the entire legislature.
Rep. Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, chairman of the House State Veterans & Military Affairs Committee, argued that a defeat in the House might harm the chances of a citizens' initiative.
Romanoff says he hopes the citizens' initiative will find support among groups such as the Colorado Children's Campaign, the AARP and Colorado Association of School Boards.
"I'm confident that when we get to November that people will say yes," Romanoff said. "And worst-case scenario: People say no and we're no worse off than we are now."
ensslinj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5291
Comments
Posted by Gene on May 5, 2008 at 6:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
John C. Ensslin sanitizing the story from yesterday. That one was a little harsh. Especially the title. This version is easier to swallow; . . for some maybe. I for one will stick with my story from yesterday.
The brazenness of Democrats when it comes to raising taxes is remarkable. How do they get people to think what they personally pay will not be more than they get back somehow? I can't believe it is all altruism. It is some sales job. I really don't know how it works on anyone with a half a brain. But it does! . . . . Addendum; oh, the children's campaign. Sorry to have missed that yesterday. The children, the AARP and the school boards, now there is a cross section of tax-and-spend liberals if I ever saw one.
Posted by Froward69 on May 5, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
so Tabor is not wasteful... look at all the time spent on trying to keep State government running. scrambling to fund essential State responsibilities. and so on, etc...
Tabor must go!
Posted by SirRealist on May 5, 2008 at 8:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Any idea of what you're talking about Froward?
TaBOR ALREADY IS GONE for all practical purposes. Referendum C that we approved to give a five year time out from Tabor - remember it? It has two years left on it where the State has gotten HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS that would have been returned to taxpayers. Romanoff opportunistically sees Doug Bruce's foolish behaviors the past few months as a way of getting rid of TaBOR because it's a piece of very inconvenient legislation that holds him and the rest of the legislature accountable - it does NOTHING to take money away from them - they're still spending at an almost alarming rate on pet projects like multi-million dollar park renovations in downtown, money for new artwork for various libraries, and millions for new statues in DIA.
With regard to government and spending, you can be sure that little restraint is ever shown when it comes to spending money that the legislatures did not earn. Everyone screams and wails for restrictions like the Balanced Budget Amendment at the Federal level, and things like TaBOR at the State level, and then when they are implemented the liberal bleeding-heart sector has no problem stealing from the wallets of those around them instead of telling the legislatures to fix problems and eliminate waste. Utterly fantastic!
Posted by Dick_Tater on May 5, 2008 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I will vote for a tax increase percentage that is equal to the pay decrease these stuffed shirts take.
Posted by jacka on May 5, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Democrat lawmakers and apparently one Republican punt at fixing the problem they promote.
What is the problem again, they want more of our money to spend?
Why should the voters agree to the state taking more money when their not through using up the Ref C moneies?
Posted by JSeifert on May 5, 2008 at 10:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All they have to do is ASK for more money. But I guess they know the taxpayers will not go for unending tax raises. If what they want to pay for is what the people want they will get the money but I guess its just another slush fund and they know it will not pass.
They need to see the light state taxpayers do care what their money is used for and the state has proven they can not be trusted with our money that why TABOR was voted in.
They have tried again and again to bypass Tabor. The teachers union hates it all unions hate it because with tabor they know they can not strike for more money when it has to be approved and voted on by the people.
The State Government hates it because it puts a limit on their spending and they have to answer for their spending.
Now there is a short fall WHY? They have never came to us to explain WHY? I can tell you why they over spent there budget on nonsense, Now they want more well tuff now you need to ask us for more and explain why.
Posted by USC85 on May 5, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
KEEP TABOR! The Economy is tough for all citizens!
Why do Lawmakers think they can keep spending "out of
control" and expect the "Citizens of Colorado" to
keep paying for their favorite programs, ENOUGH!!!
Make Colorado Lawmakers adhere to a Budget as well,
NO MORE OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING!!
Posted by StraightTalk on May 6, 2008 at 1:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since real estate values have gone down in the last year or so, we're all paying too much in property taxes. Don't hold your breath until they re-assess our property values....they would get less in taxes from property owners.
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