TABOR...Far from Dead
Inside Liberty Watch Today - Nov. 7, 2005

The usual suspects are crowing about the passage of Question C in last Tuesday's election in Colorado. "Tuesday was a great day in holding state elected officials accountable for the investment in and performance of government services," wrote gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus. "Colorado voters, lead by the state's Republican Governor, agreed to put a hold on that state's TABOR statute - a measure that placed the state's budget on auto-pilot and tied spending levels to population increases." 

The Las Vegas Sun editorialists quacked: "The lesson here for Nevada and other states considering TABOR-style constitutional amendments is that some people wish they had less government and fewer taxes -- until a few years after their wish has come true." But, as a Rocky Mountain News editorial counters: "the dramatic fall in state tax collections that began in 2001 had no precedent since the Great Depression. Colorado's normal condition is revenue growth - growth that is very likely to produce fresh refunds shortly after Ref C's five-year timeout."

Titus is correct that Question C, which puts TABOR on ice for five years in the Rocky Mountain state, passed with 52 percent of the vote, or just over 41,000 votes. However, a peek into the numbers reveals that if not for less than a handful of counties, Question C bites the dust. And, it's not hard to name the counties that put C over the top. Boulder, home of that state's biggest university, was 63% to 37% in favor of C. Denver County was 65% to 35% pro-C. Larimer County where college town Fort Collins is located was 57% to 43% for C and Pitkin County, where the rich and liberal go to play in Aspen, voted 69% for Question C. 

Take out those four counties, and Question C would have lost by 24,000 votes. 

So, other than counties with large concentrations of government workers, Colorado voters had no interest in giving TABOR a break, no matter what the Sun editorial page writers say. 

Titus complains that TABOR "changes government into an institution of the formula and for the formula - not the people." "Instead," writes the Senator, "let's commit ourselves to the fight against waste and hold our state elected officials accountable for how precious tax dollars are spent."

Titus knows good and well that it is impossible to hold elected officials accountable. They say one thing when campaigning (Titus is a perfect example), and do another when they hole up in Carson City for a 120 days every other year. And, once elected it takes a sniper to get rid of an incumbent. 

Before Titus, the Las Vegas Sun and other big state government lovers dance on TABOR's grave they might consider this from the Rocky Mountain News editorial: "The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights is not 'as good as dead,' as House minority leader Joe Stengel mistakenly told leaders of the national tax-limitation movement this week in the wake of Ref C's passage. 

"TABOR is not in sickbay, either. It's still in force - still requiring a vote on every proposed tax hike in Colorado and still limiting spending increases to inflation plus population except during specific periods when taxpayers say otherwise." 

The fact is proponents of Question C have for years considered the idea of putting an initiative before Colorado voters to repeal TABOR. But, every poll shows that would fail miserably. Colorado voters like TABOR.

The Rocky Mountain Times editorial continues:

"Rather than point out that Ref C backers did precisely what TABOR envisioned in asking voters for permission to keep a portion of refunds, these critics are depicting any breach of the refund base as the equivalent of a TABOR repeal. 

"It's idiotic, frankly, and we don't use that term often." 

The arrogant Titus believes that she should be allowed to "grab the wheel and steer the ship of state boldly and professionally," rather than let the taxpayers have a say as to how much of their money is taken from them. 

There is nothing "professional" about what goes on in Carson City. With no TABOR or TASC, the party will never end for elected officials and government tax consumers in Nevada. 

Doug French, Liberty Watch Columnist