The debate on each of these bills has placed political philosophies in stark contrast.My Democratic colleagues, all good and decent people who want to do the best for Colorado, believe that K-12, higher ed, Medicaid, public safety, and other essential services have been cut to the point that anything further will destroy our State’s future. My Republican colleagues and I, along with a handful of Democrat crossovers, have opposed these repeals (particularly the repeal of the manufacturing energy exemption and the tax on software sales) in the belief that new taxes in a recession will kill jobs by driving manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and other primary employers from the State or discourage them from coming here in the first place—and destroy our State’s future. (As you know, the Democrats are carrying the day by two or three votes on all of these issues.)
There is no place to hide on these issues—no extra money to find, nothing else to defer, and everything is on the table and has to be. We have to balance the budget and that means that we either cut the spending further or do something to bring in more revenue—or some combination of those. Either way, real people—constituents, friends, neighbors, our own families—are affected. Each and every one of us not only knows that this legislation affects our constituents in the abstract. We personally know people that have been hurt by the need to make cuts in our State’s budget—and we all personally know people that may lose their jobs or at the very least, have less money to support their families next year because of the repeal of the tax exemptions-which all rhetoric aside, are going to transfer money from private sector (consumers and businesses) to the State budget.
I had the rather surrealistic experience this week of arguing against the passage of HB1190 (manufacturing energy tax) on behalf of the business and the United Steelworkers local in Pueblo while watching my Democratic colleagues from Pueblo vote for a bill that their core constituency ardently opposed. They clearly believed something very different than I when it comes to which choice to make.
So, due to the economy, we are down to the core question: When there is no more money; when unemployment is at the highest in decades; when all the easy, hard, and even harder cuts in State services and government have been made and we still have to do more to balance the budget, do you believe that raising more revenue (taking more money) from consumers and the private sector is the best course of action or do you believe that making more cuts is the better course of action?
Will raising more revenue from individuals and businesses, even though they are already hurting, be best for the State because it preserves education, essential services, public safety, and transportation? Or will this only end up bringing in less revenue than expected while costing jobs and making it more difficult for working families to get by?
Each side holds its position honestly, sincerely, and in all good faith and believes that its course of action is the best for the future of Colorado
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Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe government can not continue to grow and expect to keep taking from the people & business that it is supposed to serve. Government, both state and national is the only sector growing! Something has to give, the government can't be all things to all people, no one can afford it. There are only so many dollars to take and less and less can afford to give them back to the govermenr to spend on other things. I don't understand why the Colorado legislature is so drawn to emulate Calilfornia (a train wreck). Clearly we can not afford all the entitlement programs we have. Increasing taxes will decrease revenue and if the attack continues on business, they will start leaving the state,be driven out of business or downsize and shed more employees.. continuing the declining revenue spiral. With all the examples of how these tax policies work, I don't understand how the legislature can continue on this path. Government must shrink and snd spend less, just as all families and businesses must do in order to survive the economy and tax policy. Why does the state goverment feel they have the right to spend more of someone elses money(tax payers) when the taxpayers they serve have to do with less. eing a politicon with good intentions dods not justify these actons. Although not cutting government spending is not a "feel good" political decison, it is the right one.