Defending TABOR on its 30th anniversary

The Colorado Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of its enactment. Over the past 30 years, TABOR has saved Colorado taxpayers approximately 8.15 billion dollars. ere was a party held on Jan. 14 in Lakewood to commemorate this occasion.

For me, the key hallmark of TABOR is that any tax increases in Colorado must be enacted with the consent of Colorado voters. It is one thing when the people’s representatives pass a tax increase in a legislative body but it is another and far nobler function of our republic that voters have a chance to either approve or reject tax increases as a collective body. When the people are empowered to make those decisions directly it only can make our state stronger.

It is a misguided assertion by op-

JOE WEBB Columnist

ponents of TABOR that TABOR proponents just wish to limit the growth of government and to nix needed and essential government spending. Untrue. TABOR proponents like myself just wish the voters to have more of a say in how government appropriates their money.

Voters have voted breaks upon TABOR in the past and they may just do so again.

What TABOR does is provide constraints on the revenue side of the Colorado state budget and local budgets around the state. It seems to me that the Colorado state budget ought to be examined as to how it is pro- duced. at is the aim of probably the next 10 columns I propose to write for Colorado Community Media.

It will be a di cult undertaking. If I am successful at conveying the information that I research and interview others about, what will happen is that I will convey merely a rudimentary understanding of how the Colorado state budget is formulated, processed and voted upon. I was told by one former member of the Joint Budget Committee that it takes years to really understand the budget. If that is the case then what I share may be inadequate.

But I am willing to try this and distill the knowledge that I accumulate by researching and digging by writing it in this column. If I do this, the problem is that I may fail in conveying something with only so many words allocated per column. Correct me please knowing that I may have made an error in judgment, not intent.

Knowing the what and how of the appropriations process from formulation to request and nally a vote by the legislature is important. It is also important to examine the components of the budget both revenue and expenditures. We need to look at what exactly the revenue and expenditure side of the budget is composed. All of these parts create the budget for which TABOR is but one factor. TABOR deserves a defense on this its’ 30th birthday. But the best defense for anything is always rooted in an understanding of the primary issue for TABOR which is the Colorado state budget.

Joe Webb is the former chairman of the Je co Republican party.