Tuesday, September 21, 2010

In Colorado, three's a crowd to bankruptcy

IF YOU CAN endure still one more nightmarish reminder of the reckless zealotry of the anti-tax crowd , pay close attention to Colorado, folks. There are three measures on the November ballot that are making even conservative Republicans out there fidgety, to say the least. Promoted by a posse of right-wingers that appears to be a on joy ride to hell, the issues would leave the Rocky Mountain State in an ocean of debt with no remedy for paying it off. But one of the big issues in this year's elections is that proposed remedies by the tax-killers (i.e., services killers) are nowhere to be found.

One of the measures would cut property taxes and force the state to cover the loss of money for education. Another would shrink the state income tax rate and cut certain fees. According to the New York Times, there's research that says Colorado would lose $2.1 billion if the three issues pass with no plan to make up the difference. Virtually all of the state's general fund would be swallowed whole to pay for education. (Alas, some of this cliff-hanging is occurring in the Ohio races, too.)

Naturally, the rabid sponsors do not foresee hopeless chaos resulting from this nonense. One is quoted in the Times as justifying their efforts with no apologies. "The establishmnent fears our grass-roots petitions" she said, "because they benefit everyone, not just the insiders."

Oh? I don't know the state that well, so I would merely ask whether only the insiders send their kids to schools, get protection from safety forces and have snow-cleared highways in winter.

Such mindlessness is showing in various ways across the country but in this instance it finally has Democrats and Republicans agreeing that, if successful, the ballot issues would virtually leave Colorado for dead.

It leaves me with the thought that when this crowd of anti-Obama, anti-tax, anti-everything eventually passes from the scene and takes Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle and Rand Paul with them, they will leave behind no intellectual history.



2 comments:

ChrisChristieFan84 said...

So let me get this straight. If states like Colorado cut property taxes and income taxes then "hopeless chaos" will result? Sounds like a bit of over the top fear mongering to me.

The fact of the matter is that plenty of states, including Texas and Utah, have no state income tax. Not suprisingly, these states also tend to have higher rates of economic growth and lower unemployment rates. And yes, they even have schools, police officers, and roads and bridges too!!!

Mencken said...

Texas schools,cops, and roads are paid for by a sales tax rate of about 8.25% once you factor in the local sales taxes. That's pretty good chunk of change when buying a car or other big ticket item.

There's no free lunch anywhere.