Printed on 11/22/08
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Its the Spending...
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3/17/05
The Tax Payer's Bill of Rights, (TABOR), is an essential protection against unreasonable growth of government. Specifically, TABOR limits the state's General Fund from growing by more than inflation plus population increases.
For more than a decade this prudent control on the size of government growth has helped foster economic vitality and personal freedom for the people of Colorado. It has also served as an example for other states who are trying to control their runaway growth of government.
The demand for more money for government programs always seems to be beyond our means and, by my observation, the legislature is incapable of controlling that growth without the guard rail of a firm constitutional limit. It also follows that once that limit is reached there is always an outcry for "a little bit more".
Today's discussions here at the capitol concerning the state's budget are quite consistent with this inclination. The only solution that the legislative and executive branch is really working on calls for more money from the people. There is no serious effort to control the spending.
I would support a compromise measure that has a dollar for dollar trade between the limits of TABOR and the automatic spending requirements of Amendment 23, but I will not support anything that only perpetuates the spending habit of the legislature. I repeat: there is no serious effort to control the spending.
To demonstrate this contention I need to look no further than the bills I introduced this session. Two of my bills this year were designed to create substantial savings on the biggest line items in the General Fund. HB-1132 created an optional program for Medicaid recipients that could have saved the state millions of dollars. HB-1158 would have created educational tax credits for families who moved their children from public to private education. This bill could also have saved the state millions of dollars.
Both of these bills were killed in the first committee they were sent to. I found first hand that this legislature is not willing to enter into a serious discussion on controlling our spending.
I will continue to work for a more responsible attitude toward spending. When the long bill (the major state budget bill) and the school finance act are presented I will look for ways to amend the bills to reign in the excess spending this legislature is prone to support.
Eventually I trust this message of prudent financial planning will prevail and we can begin to live within our means in the state government just like all the citizens of Colorado must do with their own family's budgets.
The Tax Payer's Bill of Rights, (TABOR), is an essential protection against unreasonable growth of government. Specifically, TABOR limits the state's General Fund from growing by more than inflation plus population increases.
For more than a decade this prudent control on the size of government growth has helped foster economic vitality and personal freedom for the people of Colorado. It has also served as an example for other states who are trying to control their runaway growth of government.
The demand for more money for government programs always seems to be beyond our means and, by my observation, the legislature is incapable of controlling that growth without the guard rail of a firm constitutional limit. It also follows that once that limit is reached there is always an outcry for "a little bit more".
Today's discussions here at the capitol concerning the state's budget are quite consistent with this inclination. The only solution that the legislative and executive branch is really working on calls for more money from the people. There is no serious effort to control the spending.
I would support a compromise measure that has a dollar for dollar trade between the limits of TABOR and the automatic spending requirements of Amendment 23, but I will not support anything that only perpetuates the spending habit of the legislature. I repeat: there is no serious effort to control the spending.
To demonstrate this contention I need to look no further than the bills I introduced this session. Two of my bills this year were designed to create substantial savings on the biggest line items in the General Fund. HB-1132 created an optional program for Medicaid recipients that could have saved the state millions of dollars. HB-1158 would have created educational tax credits for families who moved their children from public to private education. This bill could also have saved the state millions of dollars.
Both of these bills were killed in the first committee they were sent to. I found first hand that this legislature is not willing to enter into a serious discussion on controlling our spending.
I will continue to work for a more responsible attitude toward spending. When the long bill (the major state budget bill) and the school finance act are presented I will look for ways to amend the bills to reign in the excess spending this legislature is prone to support.
Eventually I trust this message of prudent financial planning will prevail and we can begin to live within our means in the state government just like all the citizens of Colorado must do with their own family's budgets.
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