Mesa County Ballot Issue 1B asks voters if the County can keep almost $11.5 million that’s already been paid in taxes, use it to maintain roads and bridges and raise the TABOR limit in the future so they can keep more tax money. So Ballot issue 1B asks Mesa County voters to let County government avoid complying with the state’s TABOR law.
What’s TABOR?
Tax-and-Spend Republicans?
Colorado’s TABOR (Taxpayer Bill Of Rights) law says state and local government can keep and spend only a specific amount of money based on their prior fiscal year’s revenue, an amount called the TABOR limit. If they collect money above that amount, it must be refunded to the taxpayers. The TABOR limit can only be adjusted according to a “population plus inflation” formula. The intent of the law, which was promoted by Republicans, was to constrain government to keep it from growing, a long-held conservative ideal.
TABOR was written and promoted in the 1990s by former Colorado Republican legislator Douglas Bruce, an anti-tax activist and convicted felon. That’s why whenever elected officials ask voters to pass a ballot measure to let them get around it law, it’s called “de-Brucing.”
In 2010, Douglas Bruce was charged with money laundering, attempted bribery of a public official and tax fraud involving the use of a charitable organization. He was found to have used a “small-government” charity he founded to hide millions of dollars from the state Department of Revenue.
Bruce was convicted on all counts and sentenced to 180 days in jail, plus probation.
Cody Davis is asking his constituents to believe what he says and ignore what he actually does.
Republicans love TABOR until they actually run the government and find out they need enough tax money coming in to keep things running right, so now the Republicans in charge of Mesa County government are finding out TABOR is just too constraining. They don’t want to get rid of it, they just want to find a way to get around it. As a result, they are asking voters to let them keep and spend more tax money.
Whenever Democrats want to collect enough in taxes to keep things running right, Republicans call them “Tax-and-Spend Democrats.”
Ballot Issue 1B is asking voters to let Mesa County government act like tax-and-spend Democrats, by keeping $11,492,270 in taxes we’ve already paid and using it to resurface county roads, fill potholes and reinforce bridges, is a responsible use of tax funds. And importantly, the measure also asks us to let them re-set the Tabor limit to a higher amount so the can keep more of your tax money in the future without asking.
It sounds more Democratic than Republican, right?
Yes, but the commissioners don’t want you to recognize that.
County Commissioner Cody Davis even says on his campaign website “I will continue to support and protect limits on taxation and government spending.” But Cody isn’t protecting anything. What he really wants is to keep and spend more of your hard-earned money, like a Democrat would. He’s just hoping you won’t notice that he’s acting more like a Democrat than a Republican.
Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis, clothed in appropriate Democratic blue
But that’s good, because it means he’s governing responsibly, like any good Democrat would do.
So let’s let the Mesa County Commissioners go ahead and govern like “tax and spend” Democrats. They seem to be discovering that it’s the right way to govern, and it’s fun to watch.
Republicans in charge of the county are finally learning that that it’s responsible to levy enough in taxes to allow the County to maintain the infrastructure they’ve built and keep up the level of services they provide, because that’s what allows us to maintain the high quality of life we have here in Mesa County.
(By the way, Ballot Issue 1B won’t raise taxes, since the County already has the money.)
Crony Davis has been the losing side of just about every issue and endorsement since taking office. There simply nothing he won’t sell-out or shill for; yet laughably somehow still touts himself as a fiscal conservative meanwhile supporting the pickpocketing of all Mesa County taxpayers with unneccessary infrastructure projects and on partisan crusades like that whole Health Dept fiasco. The ONLY THING he’s proven shrewd adept at is swimming away from sinking ships like Peters and Boebert at the last minute to stay ahead of the undertow. He’s a poster-manchild for desperate and foolishly corrupt, whose only true political aspirations are self-service and preservation.
It’s disingenuous to say 1B
“won’t raise taxes”.
Of course it does…it raises the tax amount we’ve already paid because it will reduce the refund we’re entitled to.
I also believe it endeavors to raise taxes in the future by increasing the TABOR limits.
No one ever seems to ask if all the spending that is being proposed is actually needed. This board of commissioners doesn’t seem particularly budget conscious. (see all the money they spent getting rid of the health department guy).
All politicians (republican or democrat) are spendthrifts.
It is, after all, other people’s money.
PS. Thankfully some good citizens stood up to question the ridiculous 29 road interchange that both the county and the city JUST LOVE!
more of this, please.
Agreed! #handsoffourtabor
Even when they have the money, they don’t know much about building or maintaining the roads. Once having lived on Little Park Rd., the repairs were done by amateurs and the road was built over clay without excavating the clay, so it became a washboard with bumps and potholes. I don’t want to give money to such incompetent fools. I may vote for it, but will do it while holding my nose.
The only thing worse than a tax and spend Democrat is a spend and spend Republican.
But Anne is right, this is a reasonable use of the funds.
-Mike
Silly. Democrats tax and spend; Republicans borrow and spend. Democrats are upfront about it.
Thank you, Anne. Great explanation and spin on this, pointing out that taxes may be necessary and can be used for good things while exposing the Republicans inability to govern effectively; always late to the party.