Candidates for governor differ on ballot measures

A recent Denver Post article examined the positions of the three gubernatorial candidates on the three ballot measures, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101. :Republican Dan Maes supports Amendment 60. Democrat John Hickenlooper opposes the three measures. Tom Tancredo, the American Constitution Party candidate, supports the three proposals.

CACI opposes them for the following reasons:

• Amendment 60 would reduce property taxes and, significantly, repeal voters’ previous “TABOR overrides” at the local government level;
• Amendment 61 would limit debt financing by state and local governments, including school districts; and
• Proposition 101 would reduce various taxes, including a repeal of the increase in vehicle taxes passed by the legislature last year to fund transportation needs.

Meanwhile, the long-running, well-publicized controversy surrounding the advocates of the three measures continues. Yesterday, Tim Hoover, a statehouse reporter for The Denver Post, blogged that the supporters will not identify the attorney who drafted the measures because his law firm does business with the State of Colorado.

In addition, Colorado’s most well known anti-tax activist and the father of TABOR, the colorful Doug Bruce, remains in the headlines because of governmental questions surrounding his murky role advocating the three proposals. The Denver Post reported that a judge ruled that Bruce will have to answer questions about his role in getting the three measures onto the November ballot. Bruce’s attorney said Bruce would fight the judge’s ruling.

The Denver Post has editorialized against the three ballot measures but Amendment 61 in detail, saying that it would “cripple the ability of our local and state governments to provide the most basic of services-from building schools for children to supplying clean water to our homes.”

At its June meeting, the CACI Board of Directors voted to oppose the three ballot measures–Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101– because the proposals, should they be approved by the voters in November, would cause severe damage to state and local governments in Colorado and, therefore, to the state’s business climate.

The two proposed amendments would amend the Colorado Constitution; Proposition 101 would amend state statutes.

CACI urges its members to (a) become acquainted with these three measures and then (b) financially support the organization, Coloradans for Responsible Reform, that is fighting the measures. The legislature’s chief economist, Natalie Mullis, has written a memo analyzing the three measures.

For the average voter, the legislature’s “Blue Book” will be the best source for a non-partisan, balanced analysis of the three measures. Visit the legislature’s Web site to view the final draft of the Blue Book, which will be mailed out Oct. 1.

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