Two left-leaning policy think tanks in Denver are calling out the Colorado legislature to put people over roads in transportation and tax-cut bills.

“Colorado is one of the strongest state economies in the country, it’s in a ‘hole’ when it comes to funding the public supports that help many Colorado families and communities thrive,” states the Bell Policy Center and the Colorado Fiscal Institution. “In fact, the state’s share of revenue for priorities like education, roads and transportation, childcare, and housing is near recessionary levels despite low unemployment and robust economic activity across thestate.

The think tanks launched a digital advocacy campaign Thursday around the pitch. You can read more about it by clicking here.

The “Stop Digging” campaign argues the hole will get deeper if two piece of Republican legislation – House Bill 1203 and Senate Bill 1 – became law. One definitely won’t, and chances aren’t very good for the other.

House Bill 1203, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Neville of Castle Rock and his father, Sen. Tim Neville of Littleton, would reduce the state individual and the corporate income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4 percent.

No worries. On the day the campaign was announced, the Democratic majority on the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee killed the bill on a party-line vote.

That leaves Senate Bill 1, which is on the Senate floor for its first of two votes on Monday.

The bill would preserve about $300 million from the state budget annually to repay bonds for transportation projects, such as widening interstates 25 and 70. Democrats argue that in lean years repaying bonds would mean less money for schools and social services.

The prognosis isn’t good, once the Republican bill makes it to the House; through two Senate committees it failed to pick up a single Democratic vote. All the bills’ sponsors are Republicans: Sens. Randy Baumgardner of Hot Sulphur Springs and John Cooke of Greeley, along with Rep. Perry Buck of Windsor.

“Colorado is not serving the needs of its people who want relief from high child care costs, congested roads andinadequate education resources,” Scott Wasserman, president of the Bell Policy Center, said in a statement last Thursday. “To further reduce investments in our communities when they are already among thelowest in the past 40 years is absurd.” . “We need serious proposals that will ensure economic growth for every Coloradan, not bumper-sticker bills designed to make out-of-state funders happy. Our message to legislators is ‘put down the shovel.'”

Carol Hedges, executive director of the Colorado Fiscal Institute, said, “With every boom comes a bust, and if Colorado is already stuck in a hole when that happens, getting out becomes even harder. It’s hard to ignore the hole we’re in today was caused in part by the tax cuts in 1999 and 2000. What we learned then still holds true: Reductions in tax dollars mean fewer teachers, correctional officers who are stretched too thin, higher student debt, and less community support for hardworking families.”