Shortly, many voters will be receiving ballots regarding two issues that will affect their taxes. Proposition CC by the state of Colorado and Question 1A from Jefferson County. Both propositions allow government to keep our tax refunds under The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). Both say this is not a tax increase. Isn’t the state keeping your money a tax increase by default? Neither ballot question even mentions TABOR. Is this deceitful?

Proposition CC will keep our tax refunds forever, so this becomes a permanent tax increase. The Jefferson County question will be for seven years. These tax increases will be passed on to us directly and indirectly by businesses and landlords. It will grow as the years go by.

Are we willing to allow this increase, and enable government to defang TABOR, the only defense we have against government tax grabs? I am not. Will the next effort eliminate TABOR altogether? Do we have any guarantees as to how this money will be spent? We are perhaps the only state in the nation that has some control over government tax increases. Are we willing to give this up?

Please read about these issues on your Nov. 5 ballot. It’s your choice. 

William F Hineser, DPM

Arvada

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