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November 02, 2005
TABOR De-fanged
Those who followed last year's local property tax/revenue cap contest (it was a hot and heavy race, full of intrigue and suspense -- not) with two competing referenda on the City's November ballot may recall some discussion of TABOR.
TABOR, or the "Taxpayer Bill of Rights", was a Colorado initiative passed in 1992 designed to slowly but surely "starve the beast" of state government by ratcheting down its ability to collect revenue. Designed by anti-government rightwingers like Grover Norquist, TABOR was to be a prototype for a similar stealth movement across the country. Bill Chaloupka provides excellent background in a recent American Prospect piece.
Well TABOR worked all right. Colorado roads and schools fell into disrepair, as the state no longer had the money to provide even basic services. Ordinary folks, most of whom like low taxes, began to notice when the state couldn't even do the basics.
Locally, during last fall's election, supporters of Prop 2, a TABOResque measure designed to drown City government in the bathtub and embarass Mayor White, often used TABOR as a selling point, despite reports of its consequences and the Colorado Republican governor's efforts to "suspend" it. Mayor White's much more reasonable property tax cap, Prop 1, bested Prop 2, and that is that.
Well, yesterday Coloradoans had enough, and voted to relax TABOR's restrictions, dealing a real blow to Norquist and his gang and their naked desire to destroy government. It was a strange contest that pitted the Republican Governor Bill Owens against Norquist and his cronies. So much for his presidential ambitions.
At a time when the GOP is already foundering on the rocks of public opinion, this defeat is the latest in a string of reality checks for these guys who, after squeaking out a presidential reelection, claimed a huge mandate for their reckless, extremist policies.
Just another sign that huge opportunity exists for Democrats to gain ground by simply being reasonable and not being afraid to say so. We'll see if they seize it.
Posted by houtopia at November 2, 2005 07:07 PM