Another installment of the property tax video series, the amended wolf reintroduction bill is in committee tomorrow, and a disparity worth noting.
Another video in the excellent property tax series by the Independence Institute's Ben Murrey
If you haven't been watching this series, start.
In this section, Mr. Murrey reviews what the Democrats in the Colorado Assembly have NOT done (well, save for voting down the one measure I've posted about a couple times in the past) about property taxes and then he goes through the current crop of proposed initiatives and what they will do and not do.
For your convenience I included a page to the Secretary of State's Initiative Tracker page above the video link.
There is one other thing that I've seen a couple times now in Mr. Murrey's videos that I think warrants special mention--a refutation to the idea that cutting property taxes NECESSARILY strains and reduces money to local governments.
If this sounds familiar, it should. It is a similar argument made to the one about TABOR. The argument for TABOR goes that we shouldn't have it because it reduces state revenue harming education, safety, and etc. (Won't someone think of the children?!)
The property tax argument goes along the lines that if we cut property taxes we'll cut funding to local governments since so many things get their money that way.
It is accurate that many local government agencies get money by property taxes, but it is also true that the state is/was obligated to backfill those revenues if there was a shortfall.
If the property taxes stay high, the state is not obligated to backfill and keeps more money in their hands for their pet projects.
As with TABOR, the problem isn't always that we're choking them out and starving to the point of hurting necessary programs. What can often happen is that we're forcing them to reprioritize and perhaps not have as much money for their other projects.
Remember that when you talk to people and remember that in your emails.
https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Initiatives/titleBoard/
An update to the wolf reintroduction bill, it’s up for committee tomorrow.
I posted about an amendment Polis supposedly asked for in the bill calling for a halt to wolf reintroduction until a Federal study has been completed in the past.
This bill has been on my watchlist and it's finally up for another committee hearing tomorrow (Monday 4/24). I signed up to testify because I'm curious to know if this is true, and I'm also wanting to tell legislators to call Polis' bluff.
As I wrote earlier, if he (Polis) wants to push ahead without waiting on the Feds and/or without getting the 10(j) experimental status, let him publicly state do so and take the heat for it instead of some backroom negotiations.
if you're interested in testifying or emailing, the bill link is below.
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-256
An interesting disparity to highlight.
Let me start by recognizing that the below is not necessarily an apples to apples comparison--in many ways.
Still and all, I think the overall theme here holds. I want you to look at the screenshot I attached (sources for the pictures linked below).
Do you get the picture?
Who do you think the Democrats find worthy of government protection (in terms of taxes--the ski liability shield law was much earlier than this session)?
Who do you think they don't?
Who do you think they value more?
How much weight do they give to your rights vs. the monied interests in the mountains?
https://www.cpr.org/2023/04/11/colorado-gun-bills-firearms-manufacturers-liability/
https://coloradosun.com/2023/04/18/colorado-land-use-housing-bill/
https://donaldsonlaw.com/recreational-accident-attorney-denver/winter-sports-injuries/ski-safety-act/