The Sycamore Issue 7

Editorial Board Be Sure and Vote, Naropa! at Naropa University November 1, 2010 The Sycamore Vol. II No. 5 www.thesycamore.org Tomorrow is Election Day and, there are three state measures on the ballot this cycle that make voting imperative for each member of our community . State Constitu tional Amendments 60 and 61, and Proposition 101 are designed to drastically cut tax revenue for local and state governme nt. Howeve r, should any of these measures be passed, there will be dire consequences for public schools and jobs. Constitutional Amendment 60 proposes a 50 percent cut of local property taxes on private homes and businesses over the next deca de. In addition, the measure also requires public entities of all kinds – such as state univer sities – to begin paying property taxes; the revenue from these entities will then allow for additional tax cuts for the surrounding private properties. This measure will prove costly to public education throug hout the state . Local property taxes prov ide nearly half of the funding for school districts and, with such deep cuts, there will be a mass reduction in the num- ber of teachers serving students , resulting in a considerable increase in classroom sizes in K-12 education. Students att ending sch ools in economically poor areas where property taxes are already low will feel the greatest im- pact from these cuts, with even less money for teachers. Additional ly, levying property taxes on public entities such as state universi- ties will likely be offset by increased tuition and decreased nancial aid for students. While proponents of this measure con- tend that the state government would be responsible for providing the $1.5 billion difference in revenue, this argument is ren- dered moot by the simple reality that the state does not have these funds. Last year, the state cut $270 million alone from public schools in order to balance its budget. Constitutional Amendment 61 prohibits all borrowing by the State of Colorado and requires local governments to receive voter ap- proval for each project as well as limiting the government to loans with a maximum 10-years payback te rm. While restricting t he ability of government to take on debt seems prudent, in actuality, it would result in a stagnant state unable to nance new public projects. States must borrow in order to cover the massive ex- pense of building new schools, bridges, and roads. Moreover, because localities would be limited to loans with 10-year terms, the borrowing costs would be prohibitive – the equiv- alent of having to pay a 30-year mortgage in 10 years. Taken together, this measure will save the average taxpayer a mere $274 annually, while xing Colorado in its current infrastruc - ture - unable to build for a population that has grown by 20 percent in the past decade. Proposition 101 proposes reductions in taxes and fees in three ways: reducing state income from 4.63 to 4.5 percent, eliminating taxes and fees associated with vehicle purchases and registration, and getting rid of all taxes on telecommunicat ion services. To begin, reducing the state’s income tax even by 0.13 percent will remove $1.45 billion from the state’s general budget within 10 years, which, when coupled with Amendment 60, further reduces the funds available for public education. In addition, eliminating fees on vehicle purchases and registration will limit the state’s ability to maintain its current roads and bridges syste ms. If both this measure and Amendment 61 are passed, not only will the state be unable to nance new transportation projects, but it will also be unable to maintain its current infrastructure. Lastly , the provision to eliminate all telecommunication fees, with the exception of the 911 surcharge, will col- lectively cost state and local g overnments $378 million in revenue annually. The loss of this income will force the state to layoff police of- cers, re ghters, teachers, as well as reduce or eliminate maintenance of telephone and Internet services in rural parts of the state. In sum, each initiative is presented as an effort to save the taxpayer money during the reces- sion. And, indee d, if all three measure s are passed, the average taxpayer earning $35,000 annually will save roughly $1,300 in the rst year in taxes and fees. However, the public costs of said “savings” will be severe, lessening the quality of nearly all public services provided by the State of Colorado . These cuts will only further exacerbate the state’s struggling economy as tens of thousands of publicly funded employees will lose their jobs, limiting their ability to contribute to their local economy. At their best, these measures are scally myo- pic and dangerous . As member s of a gov- erned society, we pay our tax dollars in ex- change for an array of public services that may not benet each of us individually , but are nevertheless invaluable to ensuring the greater good. Thus, each member of our community should vote against these measures tomorrow . Doing so would not only be prudent, it would be an act of public service. Cover Art by Kyrie Boyarski

The Sycamore Issue 7

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