This year, all the ballot issues have one thing in common – TABOR overrides. The stated goals of the issues, whether meritorious or not, are secondary.
Prop CC, if Prop C of 2005 is a lesson, will not result in more funding for education, transportation (including propping up the failed Denver Transit Authority), etc. Vote NO.
Prop DD leads us to believe our legislators could not find 0.1% of the budget to solve what they call a critical water problem. So it wants to raise taxes on a targeted segment of the economy. That is precisely why we passed TABOR in the first place. Vote NO.
Issue 4A presents not only the above issue with TABOR but also a problem with basic economics and flawed comparisons and averages. According to Region 9 Economic Development District Economic Snapshot 2019, and comparing to the wage schedules of RE-1, a new teacher would earn about $8,000 more than the “livable wage” in Cortez. And comparing the “livable wage” of Durango vs. Cortez, there is approximately a $14,000 gap but only about a $10,000 gap in average wages. In other words, someone moving from Cortez to Durango because of “higher salaries” would actually lose ground. And commuting expenses to remain in Cortez would eat up the vast majority of any difference.
So do we need to raise real estate taxes on the large number of retirees, on a fixed income that is less than the lowest salary bracket, by 25% to further widen the gap? And shall the school board be authorized to increase that in the future by its own whim? Vote NO.
Finally, Issue 6A from the Cortez Fire protection seems to be asking for a blank check drawn on your taxes, to be filled in at the desire of the board. Vote NO.
Bud Garner
Cortez