I think folks are generally happy with TABOR, but the truth is that it creates a lot of unnecessary cash-flow problems. The issues addressed by Prop C are legitimate, and unfortunately the only way to fix them was with a hammer.
What really needs to happen is that TABOR needs to be tweaked based on lessons learned over the past several years. If it's not tweaked, eventually Ds will use its structural problems to get it tossed out.
Owens did it correctly years ago with the highway bill that helped I-25 in Denver and other roads around the state. The state ( with voter approval ) raised and spend money for a specific set of projects.
"C" is not specific. Colorado taxpayers are to 'trust' the politicians to choose how these billions of dollars are to be spent.
Owens and the big spenders should have presented a list of projects to vote upon. Rather they just suspended TABOR.
Ward Churchill got another raise this year. Should he get another raise next year even if he teaches no classes this winter? He has not committed to any classes, says that he does not work for the Colorado taxpayer, and yet wants another $100,000 per year plus benefits for ???
He should quit taking the taxpayer money and then say whatever he wants.
"I think folks are generally happy with TABOR, but the truth is that it creates a lot of unnecessary cash-flow problems."
The only problem with cash flow is the polidiots spending too much.
Actually, its not Tabor that's the problem. It's Amendment 22, which mandates an ever increasing percentage of the state budget go to the teacher's union. So the general fund goes down every year.
Ref C will not change that inherent dynamic. In five years, things will be just as tight because of Amendment 22 and the piggies will be back for more money, probably with more moderate Republican support. (In fact, things will be worse in five years because rats control the legislature here and they will waste the 4 or so billion raised by Ref C.)
The rats designed Amendment 22 as a Tabor killer and the deed is all but done at this point, even if it has been kept symbolically alive. That nominal Republicans acquiesed (no, cheerlead) in the rat's Tabor killing strategy is inexcusable and unforgivable.
This conservative will remember who did and did not support C. I'm a party officer. And I'm committed to serving thru 2006. After that, I can't stay with this party anymore--it's run by folks who court conservative votes and then stab them in the back, over and over. They have no intention whatsoever of sharing power with the folks who voted for them.
The party need to be cleaned out. So after 2006 I will be raising money and organizing to defeat the folks who brought us C and Pete Coors, one-by-one. Probably a quixotic gesture.