Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

PatrickforO

(15,134 posts)
1. As a Coloradan, I have to say sometimes our state legislature doesn't
Wed Mar 13, 2019, 08:38 PM
Mar 2019

think before proposing stuff.

There is a background to this. Consider the following:

1. Colorado has both TABOR and Gallagher Amendments to its constitution. TABOR is the so-called taxpayer bill of rights, which says that the state legislature cannot raise taxes without a popular vote. Gallagher was passed back during the 'taxpayer revolt' in the 1980s. Basically its effect has been to keep residential property taxes down around 7.96% of assessed property value, while businesses pay a much higher rate (29%). This means, of course, that every time we boost the mill levy for schools or special districts, businesses experience disproportionate increases in their property taxes.

2. Many businesses in Colorado are small businesses. Colorado has, in fact, over 572,500 small businesses that employ around a million people, which is around 31% of Colorado's total labor force of 3,119,080.

3. I have owned three successful small businesses in my lifetime and I'll tell you that I tried to treat my people well, but if I was forced to provide paid leave for someone on FMLA it literally would have broken me. I literally could not have afforded that.

It is good intentioned, I'm sure, but a dumb policy move because it punishes already strapped small businesses that depend on their full time employees to compete.

Paid leave is a great thing. It really is. But if we really wanted to make that work in Colorado, we'd have to call a state constitutional convention and write out both TABOR and Gallagher, and instead raise taxes very substantially in order to pay for this. Not to mention higher ed, K-12, any early childhood initiatives, our share of Medicaid...etc.

So, sorry, but I've got to be a bit more conservative than I usually am on this one.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Colorado»Battle with business heat...»Reply #1