• The KNEA News Room
• Calendar of Events
• KNEA on the Issues
• News Archive
• Read Across America

Taxpayer Bill of Rights is "crippling straightjacket"

Voters say NO because TABOR is a Bad Idea

The voters of Colorado decided to suspend the so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

The fact that the only state that actually has to live under TABOR just voted to suspend it should send an important message to Kansans.

TABOR has been such a crippling straightjacket on Colorado that Governor Bill Owens, a major proponent of TABOR, begged the taxpayers to suspend it. The vote is a dramatic demonstration of the failure of putting tax and spending policy in the constitution. The citizens of Colorado have demonstrated at the ballot box that TABOR is a failed policy.

Kansas legislators should look closely at how much damage TABOR did when it came to protecting the real priorities of the people of Colorado. We need to focus on the real problems in our state and invest in the services we all depend on like quality schools for our children, health care for the elderly in nursing homes, and infrastructure needs such as highways, roads and bridges.

Let's ask ourselves a few questions:

• Are we ready for our children to face larger class sizes and less attention from teachers?
• Should we ask our high school graduates to abandon their college dreams?
• Are we willing to risk driving on deteriorating roads and bridges?
• Is it a good idea to endanger our state's ability to compete economically on the national and global stage?
• Do we want to jeopardize our public safety systems and correctional facilities?

TABOR has been bad for Colorado; it would be bad for Kansas. Let's learn from the experience.

KNEA News Room Archives
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
For more information about KNEA and our work, contact the KNEA Communications Department.