LWV sponsors candid look at Colorado’s Fiscal Prospects May1 at 6 p.m.
Colorado ranks 49 in spending on K-12 education. The state ranks 48 in spending for higher education, 49 in spending for Medicaid and 44 in spending for highways. The total expenditures in the state of Colorado put us at 49 in a ranking of all 50 states, according to the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, 2007. These figures are based on every $1,000 of income earned by residents.
The League of Women Voters of Archuleta County is sponsoring an informative program entitled, “Looking Forward: Colorado’s Fiscal Prospects After Referendum C” presented by Mark Fermanich of the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Rick Jones of The Bell Policy Center. It will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in the Greenbriar Plaza on Thursday, May 1 at 6:00 PM.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Fermanich will explain where the state’s finances are headed, offer insight and observations of the current cost trends in services and programs, and discuss appropriate solutions within the overall context of state program budgets.
In 2004, Leagues across Colorado (along with many other organizations) placed great effort into the campaign to pass Referenda C & D, believing that Referendum C’s “TABOR 5-year timeout” could solve Colorado’s financial difficulties. However, as time passed, it has become apparent that other statutory and constitutional constraints have contributed to a slower recovery. The addition of the national housing downturn has greatly complicated the issue.
The Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) limits annual growth of the state budget to the rate of inflation plus the population growth. Despite the simplicity of TABOR, it has become clear that those services which require state funds, such as health-related and prison-related services, increase at a higher rate than anticipated, compounding the problem. Also, TABOR’s ratchet-down effect, which limited spending to the recessionary levels of 2002-2003, makes it impossible to catch up even when the economy improves as it did in 2004.
This program is open to the public and participation in the discussion period is encouraged. Refreshments will be served
For more information contact:
Mary Beth Macauly
264-2566
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