Here's an article from the Rocky Mountain News about Referendum C [July 15, 2005, "C is for clash in fight over budget fix"]. From the article, "Referendum C is the cause of the latest civil war for the Colorado Republican Party, pitting conservative against conservative and turning allies against one another. (Bill) Owens, touted in 2002 by National Review magazine as the nation's best governor for his tough fiscal policies, believes the money is essential for higher education, transportation and other state agencies that suffered deep cuts because of the recent recession. Republicans who oppose the measure say it will bloat government instead of teaching it to get by with less. Sen. Norma Anderson, R-Lakewood, who supports Referendum C, said divisions in the party were apparent long before lawmakers argued on how to fix the state budget. She said it hasn't helped that conservatives label colleagues they disagree with as 'RINOs,' Republicans in Name Only."
The Rocky also profiled some state Republican party leaders and their position on the Referendum [July 15, 2005, "Measures hard call for GOP"].
Eighteen recently enacted tax breaks may be suspended under Referendum C, according to the Rocky Mountain News [July 15, 2005, "Ref. C divisive issue for GOP"]. Here's the list: Business personal property tax credit, Rebates part of a tax on business owners, Kicks in at $257.7 million, Estimated cost - $112.4 million; Colorado capital gains modification, Tax break on sale of Colorado property or assets held for five or more years, Kicks in at $394.1 million, Estimated cost - $56.8 million; Income tax modification for interest, dividends and capital gains, Up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for joint filers, Kicks in at $491.3 million, Estimated cost - $49.8 million; Reduced motor vehicle registration fees, Kicks in at $463.4 million, Estimated cost - $38.3 million; Earned income tax credit, Income tax break for low-income people who work, Kicks in if TABOR refunds top $75.8 million in 2006-07, Estimated cost - $36.9 million in '06-07; Child care tax credits, Extends a larger credit for child care to a wider group of taxpayers, Kicks in at $407.2 million, Estimated cost - $28.6 million; Tangible personal property used for research and development, A 50 percent sales tax credit for research and development purchases, Kicks in at $457.8 million, Estimated cost - $15.5 million; Interstate commerce sales and use tax exemption, Sales tax refund for truckers, Kicks in at $491.3 million, Estimated cost - 4.9 million; Income tax deduction for charity, Tax credit for charitable donations over $500, Kicks in at $107 million refund level in '06-07, Estimated cost - $3.4 million; Pollution control provisions, Exempts some pollution control equipment from state taxes, Kicks in at $491.3 million, Estimated cost -$2.1 million; Income tax credit for foster parents, Up to $500 per foster care home, Kicks in at $255.4 million, Estimated cost - $200,000; Health care shortage area tax credit, Temporary tax break for health care professionals who live in understaffed areas, Kicks in at $400.1 million, Estimated cost - $200,000; Income tax credit for contributions to the Colorado Institution for Telecommunication Education, Kicks in at $446.8 million, Estimated cost - Less than $100,000; Individual development accounts, Allows creation of tax-free savings accounts for college, buying a first home or starting a business, Kicks in at $266.7 million. Estimated cost - Less than $100,000; Tax credit for donations to Colorado high technology scholarship program, Kicks in at $463.4 million, Estimated cost - Less than $100,000; Agriculture value-added development fund program, For farm co-ops or business projects, Not projected to kick in until 2007-08. Estimated cost - $600,000; Income tax credit for cost of health benefits, Up to $500 to offset health costs for low-income workers, Not projected to kick until 2008-09, Estimated cost - $3 million; Expanded capital gains tax breaks, Not projected to kick in until 2009-10, Estimated cost - $33 million.
Here's an article from the Denver Post about the opposing sides in the state Republican party around Referendums C and D [July 18, 2005, "Referendums open GOP rift"]. From the article, "U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez and former University of Denver president Marc Holtzman oppose the referendums on the November ballot, hoping to appeal to conservative voters - considered key to either candidate winning the party's gubernatorial nomination nine months later. Their stances against budget reform place both men at odds with Gov. Bill Owens, business leaders and the measures' powerful Republican backers. Especially intense is rhetoric being hurled against Owens by Holtzman, who accuses the governor, his one-time close friend, of selling out by promoting reform of the revenue-limiting Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR. Warring over budget measures is distracting Republicans from what should be their main priority: the 2006 election, party leaders say."
Category: Denver November 2005 Election
6:35:24 AM 
|
|
