Rocky Mountain News: "Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez said Friday that he favors scrapping Colorado's gasoline tax and replacing it with a statewide sales tax to fund road improvements...
"Everyone, including Democratic candidate Bill Ritter, agrees Colorado needs a more sustainable source of transportation funding because state and federal gasoline tax revenues are shrinking as Americans drive more fuel-efficient cars. Initially, Beauprez suggested a penny-on-the-dollar statewide sales tax, which would generate an estimated $670.5 million - or 30.5 percent more than the $513.6 million in state gasoline tax revenues projected for the 2005-06 fiscal year by the state budget office. When told that a 1 percent sales tax would be a tax increase, Beauprez spokesman John Marshall said the penny-per-dollar figure was calculated a year ago when a sluggish economy was generating less revenue. He stressed that Beauprez wanted to keep the sales tax switch "revenue neutral" - to simply replace the gasoline tax that he would kill. Currently, that means the proposed transportation sales tax would only need to be a fraction of a penny (0.77 percent), to generate $516.3 million a year...
"Beauprez, though, said he likes the sales tax because 'it's easy to implement, and I think it's very, very fair and equitable.' Even people who don't drive and tourists who fly to Aspen and shuttle to a resort rely on the transportation system to move labor and goods, he said...
"In a meeting with the Rocky Mountain News editorial board Friday, gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez offered his views on a variety of issues.
"- On voter registration: 'Why wouldn't you require proof of citizenship for the right to vote? We let somebody dummy up anything they want to for the right to vote.'
"- On the state budget: 'You can't continue down the path of K-12 (education), Medicaid and corrections taking more and more of the budget.'
"- On holding a constitutional convention to reform the state constitution: 'It's clearly an option. If you're going to go there, you better have some sense of what you're going to get. You start building a consensus.'
"- On Gov. Bill Owens: 'Bill has done some very good things. There's a whole lot more that needs to be done.'
"- On the need to place underprivileged kids in preschool: 'Six years of (elementary) education doesn't make up for the deficit they experience in the first four years of life.'
"- On opponent Bill Ritter's approach to education: 'Bill is beholden to the Colorado Education Association. He can't buck the system.'
"- On the need for education reform: 'There's a reason why people are clamoring for more private school options.'
"- On tax credits for education: 'For every $2 you direct to a targeted education initiative, we'll give you a $1 tax credit. I think the money would pour in.'
"- On encouraging parents to read to their children: 'Drag parents back into the game of being what they've always been, the primary educators of their children.'
"- On providing early childhood education: 'This challenge can be met in community partnerships that already exist.'
"- On Ritter's record as Denver district attorney: 'There's a broad perception Bill Ritter has been soft on crime. The prevailing philosophy was hug a thug. It's disgusting.'
"- On the governor's race: 'This is as tough a political year as we've seen. It's messy for Republicans. We're polling somewhere from 4 to 8 points (behind Ritter).'
"- On withdrawing his support of Amendment 38, which would make it easier to place measures on the ballot: 'I was wrong. We ought to be asking ourselves if the ease of the initiative process in Colorado is the way we want to continue to do business. The guy with the biggest checkbook often controls the outcome.'
"- On potentially having Democrats control both the legislature and governorship: 'Do you want to hand the reins over to one party? The state likes divided government. If ever there was a reason to be concerned about divided government, now is the time.'
"- On whether he will campaign with President Bush: 'I'm quite certain you'll see the president in Colorado.'"
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
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