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Feb. 15, 2010

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Governor's budget reflects grim reality,

but there is another option

 

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper today released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12. Carol Hedges, director of the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, issued the following statement in response:


"The governor's budget recommendations reflect grim reality. He has presented a balanced budget only through dramatic cuts to the education of our kids. That is not a viable path to a prosperous future, but the state is out of acceptable options for dealing with the persistent budget challenges. 


"The governor and legislators have no good choices. Their hands are tied. But our state Constitution, through the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, gives voters in Colorado the opportunity to say 'no' to these kinds of devastating choices. Now is the time for a more complete conversation. Now is the time for voters to stand up for their kids and their communities. 


"In the short term, a $497 per pupil cut to education spending will mean classrooms that are even more crowded, students getting less individualized attention and deep reductions in the services kids need to learn to compete in today's economy. In the long term, failure to invest in our kids will put Colorado at a huge disadvantage economically.


"The proposed spending cuts will also hit college students hard, as state spending per student will be $878 per student less than last year. The result will be increases in tuition and fees that will make a college degree out of the question for literally hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents. Unemployment in Colorado is already at a 28-year high - it's hard to imagine how our state will recover if we don't invest in an educating our future workforce.


"Our state government simply needs more revenue to do the things Coloradans expect, and voters have the power to change our future."


The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, a project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, is pursuing a measure for the state's November 2011 election that would increase revenue and make the state's tax system more fair. A key feature is a restructuring of the state personal income tax, establishing six income brackets with six rates and resulting in all Coloradans investing a similar share of their income to support education and other vital community services.


Coloradans can learn more about the tax proposal and sign up to show support at our website.

 

Media contact:

Perry Swanson, communications director

Cell phone 719-232-4458

 

Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
789 Sherman St.
Suite 300
Denver, Colorado 80203