Amendment 78: Accountability and Transparency For Custodial Funds
Topline Summary: Under current law, the governor or executive branch officials can unilaterally allocate certain funds which originate from outside of the state—known as custodial funds—often with little or no oversight. Amendment 78 would democratize the process of allocating custodial funds by requiring the general assembly to appropriate such funds after a public hearing. If […]
Supplemental Unemployment Payment is Hurting Colorado’s Economy
Published by The Gazette, July 4, 2021 By Paul Prentice, Ph.D. One of the most important principles of Economics is that people respond to incentives. You get more of whatever you incentivize. You get less of whatever you disincentivize. This is irrefutable. The supplemental unemployment payment does both – it incentivizes people not […]
Climate Suit Would Hurt Colorado
Originally Published in The Pueblo Chieftain – August 23, 2020 Boulder County, San Miguel County, and the City of Boulder have lawsuits against the Oil and Gas industry. They allege environmental damage and climate change from carbon emissions related to the industry. Perhaps there is such damage, and perhaps not. I am not writing to […]
Proposition 116 Facts
DID YOU KNOW PROPOSITION 116… IS A SIMPLE, FAIR TAX CUT FOR ALL INCOME TAX PAYERS This is an income tax cut of .08% for ALL income tax payers, from 4.63% to 4.55%. Everyone who pays income taxes will receive the exact same tax cut in proportion with what they pay. IS SUPPORTED BY GOVERNOR […]
Independence Institute Launches Tax Reduction Ballot Initiative
To “Energize our Economy” Independence Institute Launches Tax Reduction Ballot Initiative May 18, 2020 Denver – Independence Institute, Colorado’s free-market think tank, announces its petition drive launch today of a ballot initiative that will reduce the flat Colorado state income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%. The signature gathering process for Initiative #306 will begin today. […]
In Blue Colorado, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights matters more than ever
In Colorado, the recent election reaffirms the right of citizens to have the final say on proposals to increase taxes or debt.
What You Need to Know About Amendment 73 and Public Education Funding
IB-C-2018 (Sept. 2018) Author: Linda Gorman DOWNLOAD REPORT IN PDF Executive Summary: In November 2018, voters will decide on Amendment 73, a state constitutional amendment which would increase income, property and corporate taxes in Colorado to fund public education. If Amendment 73 passes, Colorado will no longer have equal state income tax rates for all. […]
Hiking the minimum wage hurts low-wage workers
Every time the minimum wage changes, workers will feel it—for better or worse.
Economic Myths and Government Stimulus
by Paul Prentice As the human tragedy and economic damage from Hurricane Harvey continue to mount, it won’t be long until several tired old economic myths are trotted out. First among these is what Frederic Bastiat called the “Broken Window Fallacy”. Accountants-disguised-as-economists will point to the so-called economic stimulus from the rebuilding efforts. But the […]
PERA deserves an earful on its listening tour
Members and non-members alike should be prepared to ask PERA’s board some tough questions about their credibility.
A Decade of Colorado Road and Transportation Spending in Pictures
The roughly $300 million a year that the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says it needs to fill the state’s road spending deficit is less than 2 pennies out of each dollar of total state spending.
House Bill 1187: Why should state government get to spend more just because people work more?
Increasing state spending as population grows assumes that larger populations require more government services. This may not always be the case, but it at least refrains from taxing people simply because they work harder.
