Just Say No.....To Grover Norquist

Colorado did
Grover Norquist lost an election yesterday. You didn't even know he was running, well his brainchild, TABOR, was in Colorado.
Colo. Voters Give Up $3.7B in Tax Refunds

DENVER -- Colorado voters agreed Tuesday to give up $3.7 billion in taxpayer refunds over the next five years to help the state bounce back from a recession, ignoring fiscal conservatives who argued that the government doesn't need more money to spend.

The vote was closely watched in states around the nation. Californians are scheduled to vote on state spending limits Nov. 8, and Kansas, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Oklahoma and Arizona are considering spending caps.


Supporters said Colorado simply could not afford to vote no, not with higher education, health care and transportation already suffering from millions of dollars in budget cuts.

"It was a tough election for all," said Republican Gov. Bill Owens, who stunned his own party by joining Democrats in crafting the measure. "Everyone cares for Colorado, and I understand why others feel differently."

The referendum lets the state keep an estimated $3.7 billion over five years that would otherwise be refunded under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, a constitutional amendment that is considered the nation's strictest cap on government spending.

With 94 percent of the expected vote counted statewide, 533,969 voters, or 52 percent, approved the plan, compared with 489,603, or 48 percent, voting against it.

People are beginning to see that Grover Norquist's desire to drown government in the bath tub ends up drowning education and the infrastructure like roads. Because of TABOR it was nearly impossible for Colorado to recover from the recession. Many are now realizing there is no free lunch.