The Colorado State Budget Shortfall "solutions"

Ok, so over the years, I've learned it's best not to discuss politics or religion. Helps keep the peace and such. But, today, I received an email from a friend regarding proposed solutions to Colorado's budget shortfall, known as HB 1189 through HB 1200 (or the DIRTY DOZEN), and by golly, I just couldn't help myself. Rather than just blindly resending this message to my senator, I decided to try to make it a bit more personal. Here is what I sent to our state Senator, Abel Tapia. If you are also in his district and would like to send a message, here is his email address: abel.tapia.senate@state.co.us

Dear Senator Tapia,

We are a RESPONSIBLE, rural, “middle class” (translation-don’t qualify for and don’t ask for ANY “help”) family. Well, we are asking for your help, now. In our humble opinion, the state’s budget is short because of many factors and we are one of them. In our case, for example, our minimum water bill has increased by 33% in the last 3 months, from 49.95/month for the first 5,000 gallons, to $75.00/month for those same 5000 gallons. (We were paying $39.00 a month 8 years ago). Gasoline/diesel prices continue to increase, making it costlier to get to work/school (Yes, we actually have JOBS and work hard to keep them. Our child goes to public school, EVERY DAY! Does take fuel) Our vehicle registration renewals have gone up, car insurance rates, up, (yes, we have ALWAYS insured our vehicles, even before it became state law) yet our cars have gotten older, our property taxes and homeowners premiums have increased, health insurance costs have gone up. Propane prices, to heat our home, cook our food and heat our water have also risen at a ridiculous rate. However, our income has decreased, due to pay cuts and government “adjustments” (taxes).

When gas prices shot up, people couldn’t afford to pay for other things, like their MORTGAGES. If it’s a choice between paying for gas to get to work and buying a can of soda, with additional tax added to it, that’s a no-brainer, for us. We drink water! (As long as we don’t go over our 5000 gallons and incur even HIGHER CHARGES).

Think about it, we’ve already cut out the LUXURIES, like sodas and heating our home above 67 degrees with propane, because like most rural areas, that’s the only choice for us, PROPANE / wood, just to afford to feed our family!!!! (Try coming to Beulah in January if you think that isn’t a bit chilly. It’s 25 miles SW of Pueblo, in the Wet Mountain Valley). If you want to punish us for trying to save some cash for gas to get to work/school, by purchasing some items online, thanks for your help . It’s not like we have much to spend anyway, so maybe we’ll just use that to pay for an additional gallon or two of gas to go get wood to burn for heat.

Both of my elderly parents volunteer at a local charity, not just to qualify for the homestead tax credit, which you’ve done away with, but because they’ve worked all of their lives and have always helped out others. Now, you’ve made it rougher for them, as well. Will it stop them from volunteering? No. Will it cut further into their discretionary spending? You bet. More business’ will continue to fail, more jobs lost, foreclosures will continue to rise. Will tax revenues go down further? Yup. Tell me, sir, how does that help balance the budget?????

Discretionary spending is already at rock bottom. How can you honestly look at yourself in the mirror and think that these proposed solutions to the state’s budget shortfall won’t negatively affect the “middle class” people of our state, the backbone of the nation’s economy??? Please, do something to help us with the prices of ESSENTIALS, utilities, gasoline, food. CREATE JOBS by making Colorado the place to establish business! Help us KEEP THE JOBS we have! Please, please, be our HERO! Use some common sense and persuade your constituents to do so as well.

Thank you for your time. I’ll be looking forward to re-election time, as I’m sure you will be.


If you aren't feeling particularly up to venting, but would still like to voice your opinion to your Colorado Senator, here is the original email I received. Just copy and paste it into a new email and add your name/phone number to the bottom.

I am a voter in your Senate district and I ask that you vote against HB
1189 through HB 1200, also known as the "dirty dozen." Colorado's
economy is very fragile, unemployment is high and families in my
neighborhood are struggling to make ends meet. Increasing taxes in this
economy is the wrong approach.

These bills will drive business from Colorado and make Colorado high
technology businesses and farmers and ranchers less competitive than in
other states. Even worse, these bills will impose higher taxes on
Colorado's already strained families. Senator, how can we ask a taxpayer
who is unemployed to pay increased taxes on soda or purchases they make
on the internet? How do we look a farmer in the eye and ask them to be
less competitive than their counterpart in Kansas just because Colorado
government needs the money?

I ask that you vote against these bills and work in a bipartisan way to
find solutions that will solve the budget shortfall. Simply increasing
taxes is not smart fiscal policy in the middle of a recession.

Sincerely,