Initiative 1033 rests on the assumption that as long as governments get an annual spending boost that matches inflation and population growth, they’ll be all set. Let’s set aside the fact that the recession has driven budgets into a deep hole and focus on that inflation metric. Government isn’t filling its shopping cart with clothing, groceries and electronics. Instead, the big ticket items are education, health care and transportation, all of which outpace the general rate of inflation. In 1992, Colorado adopted the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which operated on the same principle as I-1033, and revenue for government services plummeted. By 2004, Coloradans were clamoring for TABOR reform. When the Republican- led Legislature didn’t comply, voters turned it over to the Democrats. That’s when the governor struck a deal with lawmakers to ease the restrictions.
