Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland lays out a familiar Colorado plot twist: voters approved Proposition MM after being told it would help free school meals and bolster SNAP for families. The piece, published Nov. 5, explains that the new revenue will largely be swallowed by SNAP administrative costs rather than going to recipients any time soon.
Goodland reports that the state still lacks a way to get state dollars onto EBT cards, even as several other states found a path. The kicker: the very first year of implementation, 2026–27, is expected to prioritize administration. That is not what voters heard when they were told MM would help the hungry.
The Bullet Point Brief
• Voters thought MM money would help feed kids and boost SNAP. The early plan sends it to bureaucracy, not groceries.
• Colorado still cannot load state funds onto EBT cards. Other states figured it out. We are “working on it.”
• The Joint Budget Committee tossed $10 million toward food banks as a workaround. Officials admit it is a rough proxy that misses people.
• The Blue Book hinted admin costs would hit in 2026–27, but the sales job focused on benefits, not back-office budgets.
• Bottom line for families: do not expect extra SNAP help soon. Expect forms, vendors, and meetings.
My Bottom Line
Colorado sold MM and LL under two magic slogans: “It’s for the children” and “Tax the rich.” The morning after, we learn the money is headed to administration first. Not kids. Not groceries. Bureaucracy. This is what happens when we treat government like a charity basket instead of a cautious tool with strict limits.
You want to feed kids? Give to your local food bank. Better yet, tithe to your church and help it lead like it is called to. When you send a dollar to government, that dollar hires a manager, a consultant, a vendor, a compliance officer, a data system, and a lobbyist. Then a few pennies might reach a family. Someday. Get to know your government and demand receipts before you agree to fund one more “temporary fix.”
The founders called government a fire. Useful under control. Destructive when it jumps the pit. In Colorado, the flames are licking the rafters. Stop feeding it kindling labeled “for the children,” because the label keeps landing on the same pile: the administrative state.
Source: Colorado Politics
