Jon Caldara’s opinion piece in The Denver Gazette does what good Caldara columns usually do: it grabs the state by the collar and points at the scam in plain English. His target here is Senate Bill 135 and the way lawmakers are trying, once again, to get around TABOR by dressing up a money grab as a sweet little gift for schoolchildren. The column argues that Colorado voters have repeatedly said no to efforts like this, yet the ruling class keeps coming back because they never stop wanting more of your money.
Caldara walks through the basic case. He notes that Coloradans have rejected multiple past attempts to weaken TABOR refunds, including Referendum B, Proposition 103, Amendment 66, Proposition CC, and Prop HH. He then argues that SB 135 would again end TABOR refunds permanently, while ballot language written by lawmakers makes it sound like the money is all for K-12 education, teacher pay, retention, class sizes, and career courses. According to Caldara, the fine print tells a much different story.
His sharpest point is the contrast in ballot wording. Caldara says lawmakers get to write their own friendly, syrupy language when they refer a measure to the ballot, while citizen initiatives get translated by the Title Board in much blunter, more honest terms. In his telling, the same policy sounds like a noble gift to kids when politicians write it, and a permanent cash grab when ordinary citizens have it described straight. That is not just spin. That is the game.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Caldara says Colorado voters have already rejected repeated attempts to weaken TABOR refunds, naming Referendum B, Proposition 103, Amendment 66, Proposition CC, and Prop HH. Translation: the public has been saying no for years, but Democrats keep pretending they heard “ask again later.”
- His target this time is Senate Bill 135, which he says would end your TABOR refunds forever while being sold to voters as a feel-good education measure. Because apparently the safest way to grab money is to hide behind a classroom poster.
- Caldara argues the ballot language is deeply misleading. The sales pitch talks about investing in K-12, teacher pay, retention, class sizes, and career education, but he says the legislature’s own analysis shows only about $200 million of roughly $1.3 billion would go to education in year one. The rest becomes legislative play money.
- One of his best punches is the side-by-side comparison with Title Board language. When lawmakers write the ballot text, it sounds uplifting and bloodless. When the same policy is rendered in plain terms, it reads like allowing the state to keep and spend your excess tax money, with only a portion going to schools and the rest available for any purpose the legislature wants. Funny how honesty changes the vibe.
- Caldara’s larger point is simple and correct. TABOR is the last real fence around government appetite in this state, and Democrats hate fences when those fences stand between them and your wallet. So they keep coming back with new packaging, new slogans, and the same old hand in your pocket.
My Bottom Line
I have nothing to add to Jon Caldara’s opinion, and that is not a dodge. It is a compliment. The man made the case cleanly, clearly, and with the right amount of disgust. I am dropping this here for one reason: read it. Really read it. Because what he is describing is not a one-off trick. It is the operating system of the ruling Democrats under the Gold Dome.
They can never get enough of your money. Never. TABOR is the one thing that has kept this state even remotely close to the rails, and they despise it for exactly that reason. It interrupts their appetite. It forces them to ask permission. It makes refunds possible. It reminds government that the money was yours before it was ever theirs. And Democrats cannot stand a constitutional speed bump between themselves and a bigger spending spree.
That is why every attack on TABOR is wrapped in moral blackmail. This time it is for the kids. Next time it will be for housing, health care, public safety, puppies, oxygen, or whatever else they think will fog up enough glasses to get a yes. The issue is never the slogan. The issue is always the same: they want to keep your money and spend it how they please. Everything else is costume jewelry on the same grift.
So yes, Caldara is right. Again. TABOR is not some outdated inconvenience. It is the taxpayer’s last line of defense against a political class that believes your paycheck is simply state revenue that has not been fully processed yet. Read the column and keep your guard up, because the people running this state are never more dangerous than when they are smiling and promising they only want the money for something noble.
Source: The Denver Gazette
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