Back in the early 1990s, Colorado voters passed what is now known as Amendment 1 or the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) for our state constitution. It actually took several times for the initiative to pass because those with a vested interest in an ever increasing public troth kept putting out scare stories about how the world would end if the bill passed.

TABOR is an interesting piece. It limits the growth in taxes each year to the combined rate of population growth and inflation. If a government collects more than allowed under the limit, it must either refund the excess or ask the voters to let it be retained via an election. Furthermore, tax increases have to be approved by the voters.

When TABOR finally passed, the world failed to come to an end. What did happen was that the state and local governments had to learn to live within their means. Before TABOR, every legislative session was filled with new projects and new taxes to pay for politicians pet pork. After TABOR, politicians realized that every new program had to be funded from existing revenues. It made for a lower rate of growth in government during the "fat" years, which makes it a lot easier to handle an ecomonic slowdown like we have now.

The elections to allow the government has a roughly 50-50 track record. Voters have turned down their refunds on several times, usually with the promise that the funds will go to specific projects. Politicians have pulled some tricks like funding the frills and then pleading poverty for the essentials but they don't always get away with it.

There is no doubt in my mind that TABOR would've never passed the legislature. There are too many vested interests out there who think they can spend taxpayers money better than the people. I actually saw that attitude expressed on a bumper sticker once that read "Life was more fun before Amendment 1." I guess her definition of "fun" was spending other people's money. Screw her and everyone who thinks like her.