DENVER (AP) – A tax vote in Colorado is likely sending a powerful message to policymakers nationwide who wonder if voters will consider paying more for services.
The answer: No way.
Colorado voters this week resoundingly rejected a slight increase in sales and use taxes to shore up public schools decimated by years of budget cuts. It’s the only statewide tax hike on ballots this November.
One state lawmaker says Americans are “generous, decent people” who will spend money on something important if they have to, but everybody’s hurting in today’s economy.
Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper declined to back the schools tax.
He said after Tuesday’s vote that pinched taxpayers simply aren’t ready yet to consider an expansion of taxes, but they aren’t ready for a big reduction in government services, either.
