Taxpayer Bill of Rights

Taxpayer Bill of Rights
The Governor of Colorado, Bill Owens (Wall Street Journal, Letters, June 24, 2005) laments that the ratcheting down effect in the Tabor and calls it a “flaw.” In fact, it is a strength of those bills. He also claims that it “hurts”. The question is, who does it hurt? The politicians who want more money to spend! Letting you keep more of your own money doesn’t “hurt,” unless you are the person who wants to spend someone else’s hard earned dollars!

Ratcheting down is a big benefit – it keeps the political impulses to spend whatever comes in, in check. In short it promotes efficiency and freedom which depends on limiting government. This is one way to let you keep more of your own money and keep more of your own freedom. With the Supreme Court eviscerating the freedoms protected in the Constitution this week with its abandonment of the Founders’ intent in writing the Commerce Clause and Fifth Amendment, every protection becomes that much more important.