|
||||
|
Oct. 24, 2000 AP and STAFF REPORTS DENVER — Anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce could see thousands of dollars more in savings than the average citizen if his tax-slashing Amendment 21 passes, his opponents said. Bruce, who owns low-value property in Pueblo, Denver and Colorado Springs, could save $68,000 in the first decade of the proposed tax cuts, $168,000 more in the next 20 years and $268,000 in 30 years, according to Rudy Andras, an economist with Dain Rauscher brokerage whose public-sector clients, such as school districts, could be negatively affected by the cuts. "He’s doing it for himself. There’s no other reason why he would do this," said Andras, who reviewed public records to determine Bruce’s holdings. Bruce denied he is promoting the amendment for personal gain and accused his detractors of waging a smear campaign. "I’m not in this for the money. I’m in it because it’s right," he said. Bruce said he has spent more than $100,000 of his own money on the current tax-cutting effort and hopes people send him money to defray the campaign costs if the measure passes. The proposal created by Bruce, which voters will decide in the Nov. 7 election, would cut utility, vehicle, income and property taxes by $25 each. The tax would be cut another $25 each succeeding year. Opponents claim special local services such as fire, ambulance, police and others could be devastated. Locally, a number of officials have expressed opposition to Amendment 21. State Rep. Mark Larson (R-Cortez), Cortez City Manager Hal Shepherd, the Montezuma County commissioners and heads of local special districts, have expressed grave concern about the proposal. Fire-district officials are especially concerned, saying they could in a few years find themselves unable to continue providing services. Without fire-district protection, homeowners’ insurance rates would skyrocket, officials say. Bruce says the state would have to pick up the tab for the lost revenue. Opponents of Amendment 21 have questioned whether there would be net savings for voters if the the state has to use tax money to replace funds now levied by special districts. The most recent poll on Amendment 21, conducted the first week of October, showed support for Bruce’s amendment dropped from 65 percent in June to a statistical dead heat, with 42 percent in favor and 41 percent opposed. The poll by Talmey-Drake Research and Strategy of Boulder for the Denver Rocky Mountain News and News4 had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Bruce is a longtime foe of taxes and was the mastermind behind the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which was passed by voters in 1992. It put a spending cap on the state’s governmental entities and forced them to seek voter approval before raising taxes. |
||||
|
Copyright © 2000 the Cortez Journal.
All rights reserved. |
