ISSUE # 70: IncessANT Taxation

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. 

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. 

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."  

                                        --- Abraham Lincoln

Election season in Aspen never seems to end. This time, it's an off-year Pitkin County election, conducted solely by mail-in ballot. Remember, these must be received by the clerk no later than 7p local time on Tuesday, November 1. For more information, go to www.PitkinVotes.org THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNITIVE ARROGANCE We have relatively few issues to decide on this election cycle. The biggie is Referendum 1A: Dedicated Property Tax for Healthy Community Fund. In short, we've had the Healthy Community Fund since 2002 with about $800K in annual funding from property taxes for its first 5 years.  In 2006, voters upped the take to $1.25M a year through 2012. The money supports a wide range of "social services" non-profits and cannot be used by the government for any other expenses. With the fund's expiration on the horizon, Referendum 1A is on the ballot, not as a renewal, but as an increase to about $1.9M annually.  That means a property tax hike. I briefly grappled with 1A but just can't support it. The county commissioners originally debated a simple renewal of the fund at its current funding level. Had they done this, I'd go along. However, when commissioner Rachel Richards pushed for a $3.5M funding level and the issue was later "compromised down" to a $446,000 increase ($1.9M annually), it made me sick. Why? She knows (as do you and I) that property tax measures regularly pass in Pitkin County. (It's because so many of the voters pay so little of the taxes.) In this economic environment, for Richards and her cohorts Michael Owsley and Jack Hatfield to simply up the ante just because they can is punitive arrogance; plucking the silent goose yet again. I REALLY don't like the government deciding which charities I MUST support either. My guess is that this, like other property tax measures before it, will pass. But not with my vote. FYI: THE GOVERNMENT "WINNERS" Referendum 1A can be viewed as a tax that makes select local non-profits into component units of government, reducing and potentially eliminating their need to fundraise, and replacing private donations with tax dollars.  This would make these non-profits subservient to the government's political mission rather than their own missions to serve people directly.  And who is the government to pick non-profit winners and losers anyway? The following is a list of local non-profits that the government has deemed "winners" - a bigger pot of gold with a new and bigger "fund" will add to these organizations' dependence on your tax dollars. Among others, you're already donating to these organizations, like it or not: Mountain Valley Developmental Services RESPONSE Family Visitor Programs Community Health Services Mountain Family Health Centers Planned Parenthood Sopris Therapy Centers Aspen Counseling Center The Right Door Valley Partnership for Drug Prevention Alpine Legal Services Colorado West Psychiatric Hospital Roaring Fork Early Learning Fund GRASSROOTS TV Aspen Public Radio Aspen Center for Environmental Services (ACES) Independence Pass Foundation Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers This is NOT a judgment of any kind on these entities, just an FYI to let you know that you already support them so you can now make your discretionary charitable donations to other worthy programs that are not on the government's list of "winners" and likely REALLY need your contributions! HERE'S HOW I'M VOTING To see a sample ballot, click HERE. State of Colorado Proposition 103: NO (I hate property tax increases and sales tax increases, and I especially hate throwing good money after bad at our failed education system.  HERE is an intelligent commentary by Joyce Rankin on why this measure and Garfield County's 3A won't change a thing, other than  your property taxes!) Referendum 1A: NO (I'm taking a stand and falling on my sword.) Referendum 1B: YES (Expands the current FM radio and TV translator tax to include wireless and internet when the technology is available and affordable. No tax increase today, just the ability to expand the category of services.) Referendum 1C: YES (House-keeping edits to County's Home Rule Charter.) Referendum 1D: YES (House-keeping edits to County's Home Rule Charter.) Referendum 3A: NO (I like term limits. A lot.) School Board: I do not have an educated opinion on any of the candidates. (Garfield County/Referendum 3E:  NO.  See Prop 103 above.) PITCO'S VOTER ROLLS Ever wonder how and why a county with a total population of 17,148 (according to the 2010 US Census) can have 14,000 people on its voter rolls? I wonder all the time. The reason is simple: our voter rolls are swollen with former residents, wanna-be residents and residents of the afterworld. No kidding. I know this because I acquired a copy of the list and was horrified to see the names of many people who simply should NOT be registered to vote here!  And they're all being sent ballots this week!  (WHERE will these end up!?!) AN ELECTION INTEGRITY EXERCISE -- EVERYONE CAN HELP! HERE is the hot-off-the-press list of all 14,000 registered voters in Pitkin County. Yep, 14,000 is a lot of names, but do me a favor. Glance through it online. (You know you're curious!!  I sure was!!)  It's easy - the names are alphabetical and it really goes quite fast. And yes, it is entirely legal that I have this list.  It's a public record.  Jot down the names that you believe to be on the list in error (for whatever reason) and please send these to me. This exercise won't remove anybody from the official list, but will likely demonstrate what I know to be true - our list isn't accurate. I plan to compile one comprehensive list of suspected "erroneous" names and provide them to the County Clerk. It will become that office's responsibility to look into these potential problems, if they so choose. I already have a list started. I'd like to add your findings to it. It won't be scientific by any stretch, but is intended to make the case that we have some spring cleaning to do! As you are all too aware, our local elections are hotly contested and every single vote counts. It is more important now than ever that we work to clean up our database. Besides, the 2012 general election is shaping up to where Colorado is highly likely to be a bell-weather state for the Presidential election. Voter integrity is of the utmost importance. Thanks in advance for your assistance with this unique grassroots exercise!

THE "YOU CAN'T MAKE IT UP" FILE As we all watch "Occupy Wall Street" across the country with varying degrees of bemusement and dismay, did you realize that we had a fledgling "Occupy Aspen" event last week in Wagner Park?  Thankfully the small handful of participants didn't camp out, but the sentiment was the same -- "People get so fed up and pissed when they don't have jobs and when they don't have money," according to one of the organizers.  The irony?  Their next organizing meeting is tomorrow at a home in the Burlingame subsidized housing project.  Yep, the same project for which the evil Aspen private property owners paid a $350K+ per unit subsidy.