Title: “Important”
Sponsor: Vote Yes on C&D
Type: Radio ads
The message: More than 200 statewide organizations are supporting Referendums C and D to pay for better roads, schools and health care without raising taxes. If the measures don’t pass, there will be significant cuts to programs. This ad has 11 different versions, each highlighting local programs and services that would be cut.
Fact: The ads claim that “without C and D, more cuts are coming.” Most of the ads claim that Read-To-Achieve programs for struggling second- and third-graders would be “slashed” and a property-tax break for seniors would be “gone forever.” Lawmakers have not decided what would be cut to balance the budget if the measures don’t pass. These programs are likely candidates for trimming since they aren’t required. However, lawmakers also could find several one-time infusions of cash to fill the anticipated $450 million hole next year. That method would push the problem into future years.
The ads also detail local road projects that would be lost without passage. This is true, because Referendum D authorizes loans to pay for the improvements. If it fails, there would be no funding.
For example, the ad says a $70 million Interstate 25 reconstruction project in Trinidad would be lost. The state transportation department puts the cost of the project at about $75 million. Most of the ads that identified the cost of a road project were off of transportation department estimates by several million dollars in either direction.
The ads also identify funding to specific state colleges, universities and community colleges in the local listening areas that would be cut if the measures don’t pass. Again, while it is likely higher education could take spending reductions because funding is not legally required, those cuts have not been determined.
The ads’ assertion that the referendums do not raise taxes is true insofar as the measures do not increase the state’s tax rate.
However, the ballot questions do ask taxpayers to give up money that would be refunded to them under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
