The Taxman?
Title: “Beauprez Proposes Sales Tax Increase”
Sponsor: Bill Ritter for Governor
Type: TV ad
Message: Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez supported a 23 percent national sales tax. Now, as a gubernatorial candidate, he has proposed a 25 percent sales tax increase in Colorado and unlimited tuition increases at state colleges.
Fact: As a congressman in 2003, Beauprez co-sponsored HR 25, also known as the “Fair Tax Act of 2003.” That bill, which was introduced but not voted on, called for repealing income and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service and enacting a national sales tax. The bill would have levied a 23 percent sales tax on purchases of consumer goods and services.
Beauprez did not co-sponsor a similar bill in 2005.
As a candidate for governor, Beauprez has proposed a sales tax increase to replace the current gasoline tax. To make up for the 22 cents a gallon that consumers pay when buying gas, Beauprez would increase the state sales tax from 2.9 percent to about 3.7 percent – an increase of more than 25 percent.
Beauprez has also supported deregulating state colleges and universities, which would remove lawmakers and the governor from the process of approving tuition rate increases.
