Yes, TABOR has done more harm than good
Re: “Confession of a former TABOR supporter,” April 1 column
The op-ed from the former TABOR operator, Brian Vande Krol, is a pathetic attempt to justify the existence of the most uncivilized piece of law in the state’s history. By labeling our politicians and judges as thieves, he defiles the people who also elected them.
The crocodile tears “apology” sounds more like the lament of a “sovereign nation” whiner than it advocates for a true democratic society. These TABOR advocates forget that a representative government is called a democratic republic, not a bunch of tax whiners. Taxes are the wages of civilization. If a voter doesn’t like the way their representatives make laws and create taxes, they have the right to replace them at election time.
The TABOR “sales department” might sound like a righteous entity, but itap really about dismantling the “administrative state.” Trying to seduce teachers’ unions into advocating for this institutionalized nonsense is typical of the demagoguery that Douglas Bruce spewed on the state those many years ago. TABOR needs to be relegated to the ash heap of history. Let real governance do its job.
Vernon Turner, Denver
Brian Vande Krol’s crocodile tears over TABOR are laughable. He argues that TABOR wasn’t draconian enough. He argues that damage to the state could be much, much worse, and indeed, it should be.
Without evidence, he lays the success of our economy at the feet of TABOR without any mention of damaged and degrading roads, schools unable to stay open five days a week, cities unable to provide basic services to their population and a legislature hogtied and prevented from doing their most basic function. TABOR would be anathema to the founding fathers who would recognize it for what it is: the abdication of civic responsibility by the citizens of the state.
Glenn Hendricks, Pueblo
Brian Vande Krol’s essay bemoaning TABOR’s effect upon how government has responded in the decades since it was codified would be amusing if it wasn’t so sad. He seemed to image that a desperately thirsty visitor crossing a desert would not do all in his power to find water. Itap called survival, and it is the basic instinct of all living creatures.
TABOR was the Kool-Aid of cures: drink it and all your problems would be over — except they weren’t of course. Block the main road and people will find a longer, more tortured path. TABOR just accelerated the historic trend in government contortions and now itap too late for contrition.
Harry Puncec, Lakewood
Pigford lawsuit is not unusual in contract disputes
Re: “Candidate faces $50k lawsuit from political consultant,” March 26 news story
I write regarding Andrew Kenney’s article about a political consulting firm suing the campaign of first-time, at-large City Council candidate Tony Pigford. Pigford explained that his campaign has disputes regarding the consulting firm’s contract performance.
As a retired long-time business litigation attorney, I am writing because I am concerned that a reader of this article could take away the false impression that the existence of this lawsuit somehow tarnishes Pigford and his powerful campaign for a City Council seat.
There is nothing unusual or untoward about a business dispute regarding contract performance and payment issues.
Such disputes are the bread and butter of litigation attorneys. Two things are highly unusual and troubling to me: the filing of a political consulting firm’s lawsuit against a candidate client a short time before an election and the fact that someone obviously leaked the story attempting to smear Pigford and his campaign.
Woody Garnsey, Denver
