We, the Suckers

I don't really like getting political on my blog but I read something recently that's worth pointing out, because it's not getting much press. Those in Colorado who voted for Referendums C and D in our last election cycle are officially suckers. Read "Ref. C gets a 'D' in disclosure" from the Denver Post (it's quick):

http://www.denverpost.com/newscolumnists/ci_6373124

Thinking back on this for a moment, here were some of the bigger warning signs:

• It was a tax increase
  
• The mainstream press largely didn't say anything bad about it
• Prominent Democrats and Republicans agreed on it (this should always give one pause)
• Nobody followed the money trail to see who was funding the pro ads, or at least no one in the mainstream media did
  
• Scare tactics were used to turn this into an emotional issue

The TABOR (Tax Payer's Bill of Rights) amendment is one of the most amazing things I've heard about in modern politics. TABOR limits the amount Coloradans can be taxed by the Colorado government without our own approval. Colorado is the only state that has a TABOR, even though other states are trying to pass something similar. The fact that Coloradans passed TABOR is something to be truly proud of, but with the passage of C and D we let government seriously chip away at this monument to responsible government. Next time the government wants to increase their allowance we all need to make sure they deserve it. In this round, they proved again that they want to do nothing but manipulate us and play with our money. Shame on us for letting them do it.

For the record I can thankfully say I did not vote for C and D, and I'll try my best not to vote for such political decoys in the future.