The final tab for this year's legislative session is almost unprecedented in the sweep and scale of new taxes and fees that majority Democrats are imposing on the public, Senate Republicans said today. A day after the 2009 session drew to a close, the GOP lawmakers pointed to "the ruling party's ugly list" of well over $1 billion in new levies that will blindside a broad swath of Coloradans in the coming year.
"This year, 'sine die' meant 'here's the bill,'" said Senate Republican leader Josh Penry, in mock reference to the Latin phrase that traditionally signifies the session's end.
"The legacy of this General Assembly is clear: in the middle of the worst recession in a generation, Bill Ritter and the Democrats enacted a billion dollars in new taxes and fees," said the Grand Junction lawmaker. "Whether you're paying your vehicle registration, your family's health insurance premium or your property-tax bill, there's a good chance you'll pay more. There's even a fee hike to get married."
The casualties also include businesses and other investors who will pay more in capital-gains taxes, courtesy of a Democrat bill pushed through this week in the waning hours of the session.
"It all adds up to a tremendous toll on the public," said Senate GOP Whip Nancy Spence, of Centennial.
Added Assistant Senate GOP leader Greg Brophy, "The fact that they're calling some of these tax hikes 'fees' only rubs salt in the wounds."
Colorado Springs Republican Sen. Keith King summed up the litany of taxes and fees in one word: "appalling."The Republicans said the list of Democrat-imposed tax and fee hikes includes:
- A $250 million-a-year hike in vehicle-registration fees--ostensibly to fund transportation--with the price of registering the typical family car going up $30 to $40.
- A $600 million-a-year fee imposed on the state's hospitals in an attempt to leverage more federal Medicaid funding for the poor; Republicans said the ripple effects are sure to trickle down through higher health-plan premiums for everyone else.
- A $90 million jump in property taxes for seniors, who will lose their homestead exemption.
- An increase in the amount of sales-tax revenue retailers will have to forward to the state, costing small businesses and other stores another $31 million a year.
- A hike in the tax on capital gains on some Colorado investments, costing businesses and investors $7 million the first year and $16 million the next.
- Democats also voted to remove the sales-tax exemption on already-heavily taxed cigarettes--claiming another $30 million.
"For the first time, your wallet will be safer if you're walking the streets of New York because at least there, you'll only get mugged once," said Colorado Springs Republican Bill Cadman.
Brophy said he is concerned that by running up the tab now, Democrats are setting the stage for more tax hikes later to cover future red ink.
"My fear is that they are manufacturing a crisis for which the only solution will be a massive tax hike," Brophy said.
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Senate Republicans are assesing the cost of sweeping tax and fee hikes by Democrats. |
