Citizens consider amendment to reduce tax burden Colorado advocate visits with taxpayer association By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle The Brown County Taxpayers Association learned about ways to reduce the tax burden on Wisconsin citizens during a presentation on Thursday. The author of a 1992 Colorado constitutional amendment that placed a limit on the government's ability to raise taxes spoke to approximately 30 people at the Glory Years Sports Bar and Grill in Green Bay. "It's not about finances, money or the economy. It's about freedom," said Douglas Bruce, the author of Colorado's Taxpayer Bill of Rights. He added that citizens want to feel more control over the government. Bruce has worked with Rep. Frank G. Lasee, R-Bellevue, on forming a Taxpayer Bill of Rights for Wisconsin, also known as Assembly Joint Resolution 55. Bruce said the Colorado amendment refunded $3.25 billion to Colorado citizens between 1998 and 2002, and that Colorado ranks 45th in the list of states with the highest tax burdens. Bruce's amendment has been the model for Wisconsin's Taxpayer Bill of Rights that Lasee is pushing through state legislature. It calls for increases in governmental spending that equals the growth in population, plus the growth in inflation, according to his written comments posted on the Republican Party of Wisconsin Web site. A referendum would be required in order for the government and schools to exceed spending restrictions, raise income, sales, franchise or property taxes, or for the government to borrow money. In addition, TABOR stipulates the formation of rainy day and emergency funds. Tax surpluses would be returned to taxpayers and the tax rate adjusted to prevent over-collection of taxes in the future. Richard Parins, president of the Brown County Taxpayers Association, said the spending rules are needed. "I have never seen the political will to control spending," he said, adding that it would be positive to see people have more control over their own money. Opponents to TABOR criticize its use of the consumer pricing index as a measure of how the government should increase spending. The amendment defines inflation as, "the percentage change in the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for Milwaukee-Racine." Michael Butera is the executive director for Wisconsin Education Association Council, an organization representing the professional and labor interests of its 96,000 members, including teachers and university students. Butera said the CPI is a poor measure for determining the needs of schools. A changing student demography, such as increases in the number of special needs students, is a better measurement of the money schools will need, he said. "We need government to intervene in major areas, schooling being one of them," Butera said. Others believe TABOR could be an effective way to manage spending. Current Chamber of Commerce president, Paul Jadin, said he believes having had an amendment similar to TABOR would have prevented the state's deficit, and plans to encourage Chamber of Commerce support for TABOR. According to the Legislative Reference Bureau, a constitutional amendment must be adopted by two successive legislatures and have citizen ratification before coming into effect.