DENVER - Tired of being criticized for having no alternative plan to the controversial suspension or removal of 13 tax credits and exemptions, Republicans have finally brought a plan of their own to the table -- and now are being criticized for that.
Democrats pushed back immediately against what the GOP is calling their "Taxpayer Protection Act," which calls for an across-the-board spending cut and the elimination of "non-essential and vacant" government positions.
Minority Leader Josh Penry was joined by 11 Republican Senators to roll out the new plan, before a big banner with a quote from Enstrom's Candy president Rick Enstrom, who has been an outspoken opponent of these bills to close the tax exemptions, specifically on soda and candy.
"Don't make me fire my employees so you can hire more," said Enstrom's quote, which Penry called "a game-changer."
"The focus of the bill is on state employees and the growth of state government," Penry said. "I think there's a lot of dime store demagoguery going on that teachers are going to be fired and that K-12 education is going to be cut. Everybody knows that is the last place we go to in this building. We're saying there's a better way. We need to look at the bureaucracy."
Under the GOP plan, a cut of 0.24 percent in spending in the current fiscal year would save $17.8 million in revenue, according to Republicans; and a 4.4 percent cut the following year would allow the governor discretion to decide which positions and departments should be eliminated. By making those cuts, Republicans argued, tax exemptions can be saved and those already suspended -- namely, the homestead exemption for seniors -- could be restored.
Democrats don't think it's so easy.
"We've already seen those cuts of 10, 20 and 30 percent in all departments," said Sen. Mike Johnston, one of several Democrats who gathered behind the cameras Thursday to listen to the GOP's press conference. "The reality they didn't talk about is that 90 percent of the budget comes from four key areas: K-12 education, higher education, corrections, and health and human services. So tell us who the 4,000 prisoners are in the state of Colorado that we're going to let go, because that's going to be the equivalent cost of these cuts. Tell me who the 16,000 kids are in this state who aren't going to get higher ed funding, because that's the equivalent of what's going on here.
"There's no place to dance around that the only cuts left are to core services."
Republicans expect to introduce their bill Friday or Monday, as the Democratic package of tax exemption suspensions, already passed by the House, is being debated in the Senate.
Interactive coverage of Colorado politics
Democrats pushed back immediately against what the GOP is calling their "Taxpayer Protection Act," which calls for an across-the-board spending cut and the elimination of "non-essential and vacant" government positions.
Minority Leader Josh Penry was joined by 11 Republican Senators to roll out the new plan, before a big banner with a quote from Enstrom's Candy president Rick Enstrom, who has been an outspoken opponent of these bills to close the tax exemptions, specifically on soda and candy.
"Don't make me fire my employees so you can hire more," said Enstrom's quote, which Penry called "a game-changer."
"The focus of the bill is on state employees and the growth of state government," Penry said. "I think there's a lot of dime store demagoguery going on that teachers are going to be fired and that K-12 education is going to be cut. Everybody knows that is the last place we go to in this building. We're saying there's a better way. We need to look at the bureaucracy."
Under the GOP plan, a cut of 0.24 percent in spending in the current fiscal year would save $17.8 million in revenue, according to Republicans; and a 4.4 percent cut the following year would allow the governor discretion to decide which positions and departments should be eliminated. By making those cuts, Republicans argued, tax exemptions can be saved and those already suspended -- namely, the homestead exemption for seniors -- could be restored.
Democrats don't think it's so easy.
"We've already seen those cuts of 10, 20 and 30 percent in all departments," said Sen. Mike Johnston, one of several Democrats who gathered behind the cameras Thursday to listen to the GOP's press conference. "The reality they didn't talk about is that 90 percent of the budget comes from four key areas: K-12 education, higher education, corrections, and health and human services. So tell us who the 4,000 prisoners are in the state of Colorado that we're going to let go, because that's going to be the equivalent cost of these cuts. Tell me who the 16,000 kids are in this state who aren't going to get higher ed funding, because that's the equivalent of what's going on here.
"There's no place to dance around that the only cuts left are to core services."
Republicans expect to introduce their bill Friday or Monday, as the Democratic package of tax exemption suspensions, already passed by the House, is being debated in the Senate.
Interactive coverage of Colorado politics
