Yes on C

On November 1st, Coloradans will have the opportunity to Vote on Referenda C & D. Referendum C allows Colorado to spend the money it collects in taxes above the TABOR limits. Colorado regulations require the state to return excess money collected. This will most likely be around $70 per taxpayer this year (actually, Gov. Owens said on the radio that it would be around $15). During years that Colorado is in a recession (such as the past few years) and the tax receipts are below the limit, Colorado is forced to cut programs. Referendum C will allow Colorado to recover from the recent downturn in the economy. Referendum C asks voters to let the state use the expected TABOR refund to recover from the recent downturn. This will not affect any income-tax refunds expected from paying taxes to the federal or state governments. Only the TABOR refund is effected. Below is information taken from a memorandum written by the Office of State Planning and Budgeting to Governor Bill Owens. It details programs that will likely be cut or slashed if Referendum C does not pass. When reading through these items, think about friends and family members who will be affected if C is not passed. It won't just impact government agencies and those who receive the services, but also private firms that perform work for the government. Many jobs could be lost. I also want to encourage you to tell your friends and family in Colorado about this. Feel free to send them a link to this entry.

Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Most of its funding is mandatory in the Medicaid program.

Eliminate State Support for the Colorado Indigent Care Program ($12,492,364 GF): This program serves indigent clients throughout Colorado, typically those who arrive at a private hospital with no insurance.
Eliminate Medicare Coinsurance and Deductibles ($5,106,467 GF): This is an optional service for most clients who receive it. The clients are indigent elderly who receive Medicare but cannot afford the co-payments or deductibles. Eliminating this benefit will force these individuals to pay any co-payment or deductible.
Reduce Pharmacy Dispensing Fee ($4,510,024 GF): Pharmacists receive $4 per prescription; this action represents a 50 percent reduction to $2 per prescription. With this reduction some pharmacies may choose to stop serving Medicaid clients.
Eliminate Comprehensive Primary Care Grants ($2,668,034 CF): This line item is currently funded with tobacco settlement dollars. Elimination of these grants would reduce the available funding for health care providers to serve low-income Coloradoans.
Eliminate Prosthetics and Orthotics ($983,554 GF): Elimination of this optional Medicaid benefit will force clients who use a prosthetic to either go without or rely on charity care.

Department of Higher Education
Higher Education’s General Fund is located in three main areas of its budget: financial aid ($77.1 million); the College Opportunity Fund ($498.8 million); and Local Junior District Colleges and the Division of Occupational Education ($21.3 million).

If the Department were to reduce its General Fund budget by 10 percent, it would require a $59.8 million cut. If the reduction were made across the board, this would reduce financial aid funding by $7.7 million, College Opportunity Fund Program funding by $49.9 million, and Local Junior District Colleges and Occupational Education funding by $2.1 million. If the reduction were made exclusively to the College Opportunity Stipend program, this would represent a $494 decrease to the stipend for those students attending public institutions. Total tuition and fee revenue would have to increase by 6.6 percent on average across all higher education institutions to compensate for this reduction.

If the Department were to reduce its budget by 20 percent, it would require a $119.6 million cut. If the reduction were made across the board, this would reduce financial aid funding by $15.4 million, College Opportunity Fund Program funding by $99.8 million, and Local Junior District Colleges and Occupational Education funding by $4.2 million. If the reduction were made exclusively to the College Opportunity Stipend program, this would represent a $988 decrease to the stipend for those students attending public institutions. Total tuition and fee revenue would have to increase by 13.2 percent on average across all higher education institutions to compensate for this reduction.
-We project that resident undergraduate tuition for a four-year degree would increase by at least $988, or $3,952 for a full degree (assuming no tuition increases after next year).
-Under this more likely scenario, it is possible that some rural community colleges or state colleges could close. This is because their operations are subsidized either by larger schools in more populated areas or an extra subsidy from the General Fund.
Eliminate Council on the Arts ($700,000 General Fund): Elimination of this program would end all state funding for the arts in Colorado.

Department of Corrections
The Department of Corrections examined 10 percent and 20 percent reductions in its level of General Fund. The department of Corrections expects 1,000 new inmates next year. In either scenario of cuts, there would be no additional funding for these inmates.
10 Percent Cut – ($53.3 million GF): To reduce its General Fund budget by 10 percent would require the Department to cut $53.3 million. This would require changes to the statutory criteria for housing high-custody inmates. In addition, the State would have to take the drastic step of capping the inmate population and releasing a number of inmates in order to maintain the capped population. Meanwhile, over-crowding of existing facilities would cause safety concerns for employees.
20 Percent Cut – ($106.6 million GF): To reduce its General Fund budget by 20 percent would require the Department to cut $106.6 million and eliminate educational and other programs in addition to the measures above. Since the Department would no longer provide educational programs (primarily for inmates to attain a GED) and would eliminate all drug and alcohol treatment, mental health, and vocational rehabilitation programs, released inmates would be less prepared for success outside of prison.

Department of Human Services
Eliminate County Contingency Payments ($11.1 million GF): These funds are used to assist qualifying counties that cannot meet their 20 percent share of social services costs. Forty-one of the 64 counties qualified for and received an allocation from this program in FY 2004-05, using the entire appropriation. In recent years, counties’ full need has not been reimbursed as this program is not fully funded.
Burial Reimbursements for Aid to the Needy Disabled and Aid to the Blind recipients
($402,985 GF): This program provides a reimbursement for funeral and burial expenses after any assets of the deceased are used. The state pays 80 percent of costs, up to $1,000, while counties pay 20 percent. In FY 2004-05, 750 burial reimbursements were provided.
CIRCLE program ($1.6 million GF and CF): This program provides in-patient mental health services for patients identified with severe psychiatric and chemical dependency disorders. This reduction could drive other costs in the criminal justice system because of longer incarceration rates or re-offences. In FY 2004-05, 121 individual clients were served by this 20-bed program.
State Funding for Senior Services ($3 million GF and CF): These services are provided through the Older Coloradoans Act. Services such as Meals on Wheels, transportation assistance, etc. would be eliminated or reduced. Many of these services allow poor seniors to remain in their private residences. This line item was created to reflect state funding for senior services above and beyond the state match required for Older Americans Act programs. In FY 2004-05, 9,078 Colorado seniors benefited from this program.
Aid to the Needy Disabled State-only Grant Program ($9.6 million GF): This grant provides interim assistance to persons between 18 and 59 with a disability while they are awaiting eligibility determination for Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In FY 2004-05, 5,436 citizens in Colorado benefited from this program.

Department of Revenue
Eliminate Motorist Insurance Identification Database ($2,240,461 CF): This system is used by law enforcement, the courts, and county staff to identify uninsured motorists. -Eliminating this database will make it more difficult to identify uninsured drivers and is likely to increase insurance verification times when registering a vehicle.
Eliminate Vehicle Emissions Program ($1,016,204 CF): This program handles the regulation and enforcement of the Air Program run by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The Air Program comes as a result of the Federal Clean Air Act. The Vehicle Emissions Program conducts overt and covert audits to ensure the quality and validity of emissions inspections performed. The division feels that by June 2006 the State will no longer be under the sanctions imposed by the Federal Clean Air Act. However, if the State is still under sanction, there would no longer be any regulation or enforcement associated with the Air Program if the Vehicle Emissions Program is eliminated.
Eliminate Licensing of Horse and Greyhound Racing ($1,824,683 CF): Eliminating this program will result in no oversight of horse or greyhound racing in Colorado.
Eliminate Motor Vehicle Dealer Licensing Board ($1,862,328 CF): This program issues licenses and permits to manufacturers, buyers and salespeople, and provides licensee and consumer education concerning the rules and regulations of the motor vehicle industry. If this program is eliminated there will be minimal oversight and regulation and no licensing of the auto industry in Colorado.

Department of Public Safety
Eliminate Instant Criminal Background Check ($1,453,174 GF and $228,295 CF): This program serves as the State’s point of contact for firearms dealers to review and clear private purchases of firearms to ensure that prohibited individuals and felons do not acquire firearms.
Eliminate Office for Victims Programs ($1,328,254 CF): This office administers three federal grant programs with the overall intent of helping victims of crime recover emotionally, physically and financially. The State’s cash match comes from the Victim’s Assistance and Law Enforcement Fund, which is composed primarily of criminal fines. The Federal match for FY 2005-06 is $10.4 million.
Eliminate Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management ($482,438 GF and $163,084 CF): This office administers the Domestic Violence Offender Management Board and the Sex Offender Management Board. The duties of the boards include creating rules, processes and protocols for sex offenders and domestic violence offenders. In addition, the boards create an approved treatment providers’ list.
Eliminate Office of Adult and Juvenile Justice Assistance ($115,027 GF): This office is responsible for administering $2.4 million in federal grants and matches for criminal and juvenile justice programs.

Department of Natural Resources
The Department has indicated that the total cuts would entail permanently closing 11 state parks and seasonally closing 15 parks. Fees could not be raised to offset the reductions, because they count against the TABOR limit as well. Thus, a higher park fee would mean a higher refund in the General Fund. In this case, all state parks would experience some reduction in service levels.

The closed parks include: Crawford, Barr Lake, Lory, Bonny Lake, Roxborough, Harvey Gap, Sweitzer, Mancos, Spinney Mountain, Paonia, and San Luis Lakes.

The seasonal closures (6 to 8 months annually) include: Castlewood, Golden Gate, Jackson, North Sterling, State Forest, Highline Lake, Rifle Gap, Stagecoach, Sylvan, Vega, Yampa River, Eleven Mile, John Martin, Lathrop, and Trinidad.

Department of Public Heath and Environment
Eliminate the Poison Control Hotline ($1.1 million GF): Elimination of this program will require the public to utilize other emergency services when dealing with a potential poisoning, such as calling 911, visiting local emergency rooms, or contacting their family physician.
Eliminate the Hazardous and Toxic Control program in the Air Quality Control Division
($854,451 CF): Elimination of this program would terminate state regulation of chlorofluorocarbon emissions and asbestos removal activities.
Eliminate the Dental Program in the Prevention Services Division ($554,876 GF): Without this program low-income seniors would no longer receive state support for dental care.
Eliminate the Laboratory Certification Program ($515,640 CF): Elimination of this program would require all labs to hire an outside Certification entity. Additionally, local law enforcement would be required to hire a Certification entity capable of testing its Breathalyzer equipment.
Eliminate Office of Suicide Prevention ($275,731 CF): The Office of Suicide Prevention provides coordination for suicide prevention activities statewide. It includes initiatives in three areas: the development and implementation of a statewide public information campaign, including resource and assistance lists for people in crisis; training on the recognition and response to signs of suicide; and local suicide prevention and education service development.

Department of Local Affairs
Eliminate Waste Tire Fund ($3,300,000 CF): This program provides grants to clean up illegally dumped waste tires, to encourage recycling and reuse of waste tires, and to assist local businesses that employ tire recycling and reuse technologies to become economically viable.

In addition, 25 percent of waste tire revenues are set aside to fund Higher Education research grants for recycled waste tire products. Elimination of this program would also eliminate the $1 surcharge on each waste tire turned in to tire dealers.

As mentioned above, any transfer of severance taxes to the general fund would reduce the amount of the grants made to local governments.

Department of Agriculture
Eliminate Pet Care Facility Regulation Program ($451,477 CF): This program conducts inspection and licensing of pet animal care facilities to ensure minimum standards are met for the welfare of animals.
Eliminate Wine Development Fund ($624,014 CF): This program serves as the primary funding source for the promotional efforts and campaigns of the Colorado wine industry. Funding for this program comes from taxes paid by both consumers and producers of Colorado wines.
Eliminate Soil Conservation Grants: ($391,714 GF): This program provides financial assistance to local soil conservation districts.
Eliminate Egg Inspection Program ($182,235 CF): This program licenses and inspects producers selling eggs in Colorado to ensure grade quality. Fees paid by egg producers fund this program. Eliminating this program would end state-regulated egg inspections.
Close the State Insectary ($385,421 GF): The State Insectary, located in Palisade, produces and distributes beneficial insects across the State for pest and weed control assistance. Closing the insectary is likely to negatively impact the State’s noxious weed prevention program, as well as the agricultural industry.

Department of Labor and Employment
The department proposes that the Employment Support Fund be reduced by $10 million. This program helps fund Workforce Development Centers across Colorado.

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Eliminate Civil Air Patrol ($152,676 GF): Elimination of this program would terminate state support of skilled volunteers for search and rescue of missing persons and downed aircraft.

Department of Regulatory Agencies
The Department provides a number of services that focus on consumer protection. Since the fees count under the TABOR limit, elimination of these programs will lessen the shortfall in the General Fund.
Eliminate Plumbing and Electrical Inspections ($3.5 million CF): The State is statutorily required to perform electrical inspections in all areas of the State in which a local government does not have its own electrical code and inspection program. As of last year, the State performed inspections in 49 out of the 64 counties. Although the State would not longer perform these inspections, the State will continue to license electricians and plumbers.
Eliminate Insurance and Securities Fraud Unit ($592,544 CF): Elimination of this program would reduce funding for work to bolster the criminal prosecution of fraud in the Attorney General's Office.
Eliminate Oversight of Mental Health Providers ($825,115 CF): This would include elimination of the following boards and their oversight responsibilities: Board of Psychologist Examiners; Board of Social Work Examiners; Board of Marriage & Family Therapist Examiners; Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners; State Grievance Board; and the Addiction Counselors Program. The Director of the Division of Registrations regulates the addictions counselor program with the assistance of a four-member advisory committee. Each of the remaining mental health professions is regulated by its own seven-member board of examiners, comprising three mental health professionals and four public members.
Eliminate Oversight of Passenger Tramways ($495,458 CF): This program regulates aerial tramways, surface lifts and tows used for recreational purposes in Colorado. While the focus is on ski-related equipment, the Board also licenses other types of tramways. The Board establishes design, operation, and maintenance standards, reviews requests for variance from the rules, and investigates accidents related to the operation of tramways.