The nation's only statewide tax vote on the November ballot asks Colorado voters whether they want to temporarily raise taxes to generate $3 billion for classrooms and colleges — a proposal that has stirred fierce opposition because of the stagnant economy.
The vote could be a test of voters' mood on tax increases and their frustration after endless rounds of education cuts in Colorado.
"If it should pass, I think it will get a fair amount of attention because no one is expecting anything with the words 'tax increase' to pass," said Norman Provizer, a political science professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Opponents, including the entire Republican delegation in the Colorado Legislature, insist tax increases will cost jobs and won't by themselves help schools.
Some Democratic leaders, including Gov. John Hickenlooper, have declined to publicly endorse the proposal, saying they see little appetite for a tax hike.
Money raised by Proposition 103 would help fill the void from education cuts that were induced by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, a voter-approved initiative that strictly limits taxes and spending.
The measure would raise individual and corporate tax rates from 4.63 percent to 5 percent and Colorado's sales and use tax from 2.9 percent to 3 percent. It would be in effect from 2012 through 2016, with an estimated $2.9 billion going to K-12 schools and public colleges.
A married couple with a combined income of $125,000 would pay about $315 more annually in income taxes, nonpartisan legislative economists estimate. Sales taxes on a $5,000 purchase would increase from $145 to $150.
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