By Rep. Ryan Gonzalez | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
In the state of Colorado, we are facing over a $1.2 BILLION dollar shortfall. As we are now halfway through the 2025 legislative session, we have seen little progress from the lawmaking majority on making hard and significant cuts to our budget.
Rather than admit the improper allocation of taxpayer dollars, the majority uses this predicament to go after and attack our Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).
Our state budget this year is over 43 BILLION. In the last 6 years they have gone from a budget surplus to a very progressive spending spree at the expense of taxpayers.
More offices, tax credits, and programs that require funding and eat away at TABOR refunds have been – and continue to be – the norm for the majority rule in Colorado.
Much of this is due, in part, to the COVID ripple effect that we are seeing now, just years in the making. As a first term legislator, I can see – firsthand – many problems in how things are being managed and run under the Gold Dome.
We do not, and I cannot stress this enough, we do not have a revenue problem.
We have a spending problem, a big one.
Much like a business and household, having and running a budget can be complex, but necessary. In a business, they cannot survive if they go into the negative. They also don’t fund failing or underperforming departments or areas. When one area in a business fails to perform, funds are often reallocated to ones that do.
Households cannot continue to take out loans or max out credit cards without having enough to cover those obligations.
Why is the state any different?
Unfortunately, the majority in the legislature say TABOR limits spending to allow for proper and full funding.
We have not seen this issue in years, but we see it today. As we request cuts from agencies and departments, they still ask for increases.
We don’t have money, but we are creating new offices: The “Office of Saving People Money on Healthcare,” the “Office of Environmental Justice,” the “Office of Just Transition,” the “Office of Gun Violence Prevention,” the “Office of New Americans” and the list goes on.
While we face a budget deficit, we are also paying the Lt. Gov an EXTRA SALARY of $75,000 to run a department?
While we face a budget deficit, they are pulling from the Parks and Wildlife funds to pull for SB25-003?
While we face a budget deficit, we are pulling from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund (which has over 1 BILLION in it) to fund other programs?
The majority has orchestrated so much damage going around TABOR, and one of the ways is through the creation of enterprises.
What are enterprises? They are government run businesses. Any revenue they generate is NOT subject to TABOR.
So, they are funded by all these “fees” you see. So prepare for more services to be funded through the creation of more enterprises which create yet, more fees!
Our budget is getting pushed back because we cannot come to an agreement on cuts. But they continue to grow government at the expense of services that are critical, such as our healthcare and our education.
The majority have been very irresponsible in managing what they see as blank checks.
The people must start watching what happens at the state level instead of focusing on the federal level because we are seeing reckless spending in Colorado. And it’s only hurting our citizens when we have to make cuts from the mistakes of the legislature, of which they will never admit fault.
In the past, the majority touted balancing the state budget. What they fail to acknowledge – or act upon – is our constitutional obligation to do so!
Rep. Ryan Gonzalez represents Colorado’s 50th House District, encompassing Greeley and parts of Weld County. Born in Sylmar, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Gonzalez moved to Fort Morgan in 1995 and later to Greeley in 2008. He graduated from Northridge High School in 2013 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 2018.
Before his election to the Colorado House, Gonzalez worked at Wells Fargo and actively volunteered for various nonprofits, focusing on causes such as homelessness, Special Olympics and suicide awareness. He also participated in the Leadership Program of the Rockies and Advance Colorado, programs dedicated to developing principled leadership.
As a first-term legislator, Gonzalez has sponsored several bills, including efforts to expand the “Colorado Cottage Foods Act” to allow the sale of foods requiring refrigeration and to modify rule adoption and review requirements for state departments. He is a staunch defender of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and advocates for fiscal responsibility within the state government.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.