Taxpayers on the Hook When Government Programs Cost More Than Promised

By: Nash Herman | Commentary, Complete Colorado

Colorado’s state budget is structurally unsustainable, which majority Democrats say could be fixed by ending voter consent over new taxation or by increasing taxes on Colorado residents through a progressive income tax. 

While those suggestions would certainly increase state revenue, they are unlikely to fix Colorado’s ongoing budget deficits. 

Meanwhile, taxpayers often learn too late that programs are vastly exceeding costs; programs like Cover all Coloradans, Healthy School Meals for All, and the wolf reintroduction scheme were all revealed to be more expensive than initially advertised to voters. 

Why do programs end up being so much more expensive than advertised? 

Fiscal note shenanigans

Ideally, the first line of defense against unsustainable spending should be the fiscal notes created by nonpartisan legislative staff; these reports summarize and forecast the financial impacts of given legislation and are updated as bills move through the legislative process. 

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