Monday, October 04, 2010

Colorado Ballot Backers: Shut Libraries, Sell Rail

By STEVEN K. PAULSON
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IJ46GO0.htm The Associated Press
October 1, 2010, 4:23PM ET
Bloomberg Business Week

Supporters of three tax measures on the Colorado ballot say state and local governments could close libraries and put their books online and sell off light rail to cut spending if the measures pass.

Gregory Golyansky, vice president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, told students and professors from the University of Colorado Denver on Friday that printed books are going away and light rail is 19th century technology.

"Do we really need to fill our prisons with nonviolent offenders, drug offenders, prostitutes and what not? We will have about two-thirds less people in our prisons. Government doesn't need to be involved in building golf courses or exercise facilities or ice rinks. Libraries are going away. Paper books are the yesterday technology, being replaced by online information. Government should stop subsidizing things like light rail. It's essentially a 19th century technology," Golyansky said....

Opponents of the measures - Proposition 101, which would reduce automobile and telecommunications taxes; Amendment 60, which would cancel voter-approved tax-limit overrides; and Amendment 61, which would limit municipal borrowing and bar state debt - said state and local governments face draconian cuts if the measures pass.

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