Thursday, April 06, 2006

Republicans Begin to Abandon Ship


Is the SS TABOR beginning to spring a leak? In today's Journal Sentinel one Republican legislator plans to abandon the "Taxpayer Protection Amendment" because it does not go far enough.

A lawmaker who has spent years pushing spending limits on state and local governments disowned the latest version of a constitutional amendment to do that, on Wednesday calling it "meaningless" and not worth taking to voters.

"Don't gut this, and then call it something that really works," said Rep. Frank Lasee (R-Bellevue), who led a push two years ago for tight, Colorado-like spending limits and endorsed the first version of what supporters call the Taxpayer Protection Amendment.


At a state Capitol hearing, Lasee said he could no longer support the plan, saying the newest version would allow the Legislature to exempt state and local fees from spending limits.


Amendment sponsors made that change public only this week, Lasee said.


Good. So the Republicans might split on the bride of TABOR while most Dems stay united. Perhaps this will be the death nail to this disaster waiting to happen. Thanks Rep. Lasee!

1 comment:

Ed said...

I listened to a female Republican legislator defend TABOR aka TPA on Wisconsin Public Radio earlier this week. The defense was weak and half-hearted.

I'm involved in Municipal government and I know that the Repubs have been getting hammered by letters and emails from local governments opposing TPA/TABOR in the strongest possible terms.

Good blog "eye"....here are a couple of links for you

http://woodcodems.blogspot.com/

http://mwprogressive.blogspot.com/