A coalition of business owners and advocacy groups gathered in a show of solidarity outside the State Capitol today to oppose what they say are a slate of job-killing measures pending in the legislature.
“Colorado entrepreneurs are standing at the door, ready to lead our economy into the future, filled with opportunity–but only if our policy makers ensure that the right environment is in place to enable that to happen,” Dave Csintyan of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, told the crowd on the Capitol steps. Csintyan spoke under a banner reading, “Colorado is Open for Business,” a theme organizers said is aimed at state lawmakers who Wednesday began mulling a slate of bills that shut down tax credits and exemptions businesses say they need in order to compete.
Faced with a $1.3 billion budget shortfall next year amid dismal revenue projections, Gov. Bill Ritter has proposed a laundry list of 13 tax credits and exemptions to eliminate either temporarily or permanently. Ritter’s plan would bring state coffers another $131.8 million.
Lawmakers on Wednesday began the process of seeing the governor’s proposals–House Bills 1189 through 1200–through the legislative process. Majority Democrats on the House Finance Committee had approved several of the measures on party-line votes by late Wednesday evening, but only over dogged Republican opposition and after taking hours of testimony from business owners, employees and others who turned out to denounce the legislation.
Some of that sentiment spilled over into today’s rally. Business owner Bob Boswell said his Greeley restaurant has suffered during the economic downturn and has struggled to stay afloat for his customers, his employees, and for his community.
“Government should never be a contributing factor in the loss of jobs,” Boswell said.
Rifle businessman Phil Vaughn said he believes Colorado has what it takes to pull itself out of the recession because he recognizes what he calls a deep pool of talent of entrepreneurs and employees in the state. However, he said he is worried government might hinder the recovery.
“If politicians will step out of the way and allow us to do our business, either through less regulation or more favorable tax structures, these entrepreneurs and employees will step up to the challenge,” Vaughn said. He also said he thinks fiscal reform is necessary, and he applauded efforts underway to look at constitutional provisions that constrain the budget in perhaps unnecessary ways.
Ritter administration spokesman Evan Dreyer said the governor understands the strain that Colorado businesses are facing, but he has a duty to address the gaping hole in the budget in order to provide needed services for all people in the state. Dreyer said the governor stands behind his tax proposals.
“We understand that this is difficult, but the governor’s proposal is a reasonable approach considering the majority of exemptions for business that have not been touched,” Dryer said.
Yet, another rally participant, Mark Moses, of Outback Steakhouse in Aurora, said he was so concerned about the impending effect of the legislation on his business that he stayed until 2 a.m. this morning at the House Appropriations committee meeting “fighting for the livelihood of his employees.”
The unusually long marathon hearing was the first opportunity for members of the public to weigh in on the measures.
Moses said that business owners are afraid that they will lose their businesses and that employees will lose their jobs because of what is happening at the Capitol.
“If you kill the golden goose you’ll kill the golden egg,” said Moses. “You have to support small business. We are the goose that laid the golden egg.”
This week, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry release a new survey of CACI members, who said cutting the tax credits and exemptions would have an impact on their business decisions and could undermine their ability to stay healthy. Last week, three of the state’s other leading business organizations also expressed concern about the governor’s tax measures.