Alright, listen up. TABOR is the only damn thing keeping Colorado from turning into a financial shitshow, and every year it’s the same song and dance: the state collects more money than it’s allowed, and politicians reluctantly hand it back, acting like we’re robbing them. This year, the state raked in $1.4 billion more than they’re legally allowed to keep, and that refund will hit $1.7 billion with leftover funds from 2023. But you better believe these money-hungry bastards are already itching to mess with the process (News) (KUSA.com).
Sure, they’re telling you to expect refunds through a combination of income tax cuts, property tax exemptions, and tiered sales rebates. But let’s be real—these assholes hate giving taxpayers their own damn money back. They’d rather blow it on pet projects than admit TABOR is actually working. It drives them nuts that we, the people, get a say in how much cash they can burn through. Without TABOR, they’d spend us into oblivion faster than you can say “budget deficit” (Kiowa County Press).
And let’s not pretend this refund is guaranteed. Every time Colorado owes you a check, some suit in Denver starts scheming to “reform” TABOR or redirect those funds. It’s like clockwork. Politicians love finding sneaky ways to shrink these payouts—whether by slashing future income tax refunds or pulling stunts to exempt certain funds from TABOR limits. Hell, they’d staple a “public good” sticker on a pothole if it meant they could hold on to more of your money (News) (KUSA.com).
So yeah, enjoy your refund in 2025 while it lasts. But don’t get too comfortable, because they’ll be back with more bullshit “reform” proposals before you even spend it. TABOR is the only reason Colorado hasn’t completely gone off the rails, and the fact that politicians can’t wait to screw with it just proves how allergic they are to fiscal responsibility. Keep your eyes on these bastards—they’ll happily spend your hard-earned cash unless you make damn sure they don’t.