Statement of Iris Lav, Senior Advisor, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, on Defeat of 'TABOR' Initiatives in Maine and Washington

Statement of Iris Lav, Senior Advisor, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
on Defeat of 'TABOR' Initiatives in Maine and Washington

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement of
Iris Lav, Senior Advisor, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Yesterday's votes in Maine and Washington show clearly that TABOR's crippling
and arbitrary spending limits remain unpopular around the country.
Anti-government groups have made serious efforts to enact TABORs in 20 states
since 2004 -- and they have failed every time. While these groups will likely
target other states in 2010, there is little reason to believe they will have
more success.

By rejecting TABOR, officially Question 4 in Maine and I-1033 in Washington,
voters have helped these states preserve needed public services and improve
the business climate. Colorado, the only state ever to adopt TABOR, suffered a
serious deterioration in education, health care, and other services due to its
rigid spending limits. That's why a broad coalition of residents -- including
business leaders -- came together to suspend it in 2005.

As states emerge from the current economic and budget crisis, they will need
the flexibility to make much-needed investments in education, health, roads
and bridges, and other areas that have been starved for funding during the
crisis. If adopted in any state in 2010 or 2011, TABOR would prevent the
state from making those investments, and leave it without the skilled
workforce and solid infrastructure needed to prosper over the long term.
Fortunately, voters across the country will likely continue to reject the
TABOR straightjacket.

The bottom line is that it's never a good time to adopt TABOR.

This statement is available online at:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=2978.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis
on a range of government policies and programs. It is supported primarily by
foundation grants.

SOURCE Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Shannon Spillane of CBPP, +1-202-408-1080, spillane@cbpp.org