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Colorado Amendment 59 vs. liberty and prosperity

Ari Armstrong has written two good posts against the proposed Colorado Amendment 59 here and here.  He writes:

Those wishing to forcibly transfer more money from those who earn it to those who want it constantly review the benefits (real or imagined) of higher tax spending. What they generally ignore are the costs.

Sure, when the government transfers money from Alice to Ben, Ben gets to spend the money on something he wants. But Alice has less to spend on her needs and those of her family, and those with whom Alice does business also suffer.

When people evaluate economic opportunities, they tend to move to where they can keep more of what they earn — to spend, invest, or give away as they see fit — and live and work as they deem best, rather than as politicians demand. We Coloradans enjoy a relatively strong economy in large part because it remains a relatively free economy. Higher taxes threaten to alienate vibrant businesses, entrepreneurs, and young workers.

Higher taxes also reduce liberty. People have a right to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Regardless of whether politicians and activists mean well in forcing some people to surrender their money to others, the practice is morally wrong.

As Ben DeGrow points out, Education Week has written that

State Treasurer Cary Kennedy (no relation to RFK Jr.) said that Democrats would win a ballot initiative to “drive a stake in the heart” of the state’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights…

Funny that she uses a vampire metaphor to describe the Taxpayers Bill or Rights, which limits government’s ability to tax.   Wouldn’t appropriation of people’s wealth through taxes be analagous to a vampire’s sucking blood? (Thanks to Ari Armstrong for pointing out the irony of the metaphor.)

Also, check out Barry Poulson’s Issue Backgrounder and video critique. The Cauldron also has an amusing narrative.

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