Contact:

Morgan Carroll
Capitol Phone 303.866.4879
morgan.carroll.senate@
state.co.us

Paid for by:
Citizens for Morgan Carroll

2011 Tax Facts from the Taxpayer Network

June 13, 2011

Some information about Colorado compared to the 50 states:

 

  • Colorado population is 5,029,196 - 22nd most populous
  • Colorados Personal Income Per Capita is $42,262 - 15th highest in country
  • Colorado's poverty rate is 11.9% - 32nd in the country
  • Colorado's homeownership rates are 68.5% - 33rd in the country
  • Colorado's maximum corporate income tax rate 4.63%
  • Colorado's state and local tax burden as % of income 8.6% - 39th in country
  • Colorado's state sales tax is 2.9%
  • Colorado's state cigarette tax is $0.84 per pack
  • Colorado's state gas tax is $0.22 - 33rd in country
  • Colorado's spirit tax is $2.28 galon, wine $0.32 gallon, beer $0.08 gallon
  • Colorado is 10th friendliest state for entrepreneurs
  • Colorado has the 14th highest rate of patents in the country
  • Colorado ranks 34th in how much state share of funding for K12 is
  • Colorado ranks 30th in public school funding per pupil
  • Colorado ranks 32nd in state support for higher education
  • Colorado ranks 24th in state per capita on spending on natural resources, parks & rec
  • Colorado ranks 46th in state highway spending per capita
  • Colorado ranks 6th in the nation on corrections spending per capita
  • Colorado ranks 22nd in the nation for the % of people without health insurance for year
  • Colorado ranks 25th in annual Medicaid spending per capita
  • Colorado ranks 48th in expenditures on public welfare per capita

SOURCE:  Taxpayer Network 2011

This is not a judgment on whether any of these levels are adequate to achieve any given result or public policy but wanted to share this updated information with you. There are a few takeaways:  Colorado's tax rates are relatively low.  Our investment in education is comparatively low.  Our spending on corrections is high.  Our poverty support is low.

 



Reapportionment Update

June 11, 2011

As some of you may know I have been appointed by the Senate President to serve on the reapportionment commission.  I wanted to share some information about the reapportionment process and how you can be involved.

 

Redistricting is the process for redrawing US Congressional lines.  (That is in the Colorado Courts and will likely be heard in October).

 

Reapportionment is the process for redrawing Colorado legislative districts.  This is in process right now through the Colorado Reapportionment Commission. This is a bipartisan commission with 5 Dems, 5 GOP, 1 Unaffiliated. The other Commissioners are:  Arnold Salazar, former Rep. Rob Witwer, Prof. Bob Loevy, Dolores Atencio, Rep. Matt Jones, former Rep. Gail Berry, former Rep. Steve Tool, Mario Nicholais, former Mayor Wellington Webb, Mario Carrera (Chair).

 

Colorado has grown approximately 17% since the last U.S. Census, over 700,000 people.  The number of House districts (65) and the number of Senate districts (35) stay the same but we need to reallocate population to achieve population equality (within 5% highest population to lowest population deviation).

The criteria we are directed to follow:

  1. Achieve equal population
  2. Comply with the Voting Rights Act to protect against dilution of minority voting rights
  3. Avoid breaking county lines, where possible (unless needed for population)
  4. Avoid breaking city lines, where possible (unless needed for population)
  5. Seek compact and contiguous districts
  6. Respect communities of interest
  7. Give due consideration for competitive districts or other factors that may improve representation

Reapportionment Website
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CGA-ReDistrict/CBON/1251581558204
You can find agendas, schedule, testimony, data, maps, legal criteria, contact information, whether your district or county will need to shrink or grow, etc. on this website.

Reapportionment Email
reapp2011@state.co.us

Ways to Participate

  • Testify, Attend Hearing(s)
  • Send Input to Email Address Above
  • Listen to Proceedings Online

What kind of information is helpful to us?

  • your knowledge of local communities of interest (historical, cultural, transportation, economic etc)
  • local history
  • which communities should or should not be paired together and why
  • any suggestions you have for how lines should be drawn or changed

 

Have a great weekend! 

 

 

 

 


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