December 11, 2009 08:13 PM UTC

TV Reporter Digs into Prop 101 ... And Gets People to Ponder

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• by: TheBell

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Politics reporter Marshall Zelinger of KRDO-Channel 13 in Colorado Springs did some digging in a recent report on Proposition 101. Instead of relying on talking heads and bullet points, he decided to find out what Prop 101 would mean to him, as a resident of El Paso County who pays an ownership tax when he renews his license plates.

Proposition 101 would blow holes in the state’s budget, but it would wreck local budgets, too. Among its many reckless provisions, Prop 101 would slash the ownership tax over time to $2 for new cars and $1 for used cars.

This year, Marshall paid $183.71. Under Prop 101, his fee would drop to $1.

What would that mean for schools, libraries, municipalities and county services in El Paso County? Let’s use Marshall’s example and take a look at how the county distributes ownership taxes paid on vehicles.

                   Current———–Prop 101

Schools————-$128.62…..70 cents

County————–$20.50……11.2 cents

Service districts—$14.56…….7.9 cents

Cities/towns——–$11.45……..6.2 cents

Libraries————$8.58………..4.7 cents

Total—————$183.71…….$1.00

When Marshall talked to motorists at a gas station, they were thrilled to hear about a possible tax cut. When he showed them what they would lose, they were taken aback. Most people changed their mind and decided the money was well-spent.

It looks like their tax dollars really are at work.

Click here to see Marshall’s report. Click here for an analysis of Prop 101 by the Bell Policy Center.