July 19, 2013 11:01 AM UTC

Hickenlooper Ramps Up Public Support of School Tax Hike

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

As the Denver Post reports, Gov. John Hickenlooper is (wisely) becoming more vocal in his support for a school tax increase this fall:

In an interview with The Denver Post, Hickenlooper said he would advocate for passage of the proposed two-tiered income tax by participating in discussions, talking with opponents and, if needed, making television and radio appearances.

Hickenlooper said while tax increases may not be popular, the proposed November ballot measure would pave the way for needed reforms. Reforms, he said, have garnered attention and support from Microsoft founder Bill Gates and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

"There have been a number of other tax increases that have been proposed and we have resisted it but, in this case, I think the benefits far outweigh the costs of increased taxes," Hickenlooper said. "It's a chance for Colorado to be the No. 1 state for public education in the U.S."

This is a wise move by Hickenlooper to position himself as the leader voters expect to see. Since he was already going to support the $950 million ballot proposal, there was no point in offering his support quietly. As we've discussed before in this space, one of the biggest dangers to his re-election campaign is if Hick allows a narrative to form that he is not a "leader" and shies away from making decisions. Meekly supporting a high profile tax measure would be significantly harmful to Hickenlooper's re-election bid, costing him much more support than he might lose from opponents of the measure (who aren't likely to vote for him anyway).