September 19, 2011 03:45 AM UTC

"If Prop 103 Passes..."

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• by: Colorado Pols

As we wrote earlier, we’re getting more than a little tired of hearing the doomsday scenarios about Proposition 103, which would restore the sales and income tax rates that were in effect in 1999: raising income tax rates from 4.63% to 5%, and sales taxes from 2.9% to 3%.

Conservative opponents of Prop 103 continue to claim that 119,000 jobs could be lost if the measure passes in November — a figure that is absurdly incorrect according to their own study; that study should have originally said that 27,000 jobs could be reduced by 2016 — a number that may or may not be true but is nonetheless nowhere near the 119,000+ that has been thrown around wildly.

Colorado’s media needs to do a better job of being critical about these talking points rather than merely reprinting whatever a Prop 103 opponent says. If someone held a press conference and claimed that Prop 103 would lead to 3 million jobs lost in Colorado, would reporters just reprint that, too? So in an effort to encourage the kind of thoughtful journalism that should take place with an issue as important as education funding, we’re going to start a new feature here that will run until Election Day: “If Prop 103 Passes…”. Some of these segments may feature negative outcomes, while some may forecast positive repercussions. Either way, none of them will be even remotely based in fact (much like the nonsense 119,000 number). Check out our first installment tomorrow…