Rush to Reason, Tim Neville, September 14, 2017
Station: KLZ, 560 am
Show: Rush to Reason
Guests: Neville, Tim
Link: https://soundcloud.com/rushtoreason
Date: September 14, 2017
Topics:
(NOTE: These notes were compiled while listening to the interview with Congressman Coffman. All comments noted are paraphrased, unless specifically identified as direct quotes.)
HOST JOHN RUSH
HOST DAN MEURER:
COLORADO STATE SENATOR TIM NEVILLE:
- JR: Welcome
- Just working it
- You know how it is
- JR & DM: Yes, sir!~
- Just talking to a lot of constituents
- Seeing what’s important for 2018
- And how government can do less to them
- DM: Traffic?
- Traffic
- Taxes
- JR: Healthcare also?
- Yeah, I think youre right
- Concerns regarding schools
- Concerns with degradation of communities
- And immigration
- JR: Business personal property tax
- Wer’re trying to be competitivbe
- And two road blocks to being a biz mecca
- This is one
- Needs to be eliminated
- Also, Colorado is NOT a Right-to-work state
- JR: If BPPT is eliminated, would there be enough investment from business to make up for lost revenue
- Municipalities would say no
- But over time there would be
- Question is: what to do in the interim
- We haven’t been able to eliminate the tax
- We’ve only been able to bump up the floor on that tax
- Youre taxing someone on something they’ve already been taxed on
- It’s a regressive tax – hurts start ups and small biz
- JR: as a biz owner, I see how it plays out first-hand
- Another challenge:
- Biz come to look for work arounds
- They look for carve-outs
- And deductions and credits
- Like with wind energy
- JR: Yeah, cuz they have money to lobby — they can write the big check
- In tax policy – for basic gov functions – we should prioritize our needs
- Keep tax rate low
- Over a very wide base
- That way:
- Everyone has skin in the game
- And tax policy is successful
- JR: We do these “fixes” like bumping up the floor – and besides, biz always pass along tax to consumers. As a consumer, I want you to tax me directly – 1% sales tax bump
- They want another tax increase
- Everyone wants more money
- From different sources
- Very Important: prioritization of our budget
- Don’t penalize the producers – or they’ll leave
- JR: YOU understand that along with some other Rs – but we don’t have majority
- Yes
- There’s a lot of good people on both sides
- But some are representing special interests
- And some are partisan and ideological
- It’s such an easier job when you do the common sense decisions
- We have base problems and issues, despite strong CO economy
- We’ve always been boom and bust
- And those problems sleep until the bust
- Then they really hurt
- JR: Every legislation should be judged on “Does this help us grow as a state”
- Agreed
- There are folks that need help – poor, elderly
- And we’ve always been able to help
- But when you extend that help to able bodied, it becomes unsustainable
- JR: Biz owners pay so many taxes and fees – and then this BPPT – gets my goat — cuz legislators can’t live without it?
- Government is making investments with tax dollars
- We should know where that investment goest and the returns it gives
- Dems say – it’s not just about business, it’s about people
- Not a good argument
- They are not mutually exclusive
- In fact, there’s lots of overlap
- JR: You know how this goes…. Making enough money to feed family and pay bills or spend time with your family and let them starve and suffer longer
- You’re right
- It’s about Choices and sacrifices
- You can’t always be the clown at your kids’ birthday party
- Families understand why dad has to sacrifice – and they are willing to sacrifice
- Shared sacrifice
- And they pass that value on to kids
- JR: Citizens need to understand why sacrifice is necessary for long-range success. We have a problem with instant gratification
- I think you’re right
- We have an opportunity in statehouse to set example
- Be correct in what we do
- And be responsible stewards of tax payer dollars
- JR: Thanks for coming on the show
- Thanks for having me
