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:

Click Here for Audio

 

(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