Dear Property Owners (present and future),

The umbrella logo you see here symbolizes the goal of Amendment 60--to PROTECT YOUR HOME from abusive property taxes. Everyone knows that old adage, “Your home is your castle.” Those rain drops are property taxes and other government charges and “fees” pelting down on your castle. Amendment 60 on the November ballot will shield you from getting "soaked."

Politicians constantly seek ways to tap more from your wallet. Government controls the process. It can tax you on inflated values. It invents new fees and other ways to increase its take. It ignores Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) rules. It limits your ability to vote on taxes. It offers misleading ballot titles and passes increases without voter approval. Your home, business, and other property are stationary targets.

The best way to appreciate Amendment 60 is to start with the sentence-by-sentence Explanation. Don't fault the wording in the official text. It must be written in phrases of legal effect, not as a casual discussion. The text is direct, clear, and carefully drafted. It instructs governments to implement these needed changes to help property taxpayers.

There is no revenue loss to school districts. State aid is already required by law to replace 100% of school tax revenue impacts.

This simple, half-page plan is both Tax Reform and Tax Relief. It makes the system more fair, more rational. It limits tax rates (mill levies). It stops illegal types of property tax. It uses state aid to phase in broad-based tax relief, the same for all owners. It ends a tax exemption for government businesses. It strengthens your right to vote on property taxes. Ending property taxation by unelected boards will enforce that rallying cry, the Spirit of 1776--“No taxation without representation.”

Past issues misled voters about their effect and their permanent waiver of property tax refunds and the right to vote. The state generally got it right for school taxes the first 14 years after TABOR passed, but other governments did not. Amendment 60 gives everyone a fresh start and equal treatment. Voters are entitled to decide excess revenue questions at least every four years, not have a prior generation of voters take away your right to vote forever. TABOR was written to stop governments from getting blank checks like those they have conned trusting voters into giving them. That deceit is one reason property taxes have exploded 164% since TABOR passed. See the bar chart here.

You may be shocked to see how arbitrary the current system is. One short petition can't solve all problems of the property tax system, but Amendment 60 does make the law work better for the customers. No one wants a tax revolt; everyone just wants taxes to be less revolting.

It's time to change the rules! It's time to fight back! It is YOUR government; you have a right to reform it. It is YOUR property; you have a right to rescue it. It is YOUR financial future; you have a right to restore it. This is not a game;your LIFE is involved! Tax attacks on your home are attacks on your family and freedom. Don't be a victim! You have not just a right to petition, but a duty to defend The American Dream.

YES on AMENDMENT 60

140,000 voter signatures were filed exactly six months after the ballot title was set. The election is coming, so it's not too soon to get rolling. Spread the word about this short and common sense reform of Colorado's messed-up property tax system. Thanks for helping.

To those who say citizens should never amend the constitution--not even to protect their homes, their rights, and their way of life--here is the response by one of America's patriots, best known for proclaiming, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government, lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." Patrick Henry