VOTERS in Colorado are being asked this week to approve a measure that would raise an additional $1 billion for schools, fund all-day kindergarten throughout the state and provide more programs for immigrants who can’t speak English. Given that the voters who stand to pay the most are in the minority, the measure is unlikely to fail. Residents with incomes above $75,000 will pay 5.9 percent in state income taxes, up from 4.6 percent.

As Aristotle said, democracy is a form of organized theft. And to Americans, any amount of thievery is justified to support schools, which are considered magical equalizers. Strangely enough, the inequalities do not disappear, but that does not reduce the widespread faith.

In many parts of the country, it is extremely difficult for a family to survive on one income. Taxes are a big reason why this is so. The state funds all-day kindergarten by defunding homes.

 — Comments —

A reader writes:

The California-cation of the nation continues. My family — one income, two kids — pays $25,251.63 in state and federal taxes. That’s our single biggest expense each year. Housing comes to $24,000 annually for half of a tiny Silicon Valley duplex, with no yard.

 The reader adds:

Strike that bit about a yard, we have a sloped bit of dirt out back, not usable, but technically a yard, sort of.

Ben J. writes from Colorado:

Thanks for bringing up the dreadful Amendment 66 in Colorado. I’ve called it the Billion Dollar Tax but I like your name better. I am cautiously optimistic that it will fail, it has been consistently polling poorly. So much so the odious mayor of NYC injected one million dollars to the robber’s campaign so they can keep bombarding us with television and radio ads. I know it will fail in my precinct, even many of the independents are voting against it. Like I said, cautiously optimistic but we shall find out tonight.

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