The Rocky and the Post, not surprisingly, are at odds over Ritter’s education funding proposal.

From today’s Rocky:

“According to our copy of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights – and we’re pretty sure it’s the same one used over at the state Capitol – voters must approve ‘any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above that for the prior year . . . or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district.’

“Take another look at that last phrase: ‘a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district.’ Isn’t that what Gov. Bill Ritter proposed early this week as a means of shoring up the state education fund?

“[...] Administration officials disagree that this violates TABOR. They argue that voters already approved the change, at least indirectly, when most school districts lifted TABOR spending caps. It’s an interesting argument, and maybe the courts will even buy it. But the mechanism advocated by the governor still has the appearance of a too-clever technical trick.”

So, while the proposal is likely constitutional, we should oppose it because it is “too clever”?

The Post ran their own editorial in support of Gov. Ritter’s proposal.  They do an excellent job of pointing out why this proposal respects the wishes of the voter:

“Critics of Gov. Bill Ritter’s plan to expand preschool and kindergarten programs by ‘freezing’ school property taxes are insulting the intelligence of local voters – most of whom have already [Denver Post emphasis] approved just such a freeze.

“Anti-tax fanatic Douglas Bruce was quick to assail Ritter’s plan to hold property tax rates steady as a ‘tax increase,’ based on his familiar claim that failure to cut taxes every year is the same as increasing them.”

Unfortunately, both editorials fail to talk about what’s happening in our schools and why this proposal is so critical.

It’s up to you (yes, you!) to tell the story of what’s happening in our schools.