Scott McInnis hit for lack of specifics on budget; he has no position on tax initiatives

Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis seems to be making it easy for the media and his opponents to attack his solutions for Colorado’s budget deficit because he has not been specific about how he would cut costs or raise taxes. He also hasn’t declared whether he supports three 2010 ballot initiatives that would cut the state’s taxes sharply, a McInnis campaign spokesman said. Regardless of the sources of proposed tax and budget changes, the math has to add up for the state, the spokesman said. He said that McInnis will be engaged in the discussion and noted that the General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee has six months to create a budget and McInnis should be given some time to analyze the budget. Also, McInnis doesn’t have a staff of 25 to prepare a budget, he said. “We’ll do it on our schedule, not the Denver Post’s.” The Denver Post editorializes this morning that McInnis is being coy about the budget.

Since the campaign is in its early stages, it is understandable that McInnis doesn’t want to explain how he would offend numerous state contractors and special interests by cutting the parts of the budget that would hurt their incomes. Why make yourself a target? Similarly, Governor Bill Ritter is trying to make budget cuts that won’t offend the big contributors to his campaign. McInnis’ opponent in the GOP primary says he would make across the board personnel cuts. But he would have to get the General Assembly, which probably will still be controlled by Democrats under the next governor, to go along. And he hasn’t pin pointed many if any specific programs that he would cut. In other words, nobody is really making hard decisions yet. Since the budget is much bigger than it was eight years ago, there is plenty of money that can be saved. Links to budget info:

Colorado Legislative Council 9.09 budget forecasts 2009 and 2008.

Colorado Governor’s budget documents and fact sheets.

Governor’s budget documents FY 2010-11.

How are states responding to fiscal stress? By Urban Institute, March 31, 2003.

State Budget update, November 2009, National Conference of State Legislatures.

Colorado sales tax collections down from year ago.

Two tax slashing measures make Colorado ballot.

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