News
RELEASE: Maine Lags in Business Climate Ranking; Colorado Booming with Opportunity
YES On Question 4 to Turn Maine into "Opportunity State"
AUGUSTA - Maine ranks a dismal 41st in Forbes Magazine's "Best States For Business." Colorado, which enacted a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) in 1992, nearly topped the list, ranking fourth of all 50 states, demonstrating once again how controlling politicians' out-of-control spending and tax increases will improve Maine's opportunities for attracting new jobs and creating increases is personal wealth.
Forbes' ranking "measures six vital categories for businesses: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life."
Of the six categories Forbes used to determine the nation's best and worst states for businesses, Colorado outranked Maine in all of them, including Quality of Life (Maine ranks 19th while Colorado ranks 15th). Another noteworthy comparison is labor supply, in which Colorado ranks first and Maine ranks 25th.
The growth prospects category projects even greater statewide economic success for Colorado in the years to come. In this category, Colorado ranks second. The State of Maine, which continues to flounder as a result of massive budget shortfalls caused by reckless government spending, still ranks in the bottom half of the nation at 28.
"Under TABOR, Colorado has become an economic powerhouse," said YES On 4 Chairman David Crocker. "Responsible growth in government spending and expanded voter involvement in tax and spending issues has created countless new opportunities for prosperity and success for Colorado residents, and they have TABOR to thank for that."
Opponents of Question 4 on Maine's November 3 ballot have been intentionally misleading voters about the impact of TABOR in Colorado, alleging it has devastated the Colorado economy. Forbes' list dispels those myths.
In fact, the economic opportunities TABOR created in Colorado have not only attracted new jobs and businesses to that state, but a significant increase in population. Since residents passed TABOR in 1992, Colorado experienced a 49.9 percent increase in population (over 1.6 million new residents). During that same time, Maine's population grew a disappointing 7.2 percent (88,524)
"Voting YES on Question 4, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, will make Maine an opportunity state, just as TABOR has done for the people of Colorado," Crocker said. "If opponents of limited government spending and voter approval of tax increases want to fight the Colorado fight, they do so at their own peril. The facts don't lie."
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Contact:
David Crocker, Chairman
YES On 4 | TABOR NOW