Counterpoint: It’s not business that needs courage in eco-devo debate

Recently, Gov. Roy Romer was in Fort Collins urging the business community to push for a new tax structure. Speaking before the Economic Developers Council of Colorado March 20, Romer cited the Gallagher Amendment and Amendment One as the principal problems within the state’s tax system.

While on the surface this sounds right, Romer’s views towards expanding enterprise-zone benefits are more revealing. These views present the state’s actual policy toward attracting base jobs into the Colorado economy.

The 1982 Gallagher Amendment limits the residential property tax burden by requiring businesses to make up the difference with more taxes. Originally,…