The Open Forum No on 1A in Arapahoe County
Ballot Measure 1A seeks to address a problem by taking more of the money from the citizens of Arapahoe County, raising the property tax by 3.4 mills, which equates to about $5.66 per month or about $68 per year, on an average home.
With the cost of living and especially housing in the state above the national average, nickeland-dime taxation will make life harder on families and hurt the economy.
The problem of the overcrowded Arapahoe County Jail is an issue of chronic mass incarceration and criminal law issues plaguing this county, state and nation.
Steps should be taken to decrease the prison population by:
• Decriminalizing and ending victimless crimes like the war on drugs;
• Reforming criminal law policies and practices like mandatory minimums and three strike policies;
• Ending federal guidelines that can be handled better at state and county levels;
• Stopping prosecutorial policies and practices that lead to corruption
There are better ways than increasing taxes to address the problem at the jail.
On behalf of The Libertarian Party of Arapahoe County, we see this as unwise and counterproductive, and oppose Ballot Measure 1A.