From: The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer
Organizations, Inc.
Contact: Susan Kniep,
President
Website: http://ctact.org/
email: fctopresident@aol.com
860-841-8032
The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations,
Inc. (FCTO) is
proposing a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR) for Connecticut.
Through the TABOR our goal is to
·
limit government spending which is, in turn, driving up
local property taxes
·
prevent government from seizing our homes for private
development purposes
·
end the incessant corruption in our state and local
governments
FCTO will encourage for the adoption of the Taxpayers’
Bill of Rights and supporting legislation through a Constitutional Convention.
Connecticut is
distinguished as the highest taxed state in the nation with the highest bonded
debt per capita. Millions of tax dollars
are being written off as uncollectible as they are referred to the State’s
suspense list. Corruption has been
running rampant throughout our State and towns as the State legislature refuses
to enact substantive state ethics laws.
As State’s throughout our country are adopting Eminent Domain laws to
protect their constituents, Connecticut’s State legislature refuses to
implement laws to prevent municipalities from taking our homes or businesses
and transferring them to private developers for financial gain. It is
therefore the belief of FCTO that only through the proposed TABOR can the
interests of Connecticut taxpayers, citizens and property owners be
secured.
During the next several months, we will attempt to
determine who, within the State legislature, will support the TABOR, and post
our findings on our website.
We encourage all State taxpayers to join with us as we
develop proposed legislation to support the TABOR. We encourage businesses who are struggling
with increased state taxes and local property taxes to also join with us as we
look to reform State mandates which are the catalyst driving up our property
taxes.
FCTO believes that ultimately the TABOR will secure
within our State government the intent of our forefathers which was a
government of, for and by the people of Connecticut!
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CONNECTICUT TAXPAYERS’ BILL
OF RIGHTS (TABOR)
As Proposed by
The Federation of
Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc.
Whereas, Connecticut
taxpayers are burdened with the highest taxes and highest bonded debt per
capita in the nation, and
Whereas, local property taxes have dramatically increased
due to State mandates, and
Whereas, State eminent domain laws allow municipalities to
take the homes and businesses of Connecticut
property owners and give them to private developers for financial gain, and
Whereas, the
governments of the United States of America and the state of Connecticut were
founded on two central principles, a system of separation of powers and checks
and balances, and
Whereas, representative democracy can only function
responsibly and accountably when elected and appointed public officials fulfill
their duties in an ethical and honest manner, and
Whereas, in recent years a number of municipal and state
officials in the state of Connecticut
have betrayed their public trust with dishonorable conduct, and
Whereas, the ultimate responsibility for good and honest
government rests with the people as the electorate, and
Whereas, the interest by the people for access to an
expansion of civil rights has been limited and restricted by state and
municipal statutes and their elected and appointed public officials,
Therefore, the Federation of Connecticut
Taxpayer Organizations proposes that the legislature of the State of Connecticut enact a
Citizen Taxpayer Bill of Rights which shall include the following:
1.
An expanded and inclusive citizen right to
petition and referendum;
2. Allow all taxpayers within the 169 Connecticut towns the
right to vote on their budgets and in turn establish their property taxes;
3.
Citizen authority to recall elected and
appointed officials through a referendum;
4.
Non-partisan municipal elections;
5.
Term limits for elected and appointed municipal
and state officials;
6.
A precise and specific code of ethics which
clearly defines unethical conduct and conflicts of interest applicable to all
elected and appointed state and municipal officials and public sector
employees;
7.
Immediate removal from public office of an
elected or appointed municipal or state official, with the loss of the
applicable public pension, when convicted of a felony committed while
exercising the authority of his/her public office;
8.
Revising municipal and state statutes that will
establish tax and bonding caps, based on an index that is founded on the
citizens’ and community’s ability to pay;
9. Establish
criteria limiting spending and taxation by local and state governments;
10.
Revaluation Reform;
11. Reform State
Mandates to provide local governments with the tools
necessary to manage their expenses and personnel;
12. Protection of private property rights from government
seizure for private economic development purposes.
***********