December 9, 2005

Colorado Governor Would Assign Bulk of Tax Surplus to Roads, Not Education

By KARIN FISCHER

College leaders in Colorado are discovering that victory may not be so sweet.

They thought they had won big last month when Coloradans voted to temporarily suspend a spending cap in the state's Constitution, freeing up $113-million in surplus tax revenue for education, health care, and transportation needs. But Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican, has proposed dedicating the majority, $80-million, to repairing roads and bridges.

The governor's proposal has rankled some