The so-called Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (or TABOR for those in the know) is on life support with an expected time of death of later today.

TABOR is this big government scheme Republicans in the Wisconsin state legislature are using to tease their constituents with. Essentially, it's a constitutional amendment that would impose spending restrictions on local government, but not on the state legislature of course. It's such a sham, it hardly justifies the space I'm giving it here.

Don't get me wrong. I believe in fiscally sound government which is one reason I believe President Bush shouldn't be re-elected as we've seen what he's done to the federal treasury. What I don't go for are these gimics. Local governments aren't forced to raise their taxes right now. However, a primary reason why property taxes have gone up rapidly in recent years is that there have been major cutbacks at the state level.

If people are unhappy with the level of taxation their local government is imposing, they should vote them out of office. Republicans in the state legislature pushing for this are demonstrating contempt for their own constituents, and the governments closest to them.