TABOR-Tax Payers' Bill of Rights

I have a real brief thought tonight on TABOR tonight, and if I still think it is an interesting topic later in the week, I'll go into greater detail in a new post.

This thought started to bubble in my head during my many hours on I-94 this weekend. With rumors floating that TABOR doesn't have enough support to pass right now, I started thinking about this at a basic marketing level (I studied marketing in college in addition to history). Tax Payer Bill of Rights is a very powerful statement. When you are trying to pass a very solid piece of legislation that your political opponents want to kill through scare tactics, you have fend off those scare tactics with the facts and with words that garner support amongst the masses. The words "Tax Payers' Bill of Rights" are those strong words. They send a strong and clear message to people who feel crushed by the tax burden in this state. When you shorten those words to an acronym like TABOR, you lose that emotional attachment that a potential supporter may develop with your legislation. I'd be willing to bet my house that most Wisconsinites have no clue what TABOR is, but that most would automatically support a "Tax Payers' Bill of Rights" (Mrs. Jib would not let me make that bet, by the way). It is just basic marketing. I don't believe TABOR ever generated the general interest needed to pressure legislators to get it done, and I think part of the reason is it was never marketed or sold to Wisconsinites effectively.