The tax payer bill of rights (TABOR) initiatives on the ballot in Maine and Washington State were both voted down yesterday. The measure, which is a pet project of many on the anti-tax right, would have capped state, county, and city funding at current revenue levels. Recession-era spending would be locked in place, decimating essential services.  But it didn't happen.

In WA I-1033 lost by 55 percentage points, while Maine's Question 4 lost by 60 percentage points. In the beginning of the race, both were up by similar numbers. In between early polls and election night, spirited opposition campaigns arose in both states. TABOR opponents highlighted the potential damage to public services and voters took heed.  

I wrote an article for the Prospect on why a TABOR victory would have been disastrous for either state.Check it out.

I have a new article on the American Prospect today about Taxpayer Bill of Rights initiatives (TABOR). If tax reform doesn’t sound particularly interesting, think of it as libertarian plot to eviscerate funding for social spending. There are TABOR initiatives on the ballot in Washington State and Maine this year, threatening funding for education, roads, Medicaid, and other aspects of the social safety net.  

Check it out! 

Government-backed vacation time for American workers? Courtney E. Martin, writing for The American Prospect, makes the case for Big Brother taking a cue from Big 'Bluto' Blutarsky.

Martin suggests a ‘vacation irrationality’ among American workplaces: driven by the constant need for success, they actually push their workers to be less productive by starving their R&R time.

Is this a cause to rally behind? And how can it be crafted to help all types of workers—from day laborers to cubicle warriors?

Read selections of Martin’s piece below, or read the full article here.