I'D CALL IT A JOKE BUT IT ISN'T.
One month ago the Colorado Legislature payed its respects to Gold Star Families* with a sweetly-worded joint resolution. Passed unanimously, the resolution praised the patriotism and dedication of families of Colorado's soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen who've died in the line of duty:
Right. Uh-huh. Fellow Coloradans, SJR21-010 wasn't worth the postage to mail it to the survivors. Neither was it enough of "an expression of profound gratitude and respect" to move the mighty senators to more carefully consider HCR21-1002. It certainly wasn't worth the esteemed committee of law-makers' bipartisan review. Instead, on a party-line vote, all Dems voted NO and the outnumbered Republicans voted YES.
What did they shoot down? Spending $93,000 to qualify just 140 Gold Star Widows the same small partial property tax exemption we give thousands of widows of our 100% disabled veterans. The situations are quite similar, except the disabled vets made it home and qualified for the exemption; dead servicemembers could not. The total impact of the Gold Star Widows would have been a "whopping" 0.00062 increase. Wow, how generous (not.)
That's the only difference. The tax law states for survivors to have the disabled veteran property tax exemption, their disabled veteran must have received it before his/her death. As you can imagine, a death on active-duty, and in the line of duty, pretty much precludes coming home disabled to apply for and get the exemption.
Perhaps legislators who crafted the Seniors' and Disabled Veterans' Survivor Exemption (HB14-1373) did not pause to consider that not all troops make it home. Most do. A few of them are 100% disabled and can qualify for the exemption and so will their survivors. However, the very few who will never come home will never qualify their survivors only because they died first.
HCR21-1002 was an effort to correct this macabre injustice in our tax laws. I'm a totally disabled veteran in receipt of the exemption, and my wife will keep it as my survivor. Had I died in service she would be disqualified. Only because of awkward wording on our tax code.
June 7 was an opportunity to make things right, and to honor the resolution Colorado passed to respect Gold Star Families. June 7 was a missed opportunity to make good law. Shame on those who thought otherwise.
The Senate committee may not have realized that 90% of these widows are over 57, and 40% over age 75. Or if the senators did know, perhaps they were appreciating that, given the survivors' average age, putting off a solution for their property taxes will have nature taking her usual course. The Senate can anticipate that year by year, for as long as the Senate is able to prevent any relief, there'll be fewer and fewer Gold Star Wives surviving to take advantage of any exemption.
What might be the reasons Gold Star Wives might want to be included in the exemption if they happen to be senior citizens eligible right now?
1. sell the marital home and downsize
2. reduce housing costs to adjust to loss of spouse's income
1. sell the marital home and downsize
2. reduce housing costs to adjust to loss of spouse's income
3. conflicts in wills taxes, credit, or other important property details
4. selling home elsewhere to return to Colorado
5. purchase home for first time
6. inherit home from other than deceased spouse, or gift
7. situations I can't predict
 |
| SHAME |
exemptions just too, too much of a burden for the Great State of Colorado? No, not when we can also spend many millions on family planning for undocumented immigrants.
Someday solution: redefine "qualified veteran" to include a dead one. Add the words, "or a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who died in the line of duty on active service" in a new statute – one that respects and honors Gold Star Widows.
* NOTE:
1. There are two types of Gold Star Wives. First, a small number of survivors of servicemembers whose deaths were in the line of duty while on active military service. This is the group proposed for the disabled veteran survivor property tax exemption.
1. There are two types of Gold Star Wives. First, a small number of survivors of servicemembers whose deaths were in the line of duty while on active military service. This is the group proposed for the disabled veteran survivor property tax exemption.
2. The other group are survivors of veterans who die after active duty and whose service was 100% disabling. They are already qualified for the exemption.
