A few weeks ago I told you how I colored all over the “Blue Book” explaining the arguments for and against the Proposition 103 “it’s for the kids” tax hike. While that was plenty of fun, I don’t think it compares to what my Independence Institute friends got to do yesterday with Prop 103:

Too bad I missed the actual “domino toppling” event (maybe they were afraid the little kid would sneeze, or trip, and mess up the show before it began). But watching the 3-minute video is very cool! Two jobs lost for every domino that falls over? That’s a lot of jobs, and a lot of bad news. If you want to see all the research behind the demonstration, check out the Independence Institute’s new issue paper by Dr. Barry Poulson.

Speaking of research and Proposition 103, one of my Education Policy Center friends got a very nice hat tip today in Mike Rosen’s Denver Post column:

Complaints that public education spending in Colorado has been slashed in recent years conveniently ignore the big picture. Ben DeGrow at the Independence Institute reports that total annual expenditures on K-12, adjusted for inflation, from 1999 to 2010 have increased by $3.2 billion or 46 percent. Per pupil spending is up 24 percent. There’s little to show for it in the way of results.

I am told the numbers Ben found to share with Mr. Rosen all come from the Colorado Department of Education.

Anyway, the fun, fact-based video highlights the negative impact of Proposition 103. Mike Rosen’s column, supported by Ben’s research, undercuts the case made by the statewide initiative’s backers. All around, Prop 103 is bad news! I can’t see much good in having it on the ballot, except that it’s inspired my newfound interest in knocking over dominoes. Forget Legos, I think I have a new hobby….