State Sen. Chris Romer recently discussed the need for a progressive income tax in Colorado. When he said, “…We’re certainly not talking California or New York type rates,” it made me wonder what he really IS thinking in terms of a progressive tax.

In Colorado the income tax is a flat 4.63%. California’s rate can go beyond 10% and New York’s goes as high as 8.97%.

In the video above from a Democratic legislators public forum in Denver on March 21, state Rep. Mark Ferrandino, and then Romer [son of former Gov. Roy Romer], discussed the state’s budget issues.

FERRANDINO: “…we really need a big fix. We need to go to the ballot and raise taxes. Otherwise, if we don’t do that, we have to cut services. One of the two. We have to have a choice. Cut services or raise revenue. And, getting rid of exemptions and credits, while helping this year, is not the long term solution.”

ROMER: “…my answer on the largest gap between the richest…It’s time for us to go back to a progressive income tax in Colorado. I’m not giving up my statewide electoral hopes. But I also don’t want to live in a state that’s going to look the way this state’s going to look.

“You’re not talking wide…gaps. We’re certainly not talking California or New York type rates. But the fact that everybody who’s driving to those condos in Vail wants us to fix I-70. At the same point that 700,000 people don’t have health insurance. I think I’ll do health insurance first – but I will do a reversible lane to Vail.

“We need to do something big. And the exemptions are part of the problem. At some point, we just have to say to people: you moved to this state to live in beauty and morality, education and higher ed. Do you want to pay for it? Because we’re done. We’re done cutting through fat. We’re done cutting through bone. So, we’re down into bone marrow. So, what do you want?”