Imagine a future where your children and grandchildren earn four times today's real income—where families thrive, not just survive. The Prosperity for US Foundation’s mission is to enable citizens to act in their states to restore and ensure affordability -- prosperity and increased financial ability -- for Americans and businesses to more easily meet the costs of their objectives for living standards or business. Affordability state constitutional amendment policies will make that future a reality by ensuring that (i) property tax bills will not increase, (ii) the voters can vote on the big decisions about taxes and spending, and (iii) property owners have genuinely enforceable property rights.
These state constitutional limitations upon state and local government action are essential to restoring affordability to the American people. The American people have a constitutional right under the First Amendment to “petition the government for a redress of grievances” – and this does not exclude, but includes, the right to petition for amendments to the state constitution.
The Problems to Be Corrected
Increasing local government property taxes are taxing unrealized gains in the value of home and tragically forcing retirees and working families out of their homes.
Your property—physical and intellectual—is at risk of being taken or devalued by politicians and bureaucrats.
Government taxes and spending keep growing without accountability to you.
Congress and the federal and state administrative bureaucracies are simply not fully accountable to the people —85% of voters want the people, not politicians, to have a strong voice and ability to decide on these issues!
Here’s how……
The Solution: Six Voter-Powered State Constitutional Affordability Amendment Policies You Can Demand by Petitioning
🛡️ 1. Cap Property Taxes – Keep Your Home, Keep Your Wealth
Stop skyrocketing property taxes! The Affordable Property Tax Cap Amendment Policy freezes property tax bill amounts during ownership of the property, until sold or new construction and requires voter approval for increases in local property tax and fee rates.
✅ Puts voters in charge of any tax increases—no more backroom deals!
✅ Protect retirees & fixed-income families from being taxed out of their homes
✅ Limit government’s ability to raise your taxes without your approval
📢 "You worked for your home. You should never be taxed out of it! And only YOU—not politicians—should decide on tax hikes."
💰 2. Property Rights Protection – Stop Government From Devaluing Your Assets
When the government imposes zoning laws, regulations, or restrictions that reduce the value of your home, land, or business, they should pay you for the loss.
This Affordability Property Rights Protection Amendment Policy guarantees full compensation, plus legal fees, for any devaluation caused by the government.
✅ Empowers you to hold the government accountable through a right to a prompt jury trial – the courts or government cannot stall your case
✅ Protects real estate, small businesses & intellectual property
✅ Prevents unconstitutional "takings" through regulation
📢 "If the government takes your wealth, they should pay for it! And only YOU—not politicians—should decide how property rights are protected."
🏡 3. No New State Taxes or Fees Without Voter Approval – Keep Government Spending in Check
Protect yourself, your wallet, and all taxpayers against runaway government tax and spending appetite by subjecting the unfettered and insatiable legislative and bureaucratic appetites to continue to ratchet up their costs and expenses without out approval of the taxpayers.
The Two-Thirds Vote of the People Required for New State Taxes or Fees Amendment Policy requires approval by two-thirds of voters for any new State tax or fee, including those imposed by constitutional amendment. In addition, any proposed State taxes or fees that fail to receive the required supermajority vote cannot take effect.
✅ Prevents tax hikes that end of funding wasteful spending
✅ Stops state and local governments from slipping in taxes under the guise of fees without voter approval
✅ Holds the politicians accountable to the voters to justify tax increases
📢 "If the government wants to spend more, they need YOUR vote—not a blank check from politicians!"
💸 4. Tie Government Spending Growth to Household Income Averages and Inflation with an Affordable State Spending and Debt Cap Amendment Policy
It is not only the federal government that continues to be on a spending spree. According to the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), aggregate state spending by the 50 state governments (not included federal funds) increased by 54.2% in the last ten years.
By controlling spending, ten states have taken actions to control spending both protecting taxpayers and enabling economic growth and increased affordability opportunity for citizens and business in their states.
An Affordable State Spending and Debt Cap Amendment Policy achieves this. It protects against runaway government spending. Limits annual growth in State and local government spending to a 4-year moving average of household income growth and plus/minus population growth. It also prohibits creation or expansion of multi-year financial obligations, including pensions and long-term contracts, without voter approval.
✅ Limits state and local government spending growth to a 4-year moving average of inflation plus population growth
✅ Ensures the economy works for the people, not politicians
✅ Voters—not politicians—decide if spending caps should change!
📢 "If the government wants to spend more, they need YOUR vote!"
🚀Stop Your Delegation to Congress from Voting for Runaway Spending
The Affordable Federal Spending Growth Cap Amendment Policy will go a long way towards stopping congressional big spenders in your state’s delegation to Congress. To constrain them, this amendment enables your state to impose its own cap on growth in federal spending, tied to population growth and inflation, except for Social Security and certain national emergencies. Members of your state’s delegation to Congress would be disqualified from appearing on the primary election ballot if they vote to exceed the cap.
✅ If your congressional lawmakers break your state’s rule—they should be barred from the next primary!
📢 "States are the primary unit of government in our republic. Thus, your state’s delegation to the Congress must honor your state’s decision and guidelines when they vote on the growth of federal spending. Not the internal politics and partisanship of the Congress."
🔵Afford You as Citizens Equal Authority to that of the Legislators to Propose Multi-topic Citizen Initiatives Constitutional Amendments and Legislation
State legislatures have the ability in all states to propose constitutional amendments to be placed on the ballot for approval by the voters. This is inherently a much easier process compared to the necessity of citizen initiatives to gain sufficient numbers of petitioners for a single amendment. Moreover, state legislatures can process multiple amendments or multiple topic amendments to be placed on the ballot. Citizen petitioners are generally constrained from promoting multiple topic amendments, thereby confounding the ability of citizens to foster the necessary constitutional change.
✅ Citizens should have equal access to petition for constitutional policy changes, irrespective of the number of topics in an amendment, inasmuch all such amendments, whether together or singularly, are subject to approval as ballot measures.
This Affording Citizens Equal Authority Amendment Policy affords citizens equal standing with the legislature on proposing constitutional amendments. It repeals the constitutional single-subject limitation on voter initiatives and affirm that voters have equal authority with the legislature to propose constitutional amendments or revisions.
📢 This is your constitutional First Amendment right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances” – and this includes the right to petition for amendments to the state constitution.
