There are critics on the right and critics on the left.

Few love Proposition 103.

That's not surprising, in part because no one likes paying higher taxes. Conservative voices say that, with the economy still fragile, now isn't a smart time to add to your financial burden.

Others worry that passing Proposition 103, on the Nov. 1 ballot, will somehow thwart efforts at wider "structural" reforms needed to truly fix the state's education budget.

There's a measure of validity to both positions, but nothing in either argument is as compelling as the fact that Colorado funds its schools at a far, far lower level than the national average.

And the national average, folks, isn't really a position to aspire to.
The bottom line on Proposition 103 is that while higher taxes are hardly ever welcome, the alternative is much less appealing.

If passed by voters, Proposition 103 would raise $3 billion for education partly by bumping up the state's income tax from 4.63 percent to 5 percent.