School Funds, an Open Bar, and Colorado’s Millionaire Tax Fight

Good morning. Here’s your quote of the day to start strong

First, your quote of the day.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.” - Obama

Grab your coffee. Let’s catch up.

Today’s Ledger:

Aligned is changing how B2B teams run their most important deals.

Most reps guess where a deal really stands. They forecast on a gut feeling and the buyer’s word vs what's actually happening. Then they realize the deal slipped through only after it's too late. Aligned surfaces what buyers are actually doing inside every deal: the risks, the openings, and the exact next step to keep things moving.

Start increasing your close rates and stand up your first deal room in minutes.

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Seven senior administrators at a Pennsylvania education agency went to Orlando for leadership training. The trip cost nearly $40,000 and included a Universal Studios event with rides, a five-course dinner, and an open bar. Another retreat cost nearly $14,000 and included a Chesapeake Bay cruise. The agency serves 15 school districts, providing special education and other student services.

The bill? More than $300,000 over two years. Roughly $250,000 went to board dinners and staff refreshments alone. That’s a lot of taxpayer money to eat through. When auditors checked the paperwork, contracts, approvals, and proof that some purchases even arrived were missing. Apparently, feeding the meeting was a higher priority than documenting the spending.

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You move to Colorado for the mountains and a 4.4% flat income tax. Now voters could change the second part. Amendment 87 would raise rates on taxable income above $500,000, reaching 8.4% on the portion above $1 million. Supporters say 97% of taxpayers would pay less. A state analysis puts the average increase for households earning over $1 million at about $26,000 a year.

Some wealthy clients are already calling their tax attorney about moving. Supporters expect roughly $2 billion a year for education, healthcare, and childcare. Opponents worry the people paying it will leave. Calling a lawyer is easier than moving your family, though. Colorado’s bet is that the mountains, friends, and kids’ schools are worth more than a lower tax bill somewhere else.

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You finish medical school. People call you “doctor.” Surely the big paycheck starts now? First comes residency, another three to seven years of training. First-year residents average about $68,000 a year. Meanwhile, graduates who borrowed leave school with a median $215,000 in debt. The title arrives well before the money.

Then your specialty makes a huge difference. Pediatricians average about $274,000 a year, while brain surgeons average $829,000, before taxes. Both face years of training before earning that pay. Comparing a doctor’s salary with their starting debt skips an expensive part of the story. They spent years getting there while interest kept adding to the bill.

Aligned shows you the other half. See what buyers actually do between meeting. See what they open, revisit, and share; so you know the exact next step to move things forward. And your champion gets everything they need to win internally when you're not in the room.

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