LovelandPolitics.com Blog

Information is a powerful thing. We want to thank all of you who assisted Loveland Politics in informing the residents of Loveland and the local media about exactly what McWhinney proposed in amending again the MFA (Master Financing Agreement).

Each amendment is more preposterous than the last and it is difficult to believe any custodian of the public’s trust (Loveland Council) would be willing to even consider McWhinney’s proposals. This time, McWhinney wanted to abandon their near-term obligation to use tax dollars their Metro District collected to make safety improvements to the I-25 and U.S. 34 interchange. This time, they took their influence over our Loveland City Council just too far.

It seemed like only 6 Loveland residents blindly supported McWhinney’s outrageous proposal but those 6 are members of Loveland’s City Council and their opinions matter. Greeley, Larimer County Board of Commissioners, CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation), the rest of the development community and all of you finally persuaded them to become better stewards of the public’s trust.

While much of the local media is reporting again the McWhinney spin about not wanting to divide the region – we report the facts. They were counting heads and realized they were likely not going to win. Inside last minute proposals by their supporters on council to make the delay only two years etc.. failed because their real intent was to largely abandon their obligation hoping others would pay.

Instead of fighting over the chicken feed ($12 million) we need to begin asking what happened to the $100,000,000 they raised through public debt over the past four years and spent. The debt interest obligation is now North of $5 million every year for the next 20 years not including principal. Where did they spend all that money and who is checking their accounting?

Checkout our recent story regarding Chad McWhinneys luxury yacht in Mexico and million dollar house he just purchased in Loveland. His friends and fellow developers came forward with this information because even they figured this time he had just gone too far.

The Larimer County Commissioners sent one letter against and now another not against but also not for an amendment to the Loveland/McWhinney MFA (Master Financing Agreement) amendment to relieve McWhinney of any current obligation to improve the I-25 and U.S.34 interchange. Sound confusing? It is mostly because the story McWhinney’s people are putting out is contradictory, not accurate and constantly changing depending on who their target audience is.

Jay Hardy (also called Loveland’s Baghdad Bob) and Rocky Scott are the two McWhinney employees on the front lines trying to cleverly shift the debate surrounding McWhinney’s desire to abandon its responsibility to improve the I-25/U.S. 34 interchange.

In a stretch of the truth that would make even P.T. Barnum blush, Hardy and Scott are perpetuating the myth that McWhinney is obligated to use the funds obtained from the transportation project to create jobs in Loveland. In fact, the amendment being proposed does nothing of the kind.

The MFA (Master Financing Agreement) amendment McWhinney is seeking says nothing about bringing jobs to Loveland. Instead, the proposed amendment to the MFA only removes the requirement that McWhinney fund the interchange anytime soon while leaving silent the issue of what McWhinney will do with the money. McWhinney could easily apply those funds towards their ambitious projects in Garden Grove, California or the 915 acres development in Broomfield, Colorado at Anthem.

A majority of Loveland’s City Councilors are anxious to comply with McWhinney’s request as usual. McWhinney, for their part, are literally banking on weak kneed councilman and an apathetic public to pull money out of the interchange improvement fund and use it instead to improve their own private endeavors. Whether it is the one in Garden Grove, Broomfield or elsewhere is their decision.

Now is the time for those on the City Council to show courage. There is no shame in representing the residents of the community and making McWhinney fulfill their part of the agreement. Read the full story on LovelandPolitics.com