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Colorado State Transportation Commission and State House District 51 Representative Don Marostica.

the cost of building roads experienced a 43% increase given increasing costs of fuel and other items.
the cost of building roads experienced a 43% increase given increasing costs of fuel and other items.


Colorado's director of CDOT who was called to Washington, D.C. along with other state directors of transportation to
Colorado's director of CDOT who was called to Washington, D.C. along with other state directors of transportation to
discuss the Obama Administration's stimulus package with the new Secretary of Transportation.  Because the meeting was
to take place on the White House compound Kaufman speculated he thought President Obama might attend the meeting.
to take place on the White House compound Kaufman speculated he thought President Obama might attend the meeting.


days on any project receiving the funding than the money would need to be returned to Washington, D.C.  Kaufman said
days on any project receiving the funding than the money would need to be returned to Washington, D.C.  Kaufman said
Colorado would try and get some returned funds if states like Nebraska failed to spend the money they are allocated.
Colorado would try and get some returned funds if states like Nebraska failed to spend the money they are allocated.


monies are not found to begin building a new bridge.  Councilman Walt Skowron asked if the state had considered selling
monies are not found to begin building a new bridge.  Councilman Walt Skowron asked if the state had considered selling
these assets as toll roads to foreign investors.  Later in the meeting, Skowron complained that even fuel efficient cars and
online commerce are to blame for the lack of revenue for roads.
online commerce are to blame for the lack of revenue for roads.


Kaufman responded that a portion of I-470 was already sold to a foreign interest but said he doesn't like that solution since
private investors will often just raise the toll when the state can just as easily raise tolls.  Rep. Marostica also complained
about the lack of funding in the state's budget beyond roads and read from a long list of where the Schedule C money was
spent.  Marostica also listed what spending items will need to be cut to fund the state's budget for 08/09 and said the joint
budget committee still needed to determine those areas to be cut for the 2009 and 2010 budget.

The only transportation need discussed specifically was the Windsor exit off the I-25.  Curiously, new ways of building
roads, ideas to contain costs and plans for greater efficiency were not on the table for discussion.  Instead, each comment
seemed to end in the same conclusion that Coloradoans are not paying enough taxes.  Loveland Mayor Pielin called for a
"constitutional convention" to end TABOR while others complained that too many restrictions exist.  At one point in the
meeting Kaufman began talking about Jefferson, Washington and other founding fathers and speculating on their original
intentions when founding the country.

While all those who participated in the discussion appeared to agree that lack of proper sales tax revenue is the problem for
local governments, nobody mentioned the 25-year allocation of future sales taxes dollars the Loveland City Council has
provided to McWhinney Enterprises' Metro District.  The RTA (Regional Transportation Authority) concept and sales tax
to support it failed when Greeley and Ft. Collins dropped out of the coalition, in part, due to Loveland trying to divert its
portion of the funds to supplant monies already promised by the 25-year tax agreement with McWhinney.

None of the members of Loveland's City Council inquired about the numbers or assumptions being presented.  As an
example, fuel did increase last year but has also come back down considerably from where it was.  The assertion that fuel
and inflation have increased the costs of building roads by 43% in just 1 year went unquestioned or challenged.  Instead,
those who did speak complained about the restrictions in the state constitution regarding tax increases not approved by
voters.

In the end, it was an interesting discussion about founding fathers, a state constitutional convention to destroy TABOR and
even Marostica's idea that the next session of the legislature not introduce bills but instead focus on the budget.  What was
not discussed were the reasons voters are resident about approving  more taxes for transportation when the perception is
the money will go to special interests instead of the general publics good.  That was the invisible elephant in the room.
On How To Raise Taxes or Destroy TABOR