[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: DRCOG Board Meeting--The Decline of the US Transportation System

[kohls at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Cowles, Macon

Federal funding for transportation is at record low levels--and of course our infrastructure shows that. At last night's Board meeting, DRCOG staff presented us with the question of how we could get the attention of the Colorado Congressional delegation on the critical need for Congress adequately to support transportation. I presented an idea last night to the Board, and then followed it up with an email to the entire Board this morning. Here is what it said:

"Subject Line:  A Fundraiser for Colo Congressional Delegation at 1993 Contribution Rates--Like the Gas Tax

"I saw a lot of heads nodding at the Board Meeting last night about the idea of a fun fundraiser for the whole"e Colo. Cong. delegation where the contribution limit would be the $3.32 that was the average individual contribution to election campaigns in 1993. The message to the delegation: you couldn't run a campaign if your collections were the same as in 1993; so how the hell do you expect us to run a transportation system with receipts that have been in steady decline since 1993, the last time that the federal gas tax was raised.

"We could rent the bar where we held the Live Work Play event in April. Invite all the other MPO's. Invite Move Colorado and the paving people, and the other four MPO's in the state. The evening would be fun. But the serious part would be to give each MPO Chair five minutes to let the delegation know that it is time to fund our federal transportation system adequately is NOW. 

"If you think that this is a good idea, hit Reply All and say one word: "Yes." Our officers and the staff can take it from there."

So far, the Yeses are outpacing the No's by 4:1.


Macon Cowles
Boulder City Councilor