( – promoted by Colorado Pols)
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned here before (I haven’t seen it but then I don’t catch everything on Pols). But this is something that bears repeating for us all.
Our Colorado Statehouse, the physical embodiment of our democracy, is in dire need of our help. The dome is in such disrepair that it has been closed for years. Deferred maintenance isn’t an option, the structure will only continue to deteriorate if nothing is done.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and maybe you have if you were foreclosed on) you know our state has been financially stressed the past few years, and this year is no better.
Since the state has few resources for the repair work, a Share in the Care campaign has been initiated to invite citizen participation in contributing to the restoration of the People’s House. This campaign is modeled after the effort to restore the Statue of Liberty in the 1970’s.
We here at Pols actively participate in the democratic process by our lively and unrestrained
discourse on politics and the manner in which we govern ourselves. And we the people, through our elected representatives who meet at the People’s House, must do the same. This is the essence of our democracy.
Here is the Share In The Care website where you can find more information on the campaign. Please consider contributing what you can. Thanks.
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And in 5 years when they have to close off access to the entire building and put warning tape around the building – it will then be an accurate representation of the state of our public infrastructure.
the mess that is the capitol is a mirror image of the mess that is Colorado!
(I appreciate your concern nonetheless, Allyn.)
OK . . . Now that we got that off our chests it’s time to pick up the picks and shovels and do what we Democrats and Progressives do — clean up the f$$king messes. (“Oooh ooh, Sixteen tons and what do you get, another day older and . . .”)
to vote for an increase in my taxes such that the state has the resources to cover the costs of maintaining essential infrastructure, K-12 education, higher education, legislative staff, clean air and water, safe communities, and healthy livestock and pets.
OK?
Now, give me something to vote for, you effing wankers in the legislature.
Honestly, I look at my state income tax every year and think “That’s… all?” I wish the two were reversed and the federal government got the pittance while Colorado took the lion’s share of what gets deducted from my paycheck. It’s a lot easier to have a voice in state and local spending than federal.
Deferred maintenance is the hallmark of Colorado in the recent past. See roads, bridges, schools, etc.
enough with the bandages, let it bleed until everybody feels the pain down there.
for most of the state’s funding problems. Even with Ref. C the state could only do so much in capitol improvements. And now with the economy…
Good luck Allyn. There are a lot of human needs out there so I suspect it’s going to be hard for small donors who give to other causes to contribute to a capitol construction fund no matter how worthwhile.
And it’s probably well deserved. There’s little doubt as the Statehouse is the physical symbol of our democracy, the deterioration of the dome and the lack of funds to fix it is symptomatic of the failure of the state to address our crumbling infrastructure statewide.
Of course it all goes back to our dysfunctional tax system, and why we need a progressive income tax at adequate levels to fund essential state functions.
That being said, well intentioned cynicism or criticism isn’t going to abate the ongoing deterioration which will only get more expensive to fix if nothing is done. It needs to be addressed now.
So let’s do what we have to do at present to repair the dome, and commit ourselves to the greater task of repairing a broken system of funding our state government.
Frustration with politicians who support TABOR like it’s the Holy Grail – Absolutely. They are too short sighted to see the damage it has done.
I won’t argue with your arguments because your right. The deterioration of the dome is painful and only with individual and corporate support is it going to be fixed anytime soon.
the dome is a symbol.
Our roads and schools and rivers and children are what is really of value.
I say let the dome fall in. Let the wankers in our legislature sit in an unsafe, unheated, unsanitary shithole until they start working for the rest of us. First thing they can do is be honest about what is needed to bring our roads, schools, water, air, etc, up to the standards that will allow us to succeed in the 21st Century.
Until then, let them eat jellybeans.
Sometimes tough love is required. I’ll vote for tax increases that cover all our needs including repairing the capitol. But I won’t donate to fix the capitol – those donations will go to education first.
When they have to close the central area of the capitol because the dome is in such bad shape that it might fall down on the legislators and lobbyists as they pass through, perhaps someone will realize that they can’t actually pay for the state’s needs in a down economy using the current tax structure.
But you seem to hone in on the legislature with your pejorative remark about letting the dome fall in on the wankers. Rest assured, the legislature is hardly blameless for this mess, but the blame is everywhere.
There’s little disagreement that one of the major reasons we’re in this dilemma is TABOR. The legislature, past and present, is bound to follow TABOR, but the legislature didn’t initiate TABOR or enact TABOR. TABOR was a citizen initiated constitutional amendment passed by a vote of the electorate.
So when pointing your finger, don’t forget to point to yourself. I also know that standing around in a circle pointing fingers at each other won’t fix the problem anymore than doing nothing will repair the dome.
If we could create some sort of public entity that could administer projects like this. Predict the expense, plan for that expense, collect the money for the expense and then overss the project so the work gets done well.
Preferrably some kind of organization of body that we could elect representatives to, and have over sight. Preferrably one where those elected would offer not only sheep-like bleating, but actual leadership so that we get what we need and we want what we need.
If only.