December 21, 2010 07:30 PM UTC

Open Space Funds for Non-Open Space Purposes?

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Boulder County Commissioners are deciding today whether to approve a deal that could move the long-disputed “Beltway” project from moving forward. Doug Bell, editor of The High Timber Times, is more than a little unhappy about the process:

“This is a quarter of a billion dollars in stimulus we can’t pass up,” exalted County Commissioner Kevin McCasky in a story last week. “It’s going to be a great Christmas.”

Commissioner McCasky clearly has caught the holiday spirit and envisions a joyous Noel at the Taj Mahal. In fact, he’s even provided the snow job.

The happy outburst from our favorite transparent commissioner came as the city of Boulder and Boulder County prepare to end their longstanding opposition to construction of the Jefferson Parkway, the missing link in the beltway around metro Denver. And this wondrous reversal would be brought about by nothing less than $5 million in Jeffco Open Space funds. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he says his name is Kevin.

But fear not, gentle taxpayer. Jeffco’s $5 million bribe is an investment in the future – in a future land buffer to keep Boulder County’s delicate sensibility from being disturbed by the bonanza of development dollars and tax revenue this highway would generate for Jeffco.  

Yes, Santa lives in the hearts of Jeffco officials. But Machiavelli continues to possess their souls.