CDOT to sell our roads without citizen approval.

[tmleadr03]

I honestly don't want to get into that at all. The point I am trying to make is I want the people to decide through a vote and not let an unelected big government bureaucracy. That big government bureaucracy should not have the power to sell our public infrastructure without our consent.

Of course but this is why I posted that...


And while I am all for private companies owning roads if they maintain them I avoid toll roads since I already pay for roads in my taxes.

[MED]

Interesting, Hickenlooper loves to outsource and these initiatives are being pushed by him in several areas of state government. It looks like 36 is a proof of concept; glad it isn't 285 or 470! Not surprised that this is being pushed by his administration and becoming an action item rather than a plan for comment; after all, these people know what is best for us, right?

[nynco]

Tfogger I agree 100%.

There is a petition here. Again... the main point I am trying to make and thankfully I see some board members agree with is - our public roads should not be sold by an un elected big government bureaucracy.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitio...commission-puc

[nynco]

Of course but this is why I posted that...


And while I am all for private companies owning roads if they maintain them I avoid toll roads since I already pay for roads in my taxes.

Sorry I misunderstood you. I took it as you being cynical of me and I should not have jumped to that conclusion. I can be a little defensive around here and I am working on changing that. I also see many board members here changing and softening on their negative opinion of my past and I thank them for giving me a chance to change.

[nynco]

Interesting, Hickenlooper loves to outsource and these initiatives are being pushed by him in several areas of state government. It looks like 36 is a proof of concept; glad it isn't 285 or 470! Not surprised that this is being pushed by his administration and becoming an action item rather than a plan for comment; after all, these people know what is best for us, right?

Actually this is the first trial run and those roads might be next. Either we stop it now or we prepare for more.

[speedysst]

I think I'll try to win Powerball so I can buy a section of I-70 and repaint the lines like Kramer did in Seinfeld. Instead of 3 lanes, I'll make 2 really wide ones!

[BPTactical]

It is called "Privatization" and it is something that as a former employee of CDOT we fought for years. The uninitiated think this is a way to save the state million in maintenance costs.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It will cost state employees jobs and cost the taxpayers millions.
The deal for 36 is already a done deal, the contracts were signed last year. That is why you have construction from Boulder to Denver along its entire length.
Within 3 days of signing, ground was broken. The plans and projects were in place long before the contract was signed and quite a few were no bid contracts.
This has been tried before and failed in an epic fashion. Illinois tried it and ended up selling all of its facilities and equipment to contractors.
Levels of service went down, response times expanded.
It cost hundreds of millions there when Illinois had to buy back property and equipment.
I was part of a team assigned to write justification for keeping maintenance in the hands of state assets. We worked for 4 months and came up with a very lucid and compelling fact based presentation why maintenance of state highways needs to stay in the hands of state assets.
It never made it to the Transportation Commision.

[nynco]

That sucks BPTacticle thanks for sharing your experience and I am not surprised in the least. This is being voted by a non elected body on purpose in order to make it so no one that we can vote for is to blame. It is corruption by design.

[roberth]

It is called "Privatization" and it is something that as a former employee of CDOT we fought for years. The uninitiated think this is a way to save the state million in maintenance costs.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It will cost state employees jobs and cost the taxpayers millions.
The deal for 36 is already a done deal, the contracts were signed last year. That is why you have construction from Boulder to Denver along its entire length.
Within 3 days of signing, ground was broken. The plans and projects were in place long before the contract was signed and quite a few were no bid contracts.
This has been tried before and failed in an epic fashion. Illinois tried it and ended up selling all of its facilities and equipment to contractors.
Levels of service went down, response times expanded.
It cost hundreds of millions there when Illinois had to buy back property and equipment.
I was part of a team assigned to write justification for keeping maintenance in the hands of state assets. We worked for 4 months and came up with a very lucid and compelling fact based presentation why maintenance of state highways needs to stay in the hands of state assets.
It never made it to the Transportation Commision.

Normally I want everything privatized. I want the government out of education, I want the government out of mortgage loans and the auto business. I want the government to stop income transfers from the middle class to the wealthy and the poor.

I'm thinking about the General Welfare clause in The Constitution. It appears to me that roads are part of the General Welfare which benefits each citizen, much like national defense or the judicial system.

Education is specific welfare which only benefits those with children and only for the duration of their child's education. The government's involvement in the auto industry only benefited the UAW which makes it specific welfare for a select group. Obamacare is specific welfare, it only benefits those who don't pay in or who are subsidized. Section 8 housing is specific welfare benefiting only those who qualify for it, same for WIC and EBT. When the government invests our tax money in companies like Solyndra and other scams that is specific welfare because All of the citizens didn't get a benefit, only the people running and working for Solyndra got anything.

[SideShow Bob]

Help, didn't you people know that the HOT lanes from downtown to US 36 are under private contract already ? And has been for years.