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RTD faces $250M deficit as taxpayers ask where the money went
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ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, State

RTD faces $250M deficit as taxpayers ask where the money went

By Scott K. James | Commentary, ScottKJames.com RTD may have real financial trouble, but riders and taxpayers deserve plain answers before service cuts or another ballot ask. Here is a sentence every taxpayer understands: Great, so I may get less service and still be asked for more money. That is the kitchen-table translation of RTD’s latest problem. Denver7 reports that the Regional Transportation District board is looking at ways to close a $250 million budget deficit, including possible service reductions and a future ballot measure for more revenue. RTD says it has been operating at a deficit since federal COVID-19 relief money ran out in 2024, and the current path is not sustainable. Well, yes. Temporary money has a bad habit of being temporary. I reali...
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A fee by any other name? Colorado’s climate charge faces a constitutional reckoning
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A fee by any other name? Colorado’s climate charge faces a constitutional reckoning

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s climate fee law, SB24-230, is now at the center of a constitutional fight, but the lawmakers and advocacy groups that once championed its goals have offered no explanation as the legal questions mount. SB24-230 took effect in July and is expected to pull in more than $175 million next year from oil and gas producers. Lawmakers insist those charges are "remediation fees," meant to cover environmental damage they say comes from drilling. Advance Colorado views the structure differently. Executive Vice President Kristi Burton Brown stated, “That’s not the standard. A real ‘fee’ has to fund a service being received by the person paying. ‘Fees’ are not designed to be penalties for industries the state doesn’t favor, and no ...
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