NOTE: This article is part of a series on the Colorado GOP process from the caucuses onward.

Colorado Springs is a sprawling city with more square footage than Minneapolis, Miami, San Francisco, and Denver combined giving the city massive room for development. City ordinances restrict buildings from becoming massive skyscrapers like in Denver and most residential homes blend into the hillsides. At times you wouldn’t even be able to tell how big the city is it blends in so well, and the people of this city like the way it is.

Though, because Colorado Spring has very wild weather patterns the roads take a beating and upkeep IS supposed to be the city’s number one job… unless of course they have to create a public works project… then apparently roads aren’t part of “public works”.

That is the case with the new urban renewal program the city’s first strong mayor is pushing. Already facing allegations of being in bed with big developers, Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach is pushing the City for Champions (C4C) initiative.

It would create a massive tourist hub at the expense of private properties and businesses that will be seized under eminent domain or taxed into bankruptcy.

The project includes an Event/Sports Center, a US Olympic Museum, and USAF Academy “visitors” center, and a MASSIVE Sport Medicine and Performance Center. All which sound nice, none which that are needed, or can’t be built privately by any developer that finds them to be profitable where land is un-owned.

During this projects push the roads in the city have gone to pot… No, not the kind that Colorado is now known for, though the way the roads are you would think then road crews are on that kind. No, potholes… everywhere. City governments have one job, road maintenance and water drainage. Everything else is secondary no matter what they tell you.

Recently Mayor Bach asked for $2 million dollars out of the city’s emergency funds, because according to the Gazette, “he believes the potholes and crumbling streets are an emergency.” … No jackass, it’s literally your and City Councils job.

In light of this request council member Joel Miller said, “I did some checking and found that Colorado Springs has about $4.4 million of unused PPRTA maintenance funds… that are projected to be rolled over into this year’s budget,” But council women Jan Martin claims a lag in paper working isn’t showing these fund are spent.

Bach claims these funds are earmarked for projects, but shouldn’t those projects be filling potholes and repaving roads, then fixing bridges with everything else on the back burner? I surmise the real deal is that money is for road alterations while they build their little projects.

City Council is no good guy here either. After getting new members that claimed they were for the people they ban smoking in parks, and refuse the voters will overwhelmingly for recreational pot.

And that’s the saddest part of this whole thing.

If both the City Council and Mayor would embrace recreational marijuana they would rake in the funds for any project that they want to do, for god knows how long.

Instead, they refuse the peoples will and work towards a monstrosity the public refuses, because they know better than us.

ADDITIONAL READING:

Mayor Bach wants $2 million from reserve fund to fix potholes, cites city’s growing infrastructure problems – [Gazette]

Bach still seeking $2 million for pothole repairs – [Gazette]

PPRTA sides with Council in Pothole Fight with Mayor – Who’s right? – [Colorado Springs Business Journal]