It’s a transportation policy wonk-fest on tonight’s Independent Thinking. I will be joined by Chuck Plunkett from the Denver Post, and Randal O’Toole, director of the Independence Institute’s Center for the American Dream and Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. Tune in for a lively discussion about trains, buses and automobiles, and the future of transportation in Colorado. That’s tonight at 8:30 PM, re-broadcast the following Monday at 1:30 PM.

My web monkey just finished posting Randal’s fantastic presentation called “Mobility vs. Gridlock: Colorado’s Transportation Future” on YouTube in a playlist format. In the presentation, Randal points to the overwhelming evidence that rail transit in general, and FasTracks in particular, is a dead end in solving congestion, safety, and mobility issues. Instead, Randal offers a couple of his own solutions to these pressing problems.

Randal tackles these issues more in-depth in his book, “Gridlock: Why We’re Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It.”

Senior fellow at Independence and the Cato Institute, Randal O’Toole, hit the big time the other day when he found his way onto the new John Stossel show on Fox Business Channel. He did a great job summarizing some major points against building infrastructure for rail, rather than more efficient and less costly means of transportation like buses. If you happen to be a “read” rather than “watch” kinda guy, then take a gander at Randal’s arsenal against light-rail here.

Pro-Tint Window (14th and Wadsworth) owners and couple of 25 years Galen Foster and Kim Snyder check in with me again on last weeks episode of Independent Thinking. We wanted them to come on and discuss the latest developments in their struggle to keep their home and business. In case you haven’t been following this tragic case – what I like to call Colorado’s Kelo case – you can check out the first interview we did with them over a year ago when this process was just beginning. Subsequently, they have been entangled in a legal battle with RTD over their home for two years now. This was one of the most emotional, tear-jerking, unforgettable shows I have ever done.  Forget the economic cost of fighting eminent domain, listen to the heart-wrenching human cost of fighting for a house that’s always been yours. As Kim says at the end, “we have Boardwalk, and they want it.”

Below is a condensed, 8 minute version of the show we did.  Please help me get the word out on this amazing couple and their struggle to keep their piece of the American dream.

Is there any recourse for property owners caught in the path of FasTracks? Property rights attorney Robert Hoban, Jessica Corry of the Independence Institute, and the owners of Pro-Tint Windows Kim Snyder and Galen Foster join me to detail RTD’s handling of property owners and abuse of eminent domain.  Tune in this Friday night at 8:30 p.m. to KBDI Channel 12, Fridays; repeated the following Tuesday at 5 pm.

You’ve read my take on Cal Marsella leaving RTD for the private sector, now read Director of the Center for the American Dream Randal O’Toole’s take on the situation.

Ouch.

By leaving RTD, Cal Marsella now becomes the deadbeat-dad of the bastard child called Fastracks.

I hired Cal Marsella to his post at RTD, and NOW he leaves AFTER he creates the Fastracks fiasco?  Now that’s timing.  Apparently the third of a million dollars salary at RTD wasn’t enough to make ends meet.  Who could blame him?

Two thoughts come to mind after hearing that Cal was leaving RTD.  The first one is that he saved competitive contracting at RTD.  And for that he should be heartily commended.  Cal was my choice for GM while I was on the RTD Board back in 1995.  In fact, I am rather proud of my political skills needed to get the board who didn’t want him, to eventually hire him.  The staff at that time had almost destroyed the practice of contracting with private firms for fixed-route bus service.  The mandate that 20% of RTD bus service be contracted came down from the state legislature (thanks to then state rep Bill Owens, Senator Terry Considine, and Governor Roy Romer who signed it).  RTD fought it every inch of the way, to the point that they would compare the in-house service costs without including the cost of the actual buses, compared to the private firms’ cost including their cost to buy buses. (Amazingly the contracted private costs were still lower!)  Cal set the policy straight and, lo and behold, we found that the contract bus service was 40% cheaper than the in-house service.  RTD now contracts roughly 50% of its fixed-route bus service, better serving taxpayers and riders.

But that’s not why I am sorry to see Cal move on and finally make a living wage in the private sector.  It was Cal more than any other individual who is responsible for selling a naive public on the corporate-welfare scam that is the Fastracks project.  And it is Cal Marsella who should stay at RTD and oversee the financial devastation to which he gave birth.

As amazing as it is to me, not everyone follows the dysfunction that is the Regional Transportation District.  So many forget that in 1997 Cal engineered the first go-around to raise RTD taxes 67%.  Back then it was called “Guide the Ride.”  It was my first real anti-tax campaign, and we taxpayers won.  Not discouraged, Cal put the same basic plan back on the ballot in 2004, but this time with five times the campaign budget and a Kumbaya choir of mayors and newspapers.  The Independence Institute did what we always do – stand up for those who don’t have special interest money to do their talking.  Our own Randal O’Toole said in his study of Fastracks in 2004 that it was going to be over budget and under revenue.  But Cal convinced voters otherwise.  And now instead of staying and dealing with the consequences of lying to the public, he cuts and runs.

His successor will have the luxury of saying, “you can’t hold me responsible, I wasn’t in charge when it happened.”  This is just what Cal Marsella says when asked about the RTD tax election back in the 1970’s when we were promised over a hundred miles of fixed guide-way transit that never materialized.

Meet the new boss.  Same as the old boss.

You have seen them, maybe ridden them, and certainly have helped to pay for them. A proposal for additional taxes to help the ailing FasTracks projects is speeding across the Denver metro area, while a few voices advocate putting on the brakes. Broomfield Mayor Patrick Quinn and Denver Post staff reporter Jeff Leib join me to discuss the impact of FasTracks on your property, your taxes, and our community at large.  Airs tomorrow night at 8:30 on Denver’s KBDI Channel 12, repeated the following Tuesday at 5 pm.

“FASTER” is a disaster.

Everyone knows the first couple of paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence, you know, the good stuff about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Fewer people read on to the list of grievances against King George. (BTW if you’d like to listen to the whole Declaration do it here.)  One of the reasons for separation from England listed was “For imposing taxes on us without our consent.”

Here in Colorado, in spirit and in law, “consent” means a vote of the people.  Yet our governor again today is using the backdoor to raise taxes without our consent.  By signing the 67 page Senate Bill 108 into law, Backdoor Bill is raising car taxes by $250 million a year – without a vote of the people.  His excuse is that he calls it a “fee,” not a “tax,” and of course your wallet will be able to tell the difference.  The press keeps calling this a $41 per car “fee” increase, but do the simple math: The $250 million a year will be paid by the 5 million Coloradans in one way or another (businesses don’t pay taxes, people do).  That’s $50 per man woman and child in the state per year, forever, and all without a vote.

To add insult to injury this bill has a “safety clause” slapped on the end.  This prevents the citizens, through the petition process, from putting this bill on the fall ballot for all taxpayers to consider. Why doesn’t he respect citizens enough to ASK FIRST?  Who knows, if it is as good as he says, wouldn’t it pass?

Governor Ritter seems to have developed a nasty habit of supporting backdoor increases in government:

Gov, my momma always said gentleman ask first.