Catching up on the news: Colorado Springs goes dark and Amendment 61

With increasing attention being focused on Colorado's fiscal condition and three anti-government ballot measures, two recent articles and an editorial in The Denver Post caught our eye, and we wanted to share them with you.

Reporter Tim Hoover provided a solid, balanced overview of Amendment 61, which would greatly restrict borrowing by state and local governments. The Post followed up with an editorial against the amendment.

Reporter Douglas Brown took a look at Colorado Springs, which is getting a hard lesson in what happens when a city slashes its budget and eliminates spending on public services. Months ago, city officials outlined a dire fiscal future, and they asked residents for a tax increase. Voters turned them down.

Now, police and fire departments have been cut back, buses don't run at night or on weekends, most street lights are dark at night and parks are turning brown because watering has ended.

We see a common thread in these pieces.

Amendment 61 would all but shut down investments in public structures such as schools, libraries, college dormitories, roads and bridges and water projects. Previous generations have considered those to be investments – investments that have benefited all of us and have lasted for decades.

We don't think investing in the future should become a thing of the past.

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