Colorado Transportation Bill Threatens Private Property Rights and Taxpayer Protections

On May 13, 2021, researcher Patti Kurgan joined Kim Monson in studio to dissect Senate Bill 21-260, Colorado’s massive 197-page transportation bill that critics say circumvents voter-approved taxpayer protections. The broadcast also examined the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack’s implications for energy security and featured insights from realtor Karen Levine on urbanization pressures and financial analyst Jason McBride on inflation concerns.

The Colonial Pipeline Attack and Energy Vulnerability

Start listening at 18:49 – Hour 1

Patti Kurgan sounds the alarm on the broader implications of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, which shut down 45% of gasoline supply to the eastern seaboard. Her conversations with contacts from Florida to Atlanta revealed a disturbing pattern: small independent gas stations bore the brunt of shortages while major chains maintained supply.

The attack exposed critical vulnerabilities in American infrastructure. Kurgan connected the dots between the Biden administration’s tepid response, the cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline, and a broader pattern of policies that undermine energy independence. She warned that similar attacks on electrical grids or water supplies could prove catastrophic, particularly during extreme weather events.

“Not just the electric grid, but our water supply. You know, if ransomware gets into that, we’re really doomed. I mean, if they hit us during a snowstorm, let’s say in Chicago, you’ll have people freezing.”

Patti Kurgan, Policy Researcher

Hidden Fees and Enterprise Schemes in Transportation Bill

Start listening at 34:10 – Hour 1

Patti Kurgan breaks down the troubling structure of SB 21-260, which creates five new enterprise zones funded by fees rather than taxes. This structure deliberately circumvents Proposition 117, which voters passed in 2020 requiring public approval for any new enterprise generating over $100 million in five years.

The bill’s fiscal note contains a stunning admission: “Should fee revenue to any new enterprise approach $100 million, it is assumed that the enterprise board will set fees so as not to exceed this amount.” In other words, unelected bureaucrats will game the system to avoid voter oversight. Of the projected $5.3 billion in revenue, only 20% will actually go toward roads and bridges, with the rest funding multimodal transit, electric vehicle subsidies, and climate-related programs.

“The people voted last fall. They wanted to vote on fees. And this is the respect that they show us. No respect.”

Patti Kurgan, Policy Researcher

The Push Toward Urbanization and the 15-Minute City

Start listening at 42:04 – Hour 1

Karen Levine, a RE/MAX Alliance realtor and National Association of Realtors board member, reports from meetings where urbanization and density policies dominated discussion. Despite advertisements promoting suburban homes with big yards, federal policies push in the opposite direction toward what planners call the “15-minute neighborhood,” where all necessities are accessible within a short walk or bike ride.

Levine observes a disconnect between what Americans actually want, particularly after COVID revealed desires for more space, and what policymakers are engineering through transportation and zoning policies. New fees on gasoline and restrictions on vehicle ownership are designed to make suburban living prohibitively expensive.

“So you raise the cost, which you say, well, then I’ve got to be closer to work or I have to be accessible by bicycle, walking, or light rail. So mass transit. And it all sounds great when you talk about, which is a conversation we had this week, the 15-minute neighborhood, which is being accessible to all things in 15 minutes. That sounds great, but there’s a cost to achieve that.”

Karen Levine, RE/MAX Alliance Realtor

Market Volatility and Inflation Concerns

Start listening at 28:01 – Hour 1

Jason McBride of Presidential Wealth Management reports on market turmoil following the release of Consumer Price Index data showing 4.2% inflation, significantly higher than expected. Combined with the Colonial Pipeline shutdown and rising energy costs, investors face heightened uncertainty.

The Dow fell 681 points while the NASDAQ dropped nearly 2.7%, with technology stocks taking the hardest hit. McBride notes the contrast in media coverage between the current administration’s handling of the crisis and what would have occurred under President Trump, suggesting the pipeline attack would have dominated headlines with far more alarming coverage.

“Can you imagine what the media would be doing with this cyber attack and this pipeline shutdown and the gas shortages out in the east? If Trump were still in office, they would have the entire country terrified that we were about to have no energy, no water, no electricity.”

Jason McBride, Senior VP, Presidential Wealth Management