Boulder Dude

**All info from the League of Women Voters.

BOULDER COUNTY — BALLOT ISSUE 1A: Sales/Use Tax for Transit/Trails

MAJOR PROVISIONS
Referred to the voters by the Boulder County Commissioners, Issue 1A would increase county sales and use tax by 0.20% (twenty cents per $100.00) to help fund major plans for regional transit and trails in Boulder County from the year 2007 through 2020 (14 years). Annual revenue is estimated to be $8.1 million. After 2020 the rate would be reduced to .05% (five cents per $100.00) to help maintain and improve trails and to continue to fund transit awareness education and incentives. Funds would be exempt from limitations imposed by the TABOR amendment (Article X, Section 20) of the Colorado Constitution.

BACKGROUND
The Boulder County Consortium of Cities developed a Transit Enhancement Plan which will complement the RTD FasTracks Plan scheduled for completion over the next several years. Capital costs include purchases of alternative fuel equipped transit vehicles, new transit facilities and facility improvements. Operating costs include funding for fixed routes between Boulder County cities, expanded call-n-Rides, pass subsidy programs and facility maintenance. Eighty percent of revenues from 1A would fund the Transit Enhancement Plan.

YES

I usually vote for these since they are a quality of life thing. I do find the argument that of “Bicycle commuting” to be specious at best. Every year they have these bike v Car races through the city, and every year the bike rider is allowed to cheat and not obey traffic laws (stopping at stop signs or red lights, speed limits, one way streets, etc) so of course the bike wins. The one year they made the bike rider obey the laws, he lost big time.

I do use the bike paths during the summer or when the weather is nice the other 8 months of the year….like most everybody else.

BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT — BALLOT ISSUE 3A: Bond Issue—Educational Facilities

MAJOR PROVISIONS
Referred to the voters by the BVSD Board, this proposal would fund the replacement of Casey Middle School (estimated cost of $31,122,650) and extensive repairs to the Education Center and to schools throughout the District, as described in the BVSD board of directors’ Facilities Master Plan. To read the entire plan (.PDF file) click here and then click on “Final Report on Facility Master Plan.”

The estimated property tax increase will be approximately $13 per $100,000 of assessed property value in the first year of implementation, and $30 per $100,000 assessed property value in the fifth year when all bonds have been sold.

UNDECIDED

I dislike the idea of razing a perfectly good building just because it is old. Renovate it, fix what you need to fix but leave the building where it is.

CITY OF BOULDER
BALLOT ISSUE 201: Fire Training Center Temporary Sales and Use Tax Increase

MAJOR PROVISIONS
Ballot Issue 201 was referred to the voters by the city council. The proposed sales and use tax increase is for replacement of the 30 year old Boulder Regional Fire Training Center (FTC) located near Lee Hill Drive and Broadway. The revenue is marked for construction of Phase I of the FTC which will include an education / administration building (8,400 sq. ft.), extrication pads, propane props, pump test pit, burn building, and training tower. Total cost is expected to be $6.1 million.

YES

Putting it out by the Res should meet everyone’s needs.

BALLOT ISSUE 202: Climate Action Plan Tax

MAJOR PROVISIONS
Referred to the voters by the city council, the proposal would authorize an excise tax on utility bills for electricity for six years, from April 2007 through March 2013. Revenues would go to the city to fund a Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions toward the goal of meeting the Kyoto Protocol. Programs would be implemented to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy use, reduce motor vehicle emissions, and the like. Electricity usage would be taxed at different rates for residential, commercial and industrial usage as specified in the ballot language. First-year revenues are estimated at $860,265. City council could increase the tax after the first year for revenues up to $1,342,000 per year for the next five years. Funds would be exempt from limitations imposed by the TABOR amendment (Article X, Section 20) of the Colorado Constitution.

NO

This is one of those pie in the sky deals. There is no plan, and no one is saying what they are going to do with this money, no one is saying how they are going to achieve this $24 million in savings. To me this sounds like it was cooked up by the same folks that have been busy trying to ban cars in Boulder. (Oh! If we make everyone in Boulder get rid of their cars, think of all the money they will save by not having to make car payments or buying car insurance!)

I also dislike that the Residential consumers are going to be taxed 5.4 times higher than commercial users and 16.3 times higher than Industrial users.

Again, if you are going to follow Kyoto, follow Kyoto by signing it and coming up with a nation wide initiative so that everyone is in the same boat. And have a plan that is spelled out what is going to be done. Heck, raise the CAFÉ standards, tax breaks for doing good, etc. This is just going to be a money hole of an idea.

BALLOT QUESTION 2A: Annexation by Vote

MAJOR PROVISIONS
The proposed ordinance, placed on the ballot by citizen initiative through the petition process, requires that annexation agreements for large parcels of land that have been approved by city council must also be approved by Boulder voters at a general state or municipal election. Excluded from the vote requirement are parcels of five acres or less, properties with little or no development potential, city-owned lands in public use (such as parks), public rights of way, certain enclaves (properties surrounded by city land), parcels for which valid annexation petitions were submitted in 2000 through 2005, and developed properties with city water or waste water service and pre-2006 agreements to annex.

NO

We all ready have the Blue Line and the system works, so no need to fix that which is not broken to make the developers happy.

BALLOT QUESTION 2B: Drinking Water Standards

BACKGROUND
In 1969, Boulder voters approved adding fluoride to municipal drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. The city fluoridates its drinking water to 900 ppb (parts per billion, or 0.9 parts per million) as recommended by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, implementing standards set by the EPA and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Boulder adds hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFS), which also contains arsenic, lead and other metals. Boulder’s water sources (before HFS is added) contain natural fluoride, arsenic (probably), and lead. Lead in tap water comes mainly from natural deposits and the corrosion of household plumbing systems. The EPA’s goals (MCLGs) for both arsenic and lead in drinking water are zero ppb. However, EPA’s allowable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are up to 10 ppb of arsenic and 15 ppb of lead. MCLs are set by EPA as close to MCLGs as feasible, using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards; MCLGs are not. Both arsenic and lead in Boulder’s fluoridated water are well below the EPA’s MCLs of 10 and 15 ppb respectively.

NO

Brought to you by the “Precious Bodily Fluids” and the “No I am not going to Immunize my child” folks, this is a very stupid idea. Studies already show that children that drink only bottled water have more cavities, so this will just make the problem more wide spread.