Comments on: Denver Region Comes Closer to Endorsing Sales Tax Increase for Transit http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/13/denver-region-comes-closer-to-endorsing-sales-tax-increase-for-transit/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:43:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Airport News http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/13/denver-region-comes-closer-to-endorsing-sales-tax-increase-for-transit/#comment-42737 Airport News Sat, 01 May 2010 15:07:24 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=1657#comment-42737 Press release this month confirms RTD will not seek the 0.4% increase this year (2010) because of the state of the economy, but adds: 'If RTD does not secure additional revenues, current estimates indicate that the entire FasTracks system will not be completed until 2042.' Press release this month confirms RTD will not seek the 0.4% increase this year (2010) because of the state of the economy, but adds: ‘If RTD does not secure additional revenues, current estimates indicate that the entire
FasTracks system will not be completed until 2042.’

]]> By: Allen http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/13/denver-region-comes-closer-to-endorsing-sales-tax-increase-for-transit/#comment-33530 Allen Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:50:28 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=1657#comment-33530 The drop in sales tax returns isn't the main problem. The main problem is that RTD were downright amateur with their future tax revenue projections. It's not that we got hit with a big recession instead of a small one that's causing the problem. RTD didn't take account any recessions. More so, they assumed sales tax revenue increases going forward would match the huge increases Denver saw in the 80s and 90s when the area boomed and added a button ton of good, high paying jobs. In fact, their forecasts were so far off they couldn't even pay for the project today even if it cost the $4.7 billion they originally claimed it would. Add that along with John's spot-on comments above and it's hard to see how RTD's going to manage to get a tax increase just to deliver what they already promised they could with the last one. The drop in sales tax returns isn’t the main problem. The main problem is that RTD were downright amateur with their future tax revenue projections. It’s not that we got hit with a big recession instead of a small one that’s causing the problem. RTD didn’t take account any recessions. More so, they assumed sales tax revenue increases going forward would match the huge increases Denver saw in the 80s and 90s when the area boomed and added a button ton of good, high paying jobs.

In fact, their forecasts were so far off they couldn’t even pay for the project today even if it cost the $4.7 billion they originally claimed it would.

Add that along with John’s spot-on comments above and it’s hard to see how RTD’s going to manage to get a tax increase just to deliver what they already promised they could with the last one.

]]> By: John http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/03/13/denver-region-comes-closer-to-endorsing-sales-tax-increase-for-transit/#comment-706 John Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:33:03 +0000 http://thetransportpolitic.com/?p=1657#comment-706 It'd be a miracle if this passes. The every-man-for-himself crowd around here howls about taxes in the best of times. And the RTD is not well-liked. At best they seem incompetent and are portrayed by the anti-tax nimbys as corrupt. Despite the obvious need for better transit options and planning, I'm not convinced the RTD can convince us to spend the money. It’d be a miracle if this passes. The every-man-for-himself crowd around here howls about taxes in the best of times. And the RTD is not well-liked. At best they seem incompetent and are portrayed by the anti-tax nimbys as corrupt. Despite the obvious need for better transit options and planning, I’m not convinced the RTD can convince us to spend the money.

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