Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dustin Devoniki is with the seventy six group and we're hopefully,
i say, hopefully we'll find out after the title Board
takes a bite at the apple. Hopefully the people of
Colorado will be able to speak in this next election
cycle and tell our overlords under the Gold Dome that
we actually want transportation dollars that were collected under the
(00:22):
premise of being for transportation to actually be used for
our roads, for potholes, for bridges, and not for more crappy,
stupid multi modal crap that nobody wants. And joining me
now to talk about it is these two measures have
just been sent to the title Board. But Dustin, let's
talk about what's in the meat of these and why
(00:43):
do we need to.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, so thanks for having me on. You know, these
two measures are exactly as you described them. They are
an effort to say, hey, listen, the taxpayers that call
O out of we pay sales and use tax every
time we purchase a car, every time we buy new
tires or parts for our car. We pay fees on deliveries,
we pay fees on uber all of which are supposed
(01:09):
to go to roads and bridges. That's always what it's
promised to be, but of course that is never the case.
And so what these measures seek to do, and there
are two of them, and I'll tell you the only
difference between the two. One has a sunset of ten
years and one doesn't. Otherwise the exact same. And at
the heart of it, it is a measure that's it's
not a novel concept to the State of Colorado, but
(01:29):
it is telling our legislators, current and future and governor
that we want to see two thirds of all of
this revenue that's generated by sales and use tax of
automobile or cars and car related parts as well as
delivery fees to actually go to roads. People across our state,
especially in rural communities, but frankly, all throughout the front
(01:51):
range are sick and tired of our poor roads, our
poor transportation system and want to see it improved and
not as you mentioned, just going to more by path
beautification or or you know, mass transit. That frankly, we
could subsidize sneakers and it'd be a better investment than
than putting more into mass trends. That we want money
to go to roads. And that's what these measures would do,
(02:12):
is it would put in our constitution a requirement that
these funds actually go to roads.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So if both of these make it to the title board,
are both of them going to be run? And if
both pass? I mean what that seems a little confusing.
What was the thinking behind putting one that sunsets and
putting one that doesn't? What is what is the logic there?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
One will Ultimately there'll only be one. I think that
the coalition that has come together, it's from a broad
coalition of local elected leaders from across the state, business
leaders from across the state. Colorado is a state that is,
you know, known to use the sunset provision too, and
I think it's it's always a good idea. Frankly, I
(02:53):
think I wish we would sunset every regulation that's on
the books in the state and require the legislators to
reauthorize them. But I think that the question is do
we sunset this or do we just make it permanent?
And I think there's a good argument to be had.
So if one gets through, the other will get through.
But ultimately there will only be one of them on
the ballot and we will know. The title setting process
(03:13):
takes anywhere from four to six weeks and so at
the conclusion of that process, if we have a measure
to take to the voters, we will, but there will
be a decision to move with either a sunset.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Or a not now destin. Let me ask you this.
Have you guys compiled any of the various ways that
this money that is coming in, all those delivery fees
we're paying them every single time we get a delivery,
the ways that this money has been diverted, Because this
is what I think most Coloradens don't know. They were
sold a bill of goods on things like, hey, raise
your registration fees when you register your car, and we're
(03:45):
going to use it to fix roads and bridges, and
that money just seems to be going into a giant
black hole. Then we have delivery fees, we have all
of these things that were sold to Coloraden says this
is going to fix our roads and bridges. All that
money is going elsewhere. Accumulating a list of the ways
that this money has been diverted to really help people
understand why we have to vote for this.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, yes, absolutely, and in some of itself evident. I mean,
the thing that we've seen is that the state of
Colorado is currently in a seven hundred million dollar deficit.
Despite the fact that they're in there, they're taking in
record levels of revenue, and it's because they continue to
do things like they Over the years, they've had the
largest expansion of Medicaid. And it's not because more and
more people who actually should be on medicaid are are
(04:31):
participating in it, but it's they're expanding the eligibilities to
where it's really creeping well beyond the intent of helping
people who you know, are struggling financially in need the
extra assistance. So the expansion of medicaid has been a
significant just the growth of government, the number of employees
that the state. You know, there's there's a new division
or department that's created. You know, there's tons of ways
(04:53):
in which the state is is grown. It's expenditures, but
it hasn't been towards roads. And I think that the
other thing that's key about these measures is that what
we would be doing is forcing fiscal discipline on a
very not physically disciplined state legislature and saying, you guys
are already collecting these fees from us. We don't need
a new tax, we don't need another fee. We need
(05:16):
you to take the money that you're we're already sending
you and spend it on roads. But we will have
a very comprehensive list and it won't be hard to
put together of all the ways in which they're diverting
those dollars that should have already been going to our
roads to other priorities that the legislature has.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Dustin Zevonik is my guest, Dustin, what's the timeline on
this title board approval or not?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, so typically it takes four to six weeks. We
just submitted last week, so that you know there there
will be an opportunity for any any challenges that first.
The first, you know, thing that we'll have to prove
is that there's a single subject, which we believe there is.
The attorney's working on this, you know, I feel confident
that it's going to get through. I'm sure that it's
(05:57):
going to be challenged. I'm sure that the defenders of
the status quo that they want to see government continue
to grow and are going to say, I suggest that
by requiring money go to roads and bridges that was
supposed to go to roads and bridges, is going to
force us to cut elsewhere. We're going to hear a
lot of that during the title setting process and then
ultimately in the campaign. But I would say that, you know,
(06:18):
sometime in the next four weeks we will have an
affirmative decision from Title Board. At that point, it will require,
because it's a constitutional measure, for the proponents to go
and get the signatures necessary to get it on the
ballot for November of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
So as soon as that happens, as soon as you
guys hit the ground and you're ready to go, please
let's revisit this so I can make sure that my
people are looking out at grocery stores and all of
those places that they're asking for signatures so we can
get enough signatures to get this thing on the ballot.
Because I know that I'm not the only one who
recently had to have you know, my car realigned because
of Colorado's road, So it's time to do something about it.
(06:59):
Justin ireciate your time today.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, I appreciate it. Thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
All right, that is Dustin Zavonic from the seventy six group,
and I will keep you guys posting on that
Dustin Devoniki is with the seventy six group and we're hopefully,
i say, hopefully we'll find out after the title Board
takes a bite at the apple. Hopefully the people of
Colorado will be able to speak in this next election
cycle and tell our overlords under the Gold Dome that
we actually want transportation dollars that were collected under the
(00:22):
premise of being for transportation to actually be used for
our roads, for potholes, for bridges, and not for more crappy,
stupid multi modal crap that nobody wants. And joining me
now to talk about it is these two measures have
just been sent to the title Board. But Dustin, let's
talk about what's in the meat of these and why
(00:43):
do we need to.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, so thanks for having me on. You know, these
two measures are exactly as you described them. They are
an effort to say, hey, listen, the taxpayers that call
O out of we pay sales and use tax every
time we purchase a car, every time we buy new
tires or parts for our car. We pay fees on deliveries,
we pay fees on uber all of which are supposed
(01:09):
to go to roads and bridges. That's always what it's
promised to be, but of course that is never the case.
And so what these measures seek to do, and there
are two of them, and I'll tell you the only
difference between the two. One has a sunset of ten
years and one doesn't. Otherwise the exact same. And at
the heart of it, it is a measure that's it's
not a novel concept to the State of Colorado, but
(01:29):
it is telling our legislators, current and future and governor
that we want to see two thirds of all of
this revenue that's generated by sales and use tax of
automobile or cars and car related parts as well as
delivery fees to actually go to roads. People across our state,
especially in rural communities, but frankly, all throughout the front
(01:51):
range are sick and tired of our poor roads, our
poor transportation system and want to see it improved and
not as you mentioned, just going to more by path
beautification or or you know, mass transit. That frankly, we
could subsidize sneakers and it'd be a better investment than
than putting more into mass trends. That we want money
to go to roads. And that's what these measures would do,
(02:12):
is it would put in our constitution a requirement that
these funds actually go to roads.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So if both of these make it to the title board,
are both of them going to be run? And if
both pass? I mean what that seems a little confusing.
What was the thinking behind putting one that sunsets and
putting one that doesn't? What is what is the logic there?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
One will Ultimately there'll only be one. I think that
the coalition that has come together, it's from a broad
coalition of local elected leaders from across the state, business
leaders from across the state. Colorado is a state that is,
you know, known to use the sunset provision too, and
I think it's it's always a good idea. Frankly, I
(02:53):
think I wish we would sunset every regulation that's on
the books in the state and require the legislators to
reauthorize them. But I think that the question is do
we sunset this or do we just make it permanent?
And I think there's a good argument to be had.
So if one gets through, the other will get through.
But ultimately there will only be one of them on
the ballot and we will know. The title setting process
(03:13):
takes anywhere from four to six weeks and so at
the conclusion of that process, if we have a measure
to take to the voters, we will, but there will
be a decision to move with either a sunset.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Or a not now destin. Let me ask you this.
Have you guys compiled any of the various ways that
this money that is coming in, all those delivery fees
we're paying them every single time we get a delivery,
the ways that this money has been diverted, Because this
is what I think most Coloradens don't know. They were
sold a bill of goods on things like, hey, raise
your registration fees when you register your car, and we're
(03:45):
going to use it to fix roads and bridges, and
that money just seems to be going into a giant
black hole. Then we have delivery fees, we have all
of these things that were sold to Coloraden says this
is going to fix our roads and bridges. All that
money is going elsewhere. Accumulating a list of the ways
that this money has been diverted to really help people
understand why we have to vote for this.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, yes, absolutely, and in some of itself evident. I mean,
the thing that we've seen is that the state of
Colorado is currently in a seven hundred million dollar deficit.
Despite the fact that they're in there, they're taking in
record levels of revenue, and it's because they continue to
do things like they Over the years, they've had the
largest expansion of Medicaid. And it's not because more and
more people who actually should be on medicaid are are
(04:31):
participating in it, but it's they're expanding the eligibilities to
where it's really creeping well beyond the intent of helping
people who you know, are struggling financially in need the
extra assistance. So the expansion of medicaid has been a
significant just the growth of government, the number of employees
that the state. You know, there's there's a new division
or department that's created. You know, there's tons of ways
(04:53):
in which the state is is grown. It's expenditures, but
it hasn't been towards roads. And I think that the
other thing that's key about these measures is that what
we would be doing is forcing fiscal discipline on a
very not physically disciplined state legislature and saying, you guys
are already collecting these fees from us. We don't need
a new tax, we don't need another fee. We need
(05:16):
you to take the money that you're we're already sending
you and spend it on roads. But we will have
a very comprehensive list and it won't be hard to
put together of all the ways in which they're diverting
those dollars that should have already been going to our
roads to other priorities that the legislature has.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Dustin Zevonik is my guest, Dustin, what's the timeline on
this title board approval or not?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, so typically it takes four to six weeks. We
just submitted last week, so that you know there there
will be an opportunity for any any challenges that first.
The first, you know, thing that we'll have to prove
is that there's a single subject, which we believe there is.
The attorney's working on this, you know, I feel confident
that it's going to get through. I'm sure that it's
(05:57):
going to be challenged. I'm sure that the defenders of
the status quo that they want to see government continue
to grow and are going to say, I suggest that
by requiring money go to roads and bridges that was
supposed to go to roads and bridges, is going to
force us to cut elsewhere. We're going to hear a
lot of that during the title setting process and then
ultimately in the campaign. But I would say that, you know,
(06:18):
sometime in the next four weeks we will have an
affirmative decision from Title Board. At that point, it will require,
because it's a constitutional measure, for the proponents to go
and get the signatures necessary to get it on the
ballot for November of twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
So as soon as that happens, as soon as you
guys hit the ground and you're ready to go, please
let's revisit this so I can make sure that my
people are looking out at grocery stores and all of
those places that they're asking for signatures so we can
get enough signatures to get this thing on the ballot.
Because I know that I'm not the only one who
recently had to have you know, my car realigned because
of Colorado's road, So it's time to do something about it.
(06:59):
Justin ireciate your time today.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, I appreciate it. Thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
All right, that is Dustin Zavonic from the seventy six group,
and I will keep you guys posting on that
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