• Town Talk

DEAR EDITOR: Ms. [Kate] Melvin is correct (in the column “RTD must be stopped in their tracks — fast,” March 24, Denver Daily News). 

RTD and truth/reality are strangers. They are not supposed to use eminent domain for any purpose but to acquire right of way. 

Let the developers pay a fair price to acquire property on their own. 

I was at a meeting three weeks ago where an RTD board member, while praising what a wonderful job the first phase was, stated there was a financial surplus. I am not sure how RTD can take a 32 percent cost overrun and turn it into a surplus.

Not only is there a cost overrun, but technically that puts RTD in the hole on the next phase by $1.4 billion. RTD is holding meetings and talking about changes to the next phases. 

I believe there is a law in Colorado that no tax may be collected that is not spent for the specific purpose voters were told. That would mean that since RTD overspent the first phase that they may no longer collect the added tax but will have to go back to the design board and come up with the alternative to cover this problem then go back to the voters with the new plan to get the tax reinstituted. 

I am not sure under which delusion that RTD operates under that even they can believe that people move to Colorado to live jammed into ghettos cheek by jowl with their neighbors just to ride a so-called light rail.       

The problem is that there is no oversight on RTD, its actions or spending. They answer to no one. I have contacted the governor’s office, the U.S. Congress/senator’s offices for Colorado, DRCOG, CDOT, etc., and have found no one who claims or wants to claim oversight for RTD.

Thank You,

Eldon Campbell

Denver

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