Facing facts on FasTracks

The RTD FasTracks project was originally billed as a $4.7 billion savior to our region’s transportation needs. In 2004, voters who approved the measure were told that with FasTracks voters would know exactly what they are going to get, which was supposed to be a distinctive gem for the 8-county Denver metropolitan area. Today, the project is now at a critical crossroads. Critics are rightfully wondering aloud whether the project is going to end up being nothing more than a lump of coal paid for with billions in taxpayer dollars.

Recently, RTD’s Board of Directors wisely decided against placing a doubling of the FasTracks tax on the ballot this fall. Among the primary reasons for this decision was the likelihood that a tax increase proposed during turbulent economic conditions would likely fail at the ballot box in an off-year election.

At the forefront of RTD’s agenda these days is how best to sell this tax expansion to the voters. The expected ballot measure would likely include the addition of a .4% sales tax on top of the current 1% sales tax RTD receives on all goods purchased in the 8-county Denver metropolitan area. Before this region’s taxpayers are asked to deliver even more of our community’s limited resources to this special district’s massive and seemingly out of control project budget, RTD should consider the suggestions offered below as a means to gain back the public’s trust.

First, RTD must openly and honestly admit its mistakes. Please tell us where FasTracks went so very wrong. If it was poor fiscal forecasting, then tell us where you failed. Or, if it was RTD’s failure to secure assurances for right-of-ways from the railroads, then assure us that this won’t be an issue in the future. Please don’t just blame it on the cost of commodities and sales tax revenues. The public knows there is more to it than what we are being told.

RTD must also avoid letting our local elected officials down again. By and large, our local mayors and city councilpersons are a savvy and experienced group of leaders. Over the last few years, many have supported some of RTD’s unpopular positions regarding FasTracks because they recognized the important role that FasTracks could serve in their communities. However, RTD’s continued discussion of shortening lines does nothing but harm some of FasTracks earliest municipal supporters, including Boulder, Longmont and Thornton.

Currently, the Generally Assembly is evaluating the scope of the approved audit of RTD’s finances (i.e., an audit is required every five years). One would expect that FasTracks will be included in this audit. Irrespective of this audit, RTD must still take proactive steps to detail why the overall project costs have risen so dramatically.

Any admissions of mistakes by RTD must include a detailed assessment of how the cost estimates were so dramatically incorrect and an explanation of how these past mistakes will not be repeated. Specifically, the public deserves to know why updated project estimates are feasible and realistic.

If an essential project cost is contingent on certain events, please provide sufficient detail and worst case scenarios. After nearly five years of experience on the project, RTD must have a reasonable handle on these project contingencies. If not, then put someone is charge who does. The taxpayers do not deserve any more surprises or broken promises.

At this point in the project, RTD is well aware of the land required for successful completion of the project. Much has been discussed and written about RTD’s attempted use of eminent domain to acquire requisite land and, accordingly, RTD should disclose targeted land and how much it will cost the community. In the case of the Owens Corning shingle factory or other similar impacts, the disclosure must include not only the cost of acquiring the land but the likely loss of jobs and a profitable Colorado business.

Next, shed some light on FasTracks’ expected maintenance and operation costs over the next 25 years. What costs and expenses are we signing up for long-term? Once the new lines are in place, RTD should describe how these costs will be covered; albeit fees, taxes, or other avenues.

In addition, please give the public a reasonable and defendable completion date. Please spare us the pie in the sky dates if you want to restore some of RTD’s credibility.

In order to accomplish all of these objectives, FasTracks requires effective management, especially with the pending departure of RTD General Manager Cal Marsella. Regardless of individual fault, there are far too many broken promises by the current management and leadership team as a whole to trust the job to anyone within the existing power and decision-making structure. Potential management solutions could include the appointment of one person to manage FasTracks and another to manage the existing infrastructure.

Finally, RTD should consider establishing a FasTracks advisory committee composed of leaders from both sides of the political aisle. The advisory review committee should include FasTracks supporters who are the “who’s who” of the Denver business and political community. As a means of rebuilding the image of FasTracks, this committee’s primary charge would be to challenge project assumptions and strategies to ensure that proposals are thoroughly scrutinized and credible.

RTD’s lack of credibility in its management of the FasTracks’ budget combined with uncertain economic conditions effectively doomed any chance of a tax increase passing this fall. If RTD seeks to place a tax increase on the 2010 or future ballots, the immediate focus must be on taking proactive steps necessary to regain the public’s trust, including publically detailing where RTD went wrong and how it has learned from its mistakes.

FasTracks still has the potential to be a real gem for this community, but currently the project just looks like a lump of coal.

'Rest of story' suffers with Rocky gone

Just in the first week since the Rocky shut down, think about the state and local stories that were covered less robustly in the absence of a competing metro daily. Three for starters would be: ** Senate Dems seek to bust the 6% constitutional spending limit.

** Senate Dems endorse college subsidies for illegal aliens.

** CU students welcome plagiarist Ward Churchill and terrorist Bill Ayers.

Nothing against the solid reporting and commentary we've read in the Denver Post about these events, but they contain so many deeper levels and cross-currents that no single newspaper can possibly do them justice.

There's a reason people have two eyes and ears; a reason we say two heads are better than one; a reason Scripture says wisdom needs many counselors.

At 90, Paul Harvey, the founding father of opinion radio, was going to leave us one of these days. But how fitting that we lost him on the same weekend when Coloradans lost some of our access to "the rest of the story" with the Rocky's demise.

If the Rocky folds

As Tom Daschle exits the Obama administration in his tax-free chauffeured limo, kudos to the Rocky Mountain News for editorializing today that this hypocritical scofflaw wasn't fit for confirmation as HHS Secretary. Sorry to see nothing on that from the Denver Post editorial page. A Rocky editorial likewise called for the rejection of Tim Geithner, another tax cheat, as Treasury Secretary last week. Unfortunately only 34 senators agreed -- and unfortunately, again, nothing from Post editors on that one either.

The Post did have an excellent Sunday editorial on Feb. 1 pointing out many flaws in the $819 billion stimulus bill, but the Rocky's editors were earlier and stronger in their condemnation of this legislative monstrosity.

One of the things Colorado will lose if the Rocky Mountain News goes away is an outspoken editorial voice that is usually, not always, more friendly to the conservative position and more skeptical of the liberal position than Denver's other daily, the Post. Let's hope it doesn't happen. Our state would be the poorer for it.

Manual shows up the bureaucrats

There is lots of demand these days for government to “create” results. But policies pandering to that are misguided. Whether it's jobs, health care, or even successful schools, the idea that people in government, no matter how talented, well-meaning, and well-funded can create sound, sustainable, scalable improvement in the lives of Americans has been proven wrong time and time again. Our government’s attempt to “create” financial security for seniors instead created a Social Security system racing towards bankruptcy. A sustained attempt to “create” widespread homeownership – a bipartisan folly to be sure – instead destroyed the world’s greatest financial institutions. And, public school systems – an attempt to “create” a well-educated public – is a national catastrophe and disgrace, depriving particularly our most disadvantaged children of the opportunities everyone deserves.

That government policies and programs cannot create these things on their own should not be discouraging. Americans can have them, but they must be created through the initiative, motivation, and ingenuity of Americans themselves. What government policy can and should do is remove barriers to success created by government itself – establishing an environment where progress, rather than frustration, is a natural result.

This morning I visited Manual High School in Denver. Manual is an inner-city high school serving a challenged community – more than 80% of the students qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. Nearly the entire student body is composed of minority children. In 2006, the school was closed for chronic failure – only 15% of students were proficient in reading. The school reopened in 2007 under an “autonomy” arrangement that provided new principal Rob Stein with relief from a handful of union and district rules including those regarding school schedules, hiring processes, and teacher compensation. Also, the school board reached an agreement with Stein to permit him to make key budgeting decisions at the school level rather than at the district level.

Stein describes himself as a “culture guy,” and he took advantage of the unusual autonomy to assemble a highly motivated staff and create a school culture of accountability and professionalism. At a twice-weekly school-wide meeting, the school-polo-shirt clad kids hear colleagues who’ve excelled or contributed in the past week receive ”shout-out” recognition (in one case accompanied by a $5 Burger King gift card); and at the same meeting noting that all seventy-one students who had been tardy during the week were required to attend detention that Friday evening. During “advisory,” small group classes meeting three times per week, the students follow a curriculum of social and life skills (e.g., constructive ways to deal with confrontation) – many of which kids from more privileged backgrounds may learn from their parents.

Today, Manual is tied for fourth-best-performing non-charter high school in the Denver Public Schools. It’s easy to imagine a well-intentioned “reformer” drawing the wrong conclusions from the Manual experience. “Let’s require shout-outs and logo polo shirts in all of the schools,” they might say, “and we can improve like Manual.” That would, of course, be missing the point. The terrific progress at Manual was not born of the particular tactics Stein employs, but of the autonomy that has permitted Stein and his dedicated team to implement their own innovative approach to serving the unique needs of children in Manual’s community.

By freeing the Manual team of district and union red tape, the autonomy agreements did not create success – that’s not possible to do from headquarters – but created the circumstances where success could flourish on its own. Freedom to succeed – that’s what American’s need in this challenging time.

Teacher's Desk: Why this bean counter?

Denver Public Schools has done it again: expedience versus quality leadership. In selecting chief financial officer Tom Boasberg as superintendent, they continue to place adult wants over children’s needs. The chief education officer position is still empty after Jamie Acquino’s departure in September. Michael Bennet, Mayor Hickenlooper’s choice for superintendent two and a half years ago, may not have been a student of educational reform when he entered 900 Grant, but as a visionary, he quickly grasped the politics of a school system, and made tough, unpopular decisions. He saw, not only the reality of Denver Public Schools, but what Denver Public Schools could be. He became supportive of Denver’s charter schools. His reforms were not sweeping, but were consistent in purpose: quality delivery of educational services in the most financially efficient way.

Tom Boasberg is no Michael Bennet and no friend to charter schools. Four years ago, Cole Middle School closed due to consistent underperformance on CSAP tests. Under state law, the school district needed to turn the school into a charter school. They asked the community to present possible charter programs. When KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) did not come up to the plate because of a difference in organization and DPS’s criteria of students to be served, they asked KIPP to present. They did. DPS wanted their sixth and seventh graders (who the following school year would be seventh and eighth graders) to be served even though KIPP middle school programs generally begin in the fifth grade and add a grade each year through eighth grade.

DPS rented the top floor with lower floor gymnasium access to KIPP- Cole College Prep for $100,000 for the school year and an enrollment of 100. The following year with only 50 eighth graders and half the floor in use, Denver Public Schools refused to renegotiate the lease and charged $100,000 for the school year. Not having a budget to hire enough personnel to prepare eighth graders for the finest schools in the Denver metropolitan area and market to families with fifth graders, KIPP closed Cole College Prep. That is a true travesty for the Cole neighborhood.

Two years ago, Denver Public Schools, with Boasberg at the helm of finance sent a memo out to regular Denver Public Schools employees which said that any school that enrolls a student who previously attended a charter school, will receive a bonus. It is all dollars and no sense to him. I frequently recommend students to programs and high schools run by Denver Public Schools because that is what that student needs!

Then again this past December, Boasberg approved the billing of charter schools for additional monies for Denver School Retirement Program (see my Scrooge blog) and only ten days to find the money! Tom Boasberg is no visionary and no friend to charter schools.

I urge parents to organize and elect members to the Denver Public School Board who place student interests ahead of special interests.

Kathleen Kullback is a licensed special educator at Colorado High School Charter with a M.A. in Educational Leadership. She is a former candidate for the State Board of Education.