News 31 Interview follow up

I want to thank Kim Posey and Fox News 31 for interviewing us tonight. There is a lot of confusion over what we are saying and I want to clear the air so that everyone can be upset about the facts and not the conjecture.
1) The survey that was referred to in the story states that 87% of Coloradoans still favor Lotto money going to parks. What they do not say is that education was not one of the alternatives listed on the survey. So it is an apples and oranges discussion, we therefore find their logic mute.

2) Chris Leding with GOCO said parks and conservation projects are important when companies consider coming to Colorado. I disagree and here is why. A company wants and needs 2 things; Low Taxes and Skilled labor. Parks factor very little in that equation, but education is what is going to provide the skilled people needed to make a business run well. Ever increasing Mill Levies and Bonds erode the financial integrity of the community and decrease our appeal to business. Businesses are leaving Colorado as we speak and the parks as nice as they are have not been a factor in retaining them. So her argument is flawed.

3) If parks and open space projects are so vital to land values why does my property value continue to fall when I am surrounded by them?

4) Our Lotto idea is a trigger on existing funds during periods of high unemployment. THIS IS NOT A NEW TAX! When times are good parks get all the money. When times are bad parks are treated like the luxury that they are and would do their part to help the community that they serve. If 87% of the people of Colorado truly want to fund parks with Lotto money, then there should be no problem for GOCO and The Colorado Land Trusts (which currently holds 800 million in funds) to pass a bond or Mill Levy of their own.
To Chris Leding at GOCO, I ask you the following questions;
Are the parks and open spaces more important than children?
If parks and open space projects are so vital to land values why does my property value continue to fall when I am surrounded by them? (I will give you a hint, my school district is suffering and is a far more accurate barometer of economic health than are the parks.)
Has GOCO or the Colorado Land Trust let go of employees?
Has pay been cut?
Has GOCO or he Colorado Land Trust had to return part of its budget to the state?
Have your bonds or levies failed?
Are you opposed to sharing your wealth with Colorado’s children?

If we cannot get the best funded institutions in the state to share their plenty, during times of need, with the worst funded institution in the state, all is lost and your parks will be home to our future homeless, jobless kids. Colorado’s children are funded $1400 less per pupil than the national average, how do you think our parks will compare nationally?
I challenge you to come up with a better idea, our children, who are the future, beg you to come up with a better idea. With all of your wealth and resources surly a better solution should come from you. If you cannot think of a different long term solution, you should join our group.
We are a state of 5 million people living on nearly 110,000 square miles of land, conservation is important, but time can be made up on conservation. We have 1 chance to educate Colorado’s children. Before we deiced to put wants before needs, luxury before duty and parks before education we must answer the toughest question, who will run the parks in 20 years if we do not educate these children today? The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the only time to educate children is today.