Contact Lance Cayko
Cell 303.775.7406
Email CommunicationsDirector@LPColorado.org
Website www.LPColorado.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/1/19
Better Roads for Colorado by Will Jackson
As any native-born Coloradoan will know, sinkholes, potholes, and worn out roads are a common issue in the Centennial state. However, a few years ago, India started making roads from recycled plastics. This has proven to be more flexible than asphalt and stronger than concrete roads. Dr. Vasudevan, a chemist from India, has proven a way to ensure we can reuse plastics with long and high yield value of investment. Other countries are also using this new technology like the UK, Netherlands, Bhutan and some states in the US to name a few.
This solution is at the root of Libertarianism. Those within the free market see problem and then come up with a solution. Plastics that are not being recycled and end up in sewers, landfills, lakes, forests and oceans; however we can use one problem to fix the other problem by using recycled plastics to create better roads, a solution that provides us with safe, economical and eco friendly roads.
CDOT has proposed their 2019 budget of $272.8M for just maintenance alone which could be reduced with recycled plastic roads. Long term estimates shows this method is its 60% stronger and last 10 times longer traditional asphalt roads. Roads that have less potholes, cracks, etc. will last longer for about the same cost is not only good, it’s common sense. Getting the state’s Dept. of Transportation to start using these roads will require contacting your state representatives and let them know about it and that you want them to consider changing to recycled plastic roads.
If the state of Colorado moves to recycled plastics for roads, sidewalks, parking lots, etc.; it would greatly make better use of each tax dollar which will pay down the state debt as well as provide a way to repeal the Colorado Income tax. Thus allowing everyone to keep ALL of their income so they can spend it the way they want or need without the state taking from each working citizen before they even get their paychecks. We can also help reduce the material sent to the landfills so that we will be able to reduce the amount of landfills needed in the first place. This alongside the multiple metal, plastic, and compost recycling programs will help clean up Colorado while building a much needed and durable infrastructure.
In addition, the current talk about a possible “Gas Fee” which is essentially a tax and circumvention of TABOR; might not even be on the table currently because we would have roads that would be stronger, last 10 times longer, and cost less as we have tons of plastic put into recycling and trash bins every day in Colorado. We already have a revenue of $1,955,766,905 for 2019 and still falling short. We have to ask where the money is going? Over $16 million this year alone is going to just servicing the debt for CDOT. Paying off our state debt will save money in the long run. Thus we might have not have any additional revenue generating taxes or fees to deal with.
Instead of short sighted and expensive legislative policies coming from the 2019 Colorado State legislature, we can use the free market to fix another issue that big government cannot. We need to investigate the processes, costs, upkeeps, and efficiencies in all our programs. Working with local construction companies, businesses, home owners, State Legislators, County Commissioners, and City Councils we can start replacing roads that need replacing with an ecofriendly solution of recycled plastics rather than asphalt. Companies like MacRebur need to know Colorado wants their business and elected officials need to know about this free market solution.
# # #
Will Jackson is a Military Veteran and Colorado native that is an Information Systems professional, Author and Musician. He has a deep love for Colorado and the United States of America, being an avid supporter of the US Constitution and the rights, liberty and freedoms of all US Citizens. He also is an environmentalist in the classic sense with balancing the needs of nature with people.
# # #
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Lance Cayko at 303.775.7406 or email at CommunicationsDirector@LPColorado.org.
