You want to build a new home. Your contractor says, “There’s no need to develop blueprints first, trust me. It will be great and incredible! It will be the best ever in the history! (Sound familiar?) Give me a check. I’ll bring the plans later.”

Would you do it? 

This is exactly what Proposition DD is asking of us.

On Page 4 of Monday’s Summit Daily News, we read the DD summary. We find:

1. The Colorado Water Plan was unveiled in 2015.

2. “Revenue from DD will also go toward water plan grants.”

3. “The projects the water plan grants fund belong to nine basin roundtables’ Basin Implementation Plans (BIP).”

4. “In the BIP, some projects are pretty rough and a best guess at the time,” says CWCB Deputy Director Lauren Ris.

5. “Many of the projects in the BIP’s don’t specify how much funding is needed and have only partial and inconsistent information.”

6. Roundtables will soon embark on an update to their BIP, with the goal of refining project details including cost.”

7. DD supporters say, “They realize that the $15,000,000 raised annually is a far cry from what is needed and a down payment.”

I have a couple questions about Proposition DD:

1. We will be creating a new sports betting industry to net an estimated $15,000,000 per year in revenue. $130,000 per year goes to treat gambling addiction that this legislation helps create. Why is that in anyone’s best interest?

2. What have the BIPs been doing since 2015?

3. Would it not be prudent to have a game plan first with details and current costs on the front end before we seek funding?”

Knowing this would you give the contractor a “down payment?” I wouldn’t.