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I’m a Colorado native, raised under Pikes Peak’s shadow when this state was a rugged, red-blooded land where men were men, women were strong willed while still feminine and proud of their husbands. A family could thrive on one income. Back then, moms could choose to stay home, parks like Memorial and Monument Valley were inviting and safe for kids.
Now, we dodge death threats, disease and fentanyl in those same parks, while stomping out homeless campfires and navigating tent cities. I’m shelling out darn near $10 for a dozen eggs—thanks to Jared Polis’ cage-free insanity—while our parks decay, our schools push LGBTQ indoctrination.
We were promised $2.55 billion in marijuana tax dollars would fix our parks and communities. So where’s the green, Jared? It ain’t in Memorial Park, and it’s sure not saving the Colorado where I was raised.
Consider the numbers.
Amendment 64, the 2012 marijuana legalization vote, peddled a fantasy: tax weed, and parks, schools, and communities would shine. Since 2014, Colorado pocketed $2.55 billion in taxes and fees—$274 million in 2023 alone, per the Colorado Department of Revenue. That’s enough to make every park a frontier paradise. The state hits pot with a 15% excise tax on wholesale transfers, a 15% retail sales tax, and a 2.9% medical marijuana tax.
Local governments get scraps—Colorado Springs got $1.2 million in 2023.
The marijuana money’s a straight-up swindle. The excise tax funnels 100% to the Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) program—$580 million since 2014 for school buildings. Parks? Not a penny. The 15% retail sales tax gives 10% to locals, with 90% feeding the General Fund and the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund (MTCF).
The MTCF’s a grab bag, tossing $193 million at school nurses, anti-bullying pamphlets, and dropout programs from 2014 to 2020. Denver’s blown $294.5 million on rec centers and homeless services, while Aurora’s spent $7.3 million on day centers for the unhoused.
A call into the Colorado Springs Parks Department, demanding why our weed billions aren’t cleaning up this mess yields a mumbled “general fund contributions” and a disconnect.
Budgets show our $1.2 million goes to cops and potholes, not parks. Really? A drive down Voyager Parkway in northwest Colorado Springs requires serious focus and expert reflex less you desire a new axle. As for cops receiving these funds, local law enforcement is unable to respond to a home invasion unless it’s in progress.
I want my red state back: where women could raise their kids at home, proud of their husbands, parks were safe, and schools stood for faith, not filth. Instead, my family and friends dodge vagrants, homeschooling families go broke.
Colorado’s hauled in $15.28 billion in weed sales, but our parks are war zones, Aurora’s a crime haven, and Polis cackles while grandmothers rot in prison. Time to hogtie this racket and revive the state where men were men, women were proud, and promises weren’t lies.
Charity McPike (@TruthSleuth1776) is a Colorado Springs Native Desperate for the Red State Revival of Her Youth. This article has been updated.
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Your first mistake was believing what the politicians told you.
I'll give you a free tip: You know how you can tell if they're lying to you? Their lips are moving.
I went to school in Co. back in 1979 and 80 for my A&P license in a town called Broomfield! The phrase I heard nearly everyday was, "DON'T Californacate Colorado!" Well, it sure looks like that is exactly what happened!