Where Is Our Transportation Funding Actually Going? featuring Ben Stein

Where Is Our Transportation Funding Actually Going? featuring Ben Stein

From Common Sense Unfiltered by Common Sense Institute

April 7, 2025 · 32 min · Episode 113

About this episode

Ben Stein discusses the challenges and solutions related to transportation funding in Colorado.

Common Sense Institute recently published a study titled "Highway Detours: The Ongoing Shift of Transportation Dollars." It was authored by our Transportation Fellow Ben Stein, who, in 2006 became the Budget Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). At CDOT he oversaw the development and execution of the annual budget for the department which then had an annual budget in excess of $1 billion and more than 3,000 employees. In October 2010, Stein was selected to become CDOT’s Chief Financial Officer (Senior Executive Service). During his tenure at CDOT he also managed numerous complex financial transactions. These included private placements, the inaugural issuance of bonds by the Colorado Bridge Enterprise, the U.S 36 Public Private Partnership, and the I-70 Central Viaduct replacement project. In the report, Ben explores four issues that contribute to the state’s difficulties: geography and demography, a focus on environmental impacts, inflation, and revenues and funding. Additionally, in the past, ballot initiatives have had limited success. In this episode of Common Sense Digest, Ben joins Chairman and Host Earl Wright to discuss these problems…

People in this episode

Host: Earl Wright

Guest: Ben Stein

Topics covered

  • transportation funding
  • state budget
  • infrastructure challenges
  • financial management
  • environmental impacts

Keywords

  • transportation
  • funding
  • budget
  • Colorado
  • infrastructure
  • environmental impacts
  • financial transactions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Common Sense Institute, Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado Bridge Enterprise, U.S 36 Public Private Partnership, I-70 Central Viaduct

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