Gaslighting has become a contagious political virus. The contagion has spread from the White House to state, county and school-board government. Shame doesn’t prevent its spread.

President Donald Trump fails to justify his attacks on Iran to Congress or to the American people. Gov. Jared Polis is stiff-arming the General Assembly with his bill to invest state money in the stock market using Goldman Sachs as his advisor. Polis has a super-secret memo from Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office affirming he can divert funds into investments the Colorado state Treasurer objects to. State Sen. Janice Marchman shared a portion of the memo she’s seen with the press, but she hasn’t read the AG’s full argument. The rest of us are in a total sun eclipse.

The General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee is the victim of gaslighting, but to its credit, the JBC is trying to cure the infection. The committee learned the Colorado Department of Education dispersed $110 million plus of school finance funds to ERBOCES via Falcon D-49, one of ERBOCES’ authorizing districts. ERBOCES distributed the funds to various entities for private-school and home-schooled students. The money pays for “enrichment” courses without oversight over quality or relevance.

The JBC has put up legislation to make CDE, school districts and BOCES provide data related to these programs. It’s also looking for information on a statewide online education provider. These are the JBC’s initial steps into figuring out exactly how precious school funding dollars are disappearing into a K-12 sideways education black hole.

ERBOCES has also failed to disclose in a Colorado Open Records Act request why it distributed $10,000 of taxpayer funds to Advance Colorado, a super-conservative political advocacy organization. ERBOCES says it has no documentation related to the dispersal. This “education” enterprise has also entered into loan agreements with entities to jumpstart unvetted education programs. It has funded contract schools with religious affiliations, a go-around to put public money into K-12 schools founded on religious beliefs. 

To further complicate the gaslighting, it’s even likely ERBOCES does not comply with BOCES governing statute to have at least one elected member from each of its sponsoring school districts on its board. Lis Richard represents Elizabeth School District on the ERBOCES board, but she is not an elected member of the Elizabeth school board of directors. All in all, ERBOCES has a lot of non-compliance to account for that CDE and the JBC need to investigate and stop.

Moving on, the Douglas County Commissioners never cease to amaze in their ongoing nose-thumbing at the citizens of the county. In April, they lost their first appeal related to a Colorado Open Meetings Act violation brought by three Dougco residents, state Rep. Bob Marshall, former Dougco Commissioner Lora Thomas and concerned citizen Julie Gooden. Not to be deterred, the commissioners, George Teal, Abe Laydon and Kevin Van Winkle, sought a re-hearing of their case. They lost their second appeal.

Rather than put up a white flag in surrender, the three commissioners have now hired an attorney at $700 per hour to give them advice on taking their case to the Colorado Supreme Court. The appeals court’s repeated decision to reject the commissioners’ arguments has already cost the county north of $80,000.

To top off the arrogance, the commissioners have also voted to issue $100 million in Certificates of Participation (COP’s) to build the Zebulon Sports Complex in Sterling Ranch. Though the Commissioners claim they are all-in for TABOR elections on taxes, the COPs do not require a TABOR vote. Commissioners claim revenues from the sports complex will pay off the loans. But it will take at least a couple of years to build the facility, so in the meantime, the burden falls to taxpayers. If Zebulon revenues are insufficient to cover the debt, taxpayers will be on the hook. Gaslighting is most possible when other people’s money, that is taxpayer money, covers expenses.

Gaslighting events wouldn’t be complete without a water example. Denver Water is now emptying Antero Reservoir in Park County, sending thousands of acre feet of water downstream to save 5,000 acre-feet from water evaporation loss. This decision came with short public notice, no public comment and no disclosure of any other options.

Not long ago, Denver Water spent millions of dollars to expand Antero. The 5,000-acre feet sold on the market generates from $2,000 to $3,000 per acre-foot and serves from 10,000 to 15,000 homes or 2,000 to 3,000 acres of corn crop. That’s a water value of $15 million, more or less.

Denver Water asserts it will refill Antero, but if this winter is prelude to future winters, snow accumulation will be insufficient for the recharge. Even with adequate flow, the reservoir will be unusable for many years. Antero’s landscape is stunning. Its fishery is abundant. Its recreation pleasures are generous. Denver Water says it will save as many fish as possible, but a mud flat will greet birds and other wildlife that drink from and feed in this water source.

Accountability is a favored value these days. Gaslighting is too often more common.

Paula Noonan owns Colorado Capitol Watch, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.