It’s unfathomable that the Capitol’s gold dome, arguably the most historically significant structure in the state, is rotting before our very eyes.
Yet, it’s happening and it seems as though there is very little will to put politics and the protection of fiefdoms aside to get it fixed up.
The dispute is over how to pay for the repairs, which have a pricetag of $10 million to $30 million. Should the money come from a private fundraising campaign or the State Historical Fund?
We think it ought to involve both.
Furthermore, Gov. Bill Ritter ought to tap someone, perhaps a former governor or a prominent business leader, to be the point person to drive the campaign. Without a strong, prominent voice rattling cages and pushing the issue, the much- needed repairs will continue to be neglected.
We can envision a fundraising effort that involves donations from foundations, corporations and citizens. It could be a community service project — and learning opportunity — for school children. If each of the state’s 5 million people donated just a dollar for the dome, that would take the effort a long way.
We also believe this project fits squarely within the mission of the State Historical Fund.
Sen. Mike Kopp, R-Littleton, suggests taking $6 million a year for two years from the fund to pay for repairs. The historical fund, which has awarded $222 million in grants since 1992, gets its money from state tax revenues generated from gambling.
While we applaud Kopp for bringing attention to the issue, we don’t think all the money should come from the fund, which has a budget of $9 million to $10 million this year. Private fundraising has a place. The people should take some ownership in restoring the people’s house.
Perhaps Kopp is trying to light a fire under the private effort, which seems stalled. There have been issues with getting various advisory committees to sign off on fundraising project details, such as what kind of recognition donors ought to get.
For heaven’s sake, time is wasting.
State Historical Fund leaders are hesitating in committing to the dome project. To be sure, the organization recently approved giving $3 million for the dome if the state came up with $8 million. But given the state’s budget crunch, that was not realistic. The fund already has covered $30 million in repairs at the state Capitol.
People at the historical society say the dome project wouldn’t fit with their goals of spreading grant money and economic impact around the state. We hope they keep in mind how important it is to repair this historic site, and how perfectly the project fits within the fund’s mission, as defined by the legislature.
We would expect them to offer significant grant support for the dome project. The iconic, 19th century dome cannot be allowed to crumble.
