You'd think it would be easy. The vast majority of Coloradans want the Legislature to do something constructive about growth. In case our legislators didn't notice, those are the very voters who put them in the Statehouse. But most of them, apparently, have forgotten how they got there.

It should have been easy. A broad group of developers, environmentalists and other interested parties worked out a compromise on how to manage growth. Several legislators sponsored bills to implement that compromise. But that didn't impress most of their colleagues. They just said no to what matters to the people of Colorado.

So, here we are about to borrow a billion dollars to add highway lanes so that more commuters can crawl towards their workplaces every day. Coloradans thoughtfully voted to expand light rail to ease their commuting travails. But, what good will all this do if we continue to have the unbridled sprawl that has marked Colorado for the last decade? Not much.

The Legislature still has time to do something constructive about growth. The principles are clear. We need regional planning. We need to manage our water resources on a regional basis, lest the thirst of some dry up the supplies of the rest of us. Transportation must be part of the planning mix, to encourage in-fill growth rather than leapfrog sprawl. We only need to look at E-470 to understand why. While it certainly makes my drive to DIA quicker, it has fostered mile upon mile of disconnected subdivisions. I'd rather have a longer drive than this kind of sprawl!

Local governments should be able to set time limits on zoning. If, after a reasonable period of time, the development plans are not implemented, the land should revert to its former zoning. That would give local elected officials the opportunity to manage growth and to make adjustments to meet new circumstances.

For example, much of Douglas County's zoning is over a quarter of a century old. While it might have been reasonable for a county of 20,000 people 25 years ago (though that's certainly debatable), today, with out-of-control growth, those old decisions make no sense. Time limits should give developers plenty of time to implement their plans, but also the knowledge that a zoning decision is not a vested right.

We need more incentives for preserving open space. The Legislature should encourage conservation easements, agricultural preservation and park acquisition. Denver's early leaders had the foresight to set aside large and beautiful parks that make the city attractive and livable. The suburbs have rarely provided such expansive parks. That is something local officials could encourage with their planning and zoning decisions.

There was much more in the bills killed by the Legislature. As in the past, if legislators fail to act on an issue of great concern to Coloradans, there will be initiatives to make up for their failure.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the initiative process. I think too many wacko proposals get on the ballot simply because a special interest group collects enough signatures. And then, the spending starts. Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars are spent to persuade voters of the value of one position or another. Special interest money, often from out of state, pours onto the airwaves. Fortunately, voters tend to sift through the flak and vote based on what's really at stake. But--what a waste of money!

However, the initiative process is there to give voters a say when their elected representatives refuse to act. The squelching of growth bills at the Capitol is virtually sure to unleash an initiative on managing growth and a deluge of money to fight for or against it. I say, "Go for it." When our elected leaders don't lead on an issue that really matters, the people do. And that's what initiatives are for.

Still, I'd surely rather see all that money and energy go into preserving open space. So, let's keep track of who fought for our interests and who ignored them. Remember, most of those legislators are up for election this November.