Why don't they have cash on hand? For $937 million worth of stuff? Why don't families have "cash on hand" to buy a house without taking out a mortgage? I don't know why people think this is so controversial. Municipal bonds have been a stable and profitable mainstay for investors for decades, and it's how cities affordably get to advance improvements. Relax, it's all good and normal stuff.

Taxes are not "way up." Denver in fact has about the lowest tax burden in the entire metro area.