One hundred and ninety-six million bucks.
If you had that much money to blow, you could buy a maximum-security prison for 500 inmates, a new central library, a major interchange, a fire station, plus give flu shots to 9 million people.Denver, of course, is spending that much money to move baggage. You know, the $196 million automated baggage system for the $3.7 billion airport that still hasn't opened.
Some people might think it's interesting that the baggage system is costing $196 million compared with Coors Field, future home of the major league Colorado Rockies, which will cost $170 million. With $196 million, Denver could give the Broncos that new $160 million stadium.
That much money would cover the tuition and fees of 72,600 students at the University of Colorado at $2,700 apiece.
It could cover Denver's cost of funding indigent health care for the next eight years. If it went to medicine, 2,400 people could have $80,000 heart transplants.
Not to mention the 77,200 babies that could be born in hospitals at $2,500 a pop.
Light rail? That cost $115.5 million.
Some lawmakers complained about the $50 million price of the maximum-security prison for 500 inmates. The Colorado Convention Center cost $133 million.
It's costing $75 million for a new central library building.
The multipurpose facility at the National Western Stock Show complex, which is expected to attract national equestrian events, is costing $14 million. The Stock Show's Hall of Education cost $8.9 million.
A new fire station cost $1.6 million.
Denver General Hospital's remodeling cost $5.8 million.