Your Tax Dollars, Their Travel Perks: Why a Texas Scandal Should Matter to Aurora Voters
An Associated Press investigation just dropped a number that should make any taxpayer wince: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton racked up $1.9 million in security costs for hundreds of out-of-state trips over eleven years. That's your money—or at least, money just like yours—footing the bill for travel that often looked more political than official.
Here in Aurora, we're used to scrutinizing city budgets. We debate RTD funding, Aurora Police staffing, and whether the Gaylord Rockies incentives penciled out. But this Texas story hits a nerve because the principle is identical: elected officials treating public coffers like personal expense accounts.
Colorado isn't immune. Remember when former AG Cynthia Coffman faced scrutiny over travel? Or when Governor Polis's security detail costs sparked questions? Transparency works both ways. Paxton's office initially refused to release the records. It took a lawsuit to pry them loose.
That's the real story: accountability only happens when someone forces the door open.
For Aurora residents—many of whom commute to Denver, work in healthcare at Anschutz, or run small businesses on Colfax—$1.9 million isn't abstract. It's potholes on Hampden. It's after-school programs at the Aurora Cultural Arts District. It's mental health co-responders we're still fighting to fund.
Texas voters will decide what to do about Paxton. But the lesson travels: demand the receipts. Whether it's the Colorado AG's office, the Aurora City Council, or your HOA board—if they're spending your money, you have a right to see where it goes.
Want to track Colorado officials' travel? Start with the [Colorado Transparency Online Project](https://www.colorado.gov/transparency) or file a CORA request. Sunlight's free. Secrecy costs us.
