Issues and Solutions
Economy
Fort Collins consistently tops the national list of best places to live. In July, Money magazine listed Fort Collins as the second-best place to live in the U.S., and we’ve weathered the foreclosure crisis better than most communities in Colorado. But not everyone is making a decent living, so we need to keep working to strengthen our economy.
As a long-time advocate for working families, I am devoted to building an economy that works for all of us. Paychecks need to keep up with rising expenses, and honest, hardworking citizens shouldn’t have to face the possibility of losing their homes or filing for bankruptcy. We need jobs that pay better, with work supports like affordable and quality child care, affordable housing, educational opportunities, and lower-cost medical care. These and other measures will go a long way toward bolstering our economy and cutting child and family poverty in half within ten years.
In the state legislature, I have voted to invest in our schools, including Colorado State University and Front Range Community College. I have voted to reduce taxes for small businesses. I have pushed to restore Colorado's Earned Income Tax Credit in order to reduce taxes for hardworking Coloradans. I have worked to build the strong infrastructure that attracts businesses and creates jobs, such as a modern multi-modal transportation system including the Front Range rail corridor. And I have supported developing the New Energy Economy based on clean energy technologies that will create tens of thousands of jobs while protecting Colorado’s air, water, and wildlife.
Health Care
There’s no more basic human need than the need for good health. I believe in quality, affordable health care that is accessible to everyone. Our dedicated and talented doctors should be the ones guiding our health decisions, not insurance company executives.
While working towards comprehensive health care reform such as the Colorado Health Services Program, I have supported important legislative steps to increase access, improve quality, and lower insurance rates.
In the state legislature, I have worked to increase accountability and transparency for insurance companies, expand eligibility for public health insurance programs, make sure children eligible for programs like CHP+ and Medicaid are signed up, provide for professional peer review at Ambulatory Surgical Centers, allow CSU to provide graduate student health insurance, and ensure that kidney dialysis technicians are certified and properly trained.
Education
Education is a vital key to economic opportunity and security, and we have to invest in our schools to prepare them for the future. We need to solve the Colorado paradox (we have one of the most highly educated populations in the U.S. and one of the highest drop-out rates) and close the achievement gap. I favor aligning curriculum standards to the needs of a changing workforce, improving choice within the school system, including charter schools and on-line learning, and raising both teacher pay and teacher quality.
In the state legislature, I have supported the BEST bill to rebuild crumbling schools, increased funding for higher education and needs-based financial aid, and invested in expanded preschools and all-day kindergartens. I was the prime House sponsor for a bill to lower the cost of college textbooks.
I believe that investing up front in quality and accessible education and training from early childhood through post secondary is one of the smartest things we can do to build a capable and resilient work force and an informed community. Such an approach also saves taxpayer dollars through savings on the back end.
Environment and Energy
We must balance the need for increased energy production with the need to protect Colorado’s precious natural heritage as well as our farms and ranches. We are blessed with abundant wind, solar, and other renewable energy resources. With responsible development, Colorado can lead the nation into a sustainable energy economy. There are no quick fixes for high fuel costs, but through increased efficiency, conservation, and development of alternatives, we can build a better energy future and head off the worst effects of global warming. I support smart growth and transit-oriented development, conservation of open spaces, and protection of our rivers and forests.
In the legislature, I have sponsored legislation to make mining operations more transparent and accountable in order to protect our critical groundwater and public health from the effects of uranium mining. I have sponsored legislation to increase energy efficiency standards for state and local governments, and to encourage the state to buy green products. I have supported renewable energy tax credits, development of solar photovoltaic technology, and holding companies accountable to reasonable environmental standards.
Public Safety
I believe in safer schools, safer streets, and safer homes. Public safety doesn’t mean just building more prisons. It means emergency preparedness, fixing our public health system, and using our tax dollars wisely to build a criminal justice system that works. We need to address recidivism, crime prevention, and increased community-based mental health and substance abuse treatment, while adequately funding our firefighters, police officers and other first responders. And we are making progress on all of these fronts.
In the legislature, I have supported the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, voted to invest in the judicial system to remove bottlenecks, and passed laws to improve efficiencies and increase enforcement of child support obligations.
Effective Government/Deliberative Democracy/Civic Engagement
Our government works only when we the people get involved, and that civic engagement makes our government more effective. We all want our tax dollars spent wisely by a government that is efficient, competent, accountable, and responsive. Public policy is a reflection of the values of those who participate, and we need to open up the system so more people can get involved.
In the legislature, I support efforts to unravel our state budget mess by resolving conflicting constitutional constraints. I have sponsored bills to offer citizens more choices through better voting systems. During my two-year term, I have held almost fifty town hall meetings, forums, and community conversations to involve the people of Fort Collins and House District 52 in self-governance.
If you have an issue that is important to you, please contact me.
