What makes you more qualified than your opponent?
My business and health care expertise, particularly in the area of business development and addressing affordable and accessible health care, give me a strong background for dealing with the most important issues facing our state today. I have worked with government budgets in my role on the Aurora City Citizens Budget Committee and multi-million dollar budgets of businesses as chair of the board of the largest neuroscience center in the region and board member on hospital and non-profit boards of directors. As a mother of three, small business owner, twenty-five year resident of Arapahoe County, I understand the issues facing working families in the district.
Should the state revisit sentencing restrictions to reduce prison spending?
We need strict and consistent enforcement of sentences. Innovative ideas for punishing non-violent crime for non-repeat criminals could improve prison overcrowding. The safety of our citizens must come first. Illegal immigrants are clogging the system and causing a drain on funding. We need to aggressively seek reimbursement from the federal government for law enforcement.
Would you support an expansion of the state’s public school voucher program?
I support school of choice and per pupil funding to follow the student.
Should Colorado pursue a four-day work week for state employees as a way of conserving energy and reducing energy bills?
Yes, in areas that will not compromise key service areas or public safety. I would worry about reduced office hours in areas where citizen contact is the norm.
With so many state “entitlements,” such as Medicaid and public schools, how can the state best increase spending on roads, bridges and other transportation projects?
Efficiency audits should be required in both Medicaid and the Department of Education and expenditures should be fully transparent. Entitlements should be reviewed periodically: they should not become automatic drains on tax dollars. Privatization is possible in many areas to save money as long as doing so utilizes in-state labor and is cost effective.
Should the state increase taxes on gas and oil production in Colorado?
No.
How do you think Colorado unions would see you as a candidate? Pro-union or anti-union?
Neither. I am pro worker. I am not anti-union; I am for choice, accountability and transparency in working relationships. For those that want to belong to a union to increase their negotiating power I support them. For those that want to negotiate their employment on their own. I support that. Monies transferring from an organization through the government should be done individually utilizing current automatic deposit banking practices.
Above all, what one thing should the state do to improve student performance in public schools?
Move away from CSAP and focus more on basic knowledge standards at every grade level with the assessment tool more narrowly focused on individual competency rather than student group comparisons and should allow for interventions and accountability grade by grade. In addition to college preparedness, we must integrate skills and trade options for work force readiness.
Should the state convene a constitutional convention to investigate resolving budget problems with TABOR, Amendment 23 and the Gallagher Amendment?
No.
How would you judge the performance so far of Gov. Bill Ritter?
We disagree on policy particularly in regards to creating a business friendly state and opportunity for working families and the use of higher taxes as a tool to solve to the state’s problems. My philosophy is that the people can manage their lives, businesses and health care better than the government can. The role of government is to do for the people what they absolutely cannot do on their own and lower taxes afford families more disposable income to help them perpetuate their own economic success. |
