What makes you more qualified than your opponent?
Currently retired, I spent over 25 years in the telecommunication industry and 15 years as an IT project manager. I bring managerial and organizational abilities to represent Aurora residents in House District 42.
Should the state revisit sentencing restrictions to reduce prison spending?
Yes. This is one of those areas where our spending priorities are all mixed up. The State of Colorado currently spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on corrections. In fact, each incarcerated individual costs the state $28,000 per year. The “lock them up industry” has to be curtailed. Continually building new prisons is the wrong approach. We need to look at sentencing guidelines and why we lock up so many people for non-violent or victimless crimes.
Would you support an expansion of the state’s public school voucher program?
Yes. Choice is a good thing. The amount of money that federal, state, and local governments provide to schools in House District 42, ranges from $9,000 to almost $12,000 per year, per pupil. Parents should have the choice of where and what type of school their children can attend. Parents should not be held hostage to only having government schools available to them. Parents should be given the money directly, or in a voucher form to spend on any type of school they choose. Just think what the ramifications would be if government was removed from your child’s education. Parents would be free to spend their allocated money on private education or private tutors. Taxpayers would no longer be responsible for maintaining government school buildings, paying government employees or paying for retired government employee benefits.
Should Colorado pursue a four-day work week for state employees as a way of conserving energy and reducing energy bills?
No. Our state government should be more creative when it comes to efficiently managing the workforce and going to a four day week will short change the taxpayers of this state.
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?
One of the legitimate functions of state government is to ensure a robust transportation network. Since the majority of the states residents and the residents of HD 42 rely on the automobile, the focus should be on maintaining and expanding our tax supported highway and road network. Diversion of time and money on toll road schemes and trolley cars is not what the folks in House district 42 want. It seems like we will have to move heaven and earth just to get an additional lane added to interstate 225. When we are taxed nearly 50 cents on every gallon of gasoline we buy, we ought to be able to upgrade one of our core interstates in Aurora. We should make sure that all gasoline taxes collected from Colorado motorists be spent on road construction and maintenance and not politician pet projects like bike trails, etc.
Should the state increase taxes on gas and oil production in Colorado?
No. Each year, Colorado collects hundreds of millions of dollars from the energy industry in extraction taxes. This money is doled out by the Department of Local Affairs, with minimal oversight. I believe some of this money should be allocated to the local communities who are being disrupted by the extraction process. Schools, roads, fire departments, and other infrastructures need these funds. The remaining portion ought to be directly provided to each Colorado taxpayer. As residents of this state, the individual taxpayers ought to share in the wealth being generated by this industry. The State of Alaska is an example of a state that shares its mineral wealth with its citizens. Each year, residents of Alaska receive a state check as a percent of the royalties obtained from the oil industry.
How do you think Colorado unions would see you as a candidate? Pro-union or anti-union?
I doubt that unions would support me.
Above all, what one thing should the state do to improve student performance in public schools?
The state already provides approximately $6,800 per pupil, per year. The state ought to hold the school districts feet to the fire, requiring them to pursue continuous improvement in student performance.
Should the state convene a constitutional convention to investigate resolving budget problems with TABOR, Amendment 23 and the Gallagher Amendment?
No. As tempting as it is to “clean up” the constitution, my concern is that the strict limits placed on government spending would be eroded.
How would you judge the performance so far of Gov. Bill Ritter?
Since Gov. Ritter is a Democrat, his performance has been about what I expected. He continues to deliver to the specials interests of the Democrat party. |
