What makes you more qualified than your opponent?
I am a native of the Denver area who has lived in my Senate district for decades. It is where my husband and I raised our children and where I served for years on the board of the Cherry Creek School District. It is also where I served a lot of my current constituents as their representative in the state House, for three terms, before being elected as their senator in 2004. In other words, I know Senate District 27 and its unique concerns very well; it has been my home a long time.
Should the state revisit sentencing restrictions to reduce prison spending?
Only if it can be done without putting public safety at risk. I have not been in favor of some recent proposals to lower penalties for so-called “non-violent” offenders because—as authorities in the justice system will tell you—a technically non-violent offense for which an inmate might be serving time can mask a violent background. Drug-related crimes are often referred to as “victimless,” yet those involved in the drug trade frequently lead very violent lives. We do not want that violent element back on our streets and in our homes.
Would you support an expansion of the state’s public school voucher program?
There is currently no school-voucher program in effect in Colorado. However, in 2003, as chair of the House Education Committee, I carried into law an effort to provide voucher-type opportunity contracts to parents of at-risk children who are trapped in under-performing schools. The contracts would have helped fund tuition at private schools for those children, who usually come from low-income households. Sadly, foes of school choice sued and were able to stop the program in court on a legal technicality involving its funding source. I still believe strongly in that policy, but the good news is that so many other important, bipartisan education reforms have been implemented by the General Assembly in recent years. I am proud to have co-sponsored several of those reforms.
Should Colorado pursue a four-day work week for state employees as a way of conserving energy and reducing energy bills?
Only if it can be shown to produce real savings — and if it does not inconvenience taxpayers or otherwise limit their access to the state services that they pay for.
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?
We must make transportation spending a budget priority. Currently, it is not. Upgrades to our overburdened highway network are funded only if there is enough left over after other government programs get a share. We must make sure that highways are funded reliably and steadily regardless of the peaks and troughs in government revenue from one year to the next. One way to accomplish that might be to make a regular appropriation out of the state’s main operating budget. Another would be to designate a dedicated funding source, like revenue from auto-related sales taxes. I am open to wide-ranging innovative solutions.
Should the state increase taxes on gas and oil production in Colorado?
We must remember that revenue to the state already is rising dramatically from the taxes now in place on energy production. That is because energy exploration and development are booming in our oil-and-gas-rich state, and higher production means higher revenue to state government. Attempting to raise even more revenue by raising the tax rate itself could backfire: It could well discourage investment in new exploration—eventually leading to less, not more, revenue down the road.
How do you think Colorado unions would see you as a candidate? Pro-union or anti-union?
I hope they see me as pro-worker because I am for creating quality jobs that pay well. The way to bring more of those to Colorado is to ensure we have a business climate in which employers want to invest.
Above all, what one thing should the state do to improve student performance in public schools?
Above all else, parents must have meaningful options for educating their children if their neighborhood schools cannot meet their needs or their reasonable expectations. That is true whether a child is special-needs or gifted and talented, whether a child lives in a poor neighborhood or otherwise. Parents must have more meaningful options like charter schools, online learning and more curriculum options at traditional district schools.
Should the state convene a constitutional convention to investigate resolving budget problems with TABOR, Amendment 23 and the Gallagher Amendment?
No. A constitutional convention on such a topic would be impractical and unlikely to achieve the consensus needed to resolve differences over those policies. It also would open the door to wide-ranging mischief with our state’s constitution.
How would you judge the performance so far of Gov. Bill Ritter?
I am pleased at his administration’s support for some key education reforms we enacted this year, but I am disappointed at his failure to show leadership on breaking the gridlock over transportation funding. I also cannot fathom why he chose to bring unionized collective bargaining into state government at a time when taxpayers can least afford to inflate salaries for government employees. |
