On The Issues
Colorado Workers and Economy
1
This year, Colorado raised the state minimum wage to $12/per hour. However, no more than $3.02/per hour in tip income may be used to offset the minimum wage of tipped employees. Do you support or oppose action changing how tip income is treated for minimum wage purposes and why?
Oppose
Comment: Oppose raising minimum wage...all minimum wage jobs are not tip-dependent. Higher minimum wage prevents youth from entering the work force, and cuts back on employee hours which affect owners' overhead.
2
A 2018 NPR/Marist poll revealed 20 percent of all American workers are contract workers hired to work on a specific project or for a fixed period of time. Do you support or oppose action that would provide gig economy workers access in Colorado to unemployment benefits, workers compensation, etc., and why? Support
Comment: Much depends on how the bill is written. Many workers are gig workers...if it could be shown that they work over 80% of the year, for instance, I would include them. If they only work 20% of a year, probably wouldn't include. Much input needed if a bill is crafted.
3
This summer, Governor Polis signed into law a bill that prevents an employer from discriminating, retaliating, or taking adverse action against any worker who raises a concern about workplace health and safety practices or hazards related to a public health emergency. Do you support or oppose enacting similar legislation to protect whistleblowers who sound the alarm about waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety from employer retaliation? Support
Comment: As a victim (retaliation) for reporting bad unsafe hospital care, I am sympathetic to that cause.
Revenue/Taxes
4
The coronavirus pandemic has upended state budgets across the country, including Colorado’s. Do you support or oppose efforts to decouple state taxes from federal taxes and change how Colorado taxes corporations to responsibly raise revenue and why?Oppose
Comment: "responsibly raise revenue" is an oxymoron. If corporations are taxed, the price increase rolls downhill to the consumer.
5
The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) prohibits Colorado from raising taxes without voters’ consent. TABOR also prohibits Colorado from establishing a rainy day fund to weather tough economic times. Colorado’s spending on essential services like education and transportation has lagged behind the state’s economic and population growth. Colorado ranks 47th in the nation in per pupil spending. The state also currently lacks funds to enforce labor and other laws in any meaningful way. Do you support or oppose efforts to revise or get rid of TABOR and why? Oppose
Comment: Tabor has kept our state solvent versus others, such as California and Illinois. It's very difficult to argue those pro-spending points without specifics. Per pupil spending is only one factor in producing good education. Look at Baltimore, for example.
Quality and Affordable Healthcare
6
This year, lawmakers introduced legislation to create a public health insurance option for our state. Do you support or oppose creating a public option in Colorado and why? Oppose
Comment: We have Medicaid for low income people. A public option would compete with standard insurance. And government (be it Colorado Medicaid, or Medicare) doesn't really compensate doctors fairly...it's comparable to getting gasoline for 50 cents a gallon and having the state claim that they are paying fairly. I don't believe legislators (Colorado or national) understand how poorly they pay physicians, who now have to race around giving less time to patients, instead of being able to take enough time to discuss their problems. But we do need a high risk pool, and several govt plans (NOT primary insurance). There are many factors to consider in this complicated and very important part of life...I have ideas to cut costs for people/potential patients. A big mountain in creating a health care system is to make it seamless to the patient, with transparent pricing.
7
One 2018 survey of Colorado adults found that more than half (53%) reported being either “worried” or “very worried” about affording the cost of prescription drugs. Do you support or oppose policies that would make prescription drugs more affordable and why? Support
Comment: Many glitches in the system have been found, and many can be corrected. Steve House, running for CD 6, is an expert on this.
Keep Communities Safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic
8
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some states and localities rushed to grant businesses immunity from civil lawsuits related to the coronavirus. Do you think businesses should be shielded from lawsuits related to COVID-19? Support
Comment:
Voting Access and Constitutional Reform
9
Do you think Colorado should take additional action to protect low-income and voters of color access to vote? Oppose
Comment: Just what do you claim are any barriers to casting a vote? But I want to be sure that my vote counts and is not countered by an illegal vote. And why does this claim that voters of color are somewhat inferior and can't easily vote?
10
In past years, legislators have introduced legislation calling for an Article V constitutional convention to address a number of reforms. Do you support or oppose legislation calling for an Article V constitutional convention? Oppose
Comment:
11
This year, lawmakers introduced legislation that would place for the first time campaign contribution limits on school board candidates. Do you support or oppose this legislation and why? Support
Comment: Such legislation applies to most races already.
