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?
Support
Comment: Waiter and Waitress tips are earned income due to labor and employment. They should be reported and aggregated into the formula for minimum wages and also taxed at the appropriate tax rates based on the existing tax code.
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? Oppose
Comment: Contract workers can and do make a large sum of money over a short period of time. the times when they are waiting for their next contract should not be a unemployment insurance or worker's compensation burden on the business community or the state of Colorado during these times. Further burden comes from many Employers who have to pay for the unemployment insurance or workers compensation premiums for these contract workers. This will create greater financial liability burdens for Colorado businesses. The money does not fall from the sky and the state has passed these program costs directly on to the business community.
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: I support legislation the would protect whistleblowers but the framework and language of this legislation would be much different.
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: This just opens the door for more taxation from the state and a greater burden to all citizens and businesses many of which are also upended by the coronavirus pandemic. The citizens and businesses should not have a target on their backs for the state to take more money from them!
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: I oppose efforts to revise or repeal the TABOR law without similar protects being provided in future constitutional acts and without a a full understanding and vote of the Colorado citizenry
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: I voted against the bill for many reasons but primarily because I am strongly opposed to socialized medicine and government mandated and controlled medical insurance. The free market forces and companies operating in this environment with oversight by the state government is the answer not another gigantic government bureaucracy and another government program controlling this industry.
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: President Trump is already addressing a large part this issue but "Big Pharma" and the high cost drugs are a problem in our country today
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: Yes without question. We have already seen instances where a company was blamed for COVID contamination when the employees contracted the virus from their homes and brought it to work and now it becomes the companies fault.
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: Everyone is this country and this state can already register to vote at every County clerk and recorders office in every county in Colorado. This is a perceived problem looking for a solution and only fuels more racial division. Also, anyone can go to a voting station and vote in this state and this country. This notion and idea is ridiculous.
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? Support
Comment: I am a strong supporter of Article V.
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: There is way too much money being thrown at these school board elections in some front range school districts. When there is more money being spent on a school board election then in a state legislative race something is wrong with the system and this happens in Denver County.
