Tracey Bernett

Comment: This is an issue I have not studied in detail, so I am wary of answering this question by simply supporting or opposing it. I do not believe $12/hour or even $15/hour is a living wage for many parts of Colorado. I certainly would not support allowing an employer to deduct more than $3.02/hour in tip income. Moreover, I would like to understand more about how this system ensures workers are indeed being compensated the full minimum wage rate.

Comment: I had my own consulting business (i.e., contract work) but was fortunate enough to have adequate savings and also be married to a spouse who worked for a large corporation with generous benefits. I became President of the OUR Center board of directors, a Longmont homelessness prevention organization, at the start of the Great Recession, when we helped over 16,000 families stay in their homes. There were many instances of hard working people at risk for losing their homes because of a medical emergency, job loss and other challenges. I believe all workers should have access to affordable benefits that help them keep a roof over their heads and their families fed. That is why I also support paid family leave and sick leave.

Comment: I believe the role of government is to protect citizens’ health and safety, and to protect them from fraud, abuse, corruption, and unethical retaliation by employers. Whistleblower protection is an important tool to ensure this.

Comment: For years, I have called for eliminating TABOR, or at a minimum, reform it so that it is more equitable (such as Fair Tax Colorado), less complicated and more efficient. I am in favor of considering any strategy to increase state revenues because current revenues, even before the pandemic, were wholly inadequate. I would expect that decoupling state from federal taxes and increasing corporation taxes would probably be subject to TABOR restrictions. TABOR aside, I would need to understand the impact on businesses and the economy before taking a definitive stance on this issue. As a small business owner (subchapter S corporation), I think it is important to recognize that not all corporations are large businesses with healthy balance sheets, large cash flows and easy access to capital, so corporate tax policy needs to take this into consideration.

Comment: TABOR strangles the ability for Colorado’s state and local governments to provide the services citizens want and what Colorado needs to prosper in the long term. For years, I have called for eliminating TABOR, or at a minimum, reform it so that it is more equitable (such as Fair Tax Colorado), less complicated and more efficient. I am in favor of considering any strategy to increase state revenues because current revenues, even before the pandemic, were wholly inadequate. I also do not believe tax policy should be embedded in the constitution, because revising it to address unintended consequences is exceedingly difficult to do.

Comment: Our national and state healthcare systems are fundamentally broken, inefficient, costly, and often result in substandard outcomes, especially for people of color, low income and/or disabled. The public option is one step forward in addressing the lack of access to affordable health insurance, especially in rural areas where there is often only one insurance provider offering coverage at a cost that is out of reach for many residents.

Comment: I’m allergic to bees. Several years ago, I walked away from paying $600 for my epi pen prescription refill. In addition, I used to get one of my asthma medications from Canada, but the current administration shut down that option. Outrageous prescription drug prices is just one of the reasons our healthcare system is broken. Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. No one should have to choose between paying bills and healthcare.

Comment: I don’t think this is a completely simple yes or no answer. Businesses should be held accountable for unsafe working conditions for their employees, especially during a pandemic. I also expect it may be difficult in some instances to determine where or how an employee got sick. While I think it would be wise to have some protections from frivolous lawsuits in the middle of an economic crisis, I do not believe businesses should be granted immunity from all lawsuits.

Comment: I think Colorado leads the nation in many ways in voter access, including for people of color and low income, because all ballots are mailed to voters, and because voters can either vote in person, drop off their ballots, or mail them back in. The Colorado Secretary of State has greatly increased the number of ballot drop boxes this year and improved access for underserved communities such as native Americans, as well as instituted the ability for all voters to track their ballots. However, I expect no system is perfect, and would support any additional measures that would ensure all voters have adequate access to vote.

Comment: Based on an article published by the Colorado Fiscal Institute, I am wary of supporting a Constitutional Convention, because it appears to not have any specific rules, especially regarding how each state would be represented, and because of concern over the influence of well-funded special interest groups.

Comment: I support campaign contribution limits on all candidates running for office. There is too much money in politics already, money that would be better spent on addressing many issues Colorado faces.