Issues

How is the economy working for our young adults?

• Higher education costs are out of control. The average private school costs $80K all-in (tuition, housing, books, etc.) for a single year. The University of Colorado-Boulder estimates expenses all-in for in-state, lowest-tier tuition at $32K per year. Pikes Peak State College is a bit more budget friendly with an annual estimated cost of $24K. At the same time, minimum wage in Colorado is $14.42. No kid is going to work their way through higher education. The math just doesn't work. Either a relative or guardian is covering the cost or the student is going into major debt. This is no way to start out life economically.

• The job market is treacherous. I've watched my smart, well-educated, hard-working children and their peers struggle for 6 months or more to find a job upon college graduation. Others have it much worse.

• Housing prices in Colorado Springs have sky-rocketed in recent years, putting home ownership out of reach for many, increasing the cost of renting and pushing some into homelessness. We need more affordable housing options.

• American healthcare is among the most expensive in the world because we pay for it in an extremely inefficient way. Further, it's not accessible to all.
   

Reasonable minds can disagree as to what the American Dream is or should be but I think we can all agree it's no longer available to our children like it was to previous generations.

We owe it to our children to fix this.

We live in an increasingly connected, technical world. Access to reliable, high-speed internet is a basic infrastructure need for every day life regardless of zip code.

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The Front Range and especially Colorado Springs is growing massively. Colorado Springs is predicted to become the largest city in Colorado by 2035.

I applaud the good work of the federal, state and local governments for the passage and deployment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. 

However, given our level of growth and the slow infrastructure progress in previous decades, there is still much work to be done in Colorado, especially in the area of public transportation. Travel along the front range, between Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo, and within the city of Colorado Springs is inconvenient and inefficient. We can do better.

As an avid skier, hiker and lover of nature, some might call me a tree-hugger.

But first and foremost, I'm practical. Fossil fuels and coal are expensive, inefficient and polluting. Fossil fuels are especially expensive if you consider subsidies to oil companies and the need to protect oil sources abroad militarily.

Although coal seems to be going the way of the dodo bird (goodbye Martin Drake!), we, as a nation, are still extremely dependent on fossil fuel consumption. We must seek out and embrace alternative forms of energy that cost us less in terms of dollars, natural resources and human health. It just makes economic sense. 

As such, I'm in favor of policies that promote wise energy use from alternative sources. As the new owner of a fully electric vehicle, I look forward to continued growth of Colorado's charging infrastructure.

Last, but not least, clean, safe water is among our most precious resources in Colorado. We must protect and conserve it for future generations.

All growth and infrastructure expansion discussed in the previous section must include good stewardship of our environment and natural resources, ensuring Colorado and Colorado Springs retain their high quality of life.

Our district is located largely along the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), and as such, wildfires, like Waldo Canyon and the Black Forest fires, are the single biggest risk to our life, property and local economy.

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We must prevent fire as much as possible through mitigation and awareness education. However, should fire occur, we must detect and react quickly. Further, safe and timely evacuation routes must be planned and well communicated to at-risk neighborhoods.

Democracy requires an educated populace to function well. This is why we have public education in the United States.

• I believe that any education funded by tax payers must serve this need first and foremost. As such, any curriculum funded by tax payers MUST be built on the consensus of subject matter experts.

• As a pubic good, public education must serve all children regardless of economic, cultural,  ethnic or intellectual differences.
  As the parent of two highly intelligent children, both with ADHD and one with dyslexia, I understand one size does not fit all.

• We must pay our teachers and treat them as the valuable professionals they are.

Medical decisions including those surrounding pregnancy must be made by the woman, in consultation with her doctor and any additional counseling or stakeholders she chooses. The government and insurance companies should not be making medical decisions for women.

Attempts at limiting abortion timeframe have resulted in tragedy especially those with limitations only for the life of the mother. What about the health of the mother including future reproductive health? What about cruelty to the fetus by bringing the pregnancy to term?
This issue is far too complex for simple, across-the-board limitation.
Let the woman choose. Only she knows all the factors in her specific cases.

Stop trying to control women.