Election Guide 2018: US House Representatives

Thomas grew up in Boulder and attended CSU in Fort Collins, earning a dual-degree. Thomas earned an International MBA from Hult Business School and an MA in Diplomacy & International Studies from DU’s Josef Korbel School. He has worked in everything from government, to education, to non-profits, to business. He’s collaborated with tech startups such as StQry, Dash Tickets, and Boulder’s Unreasonable Institute. He has also helped start several small businesses, from a video production company to the family real estate and property management business with locations across the state.

112: “I am the ONLY candidate to endorse 112. I believe the 2,500ft setback must be implemented and we must take bold action to get off hydrocarbons and on more renewables ASAP.”

73: “Amendment 73 isn’t perfect but its a step in the right direction. I support and endorse the measure. The system itself has a long way to go but given how crippled its been by repeated budget cuts we must begin by properly funding classrooms and paying teachers.”

109 & 110: “It’s absurd to pass any transportation budget for roads without incorporating money for mass transit. Otherwise, we are addressing problems and not the reasons we came to them. I support 110 and not 109.”

Housing: “Something that must be looked at on a case-by-case basis and enacting local control. For starters, those communities where developers don’t need build low income housing in new projects and can opt to pay a fee. The question of the Olympics is coming up, and I support it and would like to see these used as an excuse to build “Olympic Villages” which will be pre-designated as rent controlled low-income housing after the events.”

Renewable Energy: “A necessary and critical step forward as we do our part to address Climate Change caused by humans. I not only agree with this but would like to see our country re-engage with the Paris Climate Agreement.”

What else is important to you?: “Independent voters are the largest group at 209k registered voters. Independent voters don’t have to vote democrat out of fear a republican could win. I’m a member of the district reformers caucus that’s main goal is to get money out of politics. We need to deal with climate change. It’s a massive concern and we are already feeling the impact. Infrastructure is a huge concern.”

Joe Neguse (D)

Joe’s a first generation American and son of African refugees, not a typical candidate for Congress. He wants to represent the people of the Second District and fight for shared values. Neguse has extensive public policy experience, having served as an elected CU Regent for six years and as the leader of Colorado’s consumer protection and civil rights agency.

112, 73, 110: For. 

Renewable Energy: He believes climate change poses an existential threat, and supports decisive and comprehensive action to protect our environment, including supporting a carbon tax as well as eliminating subsidies for fossil-fuel companies. He’s committed to fulfill Colorado’s pledge to be 100% renewable energy dependent. He feels it’s critical we protect our treasured public lands and open spaces, He’ll champion the Continental Divide & Camp Hale Legacy Act. He’d sponsor the Keep It In The Ground Act (which would ban fracking on all Federal public lands) if elected.

Education: Lastly, he believes we need to pay our educators the professional salaries they deserve, increase federal Title I funding for low-income students and federal Title II funding for teacher training, and hold Betsy Devos’ Department of Education accountable.

Other important issues: He’s the only candidate to support a $15 minimum wage and universal health care which he believes are essential to provide low and middle income families the resources needed to thrive in our modern economy and to be able to afford the cost of living here in this district.

Roger Barris (L)

Barris has a BA in Economics (summa cum laude) and an MBA in Finance (High Distinction) from leading schools. He’s had a very successful career as an investor and entrepreneur, including the co-founding of his own company. Having lived in multiple countries, which has allowed him to see directly the results of good policies and bad ones. 

112: “Eventually, we will be able to use renewables for the bulk of our energy needs, but these are not reliable or cheap enough. Until then, natural gas (derived from fracking) is an important transition fuel that’s safe, clean, and economical.”

73:  Opposed to Amendment 73. “The problem isn’t money, it’s monopoly. We have greatly increased spending per pupil, yet test scores are flat. Because the public school system, like every monopoly, costs too much and produces too little. We need to introduce widespread school choice through vouchers, charter schools and/or education savings accounts.”

109 &110: Opposed to Prop 110 and in favor of Prop 109. “Politicians hold our children and communities hostage while demanding higher taxes. Prop 109 would force politicians to make choices and prioritize fixing our roads. Prop 110 would succumb to said demands.”

Housing: “The only reason for the housing affordability problem: overly restrictive zoning and other regulations which prevent the development. This is simple supply and demand. The supply is restricted by bad policy which translates into higher prices/rents. Texas is a case study of fast growth without our problems due to flexible housing regime.”

Renewable Energy: Transition to renewables should occur in accordance with incentives, rather than regulations. Favors a revenue-neutral carbon tax to create incentives for conservation and development of alternatives. Once incentive is in place, no reason to keep other regulations or subsidies, all should be repealed.

Other issues: End the wars: they don’t make us safer, in fact the opposite. Cut taxes and spending, because a tax cut without spending cuts is a charade. Make the federal government so small we don’t have to fight over it.

Kevin Alumbaugh (Green Party)

112: “I support Proposition 112. I would prefer to see the Community Rights Amendment pass so local communities could decide whether they want fracking wells in their neighborhoods but regulating setbacks is a minimal degree of self-determination that local communities should have to circumvent Colorado state law that favors the interests of the oil and gas industry over the interests of private citizens.”

73: “I support Amendment 73 and increased funding of public education. I support the position of the Colorado Education Association in providing better salaries for teachers. The efforts to privatize education through vouchers by Betsy DeVos undermines the quality of public education and must be stopped. I also support free college tuition and forgiveness of student debt.”

109 & 110: “Rather than funding the construction of more roads and bridges I would rather see all future expenditures for transportation infrastructure be directed towards the expansion of free public transit.”

Housing: I support local and/or state rent control with caps on rent based on individual and/or family income as well as rent and mortgage subsidies funded by construction fees and taxes on developers. I also support raising the limits for the number of units in housing co-ops and sweat equity programs especially for the improvement of blighted urban neighborhoods.

Renewable Energy:  I emphatically support 100% reliance on renewable energy by 2041 or sooner if possible. We need to wake up to our climate catastrophe immediately to have any hope of an acceptable quality of life or even the survival of future generations. We suffer from the “boiling frog syndrome” in which we conduct business as usual and burn fossil fuels at an alarming rate. Our environment is the boiling pot and at some undetermined point, likely sooner than later, we will reach the point of no return.

Peter Yu (R)

Yu is from a family that immigrated in 1959. “Part of why I’m running is because of my family’s story, when we grew up and came to America with no money and didn’t speak the language– we just had a very basic job lined up for us when we got here. And growing up in poverty, proud of how this country took us in, and how all 7 children, 5 of which got college degrees, are doing very well in life. And we know how lucky we are to be in this country we’re extremely thankful and I sit there and I’ve had a chance to reflect on what would’ve been the alternative if we didn’t come to America.”

Would we be one of those families that are living on, you know 2 dollars a day? An instead we’re in America, and all 7 children are doing well, their own homes, have families and are standing on our own two feet. And that’s part of the reason why I am running, because I think it’s important, that all Americans have a moral obligation not just to take care of our current generation, but our future generations as well.

I’ll be able to go with a track record of handling million dollar budgets and managing thousands of employees across many states where I actually had to show results and produce, and create jobs and revenue, for businesses that I’ve worked and I do believe that would be a great transition over into the political world.

112:Against. “I’ve spent the last five years of my life working in renewable energy, I care about it just as much as anyone else out there. In fact I left a very lucrative career in the renewable solar industry. But the one thing I’ve learned is that, talking to thousands of people, and it’s arguable, I’ve had a hand in putting more solar in more roofs in Colorado than anyone else in state, so when it comes to this industry it’s very important to me. “

“[112] would cripple our electric bills, it would eliminate an amount of 150,000 jobs. The biggest factor is not only in regard to our revenue but in regards to our budgets. It would also eliminate $9 billion dollars worth of tax leverage. What people don’t realize is that we have so many things that are funded. I like to use La Plata county as an example in southwest Colorado, it has oil restrictions that are so stringent that oil and gas are almost non-existent there. And their budget used to be 29.4 million dollars a year but because of that fact that oil and gas are no longer there, their budget is 14.9 million dollars, it’s been cut in half. Because of that, they don’t have money for senior citizen programs, they are losing money given to schools, they are losing jobs left and right, and that’s the reason why I can’t support this program. ” 

73: Against. “The reason why is because I’m not supporting more tax increases. The reason why is when there is tax increase, which would then put us in a situation where we would lose…So in Colorado they’ve increased the education budget for the last eight years in a row. This year we’ve actually had one of our largest increases that just happened here in April. And right now, according to CBS 4 news, Colorado spends $273,000 per 21 student classrooms. That comes out to being $13,000 per student. What I wonder about is that this amount per classroom, if the average teacher paid in Colorado earns $52,000 where does the other quarter of a million dollars go?”

Prop 109 & 110: “I support more of 109, and the reason why is because the economy in Colorado is booming right now. Revenue is not an issue right now, we’re losing more money through tax revenue than we’ve ever had in the history of our state.  So why are we needing to raise taxes again in regards to 110.”

Major issues: “Healthcare is the number one issue, just so you know. When the affordable care act came out in 2011, since that time frame, the cost of health insurance premiums have basically been tripling in the state of Colorado. We have $6,000 deductibles… I’ve talked to hundreds of doctors and I’ve talked with people from overseas, in Canada and England and I do not want a government bureaucrat telling me what medical treatment I can and can’t receive. There’s a million people on waiting lists for surgeries in these countries. If insurance is so great in Canada, why do 52,000 Canadians and pay cash when they already have insurance? Why did the ministry of health in Canada allocate $100 milllion to redirect their citizens to the US for treatments because they can’t take care of them? These are things we need to be aware of. (rambles minutes from 17/18 minutes to 21 minutes) …We need to stop giving out empty promises and actually be able to relay detailed plans.

Would you have voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh?  “I would, yes. With that statement, let me say something else okay? I want to make this very clear, I consider sexual harassment and rape the worst crimes in America. I believe they’re a crime worse than murder. Because, you know the victim has to suffer through the mental anguish after the offense, okay. Now here’s the thing about this, we’re going on a very slippery slope. We’re at a place, in America, you have to prove your innocence, you are innocent until proven guilty. It’s not to say that I don’t believe what’s going on with Christine Blasey Ford, or anything like that. However, we can’t be in a situation where someone can wake up in the morning whether it’s a man or woman, whether it’s you or me, whoever it may be. We can just wake up that morning, thinking our life is great and all of the sudden a simple accusation can change all that. We need to be cognizant of that cause this can happen to anybody.”

“Why am I running, and obviously our country’s at a point right now where it’s very polarizing, I think we’re a bit divided. And as a minority, it’s important to me that I help unite our country, stop with the hate and the rhetoric, and be able to eliminate the finger pointing, eliminate the name calling, in the hopes that we can work together.”

ENDORSEMENT FOR JOE NEGUSE:ENDORSEMENT: JOE NEGUSE
With hesitation. We expect Joe is going to win, as the favored democrat candidate, but his unwillingness to endorse 112 (though saying he will vote for it) is antithetical to the facts and the subsequent action demanded at a time when global scientific consensus is that we have 12 years to avert inevitable climate catastrophe. We expect more. That said, he has the most policy depth and experience, incredible command of the issues, and is our choice for US House District 2. We leaned heavily toward Nick Thomas at first, but opted for the clear choice for effective leadership