I would never try to
tell you how to vote, but I am often asked how I am going to vote. I've
put quite a bit of research and thought into several of the candidates and ballot
issues in 2018.
I don't choose my elected officials based on my feelings or their personality but rather their views on the issues and how they will either advance or inhibit our freedoms and liberties. On judges, I look for judges who are fair and do their best to follow the law and the Constitution – and ones who do not legislate from the bench. It is so important to vote for Walker Stapleton for Governor as any judge that may not be retained will be replaced by the new governor. Jared Polis would appoint even more extreme, liberal judges than the ones that would be replaced. These recommendations are my personal recommendations and do not reflect the position of my employer. Please make sure you vote. If you have any questions about your ballot, please call the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's office at (719)575-VOTE (8683) or click here to learn more information.
Here are my recommendations:
5th
Congressional District – Doug Lamborn
Colorado
Governor/Lieutenant Governor – Walker Stapleton/Lang Sias
Secretary
of State – Wayne Williams
State
Treasurer – Brian Watson
Attorney
General – George Brauchler
CU Regent
at Large – Ken Montera
CU Regent,
5th Congressional – Chance Hill
Colorado Supreme Court
Justice
Richard L. Gabriel – No
Colorado Court of Appeals Judge
Judge John
Daniel Dailey – Yes
Judge
Rebecca Rankin Freyre – No
Judge
Elizabeth L. Harris – No
Judge
David J. Richman – Yes
District Court Judge- 4th
Judicial District
Judge Eric
Bentley – No
Judge
Linda Margaret Billings-Vela – Yes
Judge Jill
M. Brady – Yes
Judge
Robert L. Lowrey – Yes
Judge
Timothy Schutz – Yes
Judge
Larry Edward Schwartz – Yes
Judge
Scott A. Sells – Yes
Judge
David L. Shakes – Yes
El Paso County Court Judges
Judge
Christopher Edward Acker – Yes
Judge
Lawrence D. Martin – Yes
Judge
Douglas J. Miles – Yes
Judge Ann
M. Rotolo – Yes
State Measures
Amendment V (Lower Age Requirement
for State Legislature) – No
·
Experience matters. Think of all the issues you viewed one way
when you were 21, but now hold a different view. Life’s experiences have a way of teaching us
the real truths in life. No compelling
reason to change the age requirement.
Amendment W (Election Ballot Format
for Judicial Retention Elections) – No
·
This change only makes it easier for
judges to be retained and insulated from voters. The current system is clear and easy to
understand. No need to change.
Amendment X (Industrial Hemp
Definition) – Yes
·
This has nothing to do with legalized
marijuana. I am opposed to legalized
marijuana and would do nothing to aid that industry. This would bring Colorado’s definition of
industrial hemp (a legal agricultural product used for rope, oils, etc.) in
line with the federal farm bill. It also
takes the definition out of the Colorado Constitution and puts it back in the
legislature’s jurisdiction where it belongs.
We shouldn’t define “hemp” in our Constitution.
Amendment Y (Congressional
Redistricting) – Yes
·
Politicians shouldn’t be allowed to pick
their voters and that is exactly what has been happening in Colorado. While Y and Z are not perfect, they are a
great improvement from the current politically charged process – where Republicans
have no chance of a fair process. Y and
Z removes the redistricting and reapportionment processes out of the hands of
politicians and judges and makes it less partisan and based more on community
interest. For Republicans in El Paso county,
they should support these initiatives.
They will make House District 18 and Senate District 11 less
gerrymandered and more representative of the conservative values of our
community.
Amendment Z (Legislative
Redistricting) – Yes
·
See arguments for Amendment Y. Y is for Congressional Redistricting and Z is
for the state legislature.
Amendment A (Prohibit Slavery and
Involuntary Servitude) – Yes
·
This is an archaic provision in our Constitution. Slavery has no place in Colorado. Remove it from our Constitution.
Amendment 73 (Tax Increase for
Public Schools) – No
·
Another teacher’s union grab for your hard-earned
tax dollars with no accountability.
Amendment 74 (Compensation for
Reduction in Fair Market Value by Government)– No
·
I have struggled with Amendment 74 more
than any other proposal this year. While
I am a strong supporter of property rights, this Amendment goes too far. It will cause frivolous lawsuits to be filed
against government and you – the taxpayer- will pay for them. Let’s come back next election year with a
better crafted proposal that protects private property rights and our wallets
as taxpayers.
Amendment 75 (Campaign
Contributions) – Yes
·
This amendment gives average candidates a
fighting chance against ultra-wealthy candidates like billionaire Jared Polis. While campaign finance laws are restrictive and
limit what a candidate can receive, they don’t limit guys like Polis from
putting millions of their own money into their campaign. This amendment would raise the campaign
limits by five times for any candidate whose opponent puts $1 million or more
of their own money into their campaign.
Stop billionaire Jared Polis and give the common man or woman a fighting
chance against them and their deep pockets.
Proposition 109 (Authorize Bonds
for Highway Projects) – Yes
·
While I don’t like debt, this proposition
is a good one. It fixes specific highway
projects WITHOUT raising taxes and it forces the state to use the funds to fix
roads instead of spending it on their other pet projects like expanding
Medicaid and bankrupting our state.
Proposition 110 (Sales Tax Increase
for Transportation Projects) – No
·
Another Hickenlooper inspired tax increase
because instead of fixing roads, they expanded Medicaid and spent the money
foolishly on expanded government benefits.
Don’t reward bad behavior on their part by giving them more money. Like children, they’ll just ask for more down
the road.
Proposition 111 (Limitations on
Payday Loans) – No
·
I love it when well-to-do liberals tell
others how to live their lives and that’s exactly what this does. It sure is easy for people with easy lives
and good credit who can go to a bank and get a loan to improve their lives to
want to limit others on the bottom of the economic scale from getting
loans. I’m not a fan of payday loans –
and I would never use the service – but I don’t have to. To some people, this is the only opportunity
they have to get ahead. It is a
legitimate business that allows some people to get by and pay their bills and
it isn’t my place (or government’s place) to regulate them out of existence and
onto the streets.
Proposition 112 Increased Setback
Requirement for Oil & Natural Gas Development) – No
·
Plain and simple, this will kill economic
development in Colorado. Designed by
radical environmentalists, this extreme setback initiative would shut down oil
and gas development in Colorado and kill thousands of jobs – taking the food
off the table of hard-working Colorado families.
