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A recent guest opinion titled “Bring Rep. Karen McCormick back to do critical work” has me somewhat confused. The House District 11 incumbent McCormick has consistently worked to make living in Colorado extremely more expensive and dangerous. She has voted down party lines 100% of the time. Is this the critical work that the opinion author is referring to?
Colorado ranks highest in auto-theft, bank robbery and has the highest inflation rate when compared to all other 49 states. We are second in fentanyl overdose and teen suicide. With a track record such as this, why would we want more of the same? The opinion author ascribes to the art of critical thinking, however, she does not seem to practice that herself when you consider how she cannot see how badly the Democrats in Denver have damaged the once beautiful state that we all love.
The author suggests that McCormick’s opponent, Tara Menza, is incapable of bringing new ideas to the table to address the problems faced by Longmont residents and Coloradans as a whole. Again, another example of the lack of critical thinking on the author’s part. It is the legislation passed by Democrats like McCormick, that have created much of the problems we face today. Menza does not see a need to create new legislation to reduce crime or increase affordability; she understands that in large part, what really needs to be done is to repeal all the bad laws the Democrats have put into place.
Democrat legislation has contributed to housing un-affordability with regulations and fees making up approximately 25% of the cost to build a home. Recently passed legislation such as Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions (HB22-1362), which requires the adoption of model energy codes, will create additional barriers to development that will make housing more expensive in Colorado. If the transition to solar and wind continues aggressively without affordability as a key consideration, Democrats will continue to make housing less affordable and further out of reach for many homebuyers and renters which will severely impact the state’s economy.
Crime in Colorado is getting out of control and there are calculable reasons why this is occurring. When you enact laws that reduce felony crimes into misdemeanors, or release criminals back onto the streets because of short-sighted bail reforms. Soft-on-crime legislation has made our communities more dangerous, it also neuters law enforcement agencies who work hard to take the bad guys off the streets. Law Enforcement retirements are up, and recruitment is down; most agencies are working short-staffed causing delays in 911 response times and cops are burdened by having to work harder to hold the fort down.
It is my hope that you exercise critical thinking much better than the author has, a vote for Karen McCormick is a vote for the same governance that is taking Colorado down the road where it will resemble California, and which is also taking Longmont down the road where it will resemble Aurora. Vote for Tara Menza, she will legislate to stimulate growth and profitability with fewer regulations, lower taxes, and reduced fees. Tara will be tough on crime and stand with law enforcement. This is what Longmont and Colorado needs right now, not more of the same.
George Tristan
