Our Question of the Month

Please tell me who you are. If you have time, please tell me why you feel this way.

Quick Poll

The governor, aka the “Taxinator,” has just signed SB-108 which is known up in Denver as F.A.S.T.E.R. This transportation bill will raise $250 million per year by significantly raising vehicle registration fees. Many auto registration fees will rise by $31 this year…and increase by over 30% by 2011. As if fees on cars are not high enough, fees on motorcycles go up by $29 and fees on heavy duty trucks go up by a Whopping $71. WOW! If you have larger, heavier vehicles, the fees will go up even more. Last but not least, an additional car rental fee of $2.00 per rental will be assessed on every rental. This new fee will make Denver’s car rental fees the 3rd highest in the nation. As your Representative, I voted NO on SB-108. I couldn’t justify dramatically increasing these outrageous fees in the midst of a recession. While I want to support our transportation needs, this bill is not the way to do it.

Speaking of transportation and taxation, I have proposed a bill to allow the various RTA’s in the State of Colorado to be able to ASK their voters PERMISSION to fund their construction and transportation needs with a very modest property tax increase. I want to be perfectly clear: the RTA’s of Colorado have to have a vote by the people before a 5 mil property tax can be used to fund the RTA.

For those of us here in El Paso County, we have seen the positive results of the Pikes Peak RTA. The PPRTA has successfully completed, on time and under budget, such projects as Union and Fillmore, Union and Austin Bluffs interchanges, and the intersection of Constitution and North Circle Drive, just to name a few of its projects. HB-1034 is a permissive piece of legislation which allows the voters to weigh in on how their RTA is funded. The RTA has to make their case to its voters. If they can’t, then they don’t get any property tax funding. I believe this is a fair and forthright piece of legislation. I’d be interested in your thoughts. Also, for you information, this bill passed out the house 52-11.

As we all know, Colorado’s economy is in a sharp correction. If there is one industry which has been particularly hard hit, it is our home construction industry. Since 2005, housing starts are down over 75%, with no relief in sight. In my effort to help the home building industry, I introduced HB-1212. This bill would have given a reasonable, ONE TIME tax credit to home BUYERS for building a NEW home in Colorado. The rational being, as new home are built, trade people all over the construction industry are being employed, such as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. HB-1212 was a WIN-WIN-WIN situation. Homebuyers got an incentive to build a home, more people were employed with good, well paying jobs and the state, and local governments would get a boost from the increased economic activity, via sales taxes, use taxes, and various permit fees. HB-1212 was unanimously endorsed by the Joint Select Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth.

As reasonable as this bill was, it was killed on a straight party line vote by the Democrats in committee, 6-5. In fact, the deciding vote to kill the bill was one of our own local legislators, Representative Dennis Apuan, D-Colorado Springs. I was proud to carry a pro-economic growth bill to help the citizens through out El Paso County and our State.

Sources of Election and Legislative Information

At State Level

• This is the Secretary of State's Election Center.
• You can follow the Legislature here Colorado General Assembly.
• Here is the Colorado State Portal Colorado.

At County Level

• Here is El Paso County's Clerk and Recorder's Elections Department, where you'll find election information by precinct. You can check your registration data, register or change your data, determine what precinct you are registered in and where your caucus will be held
• Here is the El Paso Republican Party's website GOP El Paso, where you'll find election information by precinct. You can check your registration data, register or change your data, determine what precinct you are registered in and where your caucus will be held
• You can determine your precinct in at least two convenient ways.
• Call the El Paso Republican Party headquarters at (719) 578-0022
• Call the Elections Division at (719) 520-6226
• You will find precinct maps here.