Foreclosures Bill (HB12-1156)

A new bill introduced by Rep. Beth McCann (D-Boulder) will make the foreclosure process in Colorado more transparent and more inclined to protect homeowners. The bill (HB 12-1156) will make it so that banks and other securities-holders that foreclose on a property will have to produce the actual documentation proving they have the right to foreclose.

Read the Denver Post article by clicking here.

This bill only serves to protect homeowners and other consumers that rent properties. In the recent housing crisis many mortgages and other securities traded hands between financial institutions and foreclosures were processed incorrectly as a result. This bill helps prevent foreclosures from being processed in error and also simply demands that factual information be gathered before a foreclosure is processed.

The downside I suppose is that it will be harder for banks to foreclose as quickly and there will be minor additional cost for them in the matter, but demanding better accounting practices and internal record keeping will be better for everyone in the long-run.

Civility in politics

There has been greater need in recent years to work on making politics more civil. My opponent in the state senate election, John Kefalas, even advocated for a formal agreement on civility between members of the Colorado General Assembly. For that effort he received both praise and criticism but I must say (even as his opposition) I think it was a bold and much needed effort. You probably are not going to see a less likely approval than one candidate saying to another, “Good thinking.”

All it takes is one example, one election, one set of candidates, one victory to prove that it can be done. We can agree that the issues are more important than the candidate, that the people we represent are more important than the political rivalries we agonize over election after election. It is insufferable that those rivalries are carried over from elections and into actual governing. Part of bringing an end to the cycle of dysfunctional politics is to restore civility in the process.

Since we must be the change we wish to see I thought I might start with this: John Kefalas is a good person. I have only briefly met him but, more importantly, I have been in a room with him a few times and it is clear that he is well respected. He has a good heart and he is committed to the things he believes in. Those beliefs include helping the most vulnerable among us, giving every child a world-class education, and protecting our state’s natural beauty. It is not that hard to drum up something kind to say in a campaign once in a while.

Civility in politics is long overdue. With few, if any, exceptions I can assure you that nobody gets into politics because they find it to be relaxing and filled with personal benefit. People want to make lives better, they want to see improvements or prevent mistakes. We will get better results from elected officials when we raise expectations instead of lowering them. At the moment it seems our expectations are so low we can barely see them anymore.

It is time we set a tone in public debates that brings out the best in us.

The voice of the people...

Although not a state issue I was glad to see so many people take notice of the SOPA/PIPA legislation in congress.

Whether you support or oppose SOPA/PIPA, this was a good example of the power of constituents to demand that leaders listen.

Read the aftermath story here.

I think the real lesson is that if we were more engaged in the day-to-day of congressional operations, then more attention would be given to the needs of the people and not the needs of political calculations.

I can appreciate that people may not be able to tolerate watching congressional news anymore... generally it is not inspiring us to run to our polling place anxious to vote. So we should applaud both sides for staying active and not just letting the moment pass. National debate is good.

My personal take on the issue is that piracy on the high seas of the internet is unfortunate and illegal and more should be done to protect intellectual and creative property. However, if we do not understand the full consequences of enacting legislation to prevent piracy we may want to hold off until experts and citizens weigh in. I find that legislative mistakes are easier to fix proactively rather than reacting to unintended consequences; I fail to see the great danger in patience on this issue.

We do not want to cultivate an internet culture in the United States that restricts the free flow of information or brings about a surge in lawsuits.

To close here are two quotes that I think are relevant to the situation:

"Vox populi, vox dei. The voice of the people is the voice of God."

"The internet is a series of tubes." ~ Senator Ted Stevens

Voluntary Spending Limits

When you file the paperwork to run for state offices in Colorado you have the option to accept spending limits for your campaign called (creatively enough) the “Voluntary Spending Limits.”

For a Colorado Senate campaign the voluntary limit is $102,500. Both the Democrat (John Kefalas) and Republican (Syndi Anderson) who are in the 14^th Senate District race with me did not accept the spending limits.

I plotted out a campaign budget getting everything I could dream of and I did not come anywhere close to the limit. Couple that with the fact that I don’t expect to raise six-figures to spend on the campaign…it became clear that there was absolutely no downside for me to accept the limit.

The benefits of accepting the limit, however, are numerous.

For one thing, we should question the wisdom of Mr. Kefalas and Mrs. Anderson and whether or not they think they can buy political office. I doubt that is their motivation, but someone should ask them why they want to spend that much money on their campaigns and why they do not want to adhere to spending limits.

The limits help make campaigns fair. Period. I don’t know Mrs. Anderson at all but John Kefalas has a solid reputation for fairness. I was actually disappointed that he did not want the limit, it’s frankly not his style.

However, John came through for me on another front. Because I accepted the limit and because he has raised 10% of the limit, the contribution limits for my campaign double. It’s a rarely used Colorado campaign finance law.

While that may sound pretty great at first, it actually just levels the playing field. The partisan candidates can receive (from individuals) $200 for the primary and $200 for the general election for a total of $400. If I had not accepted the limit I would have only been able to collect $200 for the general because, as an independent, I will not appear in a primary. Because I accepted the limit I can collect $400 for the entire campaign, which is the same limit as the other two candidates.

If you’re on the edge of your chair with this stuff I don’t blame you, it’s pretty exciting.

The moral of the story is that spending limits are good and I am comfortable being the candidate that does not think money should buy an election. Money has a place in the process, I want people to have the freedom to contribute and participate in the way that they want, but let us keep some perspective: a cap on how much we can spend is not related to how much people can donate. The spending limit only helps people mean more than money in an election. 

I am still waiting for a counter-argument to emerge. 

Governor Hickenlooper announces much needed cut of red tape...

Today Governor Hickenlooper announced much needed regulatory reform and "red tape reduction" for state government after listening to experts in the community. This is a great step toward businesses getting the freedom they need to grow while keeping our government strong.

Read the Governor's release by clicking here.

Read the entire government efficiency report by clicking here.

Better infrastructure and transit in Colorado

We have heard a great deal about high-speed rail being the answer to some of our infrastructure and transit needs. I hope that the day comes soon when we can realize the ambition of a more modern national rail system, but in the meantime I think we should look at a project that can serve and strengthen Colorado.

An intra-state bus system may not sound like the most exciting thing you’ve ever heard of, but I think we can make something that does us a tremendous good with low costs… something that could serve as a model for other states and help us gain a competitive edge.

What I envision is a network of cleaner energy buses established in a public/private partnership that connect the state from end-to-end and allow for our citizens and visitors to easily traverse all that Colorado has to offer. The system could be used by the average commuter, a CSU student returning home to Colorado Springs for the holidays, a family from Florida on a skiing vacation, someone just looking to avoid traffic, or a couple in Grand Junction trying to catch a flight at DIA or visit beautiful Fort Collins and its many trappings.

How could we do it and would anyone use it?

The idea is inspired by its many benefits: (1) help our citizens save money on rising fuel costs; (2) reduce traffic (and emissions) and the wear on our infrastructure; (3) add to a competitive plan for economic and infrastructure development; (4) connect and unite Colorado.

Through a joint public-private partnership, revenue from passenger fares, advertising sales on the vehicles and stations, federal grants and investment, and efficient thinking, we can fund such an endeavor without a gruesome burden on the taxpayer. I would not be in favor of this plan if it meant an outrageous money vacuum on the already strained state budget, and you can rest assured that if it did mean that it will never happen anyway.

So would anyone use it? That is the real trick. Many people do not like the idea of buses so you have to build a network of them that is safe, presentable, family-friendly, affordable, comfortable, and well-maintained. Not easily done.

You must also offer routes that people want and need. That means connecting to popular attractions like Rocky Mountain National Park or our major skiing destinations. It means connecting to airports, Union Station in Denver, Colorado State University, and that train in Durango everyone loves… all at the same time. It also means having the common sense to have service to Mile High Stadium arriving before a Broncos game that comes from destinations like Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Frisco. All of that is a tremendous undertaking.

In general we are talking about routes that cover major cities like Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Vail, Aspen, Estes Park, etc. We must also plan for a way to transfer to local transit systems in those cities, providing seasonal routes to major skiing and tourist destinations, providing service to major colleges and universities, and to Denver International Airport.

In theory you could land in Denver at DIA and take the “Colorado Express” to Grand Junction, or have a meeting in Denver that requires you to get from Greeley to Union Station so that you can hop on the RTD Light Rail. In the winter you will be able to take a fare from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to Winter Park. It means the rural Colorado family that never gets to go to the Garden of the Gods will be able to make the trip.

So what are the next steps?

Well if you want to talk to me about it and hear some of the minutiae of the plan -things like solar-powered stations, bids to put popular food vendors at major hubs, the ticket purchasing app for smart phones, or about all the jobs we can create with the project - let me know.

In the meantime (and here’s the catch) we need someone in the General Assembly that will help push for better infrastructure and transportation along with more efficient government spending. The first step is bringing together the experts in government, the private sector, and transit field to discuss the feasibility of such a plan. At the earliest I think you could get approval for it by 2014 or 2016.

Because it would be a public-private partnership, and private industry tends to move a lot quicker, I would hope that by 2024 the entire thing could be up-and-running.

Infrastructure is not a hot-button issue, it isn’t something we usually feel moved by, but imagine there being no limits to what is possible… what if we could invest in cleaner air, individual savings, safer roads, creating jobs, and bringing Colorado closer together all at the same?

We cannot say no to ideas because they would be hard.

The darker the night...

Colorado has a bright future ahead if we are willing to work hard for it.

We need small-businesses to open and thrive in Colorado. We need schools that prepare all of our citizens to compete in a global economy. We need real solutions for our energy needs, safer roads, and affordable health care, but most of all we need new ways of thinking.

We are proud of our state because of its people, not because of the political parties that occupy it. Though we can continue to bemoan the climate of politics and the inability of our officials to represent us well, it seems that sometimes we overlook the obvious solutions in favor of the comfortable failures. I have great faith in the people of Colorado to reverse this trend and demand better. 

On Wednesday morning I will take the next steps to announce my candidacy for the Colorado Senate. 

So far there are three people in the race, including myself. Conventional political wisdom is that you do not name your opponents for fear of giving them free publicity, but it is time that we not be afraid of what people might do if given the choice to vote for someone else. John Kefalas, a Democrat, and Syndi Anderson, a Republican, have declared their candidacy for the Colorado Senate 14th District, I encourage you to consider them moving forward. 

Although being an independent candidate is what some will call unorthodox it will not become the theme of the campaign. We have more important issues ahead of us than our tired political rivalries, it is long past time that we focus on solutions.

With your help a better tomorrow may be closer than we thought.