Nothing wrong with that — EXCEPT he already has a race in this week’s Primary to try to win and a Progressive base who have questions they’d like answered.

Nothing wrong with getting a picture taken with the Dalai Lama in Boulder — EXCEPT he could have, and should have, been in Washington’s historic Sit-In where the strong Democratic Party leaders were making an historic protest for gun-control legislation.

Nothing at all wrong with collecting 250,000 signatures to restrict fracking in Colorado — UNLESS you trade them to Gov. Hickenfracker for a handful of magic beans and they get thrown in the trash can.

Nothing wrong with helping constituents start new businesses and find new markets — UNLESS you choose to do so by supporting the TPP — yet another labor-busting, climate-cooking deeply flawed treaty drawn up in secret by corporations for corporations.

Nothing wrong with voicing mild support for putting a price on carbon and for removing the fossil fuel industry’s tax-payer funded subsidies — UNLESS you think that’s about all you have to do.

Nothing wrong with being the 2nd richest elected official in either house of Congress — UNLESS that great wealth neither allows you to spend your precious time raising campaign funds from those eager to give them (in exchange for favors, obviously), nor inspires you to use the influence provided by wealth to fight the disease of our government being taken over by wealth.

Nothing wrong with being a “Super” Delegate — UNLESS you use that extraordinarily undemocratic advantage to skew the primary process AND, when pressured to support the will of the people, your idea of a “compromise” is this: “If Hillary has the majority of pledged delegates at the national convention, I’ll cast my vote for Hillary, and if Bernie should have the majority of pledged delegates at the national convention (as he did in Colorado, we should mention, by nearly a 2 to 1 margin)… then I’ll just stay home.” And that’s a quote. Need I go on?

Write In Steven Todd for Congress in CD2 on June 28th.

StevenToddforCongress.com
Steven@Todd4Congress.com

Learn more at: StevenToddforCongress.com

Challenger Steven Todd answers Congressman Polis on Climate Change, Fracking and the TPP

Steven Todd is challenging incumbent Jared Polis in the Democratic Primary (June 28th) to represent Colorado’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The following Guest Opinion appeared in the June 19th edition of the Boulder Daily Camera as a response to the Guest Opinion offered by Rep. Polis on June 12th. Since Mr. Todd’s article makes reference to that earlier article, it is printed below for reference.

A Bolder View — On TPP, Fracking and Climate by Steven Todd

I was happy to see our U.S. Representative Jared Polis addressing the future of fossil fuels and climate change in his recent Guest Opinion (DC June 12). And while I agree with several of his statements, in the end he fails, in my opinion, to go far enough or even to follow his own advice.

It is indeed past time for bold action to forestall the “impending catastrophic changes to our climate and our world.” And aggressive action is truly “a moral imperative.”

What followed, however, sounds to many of us like politics as usual. His website slogan is correct: That won’t solve our biggest problems. Problems of eroding democracy, social injustice, economic inequality, and anthropogenic global warming, arguably the biggest problem human civilization faces or has ever faced. And it’s all connected.

Rep. Polis tells us what he’s working on, what bills he’s supported and amendments he’s offered, and what Congress must do. All perfectly right, reasonable, and as required by his job description. What’s disappointing is the reach of these efforts, the scale of his solutions, and of course the results.

The fossil fuel industry has long been a supporter and friend to our modern American way of life, facilitating comfort, progress, jobs, and for some, prosperity. Presumably that’s why in Colorado the executive, legislative and judicial branch all concur that our state has an interest in “fostering” oil and gas production.

The fossil fuel industry may also be described, in the words of author and climate activist Naomi Klein, as rogue actors whose fundamental business model is to make record-book profits extracting and burning carbon until the planet has become uninhabitable. (This Changes Everything — Capitalism vs. the Climate, 2014) And, I would add, denying and actively concealing the evidence that this is the case. That’s why the State of New York is investigating Exxon Mobil for deceiving the public and defrauding investors. (Seventeen other states have joined the probe, including Colorado.)

Here is the essence: Given what we know about climate change, as clearly expressed in the recent Paris Climate Agreement (signed by the US and 194 other nations), it is not a matter of “leveling the playing field” or “giving renewable energy a fair shot” until it can “eventually” provide a cheaper, cleaner energy solution. That kind of language reveals a failure to understand the scope of the problem or the urgency of action required.

Obviously renewable energy is cleaner. The good new is that it is already cheaper as well if we do two things: Sweep away all the tax payer subsidies for fossil fuel extraction, and end the fiction of our atmosphere as a free dumping zone for the industry’s — and our — carbon emissions. We do the latter by the immediate implementation of a price on carbon (such as the Citizen’s Climate Lobby plan: a revenue neutral fee and dividend-return to consumers).

Then, the right policy would be to expressly tilt the playing field in favor of a sustainable planet by large scale financial incentives to speed the transition to renewables. And finally, we should institute a “Marshall Plan” program to modernize our transportation and building industries and our energy transmission infrastructure for the 21st century.

As an ecologist and a Unitarian, I recognize that everything is connected; that we exist as a species and a society in an interconnected web. Economic justice, social justice and environmental justice are all connected. And our broken election system is blocking virtually all progress to address any and all of these problems.

Mr. Polis should be acknowledged for his efforts and also challenged on the size of their reach, and on the consistency of his positions as a whole. Global trade deals, including the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership, negotiated by and for corporations, cost millions of America jobs, thus increasing economic inequality and social distress. They are a net negative for the environment. They challenge and disrupt not only local control but even state and national regulations. Why is he supporting the TPP?

As much as we enjoy lower energy prices, fracking is part of the bridge-too-far of deep sea and Arctic drilling, mountain top removal for coal, and tar sands extraction — all unconventional fossil fuel deposits that must be left in the ground.

When Mr. Polis had a quarter million Colorado signatures to restrict or ban fracking in 2014, he traded them away for a study commission — the equivalent of a handful of magic beans.

He continues to talk about his opposition to fracking, but backing out at that key moment cost us two precious years and gigatons of additional greenhouse gas emissions. It also emboldened an already powerhouse industry to put profit over people and planet. It’s all connected.

In The Future We Want, (2016) Sarah Leonard begins with this biting observation: “Every election season is a time of bemoaning why Millennials won’t vote for politicians boldly committed to picking at the edges of their problems.” (GenX and Boomers are welcome to say “Amen!”)

Our Millennial generation — and my grandchildren and yours — will one day pass judgment on our understanding of the word “imperative.” Theirs will be a world where “bold action” will be measured on a scale our present day leaders are, understandably, afraid to acknowledge. And yet: Accepting the vital importance of multiple bold actions — and actually taking those actions — is precisely what we must do.

Steven Todd, a Boulder resident, blogs at “A Bolder View” and is a write-in candidate for U.S. Congress (CD2) in the Democratic Primary. StevenToddforCongress.com

He will present a public forum: “Solutions to our Nation’s Most Pressing Problems” Sunday, June 26th, 5–6 pm, at the First United Methodist Church in Boulder.

There will also be a Political Rally, Progressives Pep Fest and Voter Victory Party that same day from 6:30 to 7:15 pm at the Boulder Community Park Band Shell. All are welcome at either or both events.

Jared Polis: Cracking down on oil and gas and investing in renewables

It is past time that we take bold action to combat climate change and reduce the impact of impending catastrophic changes to our climate and our world. Taking aggressive action now is quite simply a moral imperative.

In Congress, I am working hard to unrig a system that favors the fossil fuel industry by ending their sweetheart deals and special tax subsides; fighting for investments in renewable energy and innovation; and regulating the dangerous emissions that oil and gas companies release during extraction.

The oil and gas industry receives a plethora of permanent tax credits and subsides, currently to the tune of about $7 billion annually. We will never be able to break our reliance on fossil fuels as long as the government is giving them this unfair advantage. It’s not enough to just fight for investment in renewable energy, which I do in Congress. We must level the playing field by eliminating unfair treatment including financial subsidies to the fossil fuel industry; or policies allowing fracking to bypass any local planning process and drill wells near schools or on private property without even getting permission from the landowner.

Most recently, I offered an amendment to the energy and water appropriations bill to reduce fossil fuel research subsidies by $285 million, and in another recent appropriations bills, I attempted to strip millions from subsidies for oil shale drilling technology, because we shouldn’t be wasting taxpayer dollars on propping up big oil and gas.

In conjunction with cutting fossil fuel subsides and pricing carbon, we must double down on our investments in renewable energy research and energy efficiency. There are tremendous environmental consequences if we do not continue to invest in innovation.

The good news is many amazing discoveries are being developed right in our backyard. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, for example, is on the cutting edge of renewable energy, partnering with private businesses throughout Colorado to develop technologies like improved wind towers and more efficient appliances.

I recently introduced legislation called the Solar EDGE Act which will harness this type of innovation, incentivizing clean energy and job growth. The bill will promote investment in small-scale solar projects, especially residential installation and encourage long-term job growth in the U.S. solar industry. Currently, many states across the country do not have affordable access to residential solar panels, partially because of state regulations, and partially because of the need for tax incentives, which this bill provides.

If we take steps like this to give renewable energy a fair shot, it will eventually provide a cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient way to power our homes and businesses.

The sad reality is right now the majority of our energy still comes from fossil fuels, and that is why we cannot wait to transition entirely to renewable energy before we address the harmful extraction process that releases dangerous chemicals such as methane. Pound for pound methane pollution from oil and gas wells is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and it is responsible for a quarter of human-made climate change.

I am proud that we made some progress earlier this month when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new and long overdue standards for the oil and gas industry which will reduce methane pollution. Although, I wish these new rules went further, these stricter standards are not only a good start, but are necessary because recently scientists have published more convincing data showing that the methane released during natural gas extraction is a silent, yet deadly climate threat.

We must continue on this path forward. It is time for Congress to stop picking favorites by allowing the fossil fuel industry and fracking to play by a different set of rules while emitting tons of chemicals into our air that put the future of our world into jeopardy.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District.

Rep. Jared Polis & Challenger Steven Todd Square-off On the Issues

Rep. Jared Polis and his primary election challenger, write-in candidate Steven Todd, collaborated on the following information to allow voters to make a clear choice between the two candidates, based on their positions on the following ten issues.

For more information, please see my website: StevenToddforCongress.com or contact me by email or phone:

Steven@Todd4Congress.com

720–464–8540

1. Is Abraham Lincoln’s vision of democracy as government of, by, and for the people being replaced? How influential are special interests in elections and passing legislation? What measures are you willing to fight for to fix the problems facing the nation including voter suppression, gerrymandered districts, campaign finance, and corporate lobbying?

Todd

Fixing the broken system of campaign finance and Congressional influence is arguably our most urgent issue. We’ve slid off the path of representative democracy — one person one vote — and found ourselves in a plutocracy: a country controlled by the wealthy elite — one dollar one vote. This systemic corruption of money in politics has put our bedrock value of democracy in peril. The new normal has representatives spending fifty percent or more of their time fundraising for the next campaign. No surprise — they end up representing those masters, then passing through the revolving door to become overpaid lobbyists themselves. As a 2014 Princeton study decisively showed, Congress decides policy by what favors their wealthy benefactors, not the voters who elected them. Until this changes, hope for real progress on any other issues is an illusion.

[NOTE: Even Rep. Polis, who (according to estimates based on Congressional Financial Disclosure Reports) is the second wealthiest in Congress at $387 million, gave this reason for declining to debate or publicly discuss issues — in the District, with his challenger, during this primary season: a need to be raising campaign funds for the November election.]

I support public funding of federal elections, and prohibiting Congress Members from moving on to become paid lobbyists for the interests they have been responsible to regulate. Voter suppression must be eliminated by making registration and voting easy and efficient. Nonpartisan redistricting that focuses on communities, not ideologies is essential, and a Public Primary that allows all voters to express choice while preserving the Parties’ rightful prerogative for picking their nominees fills both important needs.

My pledge: I will not spend five minutes in the 115th Congress asking for money from the rich and powerful who expect something in return.

Polis

I have long fought for common sense reforms to make our democracy more open and accessible. In the early 2000s, I lead an effort to pass a ballot initiative for same day registration, I am proud that effort has come to fruition when the legislation finally acted in 2013 to institute same day registration and an all mail ballot with expanded early voting. I continue to fight for reestablishing the presidential primary, overturning citizens united, establishing a national public financing of all federal campaigns and reinstating the Voting Rights Act.

When our constitutional republic was established in 1789 (after the failed experiment of the weak central authority of the Articles of Confederation), it was a bold experiment in democratic governance. The philosophical underpinning, as articulated in our declaration of independence, is that just authority is only derived by the consent of the governed. Abraham Lincoln merely confirmed this philosophical premise through his oratorical gift.

Fast forward to today. Do the people of our country consent to the government which they themselves have put in place? Or has the system been coopted by special interests and corporate lobbying such that it scarcely resembles a government of, by and for the people.

I believe that whatever its faults, our constitutional republic has led to unprecedented advances in prosperity, stewardship, and human rights. While we need to keep pushing to ensure that the fruits of prosperity are more equitably shared, that stewardship includes America playing a leading role in combatting climate change globally, and that includes protection from discrimination for all people, it is hard to deny the progress that has been made. Progress will continue with people engaging in their democracy and make their voices heard.

I remain focused on passing reforms to unrig the system like campaign finance reform, overturning Citizen’s United, preventing gerrymandering, and protecting the integrity of voting nationally.

2. How important is the issue of global warming (and the attendant effects of climate change) and what can and should be done about it? What immediate steps would you fight for in the next Congress?

Polis

The issue of global warming is critical to the survival of most life on earth.

Simply put, climate change is the single biggest security threat to our nation over the next century. Desperate peoples, deprived of sustenance due to a changing climate, will likely seek out other areas to invade and destabilize.

Low-lying islands and coastal areas reclaimed by the ocean, formerly lush agricultural areas becoming barren, and much more. While climate change is well underway, we can reduce its impact by acting boldly on reducing our carbon emissions.

In Congress, I support a carbon tax. A carbon tax to price carbon is one of my top policy goals. Most recently, I offered an amendment to the energy and water appropriations bill to reduce fossil fuel research subsidies by $285 million, and in another recent appropriations bills, I attempted to strip millions from subsidies for oil shale drilling technology, because we shouldn’t be wasting taxpayer dollars on propping up big oil and gas. I also support a moratorium on new coal plants.

Check out my recent Daily Camera Op-Ed on my energy policy

http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_30003881/jared-polis-cracking-down-oil- and-gas-and

Todd

I believe this is the most important issue humanity has ever faced. Global warming and ocean acidification is real, burning fossil fuels causes it, and we’re on course for a temperature rise of 4–11 degrees F in the lifetime of our grandchildren. The train is racing on, the bridge ahead is out, and the plunge into the gorge will be the tragically preventable end of the journey. Please, let’s not go there!

We need the resolve to leave as much as 80% of the known fossil fuel reserves in the ground and accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy. That means an end to fracking, deep sea drilling, drilling in the Arctic, mountaintop coal removal, and tar-sands extraction asap.

We must end tax subsidies (corporate welfare) for the fossil fuel companies which, while raking in record profits, have ignored their own scientific research, actively misled the public, and intimidated politicians into ignoring the problem. We need a gradually increasing revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend measure, which I have been actively promoting. We should support divesting our assets from these industries as a statement of moral opposition and the prudent thing financially. We need a “Marshall Plan” effort to switch to renewable energy and to modernize transportation and electric transmission infrastructure, an opportunity for a brand new path to a healthy future and the creation of millions of new jobs. We must lead the international community on this. And we must not wait a single year longer to begin.

3. The developments in this year’s election cycle were unpredictable and should be addressed. Does the two-party system system need to be reformed, and what ideas would you put forth to fix it and improve our democracy?

Todd

This year’s surprising and alarming election cycle should be a wake up call for both major parties. Let’s be honest: the two party system has become dysfunctional, and fixing it will require open minds and out-of-the-box thinking unlikely to come from establishment party politics.

Here is one suggestion: Adopt “ranked choice” (also called instant runoff) voting, which has already been used in many elections in this country and around the world. It’s elegant and simple: On a ballot that lists Gore, Bush, Perot and Trump, number your choice, one through four. All the #1 choices are tabulated. If no one wins a majority, the lowest vote-getter, let’s say Perot, is eliminated and all those who had him as #1 now have their #2 votes elevated to #1. And so on. In a nanosecond, the will of the people is done, the winner will always get a majority of the votes, and the information transmitted to our parties and leaders will be an order of magnitude richer. No more pivoting to the center. No more futile campaigns for minor parties. We could even go a step further and allow parties to nominate more than one candidate (as we already do for Colorado primary elections), and let all the voters decide.

Other possibilities: Eliminate the Electoral College, do away with “super” delegates, and create tax incentive measures that will help motivate voters to get engaged and vote. This is the 21st century. We can do this.

Polis

Each party has the tools to reform itself, both are bottom-up organizations.

So the parties are only as broken as the electorate lets them be. That being said, I support several systemic reforms:

1) Eliminate caucuses and exclusively use primaries

2) Allow unaffiliated voters to participate in either party’s primary

3) Eliminate gerrymandering by taking the redistricting out of the hands of politicians and encouraging districts to be competitively drawn while keeping communities of interest intact.

4) Reinstate The Voting Rights Act

5) Overturn Citizens United and Establish Public Financing of Campaigns.

- Co-Sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizen United. I am an original cosponsor of the campaign finance bills:

- Grassroots Democracy Act — The Grassroots Democracy Act (H.R. 268), would establish a multiple matching, tiered system of public campaign financing.

- Empowering Citizens Act — The Empowering Citizens Act (H.R. 270), would match individual contributions at a 5-to-1 ratio with

public funds; eliminate candidate-specific Super PACs; and prohibit

candidates from fundraising for Super PACs. — Fair Elections Now Act (FENA) — The Fair Elections Now Act

(FENA) (H.R. 269), would provide matching payments to candidates for certain small dollar contributions; establish contribution, expenditure, and fundraising requirements.

4. What high profile battles have you been in and are you most proud of, and what is your vision of the America (and the world) you would like to see in your lifetime?

Polis

My vision for America and the world I would like to see is a more compassionate, prosperous, and sustainable world for all. The desire for a more equitable and prosperous world for all is what has driven me to public service and running for Congress.

In Congress I have focused on achieving a more equitable and prosperous world by working to combat climate change, passing comprehensive immigration reform, ending discrimination of all forms and expanding access to a quality and affordable education for all. The one I’m most proud of so far is replacing No Child Left Behind. The outdated policy of the Bush administration missed the mark to help children get an education. It was incomplete in its scope and focused too much on testing while not addressing the real issues facing our education system. I brought my extensive background in education and my outside the box mentality to lead in this battle. I worked with many in Congress to pass common sense and forward thinking legislation that put power back into the hands of those who better understood the needs of their students with Every Student Succeeds Act.

Todd

I came of age in the 60s, when civil rights debates were being enacted in the streets. The first “action” I was involved in — while on active duty in the Air Force — was a march protesting the Vietnam War. I’ll never forget my Mother’s concerned question: “How will you feel about this, years from now when you look back on it?” My answer, then and now, is that I would hope to feel proud to be acting on my values and from my conscience. And that not speaking truth to power when that choice arises rarely has seemed like the right call in hindsight. Inviting Ku Klux Klansmen into my living room when they appeared on my doorstep to discuss what they heard me say on T.V. might have been foolhardy. Engaging with Native Americans in their struggle for dignity and equal rights was often uncomfortable. Forty five years of activism in the environmental movement has been rewarding, exhilarating, and depressing in turns. But I believe the small things we each can do add up to making a big difference. I believe as a nation and a world-wide community we will pass through this painful adolescence and emerge wiser and more caring, with an abundance of justice, liberty, and peace, and, dare I say, love for one another.

5. How do you propose that we fix our broken immigration system?

Todd

A comprehensive reform of our broken immigration system is essential, and the bill that actually passed three years ago in the Senate with bipartisan support should be the basis of getting it done. The Dreamers should dream. Families should be kept together. Unless we can seriously picture loading up 11 million working people on freight cars for the long trip south, then a path to legal status is an obvious requirement. And someday, when the world is at peace and all nations healthy and strong, border guards and walls will be just a sad, cautionary tale from the past.

Polis

I supported the 2013 Comprehensive Immigration Reform. We need to pass comprehensive immigration reform policy that establishes a process for registering those who are here illegally and creating a pathway to citizenship for them, securing our borders, and workplace enforcement. We deserve an immigration system that reflects our values as a nation of immigrants.

Because we thousands of Coloradans can not wait to until there is a political will to pass comprehensive immigration reform, with families being torn apart daily and lives are ruin by our inhuman policy, my office employs an immigration attorney to help those in need now. I have also lead the effort in the House of Representatives to pass the DREAM Act for children who grew up here and are just as American as my children or yours.

6. What are your thoughts on criminal justice reform and private prisons?

Polis

I am against the concept of private prisons. Depriving someone of their liberty under the process of law should be the exclusive prerogative of the state. I also oppose private immigration detention facilitates. I have visited the private ICE detention facility in Aurora and visited with far too many families ripped apart by our broken immigration system.

Serving a sentence for a crime committed is a repayment to society. It is not something that private businesses should leverage to make money. Our justice system is unfairly biased. It is rigged to help upper class individuals and works against the people that need the justice system the most: minorities and poverty stricken communities. One symptom of this imbalance is minimum sentencing relating to drug offenses. This is because of outdated policies regarding marijuana. I am proud to be the lead author of the Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol Act that would end the failed policy of federal prohibition.

Todd

The radical free market program of cutting taxes, reducing government regulation and services, and privatization of public services has been a proven failure. The majority of Americans understand this. Turning over a public responsibility to private interests with a lust for profit won’t reduce expenses and inevitably opens the process to the capitalist drive to expand the market. That must be considered as part of the reason we spend more on incarceration and lock up more citizens than any other country in the world, both in actual numbers and in proportion to population. Again, the roots of our social problems are social justice problems, and they go deep. Our criminal justice system is far from just, and needs review, resources and reform.

7. The opioid epidemic has claimed thousands of lives, and opiates and other narcotics continue to destroy lives and communities. What more can the federal government do to reduce drug abuse?

Todd

The war on drugs has clearly failed its primary goal and has had additional unintended effects in the explosion of our prison populations, greatly skewed toward people of color, for nonviolent drug offenses. It is just as clear that compassionate and health-based drug policies are needed, along with better education and an end to the stigma about chemical additions. To the extent that a terrific universal health care system would definitely include addiction and mental health treatment along with preventive care and healthy lifestyle education, the federal government could have a huge role. As someone with a close family member who is a survivor of this heart-breaking problem, I will use every opportunity to address it in Congress.

Polis

Opioid addiction is a widespread epidemic that has to be addressed. The Improving Safe Care for the Prevention of Infant Abuse and Neglect Act, a bill I co -authored and that recently passed the House overwhelmingly, is a common-sense first step towards tackling this issue by clarifying existing requirements around supporting infants and their families and strengthening oversight.

Heroin abuse and opioid-related deaths in the United States have grown rapidly in recent years. I offered two amendments to address the root of the epidemic by supporting research into alternative pain management therapies such as medical marijuana, and encouraging the development of innovative locking technologies for prescription drug vials to prevent unauthorized pilfering. We also need to do more to stop pushing addictive drugs through our prescription drug system.

8. Over 60% of the 2nd Congressional district is federal land; what are the best practices you would like to see in federal stewardship of our public lands both in Colorado and nationally?

Polis

I authored the Continental Divide Wilderness and Recreation Act to protect over 60,000 acres in Eagle and Summit County of Colorado’s pristine landscape forever. This legislation was built in collaboration with hundreds of stakeholders and input from thousands of Coloradans over a five-year period. I hosted ranking members of the Natural resource committee for a tour of the wilderness area last spring and I am proud to say that through extensive efforts and hard work by my office we are in a very strong place to see this legislation become law.

In addition to my work to establish new protection for thousands of acres of Colorado’s high country with wilderness designation, I have fought to protect the funding for our national parks and public lands. I am also the lead in the House of Representatives on protecting the PILT program. The PILT program is vital for our local counties with public lands to carry out important services like firefighting, law enforcement and construction of schools and roads. Colorado receives over $34 million in payment each year from the PILT program.

In Colorado, our public lands are critical for our quality of life and for our economy and I continue to fight to keep our public lands public.

Todd

I am frankly not as well versed on this issue and will work to get up to speed before taking office. I would note a Colorado College study this year showing there is broad public support for federal ownership of public lands. Up to 60 percent of Western voters oppose proposals to sell federal land to private sources or transfer it to states. Former Interior Secretary and Colorado Senator Ken Salazar said that calls to privatize federal lands or turn them over to states were “far out of touch with most folks living in the West.”

I have been personally concerned about the continued process of auctioning off oil and gas leases on ever larger tracts of federal lands and participated in a protest of a BLM auction in Lakewood Colorado just last month. There is also strong voter support for federal conservation programs and reducing methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on federal land.

9. What more can and should America do to combat poverty within our nation and globally?

Todd

The problem of poverty is deeply embedded in the problem of a skewed economy and the social pain and prejudices that result. In everyday America, this is the most impactful issue we face. We’ve gone from having the world’s strongest middle class to being the most unequal society in the world, at least among the developed democracies.

The widening income gap and wealth inequality is a huge factor in arguably every social issue we face and it must be redressed. Surveys find that Americans think the wage gap is about twelve to one between CEO salaries and the average wage earner, and they wish it were about six or eight to one instead. The fact is, what was a forty-five to one ratio in 1970 is an 830/1 ratio today. And as a result, the top 0.1% and the bottom 90% of U.S. households own about the same share of the nation’s wealth. This is the great moral, economic, and political issue of our time.

While Rep. Polis vetoed including a question in our discussion about global trade deals, I will say here that these “free trade” agreements, including the pending TPP, negotiated by and for multinational corporations, have resulted in three million lost American jobs, and virtual slave labor conditions on the part of many of our trading partners. He has been generally favorable on these deals, and specifically a cheerleader for the TPP. I am very much against them as they are currently negotiated, worded and enforced.

Polis

The lack of food education and access to nutritional food is a major issue facing communities stricken by poverty. I voted against the recent Farm Bill because part focused on significantly defunding the SNAP program. The SNAP program provides nutrition education to millions of low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. These cuts would have destroyed a bedrock program in helping families in need, and would have removed millions of people from eligibility for the program.

I have always said the way to level the playing field for all is expanding access to affordable and reliable education. This is the best way to help those in need succeed. It’s simple, a good education is the ladder to success. This common sense idea is the foundation of our nation and a building block for Americans to achieve their version of the American dream. By expanding access to education and giving everyone the tools to succeed, anyone can tear down prior barriers, shatter glass ceilings, and build their future in their image.

Globally I continue to support USAID and capacity development in the developing world and programs that are geared towards helping people provide for their families rather than supporting corrupt governments.

10. What steps have you taken and/or plan to take in the next Congress to protect Coloradans from fracking?

Polis

Few issues are as core to our identity as westerners and Coloradoans as fracking. It literally threatens to permanently scar our land, damage our quality of life, and place our health at risk. With regard to fracking, I speak from personally experience. I have personally been fracked, and had my family’s life upended. There was no recourse for me, nor for my constituents, under current law. I’ve met with far too many families whose Colorado dreams were shattered by fracking in their neighborhoods or even backyards. Disappointingly, the attempts of communities to regulate and ban fracking were overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court. I worked tirelessly to fight against this, including writing an amicus brief (linked here).

I bring my passion and the passion of my constituents on this issue to Washington D.C.

Congress ought to set the baseline of protection for all Americans that protects their air and water. That’s why I authored and supported the BREATHE Act and FRESHER Act in Congress to close the loopholes that exist for fracking. The BREATHE Act would have ensured that we close the oil and gas industry’s loophole to the Clean Air Act’s aggregation provision, in addition to adding hydrogen sulfide — a chemical associated with nausea, vomiting, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat — to the Clean Air Act’s federal list of hazardous air pollutants.

These basic protections must be extended to all Americans, but it’s also important for local communities to have the ability to determine where fracking is an appropriate activity for them, zoning and permitting is a quintessential local issue that should not be made by an unaccountable unelected board in Denver or Washington D.C.

Todd

Multiple concerns lead me to urge restricting and ultimately banning fracking. Chief among them is the clear and present danger that if we don’t leave so-called “unconventional” oil and gas reserves in the ground, it will be “game over” for the climate. Other important reasons include the permanent loss of tremendous amounts of precious water, the proven connection to earthquakes, the evidence of gas and chemical pollution of soil and groundwater, and the reduction of private property values and quality of life caused by as many as 100,000 wells in Colorado.

The immediate role of the federal government should be to dis-incentivize planetary destruction by putting a price on carbon. New York and Vermont already have fracking bans. In Colorado, our official state policy is to foster oil and gas development. When Rep. Polis gained personal fervor about the issue in 2014 (after fracking came to the backyard of one of his homes), he sponsored a pair of state ballot petitions, gathering over a quarter of a million signatures of Coloradans who wanted to see drilling setbacks and local control increased. Those petitions were never submitted because, after consulting with the governor, Polis traded them for a meaningless study commission. The petitions were discarded.

While Mr. Polis continues to talk about his opposition to fracking, backing out at that key moment cost us all two precious years and gigatons of additional greenhouse gas emissions and emboldened an already powerhouse industry to put profit over people and planet.

Learn more at: StevenToddforCongress.com

Denver Post puts up online Voter Guide

Incumbent Jared Polis faces Steven Todd

By THE DENVER POST | June 7, 2016 |

The Denver Post sent a questionnaire to each of the candidates on Colorado’s primary ballot to give voters a little more insight into their platforms. Their answers (very lightly edited for spelling and formatting) are below. For more coverage of the 2016 Primary election, check out denverpost.com/politics.

Why are you running for office?

Todd:

I entered the race because I thought it was a good thing that Bernie Sanders was challenging Hillary Clinton, and was being successful at moving her in a more progressive direction on key issues. I wondered why no one was performing the same service for our Congressman from CD2. I believe incumbents should have challengers, and voters should have choices, and I very much wanted to see the conversation expanded from the tired, ordinary politics as usual. Progressives have common sense, forward looking solutions to our most pressing problems, and I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective to Washington as Representative of our great District.

Polis:

I am running for Congress to tear down the barriers that hold us back and to make way for Coloradans to pursue the American Dream. Before running for Congress I was an innovator and entrepreneur who founded several high-tech businesses that created hundreds of jobs and schools that found ways to serve those children that traditional schools couldn’t. I have taken my outside the box, innovative and sometimes unorthodox approach to Congress. Our economy is changing, we need leaders who understand the economy of the future and how it can work for the people and reward hard work, not just benefit the special interests who can afford to lobby and influence policy. That’s why my priorities are unrigging the political system to improve our democracy, expanding access to a quality and affordable education, and protecting and preserving our environment for the next generation. I am committed to leveling the playing field and expanding opportunity to all.

What is the biggest problem you see with your party?

Todd:

I think both parties are getting a wake up call this year. I don’t think there is much chance of the Republicans recovering from a Trump nomination, but I do hope the Democratic Party is able to make some much needed changes. My personal experience, and that of other candidates this year, is of an establishment party that offered obstruction rather than support for citizens willing and eager to get involved in the process. Here in Colorado, I long for candidates with the stature and effectiveness of an Elizabeth Warren, a Paul Wellstone, and a Tim Wirth. Nationally, a larger field of qualified, possibly younger candidates was clearly lacking. And when a seventy-four year old insurgent fires the imagination of the next generation of progressive voters and leaders, the winds of change are apparent. Caucuses and “super” delegates should be a thing of the past. Closed primaries disenfranchise independent voters who help pay for those elections. Let’s bring our thinking out of the box. Can we at least support a public primary in which all voters cast an advisory vote, regardless of party registration, while the party faithful rightfully have the ultimate say in picking their candidate? Are we ready to adopt Rank Choice Voting (also called Instant Runoff Voting) as a way of breaking the stagnant stranglehold of the two party system without worrying that “a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush”? Maybe the major parties should nominate two candidates instead of just one. Americans would love a ballot in November that included Trump, Kasich, Clinton, Sanders, Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Jill Stein (Green) — AND would guarantee a president elected with a majority vote. This is the 21st Century. We can do this.

Polis:

A problem with both parties is that too many voters do not feel like the two parties represent them and that the party leaders in Washington DC are more focused on scoring political points than solving problems. I am a Democrat. But first and foremost I am a Coloradan and an American who wants government to function and solve the challenges we face as a country, then make way for people to pursue their dreams without interference. Elections are about choices and what kind of future do you want for you, your family, our communities and our Country? I bring to Congress my background as an entrepreneur, a founder of innovative schools that serve at risk kids and a problem solver. I also bring to Congress my deeply held values that government’s role is to ensure fairness, promote freedom and opportunities for all. Voters will have a choice between my experience, my values and my approach to problem solving but they will also have to weigh real policy differences that separate myself and my opponent. Here are three policies I support but my opponent does not; local community’s rights to make their own zoning and permitting decisions for fracking, increasing the minimum wage, and I support a women’s right to make her own health care decisions.

What three policy issues set you apart from your opponent?

Todd:

Fracking. I urge restricting and ultimately banning fracking, for at least five solid reasons, topped by the need to keep fossil fuels in the ground to avoid catastrophic climate change. Jared Polis collected over 250,000 petition signatures in 2014 that would have allowed us to vote for local control and increased setbacks — and then threw them away in exchange for a handful of magic beans.

Runaway Income Inequality: Global Trade Deals. Jared Polis has done considerable cheerleading for the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement and global trade deals in general, including voting to fast-track the process now and into the future. That means our Representatives in Congress have only a yes or no vote on complex trade agreements that are negotiated in secret, by multinational corporations, and that have a growing track record of threatening democracy, American jobs, and the global environment. No more bad trade deals done for and by corporations which benefit the 1% and harm the rest of us.

Money in Politics: Corrupting Government and Destroying Democracy. I support public funding of elections, an end to the revolving door between elected officials and lobbyists, and new ways to hold elections, demarcate congressional districts, and keep office holders accountable. This should be the first priority of the next Congress. Would Representative Polis make that pledge?

Polis:

Elections are about choices and what kind of future do you want for you, your family, our communities and our Country? I bring to Congress my background as an entrepreneur, a founder of innovative schools that serve at risk kids and a problem solver. I also bring to Congress my deeply held values that government’s role is to ensure fairness, promote freedom and opportunities for all. Voters will have a choice between my experience, my values and my approach to problem solving but they will also have to weigh real policy differences that separate myself and my opponent. Here are three policies I support but my opponent does not; local community’s rights to make their own zoning and permitting decisions for fracking, increasing the minimum wage, and I support a women’s right to make her own health care decisions.

What are the biggest areas of agreement between you and your opponent?

Todd:

A revenue neutral price on carbon; The importance of investments in education, infrastructure, science and medical research; The need for tax reform; Raising the minimum wage; Addressing the costs of higher education; Treating our children as if they mattered with provisions for family leave, high quality child care and early childhood education.

Polis:

My opponent and I are both fathers of young children, I believe we both are called to serve for their futures and the future of us all.

Give us your plan to address the Islamic State crisis and describe the circumstances in which you would support American boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq.

Todd:

I oppose wars waged under false pretenses, wars of hegemony, wars to hold onto economic dominance. Constant war is a sign we are failing to find better solutions. Naked aggression and ruthless genocide must be opposed, and the U.S. should be part of regional and international coalitions to counter extremists and, even more, to create the conditions for lasting peace. Honestly, I would seek a lot of expert input before I could provide a credible “plan”.

Polis:

In 2003, George Bush waged war in Iraq. This lead to senseless violence and destabilization of the Middle East, and the formation of ISIS. I did not support the war in Iraq and do not currently support American troops on the ground to fight ISIS.

As the chair of the Kurdish American Congressional Caucus, I have been engaged on this issue by supporting the Kurdish people who have been our most reliable allies in the fight against ISIS.

To disrupt ISIS we need to empower our allies and give the people living in the region the resources and courage to reject this regime for good.

Do you support federal action to provide clear rules for legal marijuana businesses to gain access to banking? If so, please describe what you would support.

Todd:

Of course. Clear rules and the same access to banking as any other legal business.

Polis:

Not only do I support federal action but I have lead several initiatives to bring common sense regulations to end the fail policy of federal prohibition and to empower states to enact the best policies for their residents. I authored HR1013, The Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol Act and I have actively supported HR 2652 The Marijuana Businesses Access to Banking Act. The voters of Colorado made their desire known in 2014 when they passed a citizen’s initiative to legalize marijuana use for adults and it is time for the federal government to recognized the will of the voters of our state. Not only have I introduced these common sense legislative solutions, I have actively pressured the Obama administration to give our legal state businesses guidance for banking. I am happy to say that in February of last year, the Department of Justice issued guidelines granting marijuana businesses access to federal banking institutions. These guidelines are not law, but do provide banks and credit unions more stability and confidence in marijuana small businesses across the state. If re-elected I will continue to pressure my colleagues in Congress to act to protect Colorado businesses.

The U.S. national debt is now more than $19 trillion. Even if you could cut fraud and waste, you would still have most of that debt to deal with. What specific actions do you support to get a handle on our debt and reduce the annual deficit? And what significant spending cuts would you support to balance the budget?

Todd:

The nation’s annual deficit not only declined but became a surplus during the Wm. Clinton administration. Since then the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, an unfunded war based on deception, and the bail out of criminal financiers on Wall Street have cost us a very large fraction that that debt. Cutting fraud and waste is mandatory. So is a national conversation on our resource priorities. Balancing the budget on the backs of the poor is folly. I support cutting the military budget by an immediate 10% and then an additional 5% in succeeding years until we think it might be too small, and then freezing it there for five years to see if that’s so. Our tax system is long overdue for a ground-up overhaul, which should include a carbon tax, a tax on financial speculation, and the end of corporate tax dodging and billionaires who pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries.

Polis:

First and foremost, I support the bipartisan Balanced Budget Amendment, which balances government spending with revenues and forces Congress to balance the budget. I believe that forcing Congress to balance the federal budget, just as Colorado does, is the most realistic way for it to occur. People today feel that government does not work for them. I understand and agree with people who believe Congress needs to have a balanced budget. Congress must restore fiscal responsibility to the federal budget. We cannot continue with partisan bickering and threats of future government shutdowns to win political points.

A more efficient, deficit-free government takes smart spending cuts and reforms. I’ve worked with both parties to introduce several amendments to cut government spending, amendments totaling $500 million in savings by making targeted cuts to programs that would save money and eliminate extraneous expenditures. I most recently introduced an amendment to cut our excessive military budget by one billion dollars while protecting veterans and active duty personnel. We spend more money than eight of the developed countries in the world combined. It’s counterproductive for the government to go into debt, with these nations, to support our bloated defense budget.

Which of the entitlement programs would you look at first to reform or make cuts? Do you support raising the retirement age to receive Social Security benefits, military base closures? Please elaborate.

Todd:

Let’s stop using “entitlements” as a scorned word. In terms of Social Security and Medicare, these are benefits people have paid for — had money deducted from their paychecks for and are actually entitled to. Yes, reforms are always on the table. They may include adjusting the age benefits are received, or they may include removing the income cap for contributions by the wealthy so that more money is added to the system. But “cuts” to benefits Americans are literally entitled to as a way to fix budget problems caused elsewhere (see previous answer) is promise breaking and just plain wrong.

Polis:

I am committed to maintaining Social Security’s promise to seniors and the disabled. Nearly 700,000 Coloradans receive Social Security benefits, and across the country, it is estimated that one in six Americans depends on Social Security for part of their income. However, the aging of the American workforce and the decrease in wage-earning individuals entering the job market has put additional strain on the Social Security trust fund. This has resulted in estimates that the fund will be depleted in 2036, leaving Social Security able to pay out only 75 percent of promised benefits. I am willing to consider reasonable solutions that protect seniors and the benefits they have earned while also extending the solvency of the program. I do not support any privatization of Social Security, nor raiding the trust fund. Beneficiaries should not be punished for the profligacy of the federal government, and we must get our fiscal house in order without reducing Social Security benefits. Social Security represents a promise of retirement security for 54 million Americans and I am absolutely committed to protecting that.

Fracking often dominates the political conversation in Colorado. Most efforts to regulate drilling have been on the state and local level, but is there a role for the federal government and what should it be?

Todd:

The role of the federal government should be to dis-incentivize planetary destruction from burning fossil fuels by a gradually increasing revenue neutral carbon fee and dividend; by eliminating tax subsidies for fossil fuel extraction, a.k.a. corporate welfare for the richest companies in the world; by incentivizing a rapid shift to clean renewable energy; and by launching a “Marshall Plan” to transform our building and transportation sectors and electric infrastructure. Simultaneously, Colorado should join New York and Vermont in banning fracking, and should most certainly not have “fostering” oil and gas development in Colorado as its official policy. At the very least, we should demand increased set-backs from homes and schools and giving local communities more regulatory authority.

Polis:

Congress ought to set the baseline of protection for all Americans that protects their air and water. As air, water and climate change do not recognize state boundaries. That’s why I have authored and supported the BREATHE Act and FRESHER Act in Congress to close the loopholes that exist for fracking. The BREATHE Act would have ensured that we close the oil and gas industry’s loophole to the Clean Air Act’s aggregation provision, in addition to adding hydrogen sulfide — a chemical associated with nausea, vomiting, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat — to the Clean Air Act’s federal list of hazardous air pollutants.

These basic protections must be extended to all Americans, but it’s also important for local communities to have the ability to determine where fracking is an appropriate activity for them, zoning and permitting is a quintessential local issue that should not be made by an unaccountable unelected board in Denver or Washington DC.

Colorado has been home to the Columbine and Aurora movie theater shootings, two tragedies that caused Americans to consider stricter gun laws. When it comes to the Second Amendment, what values would guide your approach to future federal gun legislation?

Todd:

I find it hard to understand the resistance to the reasonable and overwhelmingly supported measures of universal background checks and banning of assault weapons. I’m also intrigued by the idea of requiring gun owners to purchase a liability insurance policy for owned guns, just as we do for our motor vehicles. I’m also in agreement with retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’ proposed clarification to the Second Amendment to read, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the Militia shall not be infringed.” In other words, buying and selling deadly weapons is a business, not a right, and the ownership of guns should by no means be prohibited, but should be sensibly regulated according to community standards.

Polis:

Coloradans all share a love of liberty and freedom to pursue their interests. They understand that common sense regulations do not interfere with that pursuit. These common sense regulations and protections can co-exist with American’s Constitutional right in the 2nd amendment. That’s why I support H.R. 1217, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act. This bill would close loopholes that allow individuals to purchase guns without background checks at gun shows, online, or via classified ads. Coloradans, despite having closed these loopholes, are still at risk because convicted criminals can drive to Wyoming and purchase guns without a background check.

Has the Affordable Care Act has made health insurance more accessible and affordable?

Todd:

There is no question about that, but “more” is a relative term. What kind of society is envisioned in which modern health care for all is not a basic human right, like access to clean water, healthy food, and adequate shelter? Our health care system still delivers substandard results at much higher cost than the other developed countries.

Polis:

An estimated 22 million Americans have been able to purchase health insurance for the first time. In Colorado alone, more than 200,000 people have enrolled in a quality health plan. Prior to the ACA, Americans could be discriminated against for pre existing conditions, and 16.5% of Coloradans lacked health insurance. Since the exchange went online, that number has dropped to 6 percent. The ACA has made healthcare affordable to many Coloradans, but also had some problems in its implementation particularly in our mountain areas. The ACA is not perfect and people in Colorado mountain communities have the highest health insurance premiums in the state. I continue to work with state officials implementing ACA to address the unique needs of our mountain communities.

How would you approach reforming the Affordable Care Act?

Todd:

A large majority of Americans on Medicare and citizens of Canada are very happy with their single payer systems. I believe the U.S. will have a Medicare-for-all system in the near future. This does not mean government run care, but rather government managed insurance for care. The stepping stone might be a public option, whereby people may choose to pay for Medicare coverage prior to eligibility age. Why not test the claim made by the for-profit insurance market that their services would cost less?

Polis:

All Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable health care. I voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and I continue to support the law and follow its implementation closely. Like most things, there are still improvements to be made. For instance, here in Colorado, I think it is imperative that we fix the high costs of health insurance for people who live in our mountain communities. Currently, under the ACA, insurance companies can only use two characteristics to determine how much to charge a person: age and geography. I have urged the Division of Insurance to redraw the geographic areas in a way that would lower costs for resort region residents, who currently pay the highest rates in the nation. I also support eliminating the medical device tax and offsetting that cost by closing loopholes for oil and gas companies — a bill I introduced in Congress. I would also like to see increased competition between carriers across state lines, which would decrease premiums.

Does the federal government have a responsibility to help with student debt, and what ideas do you think would make a difference?

Todd:

We have become a debt-burdened society for home-owners, credit card users and students alike. When I came of age, four years at a quality private college totaled $10,400 — tuition, room and board. A family with one wage earner could generally afford to put their kids through college, have a comfortable middle class life, including adequate health care, and even save something for retirement. That was when the income ratio between the top 100 CEOs and an average wage earner was “only” 45 to 1. Today it is 830 to 1. The federal government — no, we the people — have a responsibility to restore a political and economic system that rejects trickle down, greed-is-good, free market fundamentalism in favor of democratic politics and a democratic economy that works for all. So in that sense, yes.

Polis:

Yes, I have several bills in Congress to promote innovative approaches to bring down the overall cost of higher education and skill training such as encouraging open source textbooks and competency based educational opportunities, including vocational training and community college. Congress needs to act to cap the student loan interest rates and move to a simple income-based repayment system. This will make higher education accessible to more people and make student loan repayment more efficient. I am particularly excited by the numerous dual enrollment programs in Colorado that allow high schoolers to receive transferable college credit and even earn an Associate’s Degree concurrent with their high school diploma.

What if anything should Congress do to address the crisis of opioid addiction and overdose?

Todd:

To the extent that a terrific universal health care system would definitely include addiction and mental health treatment along with preventive care and healthy lifestyle education, then yes. Under current conditions, I think these serious and tragic problems can be best addressed at the state and local level.

Polis:

Opioid addiction is a widespread epidemic that has to be addressed. The Improving Safe Care for the Prevention of Infant Abuse and Neglect Act, a bill I co-authored and that recently passed the House overwhelmingly, is a common-sense first step towards tackling this issue by clarifying existing requirements around supporting infants and their families and strengthening oversight.

Heroin abuse and opioid-related deaths in the United States have grown rapidly in recent years. I offered two amendments to address the root of the epidemic by supporting research into alternative pain management therapies such as medical marijuana, and encouraging the development of innovative locking technologies for prescription drug vials to prevent unauthorized pilfering. Though neither was made in order, the bill represents a first step towards addressing a pervasive problem.

Do you support the Senate’s 2013 passage of a comprehensive immigration reform authored in large part by the Gang of 8 that includes Colorado’s Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Florida’s Republican Sen. Marco Rubio? Why or why not?

Todd:

A comprehensive reform of our broken immigration system is essential, and as the best option actually passed over a long four years — then yes. The Dreamers should dream. Families should be kept together. Unless we can seriously picture loading up 11 million working people on freight cars for the long trip south, then a path to legal status is an obvious requirement. And someday, when the world is at peace and all nations healthy and strong, then border guards and walls will be just a sad, cautionary tale from the past.

Polis:

Yes, our country needs a comprehensive immigration reform policy that covers all of our bases — a process for registering those who are here illegally, securing our borders and workplace enforcement Immigration reform can and will have serious positive impacts on our economy and our communities. I support a pathway to legal status for the millions of undocumented immigrants who live here. Bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows will not only increase tax revenue, it will also allow many families to remain together. Unlawful immigration is detrimental to our national security. This is why securing our borders is vital to a comprehensive immigration policy. Increasing the number of border patrol agents at both the Canadian and Mexican borders will slow down unlawful migration through our borders and also fight drug trafficking, arms trafficking and human smuggling. And lastly, we must create reality-based pathways for legal immigration that reflect our economic needs as a country.