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Ken DeGraaf (i) Rep
Residence: Colorado Springs
Profession: pilot
Education: MS – Dynamics of Indeterminate Structures (Columbia U), BS – Aerospace Structures (USAFA)
Experience: 27+ years USAF, Mi-ANG, USAFRC (pilot: A-10, KC135, T38, T37, CT114, T53, MQ9; Environmental Manager; AP Calc Instructor, USAFA; HQ-USAFE; HQ-AFAFRICA)
Commercial aviation: 20+yrs
Campaign website
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
Present bills that improve the liberty and prosperity of Coloradans while opposing the expansion of government and opposing bills that undermine the rights of Coloradans.
Encourage vigilance and engagement by informing Coloradans about the infringements on their freedoms occurring continuously during the session and the off-season by rule-making agencies.
Counter the perverse sense by ideologue legislators that the purpose of Coloradans is to support and fund an unending parade of misery-inducing leftist ideologies and agendas.
Recent polling has shown trust in government hovering at historically low levels and stark partisan divides in views of election integrity. What will you do to bridge those gaps?
“Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty.” Trust” is the antithesis of vigilance and the General Assembly has continually misled the people of Colorado.
“Legislation 101: what it says it is, it ain’t.”
The 600+ craftily worded bill titles typically do not match the legion of devilish details hidden inside but they pass into law with minimal scrutiny. “Tax relief” only means a reduction in an increase. “Traffic calming” means making a personal vehicle unaffordable making inefficient mass-transit the only option. “Reduce gun crime” means “eliminate right of self-defense.” “Gender affirming” means “genital mutilation.” “Climate goals” means the transfer of GDP to China while they waft their pollution back to us to prop up “green” investors fleecing Coloradans hundreds of millions annually
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Reduce the 20+% burden of over-regulation, reduce taxes instead of just temporarily decreasing increases, stop eliminating supply via “price control,” stop corporate collusion and remove the artificial constraints on energy production propping up eco-raping “green” investors & impoverishing Coloradans.
CO2 contributes less than 10% of the atmospheric energy
There are over 3200 billion tons of CO2 in the air
Colorado’s 4 million voters contribute about 0.140billion tons of CO2 per year
MATH: (10%)(0.140/3200)/4million is less than 1 part in 1-trillion –the equivalent of 1 drop in 20 Olympic sized swimming pools. Colorado’s collective impact is less than 6-millionths, but costs Coloradans hundreds of millions of dollars every year in taxes, lost revenue and eco-raping “green” energy projects.
What should the legislature do when it comes to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and regulating oil and gas development?
Stop being climate-gullible and willfully ignorant. Legislators should actually learn the science instead of parroting media talking points to feel virtuous about imposing misery on and absconding prosperity from Coloradans. What “scientists say” in original documents has a “moderate” probability (50/50) at best, usually lower. I CORA’d the governor, the energy office and the legislators for their “cost effective” “scientifically based.” There are a Net of Zero climate goals, scientific or otherwise. They have substituted “carbon goals” but have no basis for what they would achieve. The IPCC estimates NetZero might achieve a 1/3 degree change by 2100AD, at a cost exceeding $12,000 per person per year. The climate effect of NetZero is Zero, but the financial and ecological costs are immense.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
The purpose of government is to collectively protect the individual rights recognized in our founding which include “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” I am happy to work with any member of the General Assembly and even the Governor’s Office if they are moving towards constitutional governance, particularly in the realm of eliminating some of the over 165,000 regulations. I am happy to work with anyone in the opposition of unconstitutional legislation and especially against legislation promoting the sexualized grooming of minors and reductions in age-of-consent which promote the exploitation of children. The bills I presented would have benefitted all Coloradans regardless of party and I would welcome any representative to join me in their promotion.
Michael Pierson Dem
Residence: Colorado Springs
Profession: Retired USAF Military, Civilian, public relations
Education: MA, Journalism: Ohio State. BA, Political Science: University of Cincinnati
Experience: 20 years active-duty U.S. Air Force officer, 12 years federal civilian. I was responsible for maintaining the Air Force’s relationship with local and state elected leaders and the public.
Campaign website
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
I will champion legislation that will require CDOT to make plans for improvements to the Constitution and Dublin intersections along Powers Boulevard in eastern Colorado Springs for better safety and traffic flow.
I will push for legislation that works with developers, non-profits, industry groups and others to find innovative solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Colorado. This may mean grants and tax breaks to developers and communities willing to try new solutions which may include more modular, manufactured, and even 3D-printed homes.
I will work to modernize Colorado’s labor laws to make it less difficult for workers to organize. Current laws are based on century-old anti-labor attitudes and do not reflect the modern economy or our highly educated and skilled workforce.
Recent polling has shown trust in government hovering at historically low levels and stark partisan divides in views of election integrity. What will you do to bridge those gaps?
The way to restore trust in government is to demonstrate that elected officials will leave their egos at the door and work on behalf of everyone, compromising on policy issues while standing by their values. We must insist on fair, safe and secure elections — and support our election officials — so that everyone is encouraged to vote.
HD-22’s Republican incumbent, Ken deGraaf, has spent his one term in office insulting, dismissing, and antagonizing his fellow lawmakers and the people of Colorado. Election denial, climate denial and human rights denial are his agenda. The result is that he’s only managed to get one bill to a vote in the House, while 11 were killed in committee. He’s not doing the hard work it takes to build coalitions and find solutions that make life better. I WILL.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Affordable, attainable, safe and sustainable housing is the dominant social and economic crisis in Colorado this decade. I would champion innovative solutions, encouraging “in-fill” to build more, denser, housing within the current limits of our cities. This will improve how we conserve our utilities; providers expend tremendous resources extending service to far-flung single-family home communities.
Every new development on the outskirts of our cities means new schools, firehouses, police stations and more. Denser communities are also more conducive to older residents who enjoy supporting their communities, and for young families, especially new transplants to Colorado, who enjoy the support they can more easily get in a walkable neighborhood.
What should the legislature do when it comes to addressing greenhouse gas emissions and regulating oil and gas development?
I consider myself a “Patient Progressive.” I believe we need to move toward a carbon-free future, but I’m sensitive to the impact that the transition has on reliable, affordable, utilities and transportation. I’m willing to compromise on the pace of change, but public safety and health are non-negotiable with me. Oil and gas companies must be held to high standards and public input into where and how they operate is vital to their long-term viability.
We continue to find innovative solutions to replace carbon-based fuels with cleaner, sustainable, power from wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro. None of these solutions is perfect, but when we work toward compromise, we can assure we have reliable, affordable, safe, and clean energy well into the future.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Nealy all legislators want what’s best for the people of Colorado. We have common ground on the end results we want (safety, health, opportunity, freedoms, etc.); we just have different approaches. Mutual respect is the key. You can’t start a respectful conversation with an insult, and you can’t denigrate another person as a human being and expect them to hear your side of the issue.
We have common ground in the areas of infrastructure and support for working families. As Colorado grows, we need to find innovative solutions to moving people and goods and for the utilities that support our economy. We all want to help people who are the most in need by ensuring their communities are safe and clean and their children are well-educated and prepared for the future.
Daniel Campaña did not return the questionnaire.
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