Alamosa hosts 'Colorado For All' bus tour
ALAMOSA — Area Democrats welcomed governor candidate Jared Polis and former Governor Roy Romer — who will be 90 on Wednesday — during a “Colorado For All” bus tour stop in Alamosa on Sunday.
Former U.S. Senator and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar commended Romer, who served as governor from 1987-1999, for bringing state government to rural areas with his first “Dome on the Range” visits to areas outside the metro area in 1987. Salazar said Polis, like his predecessor Romer, would also serve the entire state.
“What you see in Jared and what you see in Roy Romer are two people who will not do what others have done when they go to Denver — They will never ever forget the San Luis Valley,” Salazar said.
Of Polis, Salazar said, “He’s going to make us one Colorado.”
Romer, who is from Holly, added, “This governor that we are about to elect is going to be one that will have your interests in mind.”
He said Polis has good values and is a man of action who will “get it done.”
Polis, who currently serves as U.S. representative from Colorado’s 2nd District, said he wanted to make sure his administration would be “for everybody” in Colorado, and he and running mate Dianne Primavera shared a vision of saving families money so they could enjoy the Colorado they love. One of their focal points for saving money for Coloradoans will be health care, he said.
“Republicans, Democrats, Independents are sick and tired of getting ripped off on health care,” Polis said.
He said decreasing the costs of health care, including prescription costs, would be a priority for the Polis/Primavera administration.
“We’re going to get it done right here in Colorado to save you money,” he said.
Polis also emphasized the importance of education. “Opportunity starts with good education,” he said. “It’s not so much liberal or conservative. It’s about forward versus backward.”
One of his goals would be to give every child in the state the opportunity for full-time preschool and kindergarten, “make sure every child regardless of economic background can get that strong start.”
Another priority is protecting open space and public lands, he said. Public lands in Colorado do not just provide quality of life but also tourism and recreational jobs for those who live here, he said.
“I will stand up to this president or any president who tries to carve up or sell off our public lands,” Polis said.
Polis added that he wanted to bring people together in unity as a state.
“We need a return to civility, a return to decency in public service and in private lives,” he said.
He added, “Diversity in all of its forms is a strength … The more diversity we have the stronger we are … and we want Colorado to be strong.”
Primavera shared her passion for affordable health care, an issue she could personally relate to, as she struggled with medical bills when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 30 years ago and lost her job, health care and marriage. She was grateful for the support of family and for clinical trials that saved her life. As a state legislator she passed more health care bills than anyone else, and it is still a priority as she seeks the lieutenant governor position.
The bus tour, which is visiting communities around the state, included in its Alamosa stop: candidate for CU Regent for the 3rd Congressional District Alvin Rivera; candidate for CU Regent At-Large Lesley Smith; candidate for Secretary of State Jena Griswold; candidate for Attorney General Phil Weiser; and candidate for 3rd Congressional District Diane Mitsch-Bush.
Rivera, who has made numerous trips to Alamosa during his campaign, referred to his military service as a paratrooper and said as CU regent he would not be afraid “to jump” in trying to curb costs of higher education and to reach out to rural communities.
Smith added that she would work to close the gap of minority students not completing college and would make sure CU provided services for all students. Having served 30 years at CU, she is well acquainted with the needs and challenges. “I have the experience and courage to take on these challenges,” she said.
Smith added that the board of regents positions are especially important now because the next board will be selecting a new president for the university.
Griswold is a first time candidate and the first person in her family to go to college. If elected, she would be the first Democratic woman secretary of state in Colorado. She said she knows how important it is for every person to have a voice, and she would work for voting rights and accessibility. “We should be making it easier for eligible people to vote,” she said.
Weiser echoed Polis’ theme of working together to solve problems. He specifically mentioned the opioid crisis and referred to the 92 percent of inmates in the Alamosa jail who are opioid users. Weiser said he would take on pharmaceutical companies and would use settlement funds to support drug treatment. He also said he would protect the resources of the San Luis Valley. In the criminal realm, he said he would work to provide more alternatives to incarceration.
Mitsch-Bush said she would represent everyone in the 3rd Congressional District and would work to provide living wage jobs, invest in infrastructure and public education, protect Medicare and Social Security and protect the district’s public lands.
“We’ve got to go forward, as our next governor said, not backward,” she said. “We’ve got to protect everyone’s human rights, civil rights and voting rights.”