Rural Listening Tour Announcement

Today I announced that I am undertaking a series of listening tours that will concentrate on the key issues and challenges that face rural 5th district residents. The first listening tour will focus on rural health care and will begin on February 13 in Salida and conclude on February 15 in Canon City.

Tour details:

Wednesday, February 13:
9:30am Heart of the Rockies Medical Center, Salida
Briefing/Tour Led by Ken Leisher, CEO

5:30pm St. Vincent General Hospital District, Leadville
Meeting with Board and Hospital CEO, David Zaitz
Tour

Friday, February 15:
2:30pm St Thomas More Hospital
Briefing/Tour Led by Vice President Mark Hartman

Should the citizens of the 5th Congressional District elect me to Congress, I am committed to representing the entire District. These listening tours will be a valuable resource to me in that effort. I look forward to sitting down with doctors, nurses, patients and other health care professionals to explore ways that we might to work together to meet the challenges rural communities face.

Subsequent tours will focus on a number of issues including, but not limited to, education, public lands, and the economy.

Our Strategy

Over the past several weeks, Debbi and I have been fortunate enough to visit with many of you to discuss the issues and challenges that currently face our district, our state, and our nation. The response that we have received to our candidacy and campaign has been truly electric. I have found that people are hungry for new, positive, and strong leadership in Washington . Throughout my career, I have been proud to serve our country and am looking forward to working with each of you to bring about a positive vision for America ’s future.



During my travels across the Fifth District many Republicans have voiced concerns over the tone and tenor of the last primary campaign for this office. Many felt discouraged and disillusioned by the lack of vision and negative tactics used by two of the campaigns. This negative residue continues to divide us! Unfortunately, both of those campaigns chose the caucus system in which to gain access to the ballot. With that in mind, my campaign has been seeking your advice the last couple of months for suggestions on how to strategically advance our message, recognizing that people are desperate for something to believe in. Overwhelmingly, the feedback we received is that we need to build our party and our message, that we must stop allowing others to define who we are and what we stand for, and that we must expand the reach of that message.



Determined to establish a fair and inclusive process, the framers of our system of government provided for two methods by which a candidate can get on the ballot. The first method is through the party caucus system, and the other is through petition. Both honor the spirit of democracy, ensuring that citizens like you are engaged in the process at a fundamental level.



As you know from my background, I am not a professional politician. While I have great respect for the caucus process, I feel I need to run a different campaign. With my opponents likely to return to the negative tactics they succumbed to in the previous race, I worry that if everyone’s energy is focused on a small percentage of Republican voters that the campaign will likely become mired in a counter-productive race that will further damage our party.



Therefore, based upon your advice I plan to petition onto the ballot for the August primary. I plan to run a strong grassroots effort and, therefore, I ask for your support and active involvement in our campaign. I cannot express how greatly I appreciate your involvement in our party and the democratic process. I look forward to working with you in the coming years. I pledge to run a campaign that you can be proud of as a Republican. I also commit to running a strong effort not only through the August primary, but all the way through the November general election. We must have a strong turn out in the Fifth Congressional District in order for the eventual Republican Presidential candidate and Bob Schaffer to be successful. To that end I will work very hard not only to get out the Republican base, but to attract as many unaffiliated voters to the polls as possible in November.



This effort is really about building our country, our state, and our party. With your help I am convinced we will be successful! In order to facilitate involvement in my campaign, I have enclosed a volunteer card. Please return it to Debbi and me so that we may all begin working together as quickly as possible on this important mission.

Leading the Pack!

I would like to say thank you to all of the people who have contributed to my campaign. So far you have invested over $90 thousand dollars in my vision for Colorado’s future. This broad base of support from a diverse range of contributors throughout the district and state, demonstrates the appeal of our message on national security, fiscal responsibility, and individual freedom. I look forward to advancing our shared vision in the coming months as this campaign about America’s future resonates in the hearts of every Coloradan.

Emotional Voting

The news, lately, has been attributing Hillary Clinton’s recent win in New Hampshire to her welling tears and outbursts of frustration. But this just brings up the critical question: why talk about the issues if you can influence the voters through a display of emotion, however genuine it may be? Emotions have their place, certainly, but not as a deciding factor in a crucial election in our country. We should elect representatives and leaders based on their skills, their experience, and their ability to lead. To cast a vote for someone who relies on their personal appeal, charm, or sentimental displays, however, starts us down a very slippery slope. First it’s someone who shows genuine emotion in response to a question or a challenging situation. But right along this path we have two extreme options: a representative who is paralyzed by their feelings, or a guileful actor who wields them like a weapon instead of talking about the issues, and thus manipulating the voters. Neither of these possibilities bodes well for our nation. It is thus our responsibility to critically review each candidate and choose them based on what they have done in the past, have they are doing now, and what they are capable of doing in the future… and not just elect the performers. In all honesty, this goes for any election.

The Need For Energy Self-sufficiency

Africa’s largest oil producer Nigeria is the fifth largest source of oil for the US. The recent violence in the country will have a significant impact on the price of crude. National instability plagues many of the world’s major oil producing regions, adding to market volatility and higher energy costs. Therein lies the incentive for the United States to keep working towards self-sufficiency in energy production. Sure, we need to keep exploring other technologies and sources of energy, but the fact of the matter is that we will continue to be reliant on oil for a long time. We need to tap into a reliable petroleum source that will help to stabilize the market and provide a reliable supply free from regional instability.

My wife Debbi and I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year!

Ritter's California Emissions Plan

There has been a lot of talk about the most effective way to clean up the environment. Governor Bill Ritter is leading an effort to adopt California’s emissions standards. In his plan, Governor Ritter wants to set emissions standards for all new cars sold in Colorado after 2011.
The problem with the plan is that it will dramatically affect the auto-industry and consumers. Critics of the plan point out that there are virtually no vehicles in any Colorado dealer show rooms that would meet the stringent California emissions requirements. The plan will also hit consumers with an additional cost of up to $1000 per new vehicle. Furthermore the California plan calls for low-carbon fuel by 2010, which translates to an additional 4.2-6.6 cents per gallon. This plan specifically targets SUVs, which are a necessity for families, outdoors people, and other road warriors who travel in Colorado many various driving conditions.
I do not believe that this plan is in the best interest of Colorado. The American auto industry has just begun to show signs of recovery, and high gas prices already have many consumers and businesses struggling. It is not in the best interest of Colorado to implement another big government policy that puts the burden on the people. There is a lot of debate about the most effective way to clean up the environment, and I believe that we need to find a common sense scientific approach to deal with the issue, rather than another dubious big government effort. I am proud to call myself a conservationist, and I believe that we deserve clean air, water, and open spaces. I do not however believe that the best way to achieve these results is through hastily implemented big government policies.