Tuesday
Oct132020
ELECTION 2020: How The Red Ant Votes 10/11/20
October 13 Your Pitkin County ballot was mailed on Friday, October 9. Look for this in your mailbox this week and vote EARLY. This is a mail ballot election, however I strongly suggest you drop your ballot in one of the official drop-boxes:
- Pitkin County Administration Office 530 E. Main St., Aspen
- Town of Snowmass Village Town Hall 130 Kearns Road, Snowmass
- Basalt Town Hall 101 Midland Ave., Basalt
To confirm your voter registration, go to www.GoVoteColorado.com and feel free to share this voter guide with your friends and family.
Your ballot must be RECEIVED BY 7p on Election Day. Postmarks do not count!
To track your submitted ballot, click HERE
Contrary to precedent, The Red Ant is going to steer clear of sharing my votes for most federal and state offices. I learned in the past that while the following is meant merely as a list of "how I am voting," some readers truly lost their minds at my selections and were triggered that I shared my entire ballot with The Red Ant readership. Frankly, I don't need the blowback - I'm just sharing because many of you rely on it and trust me to do the work. Therefore, snowflakes, for the most part, you're safe.
Here are my 2020 picks for county office and the judiciary, as well as state and local ballot measures:
United States Senator
- Cory Gardner, Incumbent
- The following are several facts about the incumbent junior senator from Colorado confirming that Cory Gardner is best suited to continue in his role representing Colorado in the US Senate for a second term:
- He has a strong bipartisan record when bipartisanship is an endangered species. 52 of Gardner's 60 bills and resolutions had a co-sponsor from another party in 2019.
- He has been the primary sponsor of 17 bills that have been enacted, most notably the Great American Outdoors Act (2020) that provides $9 billion for national parks, forests, monuments and wildlife refuges, plus $900 million a year in permanent dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
- Gardner is the co-sponsor of the national 988 suicide prevention and mental health services hotline.
- Gardner has taken moderate positions on climate change, rejecting "the false choice between climate change and economic growth." In the Senate, he's advocated for National Renewable Energy Laboratory funding and been given "champion" status from wind and solar energy trade groups.
- HERE is an even-handed assessment of Gardner's record for Colorado.
County Commissioner - District 3
- Leave Blank
- Greg Poschman is running unopposed. In an ongoing effort to encourage local citizens to run for elected office, The Red Ant says, send the message that nobody is unbeatable! Leave it blank.
County Commissioner - District 4
- Chris Council
- I endorse this "smart growth" advocate and "recovering accountant" who has realistic thoughts about changes to the county land use code that are rooted in transparency, not conducted in secret back-room meetings during a global pandemic and sprung upon county landowners. He supports the common ground recommendations of the ASE Vision Committee to widen the runway at the Aspen Airport while respectfully weighing input from community members who wish to pause the project. And he rightly takes issue with the current governance structure of our subsidized housing program, recommending a publicly elected board with decision-making authority independent from the local governments. Notably, Chris formerly owned APCHA housing and now lives in Snowmass Village, having stepped up to the free market. A new face who will bring informed leadership to the BOCC. For more info, visit www.Chris4Pitkin.com
County Commissioner - District 5
- Jeffrey Evans
- George Newman is term-limited out, and the County's strident climate change activists and usual suspects have all jumped on the bandwagon of Evans' inexperienced opponent. The Red Ant loves an underdog, especially someone whose advocacy for fixing the Entrance to Aspen is as vocal and committed over the years as Evans. It sure would be nice to get someone elected to the BOCC who espouses something other than "net zero carbon emissions for the county" and more "affordable housing for all generations."
Retain Colorado Supreme Court Justice Melissa Hart?
- NO
- Do not avoid voting on the retention of judges, even if you neither know nor care about who they are or how they dispense justice. By not explicitly voting NO, you are implicitly voting YES to keeping her on the bench. Unless you know a judge to be honest, fair and non-activist, then vote NO on their retention.
Retain Colorado Supreme Court Justice Carlos A. Samour Jr?
- NO
Retain Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Ted C. Tow III?
- NO
Retain Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Craig R. Welling?
- NO
Retain District Court Judge Denise K. Lynch?
- YES
Colorado Amendment B: Repeal of the Gallagher Amendment
- YES
- This measure repeals the 1982 amendment that has limited residential and non-residential property tax assessment rates to 45% and 55% of the total share of state property taxes, respectively. This has kept Colorado property tax rates incredibly low, but while the overall state property tax collections have increased 53% over the past 5 years, in some smaller and more rural areas like ours, Gallagher has actually resulted in lower tax revenue for rural cities, counties, fire districts and schools. While the state backfills the schools, none of the other taxing districts get state money to offset the residential property tax reductions and could result in further cuts to services.
- HERE is a really good explanation of this VERY complicated issue that is opposed by voters in the Front Range for the very reason we need it to pass.
Colorado Amendment C: Conduct of Charitable Gaming
- YES
- This measure makes minor changes to the operation of bingo-raffles by charitable organizations in fundraising activities.
Colorado Amendment 76: Citizenship Qualification of Electors
- YES
- This measure requires that to be qualified to vote in any election, an individual must be a US citizen. This measure prevents local laws that would allow non-citizens and those here illegally to vote in local or state elections.
Colorado Amendment 77: Local Voter Approval of Gaming Limits
- YES
- This measure enables voters in Blackhawk, Central City and Cripple Creek to make their own decisions about gaming activities and limits in their cities.
Colorado Proposition EE: Cigarette Tobacco and Nicotine Products Tax
- NO
- This huge tax increase will give a blank check to the legislature, making up for its failure to prioritize expenditures with existing funds.
Colorado Proposition 113: National Popular Vote
- NO
- This measure would join Colorado into the NPVIC (National Popular Vote Interstate Compact), awarding Colorado's electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. It would completely undermine the Electoral College, and would mean that major metropolitan areas such as those in California, Illinois and New York would control all national elections. Don't let these major metropolitan areas make Colorado's vote irrelevant. Keep the Electoral College.
Colorado Proposition 114: Restoration of Gray Wolves
- NO
- This measure ignores the pleas of farmers and ranchers on the Western Slope who will be directly impacted and suffer the consequences of the re-introduction and maintenance of this predatory species to Colorado which was eradicated in the 1940s.
Colorado Proposition 115: Prohibition of Late Term Abortions
- YES
- This measure would prohibit abortions after the 22nd week of pregnancy, except in cases to immediately save the life of a pregnant woman.
Colorado Proposition 116: State Income Tax Rate Reduction
- YES
- This initiative would preserve Colorado's flat rate income tax, and lower the rate from 4.63% to 4.55%, enabling taxpayers to keep more of their own money.
Colorado Proposition 117: Voter Approval Req for Fee-based Enterprises
- YES
- The legislature, enabled by a complicit state Supreme Court, has been bypassing our protections in the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) by levying "fees" rather than taxes. Especially egregious are the "enterprises." This measure requires voter approval of any enterprises that generate $100 million or more in the first five years.
Colorado Proposition 118: Payroll Tax for Paid Family and Medical Leave
- NO
- This measure creates a statewide MANDATORY family leave insurance program in which all employers (with 10 or more employees) and all their employees must participate and for which all must pay through a payroll tax. This is a hardship on already struggling businesses and families. Employers and employees will bear the cost of an uncertain and expensive new government program.
Town of Snowmass Village Issue 2A: Renewal of Education-based Prop Tax
- YES
- This is a renewal of the existing education-focused property tax in the Town of Snowmass Village that provides $500,000 in annual funding to the Aspen School District for instructional technology integration, talented and gifted programming, ESL programming and other unmet funding needs. For more info, visit www.YesASD.org
City of Aspen Issue 2B: Renewal of Existing Sales Tax for Education
- YES
- This is a renewal of the current 0.3% sales tax in the City of Aspen that provides at least $1.5 million annually to help fund the Aspen School District's Experiential Education, IB programs, STEM staffing, counselors, instructional technology support, curriculum development, special education, professional training, college counseling and more. This measure will extend the tax which is set to expire 12/31/21 for 5 years to 12/31/26. For more info, visit www.YesASD.org
Aspen School District Issue 4A: Housing and Capital Facilities Bond
- YES
- This is a $94.3 million bond proposal to address Aspen School District's critical teacher housing and capital facilities needs. The funds will go toward 50 housing units for teachers and district employees in Aspen, Snowmass and Woody Creek, as well as to critical upgrades to existing facilities district-wide. The bond proposal will not raise the mill levy because previous bonds issued in 2001 reach final maturity later this year, and the new tax is structured not to exceed the previous tax. For more info, visit www.YesASD.org
Colorado River Water Conservation Dist Ballot Issue 7A: Prop Tax Increase
- YES
- This small property tax increase seeks to raise $4.969 million per year in an effort to keep water on the Western Slope, protect adequate water supplies for Western Slope farmers and ranchers, protect sustainable drinking water supplies for Western Slope communities, and protect fish, wildlife and recreation by maintaining river levels and water quality. 7A is additionally supported by the national waterway resources advocacy groups Trout Unlimited and American Rivers.
