Throughout his career, Chris has had opportunities to work with and learn from some of the most effective conservative leaders in Colorado.  Not just in a classroom setting, but in real life, shoulder-to-shoulder, in business and in the political arena.  The fundamental lesson that those leaders have provided Chris is that having principled positions is not about winning or losing.  Rather, having principled positions is about holding to those positions regardless of the outcome or the pressure to compromise.  Indeed, the legislative process is often described as the "art of compromise."  The question, therefore, is whether there are any positions to which a politician will hold and not compromise.

Chris agrees that the budgetary challenges of our time provide a clear opportunity for social moderates and social conservatives to work together to solve the fiscal crisis that confronts our state and nation. The question for the people of House District 44 is whether we would be better represented by someone who would compromise on any given issue, or by the one candidate in this race who isn't afraid or ashamed to identify issues of principle. 

Our campaign is for those who are tired of politicians who will say one thing and then do another.  Chris offers the voters of Parker, Lone Tree, Roxborough Park, Louviers, Sedalia, Surrey Ridge, and Franktown the choice to vote for a candidate who is an experienced, proven, principled, conservative. Please join the conservative leaders of Colorado by supporting Chris Holbert for State Representative!

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Under the Ritter administration, Colorado has fallen from 1st to 81st among global jurisdictions included in the 2009 Global Petroleum Survey. While Colorado is surrounded by states that rate among the most attractive to oil and gas exploration, we now rank with California as one of the worst jurisdictions in terms of regulatory compliance.

The people of Colorado are hurting for jobs and low-cost energy.  The state government is in crisis with the legislature needing to cut $1.5 Billion from the 2010-2011 fiscal year budget. Yet, in the face of "Climategate," Governor Ritter and the Democrat legislature continue to embrace the myth of global warming.

Like a man starving in the midst of plenty, the answer to our problems is at our fingertips. Let's roll back job-killing regulations and put the Colorado oil and gas industry back to work. Prosperity does not come from government; prosperity comes from hard-working men and women who have a vision and purpose of their own! Let's get back to rewarding prosperity, innovation, and entrepreneurial zeal! Let's vote for Chris Holbert!

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During the 2010 Colorado general session, the Democrat controlled legislature has rammed through several bills to increase taxes.  Originally known as the "Dirty Dozen," the slate of bills focused on removing various business tax exemptions in a misguided attempt to increase state tax revenues.  Refusing to learn form history, the Democrats ignored cautions that their efforts would lead to increased job loss and decreased tax revenues.  In fact, some Democrat legislators were 'outraged' when the inevitable occurred and thousands of Colorado jobs were eliminated.

Democrats repeatedly rejected motions by Republicans to put each of the measures on the November 2010 ballot so that we the people could vote on those tax increases, as is our right under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights ("TABOR").  In 2005, they claimed that Referendum C wasn't a tax increase. Later, they claimed that Governor Ritter freezing the mill levy wasn't a tax increase.  In 2009, they claimed that raising license plate renewal fees wasn't a tax increase, even though the "fee" was used to indirectly fund another source, which is the definition of a tax!  Now, in 2010, they've told us that removing tax exemptions so that businesses pay more tax isn't a tax increase.

It is time to take the shovel out of the hands of the Democrats; the hole is deep enough! Increasing taxes during a recession will only serve to prolong the recession; it is absolutely the wrong answer.  Click here to view Chris' Colorado Union of Taxpayers pledge to honor and uphold TABOR. Let's reduce the cost of government with an across the board cut and put any further tax increase proposals to a vote of the people!

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Chris takes a firm stance when it comes to protecting our borders, language, and culture.  Standing against illegal immigration is a matter of law and national security, not one of race or ethnicity.  In fact, the very nature of our unique United States is one of unprecedented diversity.  Our nation is comprised of generations of people who came to America from somewhere else, from every culture, every race, and every ethnicity.  Standing for the laws of our state and nation is right, not "racist."

Chris is proud to be endorsed by Congressman Tom Tancredo and shares the Congressman's staunch opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens.  We must not reward bad behavior and encourage future generations to likewise violate our laws.  We should, rather, protect our borders, enforce our laws, and welcome those who come to our county legally.

Chris would support state legislation to outlaw "Sanctuary Cities" that provide revolving doors for illegal aliens who shun the laws of our state and nation.  We cannot allow our federal, state, and local governments to treat persons who are in our country illegally with a greater level of tolerance than law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.

If elected, the first bill that Chris would introduce would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in Colorado.  Many people assume that such a requirement already exists, but that is not the case.  During the 2006 legislative special session on illegal immigration, the Colorado General Assembly considered SB06S-008, that would have required proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in Colorado.  During debate by the Senate Judiciary Committee, a prominent Democrat Senator argued against the bill by explaining that no evidence existed that any illegal alien had ever voted in Colorado.  That argument is valid only because our state does not require proof of citizenship to register to vote, therefore no such data can be collected.  In short, we don't allow ourselves to ask for proof of citizenship when a person attempts to register to vote in Colorado.

Chris supports English-only requirements for state services and documentation.  Persons to immigrate legally to the United States should be expected to learn our common language, which is English.  A common language is not somehow racist or a barrier to societal inclusiveness; it is a common thread that binds us together and allows all citizens to prosper and share cultural diversity as one nation.

Children born to persons who illegally enter our county in order to take advantage of our health care system and circumvent the process of legal immigration should not be granted citizenship. During the 2006 legislative special session on illegal immigration, the Colorado General Assembly considered Senate Joint Memorial 06S-001 to encourage Congress to amend the 1965 federal Immigration Act and/or the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in order to do away with "anchor babies." Senate Democrats promptly killed that memorial in the State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. Chris supports a renewed effort by the Colorado General Assembly to encourage Congress to act on this issue.

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The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The United States Constitution recognizes first the rights of the People (Individual citizens); second, the power of the participating sovereign States; and lastly, a relative few powers enumerated to the collective United States (federal government).  As a nation, we seem to have lost sight of the rare and precious nature of our Constitution. Many citizens and an alarming number of elected officials consistently position the federal government as the central source of power; followed by the power of the State; and lastly, that of the individual.

Chris understands that the First and Second Amendment of the United States Constitution exist primarily to protect citizens and sovereign States from an overreaching federal government.  As free men and women, as law-abiding citizens, we have the Right to protect our freedom and liberty.  That perspective led Chris to author the words, "Freedom and liberty are made whole when government removes itself from the lives of We the People."

Article II, Section 13 of the Colorado State Constitution
"The right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property... shall be called into question."

As a State Representative, Chris would support legislation to aggressively prosecute and punish criminals.  He would also work to repeal limitations on the Constitutional Rights of law-abiding citizens.  Specifically, Chris would support legislation to implement a "Vermont-style" concealed carry standard in Colorado, which would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun for any reason except for the commission of a crime.

Chris is proudly endorsed by the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners PAC having scored 100% on the candidate survey provided by RMGO PAC.  The survey was provided to candidates on two occasions, yet neither of Chris' opponents returned the survey. Beware of candidates who say they're "pro-Second Amendment," yet who are unwilling to go on the record as to what they actually mean by that general statement.  RMGO PAC rates Chris 100% on gun issues and he isn't afraid to go on the record on this critical Constitutional issue.

"It's the liberal political insiders who continue to sell out our gun rights.
Chris Holbert will be their worst nightmare and the gun owner's best friend."
 
- Dudley Brown, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners PAC

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In 2009, Governor Ritter and the Colorado Contractors Association ("CCA") teamed up with the Democrat legislature to pass the "Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation & Economic Recovery Act," otherwise known as "FASTER".  You probably know FASTER as the higher vehicle registrations fees that Colorado residents are now paying.

In Governor Ritter's press release about FASTER, CCA applauded the enacting legislation as holding "...enormous promise for expanding jobs throughout the state."  The Act might have held enormous promise for contractors, but certainly not for those of us who have to foot the bill.  Apparently, Governor Ritter and the CCA leadership were confident that we aren't taxed enough already.

For reference, when the state collects revenue from a specific source for a specific purpose, that revenue stream is called a "fee."  When the state collects revenue either from a general source, or for general purposes, that revenue stream is called a "tax."  The Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights ("TABOR") requires a vote of the people to approve any tax increase.  Since the people did not vote to approve FASTER, and since some of those funds are being used for general purposes, it is therefore an illegal tax increase.

The lesson here is that dollars are fungible; the Democrat-controlled legislature has a proven ability to use any dollar paid to the State of Colorado for any purpose. If elected, and if it has not yet been repealed, Chris has pledged his vote to repeal the "FASTER Disaster" for what it was: an illegal tax increase on the people of Colorado!


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Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that the federal government has a limited amount of power over We the People and over the respective sovereign states in which we live.  In turn, those sovereign states form the Union, or United States.  The federal government was defined in the last position of authority, not the first.  The Tenth Amendment exists to enable our sovereign state to nullify unconstitutional actions by the federal government.

The Tenth Amendment Movement among state legislatures began in Montana with the introduction of the Federal Firearms Act ("FFA"), which challenges the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause, as firearms being object.  The Act declares that any firearms made and retained within the borders of Montana are beyond the authority of Congress under its constitutional power to regulate commerce among the states.

Since its passage, a clone of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act has been enacted in Tennessee, and has been introduced in the legislatures of Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, and South Carolina. Here in Colorado, Senator Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, introduced Senate Bill 10-092 as the "Colorado Firearms Freedom Act."  On Wednesday, February 10, 2010, the Democrat-controlled Senate Veterans Affairs Committee killed SB10-092 on a party line vote.

Nullifying Federal Health Care

State attorneys general have joined a law suit to challenge the constitutionality of federal health care.  Chris supports the efforts of Attorney General John Suthers in that cause.  Chris also supports Ballot Initiative 45, "Right to Health Care Choice," which would amend the Colorado Constitution to prohibit the State from forcing citizens to purchase health insurance.

Chris also supports state legislation to nullify federal health care under the Tenth Amendment. During the 2010 general session, Senator Kevin Lundberg, (R, Larimer County), sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 045, which sought to nullify federal health care.  Chris was proud to testify in favor of the Resolution.  The audio from that hearing is available here. Chris' testimony begins at 8:55 time mark.  The Democrat-controlled Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee killed the SJR-045 on a 3-2 party line vote.

Nullification is a legitimate and necessary power for sovereign states to keep in check an over-reaching, power-hungry federal government.  The concept is neither radical or untested.  In fact, the Louisiana state legislature recently passed House Bill 1474, the "Health Care Freedom Act," to nullify federal health care in that state. If Louisiana can do it, so can We the People of Colorado.

As a State Representative, Chris would be an ardent supporter of 10th Amendment protections for the citizens of Colorado.  Click here to view Chris' Tenth Amendment Center Candidate Survey, or visit the Tenth Amendment Center to learn more about the 10th Amendment Movement.

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Douglas County schools rank among the best in Colorado and in the nation primarily due to the education and income of parents, along with the quality of life and environment we enjoy.  We have the opportunity here in Douglas County to be an example for the nation by learning to do more with less, which means not raising taxes during a recession.

Voters in Douglas County spoke loudly in 2009 by electing four conservatives to the Douglas County Board of Education.  The total number of votes in the 2009 school board elections was more than 70% higher than in 2007.  By margins as high as 59/41, the voters of Douglas County made it clear that they wanted parents and taxpayers to have greater control of K-12 education.

The teachers union here in Douglas County has the opportunity to work with parents, taxpayers, and our unanimously Republican school board, county elected officials, and state legislative team to work through though economic challenges without raising taxes.  A tax increase during recession would prolong recession, drive further unemployment, and increase foreclosures in the county.

Click here to access an accurate and balanced report written by Carlos Illescas at The Denver Post

Chris supports local control of funding and curriculum for our public schools.  Parents and taxpayers should have greater control, not the administrators, and certainly not the teachers union.  Chris supports equal funding for charter schools because he knows that charter schools are public schools.  Chris would also support a tax credit or voucher program so that parents who choose a private education via private provider or homeschooling, are not forced to pay twice for the education of their children.

The opportunity we have today is to set an example from which our children and grandchildren might learn.  Let's continue to put more control of our schools in the hands of parents and taxpayers and to decrease the influence of state and federal government in the education of our children.  Let's elect proven conservative leaders like Chris Holbert!

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Government regulation of business is three things: 1) higher costs for those who prove themselves ethical and law-abiding; 2) more rules for rule-keepers; and, 3) the justification for government to grow.  Regulation should not be confused with law enforcement.  In fact, regulation is rather the opposite of law enforcement in that regulators focus primarily on those who can prove themselves good, while law enforcement focuses primarily on those who prove themselves bad.

 

If you practice a regulated profession in Colorado, then you're almost certainly paying higher fees to the State government for the privilege of investing capital, creating jobs, and driving the economy.  Chances are, you and your colleagues are paying higher costs for application, testing, background checks, and licensing or registration renewals.  In some professions, you may even be required to pay the costs associated with the State auditing or investigating your business.

Meanwhile, regulators continue to issue more rules that those who pay the higher costs are forced to follow.  Those who flaunt the authority of the regulator, particularly those outside the state and thus generally beyond the authority of the regulator, often go unnoticed or unpunished.  Given this nearly unavoidable reality, government chronically continues to charge and demand more, while failing to solve the problems that originally justified the implementation of regulation.  At that point, government generally calls for more money to pay for more ineffective regulation, which, in turn, drives the growth of government.

 

Working from the fundamental knowledge that prosperity does not come from government, Chris would work with the business community to correct or abolish costly, over-reaching, and ineffective regulatory schemes.  Lets work together to promote competition, grow business, and prosper our way out of recession, which would ultimately lead to increased tax revenues for Colorado!

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In Denver and in the neighboring communities that rely on Denver Water, the majority of water comes from a series of mountain reservoirs connected to the Metro area by rivers, steams, tunnels, and canals.  It is worth noting that Cherry Creek and Chatfield Reservoirs exist primarily for flood control as opposed to storage of potable drinking water.

Douglas County residents have traditionally relied on water pumped from a series of four primary underground aquifers. The major aquifers in the Denver Basin are "confined" aquifers, which means that water does not replenish to those sources.  While confined aquifers can be massive and have provided water for decades, that supply is finite.  Thus, Douglas County must find a solution to our long-term water needs.

The Parker Water & Sanitation District Long Term Water Resources Plan is a good resource to help understand traditional water resources, current infrastructure development, and options for meeting future needs.  Chris would encourage all residents of northern Douglas County to review the Plan and to schedule time to tour Rueter-Hess Reservoir, which is currently under construction southwest of Parker and northeast of the Castle Pines exit at I-25.

We are encouraged by the news that Rueter-Hess Reservoir has been approved to begin capturing water from Newlin Gulch. That approval allows the Parker Water & Sanitation District to discontinue pumping water around the dam, which reduces cost to the District by approximately $10,000 per month.  Unlike the flood control reservoirs at Cherry Creek and Chatfield, Rueter-Hess will serve as a storage facility, primarily for surface water runoff.

Chris' earliest memories are grounded in Glenwood Springs Colorado where his family lived from 1961 until 1964.  He and his parents lived the latter part of that time in a log cabin-style home that was located just west of the Grizzly Creek rest stop in Glenwood Canyon.  Bighorn sheep grazed in their yard and the highlight of Chris' day was waving at the California Zephyr as the train roared through the Canyon. At an early age, Chris developed a deep respect and appreciation for the Colorado River and the wild, untamed beauty of western Colorado.

As a State Representative, Chris would seek opportunities to work on a statewide basis to conserve and store our most precious and powerful resource: water.  We on the Front Range must respect the interests of the western slope, while all Coloradans share an interest in meeting our future water and power needs.

Our neighbors to the south and west, specifically Arizona and California, will apply increasing pressure to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact.  We must meet such pressures as a unified state to avoid being divided in that effort.