<\/p>\n
The Dolores Public Library was a political hot spot Saturday when state Sen. Ellen Roberts and Rep. Don Coram addressed a crowd of about 30 people hosted by the League of Women Voters.<\/p>\n
The legislators addressed the crowd of about 30 on current issues at the capitol.<\/p>\n
Roberts promised to work on wildfire mitigation and water issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got here a little early and drove around and looked at McPhee,\u201d she said. \u201cThe conditions are quite severe. We need heavy-duty moisture or it\u2019s going to be another dry and scary wildfire season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts, R-Durango, touted new technology at www.leg.state.co.us that allows constituents to listen to legislative discussions.<\/p>\n
Roberts also sounded an alarm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not supporting the infrastructure in the state the way we need to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
That infrastructure included school funding.<\/p>\n
Roberts also discussed taking money from K-12 education.<\/p>\n
During the recession, the legislature took money form other places because of expanding Medicaid costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took an awful lot of money from K-12 and called it a negative factor and pretended it was OK,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have not been true to what we should have been doing. We can\u2019t keep adding or expanding programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Roberts admitted that having a divided legislature won\u2019t make it easy to get things done this year.<\/p>\n
Coram, R-Montrose, told the crowd that he was going to work on rising insurance costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense that a family in Montrose pays $150 more for insurance that a family in Denver,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is one of the unfair things we are working on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coram also said he is working on water bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater is the key. If you are not at the table, you will be on the menu,\u201d he said. \u201cThe lower basin states have continued to overdraft their accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coram said he will continue working on bills that will battle tamarisk, a water thirsty plant that can consume as much as 200 gallons of water a day, while the average person only uses about 170 gallons a day.<\/p>\n
One audience members called for an end to TABOR, but he was told that because that came through with a vote of the people, that it will have to go away with a vote of the people.<\/p>\n
Others, such as Dolores School District Superintendent Scott Cooper, called for an end to the negative factor, which took money from school funding.<\/p>\n
Others mentioned that the state assessment on students was getting out of hand, costing the state over $30 per student.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat adds up really fast,\u201d teacher Meg Neeley told the legislators.<\/p>\n
Roberts agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year there will be some plan to address assessments,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n
Coram agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou as a teacher know a lot more on how to spend that money,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to stop these mandates and give schools more local control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts closed by telling the group that rural Colorado now represents 11 percent of the population in Colorado. Eighty-nine percent of the Colorado population is on the front range. She also called for grassroots efforts to improve school funding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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