Our Top Contract Priorities
With so much slipping away from our present, it cannot help but impact Colorado's future. The more mindful we are to the names and faces of our neighbors in every county, the more aggressively energetic we can be about sculpting our vision for a brighter Colorado together.
And as part of our Contract with Coloradans, we will be the most accessible state government in history. How else will we be empowered to build something that endures? Stay tuned, and in the coming days we will expand upon our campaign's vision, our plans, and how they will benefit you directly!
John Brooks Contract with Coloradans
Why a Contract?
As Governor, I will be reminded each day that all a person has in this world, is their word. Without it, a promise is empty. I will serve every Coloradan with integrity and sincerity. I will be mindful of our state's interest in politics, but I will be your executive.
How It Works
I will campaign on issues with an eye on tangible results which benefit Coloradans in their everyday lives, being certain to close the gap that has grown. My focus will be on our state and how we'll improve the present, and the next 25 years.
What it Means to You
Colorado and its families mean everything to me, and once I am Governor you may rest assured the time, motion, and mission of your fresh executive team will return the power and meaning of state government back to its people.
TRANSPORTATION
Congestion is worsening
Roads in poor shape
Projects are reactive
Variable tolls highly unpopular and not efficient
No plans in play for Mountain Transit
Rail system grossly underbuilt
EDUCATION
Colorado schools are failing – 35th in K-12 academic performance
Our kids NOT prepared for international workforce competition
Kids aren’t held to standards to succeed
More rural higher-ed access needed without relocation
FISCAL ACCOUNTABILTY
Colorado is spending at higher pace than revenue supports
TABOR (consumer inflation % + population growth % = increased spend cap) under constant attack
Essential services being cut
Many budget line items not being discussed in public forums
WILDLAND MANAGEMENT
Wildfire threats grow each year, fires increasing in size and damage
Defensible space requirements must be expanded
We must drive further funding and actions in COSWAP
Continue to improve hardened building codes
Increase funding to private landowners
PUBLIC SAFETY
Rural communities face urbanization challenges as populations age, youth migrate to urban areas
Industries are threatened, including agriculture
Opportunities that exist in urban areas are not replicated in rural settings
Services that exist in urban areas do not exist in rural settings
ENERGY
Energy needs are increasing
Some estimates have energy needs at 2x or even 3x current consumption
We lack grid, generation, and storage capacity to meet these goals
Too much focus has on speed to renewables and "clean" sources
Costs to Colorado residents by 2050 could exceed $900/month under Polis "clean" energy plans
Policy Spotlight
Rural Revitalization
Our rural and smaller communities form the backbone and foundation from which the rest of our state was built. These communities still boast the highest high school graduation rates, feed the rest of our state, and are home to some of the safest places to raise families. Today, however, our rural communities face significant threats, some of which are long-standing, while others are newer and increasingly urgent.
While initiatives have been introduced over the years to address these issues, none have cast the net wide enough to create long-lasting revitalization. Rural prosperity should never risk “bringing the problems of the big cities to our small towns”. We must protect the community identities that make those places sought after by our young families and growing industry partners.
Within our first 100 days my administration will put in place a deeply comprehensive approach to rural community revitalization. Our plans will weave together strategies that incorporate industries, resources, infrastructure, energy, education, healthcare, connectivity, and access into a canvas that creates long term growth and lasting prosperity within those communities.
Energy Growth
Our Colorado energy needs are projected to triple in the next few years, yet our current state government has put us on a path that will increase electric bills to $900 per month, per family. Priorities for energy need to focus on reducing financial burdens on families, not crushing them with higher costs, yet this seems to have been ignored.
We must meet our growing energy needs with a sensible plan that lowers costs, increases reliability, increases capacity, and protects the environment.
As your governor, I will immediately cancel the extreme and unrealistic policies that are rapidly increasing our energy costs now. We will put a plan in place that will increase energy production and reliability, modernize our transmission and storage capacity, lower costs to Colorado families, and retire fossil fuels. We will also introduce plans to revolutionize our transportation energy demands that will lower those costs to Colorado families while we lead the nation in innovation and improved affordability.
Affordability
Looking across our state, Colorado has dozens, potentially hundreds of communities looking for Long Term economic stability. At the same time, most Coloradans are seeking Affordable and Safe communities to raise their families. Fortunately, there are growth drivers that make this possible all around us that aren’t being properly leveraged, and as a result these communities suffer.
Positioning Colorado for growth is a micro-strategy, community by community. Working directly with our local communities, my administration will build prospectuses that we will use to bring industries and investments into our state, building on goals and strengths unique to each community.
Colorado State Government has a responsibility to guide these efforts with our community partners. Economic growth translates into jobs, wage growth, affordable housing, local revenue growth, infrastructure growth, and supporting industry growth. This is a sustainable plan for long-term economic stability. This is what opportunity and prosperity look like. This is what executive business leadership looks like for our state.
RURAL REVITALIZATION
Rural communities face urbanization as youth migrate to urban areas
Industries threatened, especially agriculture
Opportunities exist in urban areas not in rural settings
Services in urban areas not in rural settings
IMMIGRATION
Illegal immigration presents risks, crime, and resources
DACA needs resolution
Colorado industries have significant dependence on immigrant workers
Conflict between sanctuary policies and Federal law
HEALTHCARE
Cost of insurance
Exorbitant provider fees
Availability, especially in rural areas
Not enough providers
AFFORDABILITY
Colorado is one of the most expensive states in the US, 43rd in affordability
Affordable housing projects scattered into communities don’t achieve scalable success
"Enterprise Zones" and "Opportunity Zones" are having minimal, if any, success
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
River basins depleting at an alarming rate
Colorado cannot to use and store water to which it's entitled
Population projections indicate shortfalls of 75%
Mineral industries must be revitalized
community economic stability
STATE REVENUE REFORMS
CO faces budget shortfalls in revenues & structural costs
Revenue models for transportation and interstate commerce inadequate
We will examine Higher Education costs which have risen 400%
Homestead Exemptions will need to be more beneficial
Tabor needs to be improved