Vote 2002
Weismann runs for HD 12 seat
Lawmaker a favorite of environmentalists
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by Staff (Editorial@boulderweekly.com)

Paul Weissmann (D, incumbent) was elected to the Colorado Senate in 1992, and became an active legislator on campaign finance and political reform. Because of his eco-friendly bills in the Senate, Weissmann received the Sierra Club's Legislator of the Year award. Today, the Louisville resident is seeking the position of state representative in House District 12.

If elected, balancing the budget will be his first order of business. He is opposed to recent cuts made by Gov. Owens and Weissmann promises more responsible decision-making. "I will go item by item to get necessary cuts, rather than making cuts across the board," he asserts. "The legislature should take the lead with the budget."

More responsible budgeting will save valuable programs that have been cut by Owens, such as diversion programs for delinquent youth.

As a teacher, the Democrat is also committed to improving education. His plan is to have less government involvement, allowing school boards to make decisions for their own schools. The potential representative is against Amendment 31: "The state shouldn't mandate any program-it should be up to local schools." He would also like to eliminate the CSAP test and reduce class size.

Other goals Weissmann has set include creating a compassionate, effective welfare system geared toward self-sufficiency and fighting "union busting" legislation.

But more important than passing legislation, he argues, is the integrity of the candidate. "Issues come and go. Ultimately people elect people, and they want someone who will work for them."

Jim Egerton (R) is not your typical Republican. A Lafayette resident, Egerton is familiar with the unique personality of House District 12, and as a local businessman, the Republican is sensitive to the distinct challenges facing the burgeoning area.

Egerton's platform is committed to education; he stated his budget will not make any education cuts unless necessary. His agenda includes performance-based incentives for teachers to improve the quality of classroom instruction and an overhaul of the bilingual education program.

Egerton is against Amendment 31 because he feels the one-year mandate isn't enough time to learn English well, and has his own strategy to ensure that non-English speakers aren't left behind. Under his plan, the English immersion program would last three years, at which point students could pass a test to be integrated with the rest of the student population. This will ensure that no students are disadvantaged due to limited vocabulary, he said.

Egerton also believes that government should play a lead role in education, and while he doesn't support school vouchers, he is in favor of parental choice.

If elected, the local businessman plans to fix the small business health-care system to increase the number of insured Coloradans.

The state representative hopeful is also eco-friendly. "I'm a strong environmentalist and a big proponent of Open Space," he asserts. "And I am for maintaining the quality of life in Colorado."

Brian C. Lewis (L) did not respond to requests for an interview, and has not made his agenda public.

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