Mark Milliman for Colorado House District 12
The people of Boulder County and Colorado deserve a leader that will serve their interests and run the government over political activism.
I am running to provide common-sense solutions to the pressing issues you face that will not cost you more in taxes.
ECONOMIC RELIEF
Today, it costs $15,000 more to live in Colorado than it did in 2021. Colorado is number 2 in the nation for inflation, number 1 for restaurant price inflation, and the 6 most expensive state to live. It wasn’t always like that. Increasing taxation, fees, and regulation enacted in the last two legislative sessions, along with the policies of the current governor, are responsible for a considerable portion of those increases. All of this while the wage gains of over four years ago have been wiped out. All Coloradians are finding it difficult to make ends meet.
The promised property tax relief from the past legislature and governor never materialized. As your representative, I will work to roll back property valuations and assessment easing the several hundred dollar increase most property owners experienced. My plan included proposing a cap on yearly county government growth, including additional bonds, and eliminating property taxes for all qualified seniors and disabled veterans on fixed incomes. They have already paid their fair share.
TABOR is a crucial tool that empowers the people to keep government in check. I am steadfast in my commitment to resist any attempt to weaken TABOR in the legislature, governor’s office, or county government. Also, we need to keep a close eye on fees that are essentially another form of taxation. The last legislature passed a $40.6 billion budget; our largest in history indicated a government growth rate that surpasses our incomes or tax capacities. It’s time to reign in this government growth. Our state is burdened with numerous ineffective and inefficient bureaucracies that can be eliminated and reduced in size and budget. Like you and me, the government must learn to live within its means.
Subsidizing rents and mortgages is not the solution to affordable housing. It’s essentially taking money from taxpayers to lower housing costs for others. The real solution lies in reducing the cost of building, maintaining, and owning a home. We need to make it easier to build housing by reducing the plethora of new regulations that have significantly increased the cost of building homes. The recent Marshall fire forced homeowners to pay an extra $50,000 to rebuild their homes. Lower property taxes will also help reduce insurance costs by improving fire mitigation efforts and reducing crime. We need to address the housing shortage by making it easier to build new homes. With an adequate supply, rents and prices will naturally come down, giving hope for a more affordable future.
Health care has become unaffordable for most because of how we administer it and excessive government regulation. The solution is not to tax everyone and call it free because that is a recipe for ever-increasing costs. We need to restore the doctor/patient relationship in the financial transaction and reduce health care and insurance companies’ inefficiencies. Over 60 years of government intervention in health care has not helped to lower prices once. We need less government regulation in the business of health care. Compliance and reporting requirements add at least 20% to the cost of every procedure.
Colorado needs practical, economical, and environmentally friendly energy solutions. We must recognize that we can only solve global problems from Colorado with the rest of the world participating. Our state is rich in clean energy sources that are both economical and reliable. However, the way we manage energy companies needs an overhaul. The current rate-of-return regulation favors constant price increases for electricity and other forms of energy, benefiting the energy company, not the consumer.
Colorado has lost high-tech jobs to other states because we no longer focus on innovation. Our educational institutions once were known for creating entrepreneurs and innovators who attracted companies to locate here. Now, they are leaving. We need to reinvigorate our universities to create innovators and entrepreneurs who will bring back those higher-paying jobs.
FAMILY & CHILDREN
Most of us just want to live our lives freely and raise a family, but raising a family has become not only more expensive but more problematic as the government takes the parents out of the equation for raising their kids and not equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in society. Parents are the #1 driving force in a child’s life and the ones that care about them the most. They must have control over the decisions that impact that child’s upbringing. The family unit is the most critical component in our society, and it should be placed among everyone, including the government.
Our public schools must prepare our children to be productive members of society. 60% of third graders cannot read at grade level, yet we spend some of the most money per student as any state in the union. The solution is not more funding for schools but spending the money on instruction and not things outside of the basic charter of educating our children.
I support parents’ right to use their taxes to send their kids to any accredited school of their choice. This enables parents of all socioeconomic levels to have the same opportunities to improve their child’s life. It also provides competition between schools to provide the best quality education. I support greater local participation in the educational process, including curriculum. State bureaucrats or labor unions should not decide the curriculum.
Our state’s mental health facilities are a shambles, and that is putting it mildly. Several facilities do more harm than good to children and adults. Most facilities are overcrowded, too. A comprehensive and non-biased study needs to occur, and recommendations for improvement must be implemented. Mental health care needs to be an integral part of our criminal justice system and the homeless solution.
CRIME
Colorado is #1 in auto thefts, bank robberies cocaine use, and the 3rd least safe state. We are #2 in property crime. Even once bucolic Boulder County is feeling the impact of increased crime.
Homelessness is contributing to the crime situation along with the illegal immigration that brings more drugs and human trafficking to our community. This situation has been made worse in the last few legislative sessions with lower bail and sentencing requirements passed by the legislature. Those changes need to be rolled back, and law enforcement needs to be given the tools to do their jobs effectively.
Law enforcement budgets have been stripped away as much as their policing tools. It is time to restore the respect and authority for law enforcement to make our communities safe again and give district attorney and judges the ability to provide the appropriate punshiments for a deterrent. Recidivism is at an all-time high.
Properly addressing the homeless problem goes hand-in-hand with reducing crime. We need to address the root cause of homelessness that include a holistic approach involving affordable housing, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and even job training.
Legal immigration is what has made our country and Colorado great. Illegal immigration has brought increased crime and gang activity, illegal drugs, and human trafficking while not helping the people that have come to this country for a better life. Although this is a national problem the symptoms manifest themselves locally. This type of immigration helps no one.
We need a different solution so people can feel safe again whether they are citizens of the U.S. or other countries. Colorado can no longer accept illegal immigrants. It is cruel to accept them when we do not have the money or resources to provide them what they need. When we cannot do it, many have no alternative but to resort to criminal activity.
Reallocating taxpayer money to illegal immigration is also a crime. We are putting Coloradans that need assistance last to accommodate these people. The humane thing to do is repatriate these people to their original country until they can immigrate legally.
OTHER POLICIES
I could have listed so many topics and policies, but time and space prevent me from listing them all. Although we live in a mostly urban area, we must not forget one of the most important industries that made Colorado what it is today: agriculture. Agriculture is vital to the success of Colorado not only to feed our own people, but the people of the world. I grew up in an agricultural-based state, and I have an acute appreciation for the industry. I will continue to support the growth of agriculture not only as a vital industry but as one important to the health and security of Colorado.
Government exists to serve its citizens and not the other way around. This is my guiding principle. If a policy or law does not benefit its citizens or make their lives easier or better, then it is not considered.
My policies and priorities are shaped by the people that live in Superior, Niwot, Gunbarrel, Louisville, Lafayette, and other parts of unincorporated Boulder County. For the first time in two years, you can elect your representative who will be focused on running the government. You should select someone that understands your concerns and is not a political activist that will make your life more expensive and difficult. You should select someone who understands your concerns and is not a political activist who will make your life more expensive and complicated.
The answer to many of these issues is to not tax and spend more but spend more efficiently and let you keep more money in your pocket. We have tried that method for many years. Now it is time to try a more thoughtful approach.
I want to hear the issues and topics that concern you. Good policy is made through evaluating different solutions, not just doubling down on the same ideology. I offer diversity to the Legislature—thought diversity. Please reach out to me at MillimanforCO@gmail.com.
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I have lived and worked in Boulder County for over 20 years where I have raised my family while working in the telecommunications industry, developing and selling products to spread broadband communications throughout the world. I have worked for some of the largest and smallest companies as well as started some of my own businesses. I have felt the pains of trying to build a business while raising a family with strong moral values. I can relate to the challenges we all face.
I am an electrical engineer by trade which taught me to be a life-long learner and to evaluate all perspectives of a problem to determine an optimal solution. This is the same perspective I will bring to the legislature to make sound policy that will help the people of HD-12 and Colorado.
I serve my community by leading the local chapter of my professional industry association and being a member of the Judicial Performance Committee for the 20th Judicial District. I have worked closely with law enforcement, district attorney, and judiciary to make our community safer for our children. I decided to run for State Assembly because I feel that our current representatives do not represent the struggles and values of the people of the district. I am not a life-long politician or bureaucrat. I am here only to serve you and our community for a short time to make this a better place. I would appreciate your support and vote this November.
