Joe Whitcomb, Candidate for state Senate District 23, CO

In regards to calls for more deregulation in spite of a possible recession: I don't have to imagine what unregulated capitalism looks like, I know what the unchecked free market looks like, it looks like October 29, 1929. In regards to Free Trade Agreements: Inherently Regional Trade Agreements are good, The problem with the Trade Agreements we have engaged in, is that they did not come equipped with a floor, no floor on wages, no floor on safety standards, and no incentives for these multinational corporations (to enact standards) There is nothing wrong with saying we are not going to import goods that were made by slave labor, we are not going to import goods that don't meet safety standards. In terms of global development in China and India: We need to give China and India a hand to skip over the bad parts of the Industrial Revolution, because we know that pollution is not local, that global warming is not a local problem. On Iraq and the state of Colorado's infrastructure: We have a mindset that we have a limitless American Express (tm) card and spend a trillion and a half dollars with no rate of return and not hurt us. We (in Colorado) have no federal dollars for roads, no federal dollars for schools, and when we go to the Federal government with hat in hand, and their response is, 'build a toll road'. For building infrastructure, like new schools: There is a law on the books since 1996, that allows local school districts to borrow money from the state, that the state may lend to school districts, for the sole purpose of building new schools. That's not raising taxes, not asking for new mill levies, not passing the hat, just borrowing at a low interest loan. My thought is that if you have (an older school) bleeding energy, we could bulldoze that building, build a green building in its place...the savings could pay the mortgage on a new building. That's thinking out of the box. It would be equal to a 2 1/2 million dollar mortgage. (and when you provide) a good education, and attract new business to the area, teachers will come there as well. I want businesses to come to Colorado because we have the best and the brightest employees. Unlike Joe's opponent in this race, Shawn Mitchell, who opposed the necessary TABOR reforms and who still opposes Bill Ritter's executive order on behalf of state employees, That sounds like a candidate who knows what not only Colorado needs, but what America needs. Join me in getting Joe Whitcomb elected. www.electjoewhitcomb.com