Candidate Profile: Ken Stickney, District 10

Boulder CO

13 October, 2020

3:17 PM

Description

The 2020 election is heating up in Colorado and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but voters will also decide the outcome of state representative, senate and judicial seats. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near. Ken Stickney is running for State Representative - District 10. Age: 70Party affiliation: Republican PartyFamily: Wife Jane RubinsteinOccupation: Retired from High Tech (Software Development and Management, Program Management).Previous elected experience: NoneFamily members in government: No The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. The economic devastation caused by prolonged and excessive restrictions due to overreaction to Covid-19. I will fight to lift the restrictions at the state level, fight for a fee moratorium for small businesses, and fight against tax increases and any additional fees, which will further cripple an already fragile economy. What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I am for limited government, rule of law, civil liberties, and free markets. My opponent is not for these things as evidenced by her support of the repeal of the Gallagher amendment, her interest in further regulation of the utility grid and the energy sector, her desire for more restrictions on the right to self-defense, and finally her support for the National Popular Vote Compact, which is an end run around the amendment process of the Constitution. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? My long career in software development, software management, and program management has given me the tools work through large difficult problems in concert with others to come up with the best solution. I think this skill translates well to today's large complex state governments. What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses? Remove as early as possible as many Covid related restriction on local businesses as possible while protecting the clearly identified at risk population. Temporary tax breaks would help businesses get back to profitability, as well as a fee moratorium. How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform? At the state level and the national level there have been bi-partisan bills passed addressing criminal justice reform and police reform, focusing on racial disparities. We need to see the effects of this legislation before proposing additional legislation. If required, I would be for addition legislation, but de-funding the police is not a valid strategy. List other issues that define your campaign platform: Economic disparities for low income communities is a major concern. We need to narrow the gap with opportunity zones, establish more charter schools, and removal of racially charged false narratives such as the 1619 curriculum. Affordable housing needs to be addressed not by government assuming a greater role as landlord and mortgage lender, but by zoning more land for modular and mobile homes, taking advantage of the low interest environment to motivate development of these areas, allowing low income earners to purchase these homes with low interest mortgages, whose payments would be competitive with renting. What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I believe we need to protect our environment; clean air, clean water, and biodiversity are very important. I see that the climate is changing, but declarations of unprecedented extreme weather and wildfires are groundless when the history of these events are examined. How much the climate is changing and how much it is due to human activity is not settled in my opinion, so we should not rush headlong into extreme energy policies which have a risk of serious economic decline, putting citizens under hardship.