Public Comments

Dear Congressional Commission, My name is Russ Chitwood and I am a 22 year resident of Boulder, CO. I have always found our District map to be strange geographically and not representative of interests spread across the district. Boulder County has little in common, commerce-wise and in terms of community needs, to central mountain towns. We are tied more closely, geographically, economically and in population density, with Denver Metro counties and Larimer County. Please let the mountain and western slope communities have their own voices heard more independently of us, and lend our voices to those of our nearby neighboring counties. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this feedback on behalf of my community. If you have any questions regarding my testimony, please contact me. Russ Chitwood Boulder, Colorado 80303 (submitted by email 6/10/2021)

Dear Commissioners: In my opinion, the fairest redistricting scheme would be one likeliest to represent the political make-up of the state as a whole. For example, imagine that Colorado will be allowed 10 Representatives in Congress. And imagine that in the state as a whole, 50% of Coloradans are registered as Democrats, 30% as Republicans, and 20% unaffiliated. Then the best scheme would create 5 districts that are likely to elect Democrats, 3 that are likely to elect Republicans, and 2 that are complete toss-ups. Cordially and respectfully, Richard Ware Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 (submitted by email 6/10/2021)

Both Colorado Redistricting Commissions, My name is Jane Williams. I am a resident of the Francis Heights Seniors ApartmentsComplex here in West Denver. I love my city for her cherished views of our Colorado Mountains and many protections for our clean air, water and wildlife preservation. Our access for good health care here in Mercy Housing is wonderful and we continually are in the process of expanding on benefits for Seniors. Here near our beloved Sloan's Lake we wish to be protected by the redistricting process. Jane Williams Denver, Colorado 80211 (submitted by email 6/10/2021)

Both Colorado Redistricting Commissions, I have lived in Telluride and the Telluride region since 1986. Telluride is a mountain resort town that shares many interest with other mountain communities in Colorado. Please keep these communities intact as you proceed with redistricting. Regards, Steve Johnson Stephen Johnson Telluride, Colorado 81435 (submitted by email 6/10/2021)

I support the redistributing map that show two distinct rural districts. Our rural communities must have representation of rural interest and not be grouped in with the more populated counties such as Douglas County.

Lauren fights for Pueblo County's interest, the interest that aligjn with our Constitution. We need her family values in Pueblo County, we need her fight for Pueblo County and our school districts! Pueblo County voted for change, they voted for her and to allow the redistricting is not allowing our voices to be heard. When will enough be enough! I've lived many years with people in Congress who have won that their values do not aligjn withi mine and not once did I push to have us in a different district. When you don't listen to the people the people will no longer listen to you!

Please have all Commissioners open and read the following attachment concerning comments of rural vs urban, Thanks Thomas McKenna on behalf of Citizens of True Southern Colorado e

The City and County of Denver should all be in one congressional district and not split into two or more. It is not fair to the people in Denver to be divided into more than one congressional district. We share too many common issues as the city and county.

Redistricting in Colorado 2021 June 11, 2021 Good morning Redistricting Commission: Thank you for volunteering to participate in this important public service. Your commitment to the task requires time, energy and intellect and I would like to acknowledge your dedication as you work to achieve the goals and objectives. I encourage you to carefully consider all of the variables associated with redistricting. My primary concern is equity. I insist the 2021 census numbers be the deciding factor, not the political interests of community leaders. If it is possible to develop a template that equitably distributes the population I prefer that method. I believe Larimer and Boulder counties should be united because they share similar characteristics, i.e., educational facilities, recreation, growth of entrepreneurial businesses and agriculture I have lived in Fort Collins for more than a decade. I also lived in Pitkin County for five years during the ‘70s. Like many states, Colorado offers different things to different people. I am grateful to be able to share my voice in this judicious discussion. Because the state is divided between agricultural, recreational and urban communities, I recognize it is challenging to apply a grid that achieves absolute equity. However, I believe there is a way to design districts that will provide fair representation to all. The closer we get to interconnecting the different components, and providing opportunities for dialogue between the economic bases, the better we all will be. As a former resident of Ohio, I do not want to see district maps drawn to the political specifications of alleged leaders. “The Snake on the Lake” that runs east along Lake Erie from the Northwest corner of Ohio in Toledo to the Northeast corner in Cleveland is an embarrassment. It is a contributing factor in my decision to be a “former resident.” Colorado must not engage in partisan politics when making these vital decisions. Community values, economic and educational interests and social considerations must be factored into the final determination. I absolutely oppose a system of gerrymandering in Colorado. Voters must be able to choose their representatives - not visa-versa. I understand creating the Commission based on the three political options currently available to voters was intentional - registered unaffiliated, democratic and republican voters. The three partitions are approximately equal. I expect you to demonstrate that you are capable of offering equitable representation to all citizens of Colorado. Thank you for your consideration, and best wishes on this journey. Lynda Blake Fort Collins, CO 80527

Thank you for the opportunity to submit input about how we are represented in Congress. We moved to Greeley almost 60 years ago. At the time it was a large town or, maybe, a small city. It was tied closely to the surrounding rural communities and to agriculture and ranching. At that time, 35th Avenue was the outskirts of town and Greeley was best known for the "smell of prosperity." It's presence in the 4th Congressional District seemed natural. We now live west of 71st Street in a rapidly growing part of town that was farmland as recently as 20 years ago. There is oil and gas activity all around us and we can hardly believe how quickly housing developments are popping up much farther west than we are. Greeley is a growing mid-sized city that has a lot more in common with the communities we drive through on the way to Denver than it does with Fort Morgan, Sterling, Holyoke and Yuma. It no longer feels right for the Greeley community to be lumped into a mostly rural congressional district, as if Greeley's transformation didn't happen over the past 20 years. We need to be represented by someone who understands the stresses that rapid growth is putting on our roads, utilities and public services. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Jerry and Nancy Weil