Public Comments

Grand County is deeply divided into a conservative wing on the west and liberal democratic population in the East. Please do not make the mistake of thinking the Grand County Commissioners represent all of us equally. Conservatives very slightly outnumber progressive voters, so our entire county government is Republican because they don’t allow our portion of the county to elect our own commissioner. Just look at our precinct results to see Fraser and Winter Park are much much better aligned with our current representative Joe Neguse. Lord almighty please don’t put us in the ultra conservative lady’s congressional district. If Kremmling wants to go that way, fine, but do not make the rest of us suffer the prospect of having her as our “representative.” Thank you, Kristen Taddonio Fraser Colorado (submitted by email 5/19/2021)

Dear Concerned Citizen of True Southern Colorado: As you may be aware of, the Colorado Congressional Redistricting Commission has been functioning since early February of 2021. The purpose of the commission is to redistrict all of Colorado’s Congressional Districts in which, as of the preliminary indications of the 2020 census, the state has enough population to form eight districts. That is one more than what we have now. This is an excellent opportunity for underrepresented areas, such as South-Central Colorado to redefine our representation and once again, after forty years, be represented in the US Congress. Please notice that there is also a commission for the state legislative districts to likewise redistrict the Colorado State legislative districts, however this correspondence and our efforts concerning the Citizens of True Southern Colorado is dealing only with the United States Congressional Districts in Colorado. We are asking you review the contents of this document and join us in support of either a revised 3rd Congressional District or a newly designated 8th Colorado Congressional District. Although the term of ‘True Southern Colorado’ can be ambiguous we, for purposes of this action and to self-identification with use the term of South-Central Colorado’ for purposes of this action and proposal. We propose that the area south of US Highway 24 from the El Paso County/ Teller County line, all of Pikes Peak Ave in Colorado Springs, and a line that divides the middle of Colorado Highway 94 until the El Paso/Elbert County line and then proceeds south to the junction of Lincoln, Crowley, El Paso, and Pueblo Counties in which the newly proposed boundary will traverse east to where the eastern boundary of Crowley County travers north to south until it intersects with Otero County. At Otero County the newly formed boundary will then follow the eastern boundary of Otero county until it intersects with Las Animas County, and at which point it will follow the eastern edge of Las Animas County to the Colorado/ New Mexico border. The proposed South-Central Colorado Congressional District will traverse west along the state line crossing into Costilla then Conejos counties until it reaches the Continental Divide, which separates the Western Slope from Eastern Colorado. At that point There the new boundary will traverse along the Continental Divide encompassing the entire San Luis Valley, partial areas on the eastern slope counties of Mineral, Hinsdale, and Gunnison counties, and resume on the western boundaries in Chaffee and Lake Counties. The new Colorado Congressional District border will wrap around northern Lake County, north of Leadville, and then travel south along the eastern borders of both Lake and Chaffee counties until Chaffee County intersects at Fremont County. Using the northern border of Fremont County, it tracks east until it intersects with Teller and El Paso Counties at which point it will run north on that borderline and stop at the intersection of US Highway 24 where we started the new boundary. The either newly formed 8th Congressional District or revised 3rd Congressional District will include in their entirety, Pueblo, Crowley, Otero, Las Animas, Costilla, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Chaffee, Lake, Fremont, Custer, and Huerfano Counties. It will also include portions of South El Paso, Mineral, Hinsdale, Saguache, and Gunnison Counties that are on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. The Map below outlines the new district. We propose the area we just outlined to be designated officially the revised 3rd Colorado Congressional District or the new 8th Colorado Congressional district, regardless of what designation the new district it called, it is imperative that the people of South-Central Colorado maintain our own voice in Congress and not be associated with other areas of Colorado which may or may not be in agreement or may notproceed in the best interest of the people of ‘True Southern Colorado’. Reasons for purposed changed and establishment of a separate Congressional District for South-Central Colorado are as follows: • Currently the purposed area in which we live and have a continuity of economic, cultural, and geographic likeness are presently split into portions of three Congressional Districts (3rd, 4th, and 5th) which prevent South-Central Colorado to exercising one voice in the United States Congress. • Our proposal will be geographically similar, however not the same, as the 3rd Congressional District appeared prior to 1982 when for political gerrymandering reasons Pueblo, Custer and Huerfano, along with the San Luis Valley were absorbed in the area west of the Continental Divide, known as the Western Slope, to strengthen on political parties dominance (GOP) and weaken the Democratic strength that South-Central Colorado had been providing to the State of Colorado. • Las Animas, Crowley and Otero counties are currently in the 4th Congressional District with the strength of the district is based in Weld County and parts of the Denver Metro Area and we feel that these counties again lack proper representation in the United States Congress and would be better represented along with their geographically coherent counties in South-Central Colorado and these counties also have a vital interest in Arkansas and Purgatory River water issues with are not a concern of Northern Colorado. • Residents of South El Paso, Lake, Chafee, and Fremont counties are current members the 5th Congressional District which historically isolates itself from critical South-Central Colorado issue that do not benefit the interest of their district, especially the City of Colorado Springs. There are two critical reasons why this district has got to be split is and absorbed into the South-Central Colorado Congressional District. • (1) In order to form the South-Central Congressional District, we need a population base of 710,000 people and by taking people at the West US Highway 24, Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Highway 94 boundary will allow the proposed South-Central Congressional District to fulfill this requirement • (2) The alignment of the newly proposed Congressional District will bring together not only civic leaders of these counties throughout the district, it also will provide with new economic, cultural, and geographical alliances to be formed and benefit the people of South-Central first and foremost and give a stronger voice to South-Central Colorado when dealing with congressional issues. • The San Luis Valley counties of Alamosa, Rio Grande, Saguache, Costilla, and represent a strong portion of South- Central Colorado whose issues are different from the Western Slope and this will give the San Luis Valley control on water issues concerning the Rio Grande River, and with agricultural issues concerning the valley itself. Incorporating portions of Mineral, Hinsdale and Gunnison counties that lie on the eastern portion of the Continental Divide will give credence to geographical integrity of the proposed Congressional District. It is time for the geographical area of South-Central Colorado once again be untied not only to ensure geographical continuity, however also it is particularly important that within the southern portion of Colorado we are presented with a continuity that ensures for both economic growth and strength, a dynamic that allows our cultures, our heritage to unite and we function as a one people. In other words, it is time for us to come together and we need to include Colorado Springs because for too many years we have had a split in all aspects of our lives and creating a united Congressional District will allow this healing to begin and allow us to function as one people ‘True Southern Coloradoans’. Throughout 2021, We have sent numerous letters and emails along with a 38-page proposal of restricting all of Colorado Congressional Districts, with of course special consideration to the newly proposed South-Central Congressional District, to the Commissioners of the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission and as we have previously stated, we have been dealing with the Commissioners who are to redistrict the Congressional Districts not the legislative. We would like you to review these issues and be aware of public meetings that are going to be held throughout July and August throughout Colorado and invite you to attend and voice your concerns. Please login to the Colorado Independent Redistricting website https://redistricting.colorado.gov/ for more information about the public meeting. You may also write them at: Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission, 1580 Logan St – Suite 430, Denver CO 80202. We have sent correspondence in C/O each commissioner with our concerns. The Congressional Redistricting Commissioners are” • Paula Espinoza D- CD4; Elizabeth Wilke D-CD5; Danny D Moore R-CD6; William Leone R-CD7; Jolie C Brawner U-CD1; Lori Smith Schell U-CD3; Lisa Wilkes D-CD 5, Martha Coleman D -CD2; Moussa Diamassa U-CD5; Carly Hare U-CD4 (Chair); Jason Kelly R-CD3; Julie Marie Shepard-Maclin R-CD6; Simon Tafoya D-CD1. As mentioned, we have been addressing concerns, proposal and other issues mainly focusing on South-Central Colorado and we have not seen amongst these commissioners any indication that that South-Central Colorado is a concern to them; they seemed to be focused on Denver Metro, Western Slope, and Eastern plains counties more than they are interested in South-Central Colorado or the San Luis Valley. Please correspond your thoughts with them and let us create a Congressional District we all can participate and be represented in the United State Congress as a full citizen. Thank You and Sincerely Thomas McKenna Citizens of True Southern Colorado 999 Fortino Blvd, Lot 53 Pueblo, CO 81008 719 -557 -0784 or email: tmck1946@gmail.com

Colorado Independent Congressional Redistricting Commissioners : I think overall you are doing a good job, but you guys need to brush up on your Colorado Geography. The Front Range is a specific mountain range which runs between basic between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. From Pueblo County and south Tare the Wet Mountains and the Wet Mountain Valley which butts up against the Sangre De Christos Mountain Range. South of the Wet Mountains are Huerfano and Las Animas counties which are part of both Plains and Mountains. The San Luis Valley and Chaffe and Lake Counties are on the Western side of the Sangre de Christos and are part of the Eastern Mountain Communities and are not a part of the Western Slope of Colorado. You need to consider this when separating these areas into Congressional Districts. Pueblo, Fremont Chaffee, Lake, Huerfano, Custer, and Las Animas counties and they need to be included with the San Luis Valley counties of Alamosa, Rio Grande, Costilla, Conejos, and Saguache, along with Eastern slope area of Mineral, Hinsdale, and portion of Gunnison. Please take into serious consideration of our proposal of South-Central Colorado including the southern portion of El Paso County and the areas already discussed. Note: when tasking about Las Animas County, although the land area is main on the eastern Plains the Population is Trinidad and areas west of I-25 (ask Bill Leone, he knows what I am talking about, he is from there). Please do not Pueblo and South-Central Colorado lightly, we need to be taken seriously and are a vital part of Colorado. El Paso County can be and half place with Douglas and half in South Central Colorado.

Letter from Fountain City Council attached.

Dear Commissions, On behalf of the citizens, municipalities, communities, and organizations of El Paso County, Colorado’s second largest county, we write today to ask you to keep our county wholly within one single Congressional district to the greatest extent possible, when drawing new congressional districts, and respect our communities and neighborhoods in the process of legislative redistricting. Please see the attached letter that further illustrates our request.

Dear Commission, With regard to both the Congressional and Legislative Redistricting, I would like to provide comments on the formation of the 8th Congressional District in 2021. As a resident and Small Business Owner on the Western Slope, I am requesting that the redistricting lines be drawn to separate the needs of the "Western Slope" from those on more urban environments of the "Front Range" and from those heavily reliant on "Mountain Resort" communities. Our needs are uniquely different than those communities. As Ranchers and Small Business Owners, our concerns are over the usage of water, cost of healthcare, health and wellbeing of our livestock just to name a few. I am encouraging our our local Chambers of Commerce, Town Council Members and the community at large to lobby for an 8th District to allow the Western Slope to be represented appropriately in our local, State and Federal legislative branches. We call upon the Commission to do the right thing for the State and it's constituents. Please make the Western Slope it's own separate district. Sincerely, Jose (Tony) Martinez

I am frustrated about the discussion of moving the reallocation of prisoners to executive session. As a member of the public, I have a right to hear the discussions back and forth on the decision to reallocate prisoners. We need to have this data so we don't go back down the road of the 3/5ths law. Please have this conversation that is necessary with public being able to watch. This is an incredibly important conversation and should not be hidden from the public. We are having discussions about this in the party and I would like to see where you stand and why.

Hello: I understand that the County Commissioners of Grand County, Colorado, have recommended to you that Grand County be moved from CD2 to CD3. I want to record my opposition to that recommendation. Grand County is a district populated politically by three dynamic groups: the Republicans, the Democrats and the Independents. I say “dynamic,” because these three groups seem to be in an era where the traditional Republican power in the district is being challenged by the growing numbers of Democrats and the fact that the Independents are out numbering both historic political parties. Donald Trump had a narrow victory in 2020 and it is very possible that the Democratic nominee will prevail in 2024. The population in Grand County is centered in the towns of Winter Park, Granby, Grand Lake, and Kremmling. These towns and the area around them while considered “rural" are defining themselves as tourist attractions highlighting: skiing, fishing, hiking, biking, sightseeing, snowmobiling, dude ranches, and second home locations. Building in the vicinity of these towns is aimed at meeting the needs of the folks who enjoy the activities noted above and come to Grand County. The number of families that make their living as farmers/ranchers is declining. These characteristics are considerably more akin to the issues around Boulder than the towns in District 3. Grand County also has a highly complicated and often contentious relationship with the Front Range related to water. The Front Range owns most of the water in Grand County and if the drought continues the water districts on the east side of the mountains can call for increased amounts of water to leave Grand County and flow to the cities and farmers on the Front Range. At the same time, people in the Front Range want to holiday in Grand County to enjoy the mountains, lakes, streams, and forests with the cooler and less humid air. If enough water flows to the Front Range, however, the tourists in the future might be confronted with a dramatically different environment in a place they love to visit. Few of the other counties in CD3 have such a problem. For these reasons, I urge you to keep Grand County in CD2. Cordially, Neal Cross (submitted by email 5/14/2021)

I am writing to strongly encourage the committee keep Berthoud in Joe Neguese’s congressional district. The town of Berthoud is no longer a rural outpost and aligns more closely with Joe’s current constituency. (submitted by email 5/13/2021)

I submitted a letter to the Legislative Commission last week. Our local paper, the Durango Herald, has run an article that complements the letter that was sent and adds some supporting information. I have attached a link to the article for your reference. Thank you. https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/group-wants-southwest-colorado-in-single-state-house-district/