Public Comments

Dear commissioners, Thank you for keeping Denver whole. Since it has the population for one congressional district I think it is important that it is not split up. Not only does that follow the requirements to keep cities and counties whole wherever possible, but is also the most accurate representation of that portion of the state. Thanks for all you're doing, I'm sure it has been very difficult.

My name is Charles T Holley (Tom) and I am a registered voter in South Routt County, CO living near Oak Creek. Your current CD2 Population base WILL UNMISTAKENGLY the allow the front range to DOMINATE the voices of the Western Slope with your latest 2 maps. I have ATTACHED a spreadsheet current information (that you also have) from Secretary of State website that shows EXACTLY what I am talking about with the population of Larimer and Boulder Counties dwarfing us aside from the party dominance as well. This will clearly show you that “Communities of Interest” is thrown out the door because we will have to COMPLY with front range voters. With the data you have at your fingertips, I believe you have seen this issue clearly. Seems like population and party totals per district have been important in your mapping process. Your map from late September would effectively silence the Conservative voices of the Western Slope and end the Republican Party. This is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE POLITICAL but it is clearly going to end up that way. This cannot be approved if you believe in fair congressional elections and legislation. I fully understand these numbers represent 100% of the registered voters whether they voted or not. I also fully understand that there will never be a 100% voter turnout, which is unfortunate. This data should show you that no matter what the percentage of turnout is, the Conservative Western Slope voice will be extinguished. I have also done the same layout for your map dated in late June and you will see a dramatic difference in opportunity for both political parties. I have said it and said it but your latest CD2 map is a geographical nightmare AND WILL END THE CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF THESE WESTERN SLOPE COUNTIES. You must go back to the June 23 map to be fair to the Western Slope! Thank you!

Congressional Commissioners -- My name is Cristobal Garcia and I am a resident of Evans, Colorado, and work full time in Greeley, Colorado. I am aware of the idea of creating Colorado’s new 8th Congressional district by connecting the rapidly growing communities in Adams County and Southwest Boulder county. I fully support this idea because of the various communities of interest that bind southwest Weld County and Adams County together, specifically maps that place Evans and Greeley into the same district as places such as Thornton, Commerce City, and even Longmont. While Greeley is the County seat of Weld County, the reality is that our rapidly growing and diversifying population has more in common with suburban Denver communities than agricultural communities such as Sterling or Lamar. Additionally, as it relates to the Latino community, it is clear that access to critical federal resources such as access to quality education, COVID - 19 vaccines and small business recovery resources (to name a few), and the impact of federal legislation such as immigration reform, transportation, and environmental regulations affect Latinos in Evans and Greeley in a similar manner to Latinos in Adams County. We share critical issues that pertain to public policy concerns with our neighbors in Adams County that speaks to the need for joint representation. I’ve personally worked with Latinos in East Greeley, on the North side, and in Evans to make sure that our children have access to sidewalks, streetlights, and safe parks. I’ve walked with fellow members of the Latino community in support of local mill levy overrides and support structures for our schools and our students - Which make up nearly 70% of the local school-aged population. I’ve supported efforts in connecting Latino-owned businesses to local economic health offices, the East Colorado SBDC, and the Colorado Minority Business Office. And most recently, we’ve even raised our voices in favor of sales-tax increases to support roads and infrastructure in Evans. I have also been spearheading bilingual efforts to ensure Latinos in Evans and Greeley know about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to access it, and I know from first hand experience that it has taken similar community driven efforts by Latinos in places like Commerce City, Thornton, and Longmont to do the same - inform our community about the federal, state, and local resources to combat this virus that has disproportionately impacted our community. We deserve representation that will help address these challenges and barriers for our community, which is why I strongly support the idea to place Evans and Greeley in the 8th Congressional District with similar communities such as Thornton, Commerce City, and Longmont. Upon reviewing maps on the website, I truly believe that Staff Plan 3 Tafoya Amendment 2 map successfully accomplishes this. Thanks, Cristobal Garcia

Dear Sirs, I am a resident of Garfield County and was deeply concerned at the original proposed redistricting of our congressional district to include parts of the state stretching to Boulder County. I am happy to see that the Commissioners have revised the redistricting map to better reflect the rural nature of our district. The Front Range and Western Slope both have issues near and dear to their hearts (but often different) and I believe it is important that the district maps honestly reflect this important point. Thank you. Respectfully submitted, Mark Blodgett (President of Myers & Co. Architectural Metals - Basalt, CO)

The follwing can also be review on the attactedpdf. document which looks more organized thanwhow this comment section dispays out thoughts. Commissioner of the unbiased Colorado Independent Redistrict Commission: We are in the last two days before the final map is to be submitted to the court and still I do not believe we have a consensus, which is a must or the politicians win again regardless of what the voters of Colorado mandated you to do in November 2018. It seems everyone is fighting for their ‘little corner’ of Colorado, or they are so involved of the wishes of their political party that the integrity of this commission has been downgraded by it. Remember, this commission is a NON-PARTISAN body and regardless of if your party does not fair well in the next election, YOU (all the commissioners) have an obligation to fairly draw the districts of Colorado and of the Staff Plans do not do that, so it is up to you in the next 2 days to come up with an acceptable plan regardless of your personal feelings. That is why you are selected. We, The Concerned Citizens of Southern Colorado, have submitted at least twenty maps illustrating the plight of the Southern portion of the State and yet you want us to again be a part of the Western Slope where the incumbent party has a distinct political advantage. We want us, Southern Colorado, to be able to choose our representatives, and if the incumbent part or anyone else wins the election we will accept that (unlike what is the current trend in national politics), but the point is that we want a fair election and it we are again stuck on the Western Slope some 200 miles away we, the Citizens of Southern Colorado, will not get it. Putting Southern Colorado in with all of the Western Slope is like stacking the deck for Northern and Western Colorado and whatever you decide WE, have to live with it for ten years, at least. Your mandate is to make sure we get fair an the least bias district to where this can be done. The maps we want are in the order of their importance to us: • The Headwater Map (Tafoya p.007) • The Schuster Plan (Shepard-Macklin p.008) • Tafoya p.005 And as a final choice if the others do not meet your criteria • Staff Plan 1 We want a Congressional District where voters in Southern Colorado can go into the poltical process and nominate candidates that live in the same area as we do, not from Glenwood Sporings, Grand Junction, nor Rifle, and have their opponent for the weak areas such as Steamboat Springs. Commissioners. is that scenario too simple for you to understand?. Apparently by the maps you draw that is exactly what is happening. Regardless of what political party GPO, DEM, or IND wins the nomination and eventually the election, we want whomever we elect be from Southern Colorado and not a pawn of the political machine of the Western Slope, or the Denver Complex. We will even accept someone from Colorado Springs if they live in our district. The reason for the referendums y and z was to stop playing politics, and apparently this commission has not gotten the message. Now for some Personal Comment’s. Although I am a registered Democrat, I really am more in the middle, I keep the Democrat designation just to vote in the primary’s, which I feel are very important. I was a Registered Republican from 1972 – 1996 and a prescient chair during the 1980’s, however I became disgruntled with the party throughout the 1990’s and switched. I am not real thrilled about the Democratic platforms as well, however I feel that not being a member of a major party does not allow a person to have as strong as a voice with political decisions. I would like to see a strong coalition of a third caucus within our major political system to offset the gridlock and the once again create a system of compromise in Congress and throughout political structure and when the structure of this commission was set up with equal affiliations, of both political major parties and unaffiliated political sources, gave us hope that perhaps a non-bias mapping of Congressional Districts could bring back the notion of us all playing on an even playing field was uplifting. Commissioners this is the start of showing America that this can be done, this is an opportunity to display for the nation of Colorado’s’ integrity, insight and leadership, and this type of cooperation, unbiased togetherness, and forward thinking can lead this country, our congress and our state legislatures away from the ideas that ‘either you do it my way or the highway’ is at the very least too archaic for our democracy. A new type of coalition must exist. Commissioners, you are the beginning of a new dawn in not only Colorado but America, and please do not screw it up by the last minute, all to familiar political rhetoric we just now hearing from this commission. Please do not throw away the opportunity to set the even playing field and then after you have drawn up a fair Colorado Congressional map, then let us hope that all parties can then be represented fairly and then continue this great democracy we have here in America. You Commissioners are the leaders of American Democracy, please do not make this a political wrestling mud match. You have done tremendous work until now, get into the fair an unbiased end zone, and do not fumble the political football because you are on the one-yard line. Let’s finish this thing fairly. Block for each other and we will all succeed. Thomas McKenna On behalf of the Concerned Citizens of True Southern Colorado

Please explain what common interest rural Routt, Jackson & Grand counties have with urban Larimer & Boulder counties? Their political, economic & social values are polar opposites. Your proposed map is a naked partisan attempt to drown out rural votes with Ft. Collins & Boulder's numbers.

Thank you to this Commission for listening to public comments and putting forth the September 23rd third staff plan map. Rural Colorado deserves a seat at the table and this map delivers. The CD3 map includes contiguous geographic areas, has equal populations as required by the Constitution, preserves communities of interests, and ensures Congressional districts are well represented. This CD3 map includes compact districts, and maximizes the number of politically competitive districts. Thank you.

Keep communities cohesive. May Eagle County and the Western Slope remain whole. LEAVE EAGLE COUNTY IN CD 3.

Thank you for your efforts in creating the September 23rd third staff plan map for District 3. Rural Colorado deserves a seat at the table and this latest version will help us preserve our community's values and interests and will ensure we are well represented in matters that affect our lives and livelihoods.

I do not want my vote to be redistricted away by a partisan process. This state has been taken over by a democrat majority that continues to push through immoral legislation that is harmful to our children, teaching children that it is normal to have same sex desires, how to do sex acts, etc. Not to long ago that would have been considered child abuse but now it is ok? Schools and counselors can tell kids that this ok and normal but it is illegal to say it isn't normal? Legislation that is killing jobs and making us dependent on one source of energy. The secretary of state is out of control along with the the legislature and governors office in eliminating a fair voting process that isn't subject to outside interference, to be sure the stranglehold is maintained on the citizens of this state.