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Q&A with Denver City Council District 5 candidate Amanda Sawyer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageIncumbentAmanda SawyerPROFESSIONDenver City CouncilwomanEDUCATIONBA – University of Colorado at Boulder, JD/MBA – American UniversityEXPERIENCEFour years as the current District 5 City CouncilmemberWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.It’s public safety. I’ve worked hard to create and fund new programs to address this in my first term. I partnered with DPD District 2 leadership and residents to design a community policing program in East Colfax. I created a program using CPTED studies to help small businesses address crime issues. In 2022, I took almost 1,000 weapons off our streets through a gun buyback program, which were turned into garden tools. I also partnered with Xcel Energy and DPD to deliver two lightbulbs to homes and add street lighting in problem areas.What should Denver leaders do to addre...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 1 candidate Amanda Sandoval

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageIncumbentAmanda SandovalPROFESSIONCity CouncilwomanEDUCATIONMetro State – BA of Political ScienceEXPERIENCECurrently serving as Denver City Council representative District 1 – Previously, Denver City Council aide. Also, I have worked at my family’s restaurant.WEBSITE • FACEBOOKBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.There is a myriad of issues that need attention to address the most urgent issue, quality of life and the vitality of the City of Denver. There are many tools that have been utilized to address the unhoused, safety, infrastructure, and economic challenges. The most effective tool is a comprehensive plan for land use which encourages prosperity and viability for the places that the citizens of Denver want to live, work and enjoy.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?There has been a...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 4 candidate Tony Pigford

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageTony PigfordPROFESSIONEducator and advocateEDUCATIONStudied Business Administration at Florida A&M UniversityEXPERIENCEI’ve worked in the business sector and founded several non-profit organizations. I have worked in Denver Public Schools focusing on youth leadership. I have led three successful ballot measures.WEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Housing is an issue I hear about every day. I think the city should be taking a more active role in the development of housing — I am closely following Seattle’s ballot initiative I-135 to create a social housing authority, and would like to see Denver follow suit. We also need to be thoughtful about housing as more than just warehousing people — we should be building walkable, complete neighborhoods with access to open space and parks, schools and child care, quality...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 1 candidate Ava Truckey

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageAva TruckeyPROFESSIONMicro business ownerEDUCATIONTrade schoolEXPERIENCEI’m a parent, a baker, a writer, an ex-hairstylist, a community organizer, activist, and have used the systems as a kid, an adult, and now as a parent.WEBSITEBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.The city has become unaffordable for too many individuals and families who helped build it. We lose neighbors and community anchors every day to being priced out with nowhere close to land, outside of being criminalized when we find ourselves unhoused. We need to stabilize housing costs, increase housing access and development for the most vulnerable in our communities, end rampant displacement, and support our neighbors in maintaining the homes they have, sometimes for generations.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?We need to make sure ...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 3 candidate Jamie Torres

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageIncumbentJamie TorresPROFESSIONDenver CouncilwomanEDUCATIONB.A. in Cultural Anthropology and M.A. in Medical AnthropologyEXPERIENCEDistrict 3 Councilwoman from 2019-current;Deputy Director, Agency for Human Rights & Community Partnerships from 2013-2019;Director, Denver Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs from 2005-2019WEBSITE • FACEBOOKBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Affordability in every corner of the city. This covers the broad range of a person or family’s ability to find housing, purchase goods, cover basic needs, and have a reasonable quality of life in Denver. It is addressed by supporting options across a spectrum of need from safe outdoor spaces, to permanent supportive housing, subsidized housing, workforce housing, accessory dwelling units and market rate housing. It is further addressed by ensuring families can earn a li...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 7 candidate Guy Padgett

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageGuy PadgettPROFESSIONOperations director at a non-profit news siteEDUCATIONMA, International Relations, University of Denver Korbel SchoolEXPERIENCEMayor, Casper, WYCouncilman, Casper WYWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?We must closely monitor the effects of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to determine if its incentives and consequences need to be adjusted in order to fulfill its purpose. We must also work to clear the backlog of permit applications; this may require more manpower in the permitting department. We should look at how adaptive reuse can be made more affordable and practical, this could include creating finance stack models with assistance available from the city as well as creating or adopting code specifically aimed a wide...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 2 candidate Chris Herr

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageChris Herr PROFESSION Director of Sustainability EDUCATION Master’s in Public Administration EXPERIENCE Director of Sustainability at the Auraria Higher Education Center, project management, strategic planning, coalition building, small business owner, board and committee volunteer at state/city levelWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed. Lack of affordable housing is the single most urgent issue facing Denver. For decades now, the city has put forth plans and initiatives to address homelessness that have not worked. One data point suggests that the population of houseless folks has reached a 14-year high. To say this is unacceptable is a gross understatement.A housing first approach works and that’s how I would address this issue. Let’s make it easier and cheaper t...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 7 candidate Arthur May

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageArthur MayPROFESSIONSoftware product managementEDUCATIONBS Computer Science, MS Computer Science, MBAEXPERIENCEHusband, father and neighbor in Denver District 7 for 10 yearsWEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Denver’s crime rate has increased at a rate 10X the increase in population from 2021-2022. Using crime statistics from denvergov.org and population stats from macrotrends.net violent crime increased 11.8%, property crime increased 4.6%, other crimes increased 12.3%. Denver’s population only increased 1.22%. Non-violent crime can be just as damaging to our neighborhoods morale as violent crime.To address the issue we need to 1) Make 311 more efficient such that property crime can and non-violent crime can be reported much more efficiently 2) Increase funding for police 3) Review laws that are unenforceable and either refo...

Q&A with Denver City Council District 7 candidate Adam Estroff

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

Go to: Denver Post Voter Guide • Candidate Q&A home pageAdam EstroffPROFESSIONSalesEDUCATIONB.A. US History – Earlham CollegeEXPERIENCEI have been working to change rules that prevent affordable housing in Denver neighborhoods as a volunteer, while I work full time to provide for my family.WEBSITE • FACEBOOK • TWITTERBriefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.Denver faces many crises but the lack of affordable housing underpins them all. Our city has lost starter homes to mansions while making even the construction of a backyard unit a nearly impossible labyrinth of meetings and permits. Making sure we can build affordable housing in our neighborhoods is key to solving Denver’s problems and creating a better city for everyone who lives here.What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?City leaders should allow the massive buildings they permit in our neighborhoods...

EU Solidarity with Ukraine: One year of temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:42 GMT

The European Commission has adopted the Communication on Temporary Protection Directive. The Directive was triggered for the first time on 4 March 2022 in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, to protect people fleeing the war.Since then around 4 million people were granted immediate protection in the EU, out of which more than 3 million in the first half of 2022. All those registered had the right to access the labour market, education, healthcare, and accommodation. The EU's response to the war in Ukraine shows once more what is possible when the EU acts united. The Temporary Protection Directive has proven to be an essential instrument to provide immediate protection in the EU and it should remain part of the toolbox available to the European Union in the future.This Communication takes stock of the Directive's implementation over the last year, draws the lessons learned and identifies priority areas where continued efforts are needed.The EU response in a nutshell:The ...