Happy Labor Day!

Dear friends,
 As this long hot spell comes to an end I’m reminded that even though we missed out on so many things we love this summer, we are likely closer to a vaccine that will end this weirdness that has been COVID. Since the end of the legislative session I have returned to my job, leading a local solar company. Like so many industries rooftop solar has been hit hard by the economic downturn and while the hours have been long and the stress high I am convinced that things will be alright.  The pandemic has been an opportunity to take stock of what is important to each and every one of us and for me the need to address the environmental crisis is more critical than ever. 

As I walk through our district I’m ready for the boards to come down.  I’m ready for the restaurants to bustle with chatter and to see the stores full of customers again.  I’m already dreaming of the return to a normal that attracted so many of us to urban Denver. In order to keep that dream alive we have work to do. Let’s all buy local, support our restaurants, and do our part to restore confidence in our community. 

Did you know that small businesses in Colorado employ about 1.1 million people in the State? Small businesses are also the most diversely owned and operated businesses in the State. They contribute more then just economically to our society, small businesses are the center of community. Therefore the effects of COVID-19 on smalls business have been one of the many losses in our communities.

The Legislature passed HB20-1413 to help aide small businesses in $250 million recovery loan program. This program provides low-interest loans to small businesses to help cover costs they are facing during the pandemic. Small Business are the heart of my district and I would like to share some of my favorites local shops with you and encourage you to take a look for yourself! Of course let us not forget to wear your favorite mask while out exploring!

Crema Coffee House/ Bodega - If you are a fan of coffee like a majority of the population than I highly recommend trying their House Expresso and picking up your very own Crema Branded reusable cup! They are a great small business that has been able to maintain a warm and welcoming atmosphere through it all. 
Stem Ciders - Stem Ciders besides offering great ciders on tap, is now providing a reasonable and reliable source for hand sanitizer to help keep our community safe as we navigate towards flattening COVID-19. This is a liquid hand sanitizer (not gel or foam) made here in the states, and is the World Health Organization's recommended formula that kills 99.999% of germs. Available now in both 8oz spray bottles and gallons. Stop by our taproom to purchase, and if you are looking for case quantities for your establishment, please email sara.timmer@stemciders.com
MATTER - very well curated bookstore which offers some incredible titles for you—and if you live in Denver they have FREE CURBSIDE DELIVERY. Stationery Supplies, Books, Zines, all of them well cataloged online at www.shopatmatter.com
La Belle French Bakery - is dedicated to helping you bring your guests an authentic French experience. They use the only highest quality ingredients and artisanal methods to create our products and are still able to provide a cost efficient price to you. A native to France, Chef Julien has more than ten years of experience in perfecting the traditional French technique of creating pastries. From croissants to desserts, your guests will have a long lasting impression of their visit to your establishment. They also offer whole sale products and merchandise that donates its profits to charity organizations internationally. 

House district 5 is a vibrant district that is home to many amazing teachers and support staff from around the metro area. I want them to all know that their safety is priority one. I also want to thank all of you for the amazing work you do to educate and protect our students during these unprecedented times.

Denver Public Schools (DPS) will only offer remote learning through at least the first quarter, with school set to begin Aug. 24. The district said they then plan to gradually return to in-person classes with an option for families to choose to continue online learning instead. K-12 teachers will return Aug. 10 for a week of training, and then use the week of Aug. 17 to connect with students and plan for remote learning. 

The Gap Fund

"The Energize Colorado Gap Fund will provide more than $25M in small business loans and grants to boost small business enterprises that are the economic engines throughout the state. Sole proprietors, businesses and nonprofits with less than 25 full-time employees can apply for up to a $15,000 grant and a $20,000 loan for a possible combined total of $35,000 in financial assistance.

Applications and awards will be done in rounds to allow us to provide assistance through December 2020. The process will not be first-come-first-serve, it will be a competitive process that will help those in need receive priority access to assistance."

This is for landlords and property owners applying for assistance on behalf of their tenants only. Tenants/residents are NOT eligible to apply through this program. Tenants must apply through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP). Click on “TENANTS” here to find out more about this program and how to apply.

For Landlords/Property Owners to qualify for this program:

• Your tenants complete the Tenant Certification of Need stating that they were unable to pay rent because they experienced financial need due to COVID-19.

• The rent for the unit for which assistance is requested is set at or below the POP maximum rent listed below (POP Maximum Rents). All reasonable mobile home lot rents qualify. Reasonable fees in the lease may be reimbursed, excluding late fees, legal fees and fees charged for returned payments due to insufficient funds. Units or tenants supported with a housing voucher are not eligible.

• The rental unit or mobile home park meets basic health and safety requirements. Self certification is required.

• Your property is not in foreclosure (if it is, a receivership has been established by the courts) and your state and local real estate taxes have been paid.

• You agree to all program requirements and provide the proper documentation. Full program guidelines can be found below. 

• Landlords and tenants who are related by blood or marriage are not eligible to apply for this program. Instead the tenant should apply for rental assistance through one of our partners agencies. Click on “TENANTS" here to find out more about this program and how to apply.

To Qualify for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP):

• You were unable to pay your rent or mobile home lot rent because you experienced financial need due to COVID-19.

• Your household monthly income is at or below the maximum income listed here. 

• You have not already received rental assistance that covered your rent. 

• You complete the application for assistance and provide all of the needed documentation.  

• Other qualifications and documentation required will be explained by the agency you work with to access the funds.

• EHAP can also be used for mortgage assistance for qualifying homeowners.

EHAP Complete Program Guidelines

TO APPLY
You must go through a local agency. The agency will help you with the application.

Dial 211 or visit www.211colorado.org to find the agency that can connect you to rental or mortgage assistance.

The Best Part

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and you were able to enjoy the company of loved ones. I certainly have plenty to be thankful for this year. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since I announced my candidacy, and I’ve been honored by the outpouring of support I’ve received.

While I have had many things to be thankful for in the last year, the best part of my campaign so far has been going door to door and talking with voters about what is important to them.I, along with my hardworking group of volunteers have knocked over 1,700 doors this year.  I’ve had the opportunity to stand on the porches of constituents and talk with them about what is important to them in their community. It’s grassroots organizing at it’s finest.

 If I could knock every constituents door in the district, I would, because this is the best way to get a pulse on who these people are and what they care about, and to communicate to them our campaign's message. However, this is not always possible - some residents live in large, inaccessible buildings, and those whose doors we do knock aren't always home when we want to talk to them. Fortunately, we have other methods of getting in touch with them, like trying to catch their eyeballs on Facebook, or mailing my smiling face and entreaty for votes to their doors. But as you might imagine, these efforts take money. This is where I need your help. Any contribution, no matter how big or small will help me get my message to those voters, and take their voices with me to fight for making Colorado a place we will continue to be proud to call home.

 I promise you this: No less than 80% of your contribution will go directly to voter outreach. We run a lean campaign and are fortunate to have a team of volunteers willing to put in the time and effort because they believe in the campaign, which means that we operate efficiently and take pride in using your donations directly to get our message out to voters.

 If you are unable to donate, we need for boots on the ground to help propel the campaign into the New Year. Please consider volunteering by clicking here.

 I wish you and yours a Happy Holiday, and a Happy New Year. As always, thank you for your support.

Auld Lang Syne

If you have a lot of time on your hands, and if patience is one of the virtues you pride yourself on exhibiting, I invite you to try to figure out what the hell Robert Burns was trying to say when he wrote down the traditional verses of Auld Lang Syne. 
For everyone else who has better things to do than try to translate 300-year-old Scottish dialect into Modern Day English, here’s what the song says as far as I can tell:

 Let’s not forget old times, and let’s not forget old friends.

Let’s have a drink together, for the sake of old times.

A long time ago, we hiked together, we picked flowers together, and we waded in the streams together. But time passes quicker than any of us realize, and things change. And although we have these good memories together, time and circumstances often drive old friends apart.

Still, give me your hand old friend, and I’ll give you mine. Despite the years that have passed, and the things that have come between us, let’s have a drink together for old time’s sake.

And here, I’ll take the liberty to embellish a bit. I hope Robert Burns will forgive me.

We’ve been through a lot in the last year, and recently, it’s felt like there’s more differences between us than similarities. Families seem to be at each other’s throats, and neighbors no longer trust each other like they used to. It’s becoming less and less clear that we’re on the same team, and although I can remember a time when we used to work through our differences together, those times seem like a distant memory now.

But in the darkest part of the winter, families always come back together again. Things have changed, and they won’t be the same as they were before, and things might well get worse before they get better.

The end of the year reminds us that everything will end, including us. We all feel the same cold, we all feel that we’re growing old, and we all fear for what the future might hold. Let’s take a break from the fight and put aside our differences, and let’s join hands and have a drink together before we start back at it again next year. We’re all in this together, and we’ll be better off together than if we drive ourselves apart. Come in from the cold, share a drink together, and remember that we are all working for the same thing: a full life for ourselves, a better future for our children, and a legacy that we can pass on together to the generations yet to come.

Robert Burns wrote down the verses of Auld Lang Syne in 1788. The bloody American Revolution was in very recent living memory, when the Colonists and the King split apart forever. The French Revolution was just gearing up, and over the next decade, everyone there would dig in and tear each other apart. Things got a lot worse before they got better, and it’s not even clear now that everything has fully shaken out.

We’ll have plenty of time for fighting in 2018, and ground will be lost and won all across the country. But for the next few days, it might be good for everyone to remember that we are all out for the same thing, and that we’ll all be better off joining hands than pushing each other away.

And here’s my hand, my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o' thine!
And we'll take a right good-will draught
for auld lang syne.
 

Before you raise your glass and prepare for the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” this New Years Eve, please consider being added to my growing list of contributors. Or if you have time to give you can sign  up to volunteer here. Your help is needed to take our voice to the state house. 

I wish you and yours a Happy New Year, and as always thank you for your support.

Some Good News!

The third quarter is over and I’m very happy the progress of my race for House District 5. I recently gained the endorsement of former Colorado Speaker of the House Ruben Valdez. On top of that, three of our State Representatives have given me their support: Adrienne Benavidez, James Coleman, Denver City Councilwomen Ramona Martinez and Rosemary Rodriguez endorsed me since the last time I emailed you. To know more about why I’m proud of and grateful for all of these people’s support, check out the links above.

As a team, our campaign volunteers and I are having a great time. We have a unique opportunity to knock on the doors of the constituents, to visit with them at events, and find out what is truly important to the people who matter. This is grassroots at it’s finest.

This month, I’m asking for supporters to commit 5 hours a month for House District 5. In the words of my hero Harvey Milk, “I want to recruit you.” Here are some of the things that I need help with:

• I’m looking for some people to join me in visiting constituents at their homes. We canvass neighborhoods to pass out information about the campaign and find out more about this district’s vision. If you like meeting new people, talking about issues you care about, and/or being outside in this nice fall weather, this might be a fun opportunity for you.
• I could also use some help managing some of the IT-related things, like helping to keep track of donor and supporter information and adding campaign info to the website. Here, I’m looking for someone with good attention to detail and who is very comfortable with technology. You’re definitely going to learn some new skills along the way.
• I definitely could use some help making people aware of the elections coming up, the issues and candidates at stake, and how they can get involved in our political system. People with good organizational skills as well as capable artists and writers might find some good opportunities in this area.

Click Here to Sign Up to Volunteer

On top of all this, we’ve shared a lot of good meals and humorous stories after the work is done. This group is turning into a fun, tight-knit community, which I’m enjoying a lot.

If none of the above sounds like a good time to you, or you’re short on time but long on money, please show me your support with a contribution, no matter how big or small. This will help me use my resources to to reach out to voters. Regardless of the amount, your contribution will be effective in our grassroots efforts.

I thank you for your support, and I look forward to taking our voice to the State House.

The Most Powerful Person in the Country

Did you know the most powerful office in the world is not the office of the President? The most powerful office is that of a Precinct Committee Person, or PCP. I found my call to service as a PCP for the Democratic party, so I’d like to share with you how important the role is.

A PCP represents smallest political unit in our system: their own precinct, or neighborhood. PCPs are elected at caucus on even-numbered years, or in the event of a vacancy, they are appointed by a House District Captain. Both parties use this structure, so your precinct will have two PCP’s for each party. Multiple precincts make up a district, such as House District 5.

The PCP is legally charged with getting out the vote on election day. The PCP will knock the doors of every household in the precinct to find out what candidates and issues the voters are considering.  (That's called canvassing.) Then, before each election, the PCP will personally deliver campaign literature to every voter in their party. PCP’s makes sure that all precinct voters receive and return their ballot before election day. This is the way elections are won.

At state, district, county, and precinct caucuses and conventions, PCP’s are essential. They have tremendous influence by voting on the party platform and policies, supporting or opposing various proposals, and weighing in on the selection of candidates.

Many of our presidents, senators, congressmen, and state and local officials started as PCP’s, and many still serve as PCP’s even though they hold a higher elected office. That's because they know the power of a PCP.

If you’d like to know more about your PCP, or to find out if there is a vacancy in your precinct, click here.

I’d be honored to have your support in continuing my call to service for all of Colorado. Through my business and my work as a PCP I’ve learned that the powerful vision of a few can bring meaningful change to Colorado. I’m ready to take our voices to the State House.

September is a big fundraising deadline, and we are still short of our goal, so please donate here. Your contribution is an investment in the future of Denver, and the future of Colorado.

I want to recruit you!

Hi Friends, In the words of one of my political idols Harvey Milk -- “I want to recruit you!”  

Since the launch of my campaign last month I have been fortunate to see the passion of our voters in House District 5. In the face of the major changes that are taking place at the federal level there is an air of optimism. I believe that we can actually change the world to be a more tolerant and inclusive place. That’s what we're all about. We believe that our ideas help people. We believe progress is the best course of action.  And we believe that we can impact the outcome and change things where we live. Join me now by contributing $100 today.

Campaigns are about support, and I need yours. Our early success with fundraising sends the message that we are serious about advancing our progressive ideas. I’m asking for you to invest in this optimistic vision by chipping in to our campaign today.

Your donation today sends the message that you are joining a group of people who believe we can directly affect our community. It’s an investment in our vision for progressive leadership, values and action.

I’m asking for your support because I want to fight for your values. Join me today.