Opinion | House District 13 candidate Dave Williams: I’ll focus on building codes, agriculture and immigration if elected
House District 13 candidate
Occupation: Semi-retired owner of a residential designing and building firm
Years in district: Thirty-two
Family: Married with three children and four grandchildren
Civic involvement: Former member of the Chaffee County Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustments, President of the Homebuilder Association, and Chair of the Chaffee Republicans for 13 of the past 16 years
This election comes down to whether the voters are pleased with the direction the Democrats are taking this state.
Are you pleased with the legislation that punishes real estate owners who provide rental housing? Are you pleased that the middle class will no longer be able to afford to buy their own homes? Are you happy or depressed when you see what $100 gets you at the grocery store? Are you pleased that the Democrats look for every opportunity to transfer wealth from the private sector to the public sector? Are you pleased that the Democrats look for every opportunity to make it more restrictive and more regulatory for law-abiding citizens to own firearms for self-defense, instead of enforcing laws that are already on the books to deter criminals?
Priority No. 1: Building codes
Over-regulation in the state’s building and planning departments increases the government footprint and dramatically increases the cost to build affordable housing.
Back in the day, building codes used to be basic minimum standards and were based on life, health and safety. About 10 years ago, they started evolving into a “best practices” type document. Today, it is a roadmap to the way Democrats wants you to live. The push to end all fossil fuels and go to “all-electric” is incredibly expensive and is making it very difficult on the least fortunate amongst us.
Priority No. 2: Agriculture
I’ll also focus on the war on agriculture that makes it increasingly more difficult for the farmers and ranchers to survive.
The apex predator reintroduction is being pushed by the Democrat coalition, especially those that want to “re-wild” the rural areas. Government is continually looking for a way to diminish their water rights and divert water to the urban areas. Some are pushing for an open bid type situation for the summer pasture ground, which would price the rancher out of the market. In some counties the planning commissions are trying to eliminate the Homestead Clause, and make it more difficult for the farmer to split off a piece of ground to buy new equipment.
Priority No. 3: Immigration
The Democrats’ open border policy, combined with the Colorado Democrats willingness to pass legislation that makes it impossible for local law enforcement to arrest a person for being in the country/state illegally, has resulted in a less safe community, schools that are struggling to provide for students that are up to 40% English Language Learners, and a significant tax burden for all Coloradans.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.
Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.