Article Contributed on: 10/7/2008 1:34:11 PM
Nick Kliebenstein is running for State Representative District 33 and answered a questionnaire for YourHub.com. To read all of the candidate questionnaires,
click here.
Name: Nick Kliebenstein
Seat you are seeking: Colorado House District 33
Age: 30
Family: Wife- Krista; Daughters- Evelyn-4; Nora-2; Dogs- Belle and Bijoux
Occupation: Business Consultant
Hometown: Broomfield
Your Web site: www.nickforhouse.com
Favorite local place to hang out: With two little girls we don't do a whole lot of "hanging out" but we do enjoy going to the various parks and open space with our two dogs when the weather is nice. If the weather is not so nice we like going to the WOW museum in Lafayette.
What do you like most about living here?: I love the weather and the independent spirit here in Colorado.
Interests & hobbies: What? You mean other than family, business, and running for office? I think I remember going fishing on the South Platte in the summer and skiing in the winter quite a bit, but that was definitely pre-children. These days our lives pretty much revolve around the girls.
Favorite TV show: I was very much into LOST but I haven't seen any lately.
Favorite Web site: I spend most of my time on the internet on the various news sites; locally 9news, my24/7, cbs4 if I want a laugh I will check in at coloradopols; national/international cnn, fox, drudge, bbc. But my absolute favorite site because it has helped me so many times is Mapquest.
People who inspired you (and how): My grandparents Laura & Harold Roforth; As farmers in post depression Minnesota they were faced with a difficult decision. When considering the purchase of a farm from a fellow the entire town knew was faced with financial difficulties and was down on his luck they chose to do the right thing. When the rest of the people in town recognized his vulnerability and offered this person just pennies on the dollar of his asking price; my Grandparents paid exactly what the gentleman was asking, a fair market value. Although my grandparents have passed away, that farm is still in our family and my uncle farms there to this day. This last summer I enjoyed watching my girls play in the lake that this farm is adjacent to.
How you have contributed to the community: I have been very involved in the community in recent years. I have been active with two Chambers of Commerce, Broomfield and MetroNorth; I am a Member/Investor in the Broomfield Economic Development Corporation; I have served as Treasurer at my church Cross of Christ; and I am proud to be a Board member at Bal-Swan Children's center where my two little girls are students.
What are the biggest issues facing your constituency now: The economy, energy prices, health care, education, and transportation affect families every day. In January 2008 independent commissions on these issues reported to the legislature. The results? Nothing. The people in HD 33 deserve real results and independent leadership, leadership I will represent them with.
I truly believe when my two little girls are adults they will be utilizing new types of energy sources such as wind and solar. However with high energy prices carving out large portions of family budgets, I don't think it is wise to put all of our eggs in one basket. Renewable energy sources typically carry a price tag of four to ten more than that of traditional sources to generate the same amount of energy. I do not want to subsidize these new energy sources at the peril of working families and folks on fixed income that are already struggling with rising prices. We must use a common sense approach to diversify our expanding energy portfolio by taking a balanced approach and we absolutely must be good stewards of our environment. We should end our dependence on foreign oil and explore the vast resources we have right here in Colorado.
The struggling economy has posed two additional strains on our health care system. The first is that when companies down-size, employees are often left not only jobless but also without affordable health care. The second is that with rising costs of nearly everything in family budgets, health care has become a larger piece of a shrinking pie. In order to increase accessibility we must improve affordability. We need to tear down the barriers for individuals to purchase health care insurance. We should provide the same benefits to individuals that are given to large companies. We live in the greatest country in the world; it would be un-American to turn people away from medical care.
That is why we have safety nets in place for those who cannot afford health care coverage. People tell me they don't want one size fits all proposals they want personalized solutions. Instead of increasing the number of people who depend upon these government safety nets; I believe we should make it easier for families to get the right coverage for them, coverage that is affordable, personal, and portable.
Education is an investment in the future and therefore requires the level of attention that our financial markets receive. My two little girls are as unique as night and day and they have the same parents. Any parent will tell you that children are far from standard. Why then do we attempt to standardize their education and the measures we use to determine their success? Schools must be accountable for preparing students with the skills they will need to be successful in whatever they choose to pursue, whether it is higher education or the workforce.
Legislators must also be accountable for getting the appropriate funding to the areas that are going to produce the best educational environment for the student's not top heavy administration and special interests. We accomplish this by working collaboratively with educators to develop the most accurate measures to determine the success of each child. Next, I think we all agree that when parents are involved in their children's education everyone wins. We need to encourage parental involvement in our public schools. As a parent I feel I know what is best for my kids' education; as a legislator I will remember that parents know what is best for their kids' education.
There are many demands being placed on our state budget just as there are growing demands on household budgets. The demands on both are growing while the slowing economy is bringing in less revenue for the state and leaving less money for families. I propose a specific fund that will be designated for transportation. The State Constitution says the budget can grow by up to 6% per year. If we were to take just 1% of each year's budget growth and allocate it to this transportation fund; each year it would provide a $50-70 Million addition to the current funding. Over 10 years that could add nearly $1 Billion without raising taxes on families.
At the capitol I will represent the families here in HD 33 with independent leadership they can be proud of. People tell me they are tired of the partisan bickering and they want a fresh voice and real results. I will provide that fresh voice and represent them, not Union Bosses, party insiders, and special interests.