Seat you are seeking: State Representative, House District 4

Age: 41

Family: Spouse Gregoria Tovanche Frangas, married 17 years, children: Blaine, Gabriella and Warren.

Occupation: State Legislator, Former Social Worker.

Hometown: Born in Denver CO

Your Web site: www.kjerry4denver.com

Favorite local place to hang out: The coffee shops and restaurants in Northwest Denver.

What do you like most about living here?: The tolerance and diversity of the community that I live in.

Interests & hobbies: I enjoy walking in my neighborhood and visiting with my neighbors. I like helping out at North Denver Schools. I really enjoy playing with our dog which we rescued seven year ago!

Favorite TV show: I like local news - we have great newspeople compared to other States.

Favorite Web site: Squarestate.net, Colorado.pols, Denver Post, and Rocky Mountain News, Westword.

People who inspired you (and how): My biggest inspiration is Cesar Chavez who stood up for working people regardless of race, creed or color. Locally, Wayne Jakino, a businessperson- they both understood that they needed to stand up for a lot more than personal gain. On a personal level, Betty Salazar, Joannne Zamboni, Mickie Clayton, Richard and Gail Montoya, Ernie and Jane Brito, Erma Zamora, Judy and Gary Martinez, Pat Black, Dutchess Scheitler, Ed and Sally Augden and Marcie Franco who all have fought for the future of our community. I have left out many others who stand up for all of us in spite of the consequences.

What are the biggest issues facing your constituency now: First, bringing good jobs with good benefits to Colorado. We need to provide more incentives to clean/green industries like renewable energy and art and film. We need to eliminate taxes that kill jobs like the Business Personal Property Tax. This tax kills everything from manufacturing to magazines. Pensions and health care benefits should not be whisked away in favor of a golden parachute - this needs to be addressed!

Second, kids and the vulnerable should be one of our highest priorities. We need to make sure that kids have health insurance and access to care. We need to deal with the current burden that our seniors and disabled have to deal with in terms of supplemental insurance and prescription drugs, amongst other needs - these needs should be addressed immediately and they should not be treated as incidental expenses or "potential budget cuts" like the last budget crisis. Funding for our children's education should be reflective of trying to eliminate the achievement gap -- this needs to be our highest educational priority.

Finally, health insurance that provides a real safety net. If Colorado decides to provide a limited benefits plan that provides no real safety net in the case of medical bankruptcy then the Colorado State Legislature will be grossly negligent at best and under the hypnotic spell of the big insurance companies at the worst. We need to make sure that uninsured Colorado Citizens do not have to pay exorbitant bills and subsequently lose their homes. Colorado needs to reform the State high risk insurance pool (Cover Colorado) and at the very least equalize premiums so that people have somewhere viable to turn when they are denied insurance coverage.