Article Contributed on: 10/10/2008 10:08:41 AM
Scott Zulauf is running for Jefferson County Commissioner District 2 and answered a questionnaire for YourHub.com. To read all of the candidate questionnaires,
click here.
My name:Scott Zulauf
My age: 34
My Family: My beautiful wife of 8 years,
Dawn; our four year old daughter
Ella (named after our favorite singer), our one year old son "
Hank" (
Henry, named after our favorite author -
Thoreau); our two Great Danes,
Jazz and
Lena; a cat, a rabbit, a snake, and a friend who lives in our basement.
Education: After traveling the world as a cast member of Up With People, I began attending classes at both Red Rocks and Metro, and I'm currently finishing up my degree in Political Science through CSU.
What I do: This is my tenth year teaching reading, spelling, math, and P.E. at a K-8 charter school in Littleton. Prior to that I worked as a supervisor in long term care facilities, and as the Park Maintenance Supervisor at Eldorado Canyon State Park.
My favorite local place to hang out: With family - the zoo, nature and science museum, the planetarium, and local parks; For music - The Mercury Cafe, Quixote's, El Chapultepec, Herman's, and The Little Bear; For food - The WaterCourse, Govinda's, and Saigon Bowl.
What I like most about living here: 1) Getting to raise my children near a big city with a small town feel, 2) Friends and family, and 3) Hiking, camping, and geocaching in the mountains and foothills.
My interests and hobbies: Besides playing guitar and singing in two local bands, I love spending time with my family and friends, going to Green Party meetings, writing songs, getting my guitars autographed (Jack Johnson, G. Love, The Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, Bob Weir, Joan Baez, Ben Harper, etc.), peace rallies, meditating, ping-pong, tree-hugging, reading and learning.
My favorite thing to cook: All things vegetarian - especially the family secret butternut squash soup.
People who inspire me (and how): My parents and grandparents, who inspire me with life and happiness; My wife Dawn, who inspires me with love; my beautiful children, who inspire me with patience and awe;
Thich Nhat Hanh, who inspires me with compassion;
Tom Brown, Jr. who inspires me with connectedness; and
Harper Lee, who inspires me with hope through fiction.
How I have contributed to the community: In Up With People, our cast would perform 8 hours of community service for every 2 hour musical show, in the 80+ cities we visited around the world. Besides choosing service oriented jobs in nursing homes, parks, and an elementary school, I am proud to spend much of my extra time helping to grow the Green Party in Colorado. I've helped to run many voter registration drives, organized the last two annual Earth Day Music Festivals, and helped organize the monthly Park Clean-Ups that the Jefferson County Green Party is now involved in. I serve on many committees within the Green Party on both the state and local levels, and volunteer as a sangha leader at a Buddhist sangha in Denver that practices in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.
The biggest issues facing us now: One of the biggest issues facing Jefferson County right now is the "Billion Dollar Boondoggle" known as The Beltway. The Sierra Club refers to the northwest quadrant of Jeffco as "The Last quadrant Standing". Despite the fact that EVERY citizens group in Jeffco is opposed to this proposed toll road, and every major study has concluded that there is no need for a super highway, the current administration is going ahead with it anyway. The truth is, this proposed toll road is a simple land grab - great for lining the pockets of developers, poor for the residents of Jeffco and our fragile ecosystem. In March of this year, The Jefferson County Green Party officially endorsed the idea of widening the existing roads of MacIntyre/ Indiana and SH93 as the best alternative for dealing with traffic congestion in northern Jeffco. I am the only candidate running for County Commissioner who is willing to side with the citizens, and oppose the Beltway.
Why I am running: Jefferson County needs someone on the board who represents the citizens. Many people feel that 20% growth per decade in Jeffco is irresponsible and unsustainable. I truly believe that the Ten Key Values of the Green Party are worth working for: Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, Social Justice, Community-Based Economics, Decentralization, Future Focus/Sustainability, Feminism and Gender Equality, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Respect for Diversity. I believe in people being the change they wish to see in the world, and I believe that true change begins at the local level. I hope people will visit my website: www.scottzulauf.com, and find out more about the Jeffco/ Adams and Denver Greens at www.metrodenvergreens.org.
Peace.