Radford pushes renewable energy

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Renewable energy is a major priority for Sue Radford of Fort Collins, the Democratic candidate for the state house from House District 49. Radford, 44, is a former Hewlett-Packard engineer looking to unseat incumbent Kevin Lundberg.

"Colorado should be taking the national lead" in shifting away from fossil fuels, Radford said, including investing more in research and in technology for new construction. One way to encourage renewable energy use, she suggests, is to collect fees from companies based on the carbon dioxide they generate. "The free dumping of carbon dioxide into our air is a subsidy for the fossil fuel industry," she said.

Colorado could also pay subsidies to companies to help offset the up-front costs of renewable energy technology. "Over the next 20 years, energy is going to cost an arm and a leg," Radford said. "We can either do nothing or choose to invest in renewable energy now." Investing in renewable energy would also create jobs in the state, she added.

Also important to Radford is health care. "Our health care system is badly broken," she stated. "There are a lot of people who aren't in poverty and yet can't afford health care," Radford said. "For others, a health crisis can wipe them out. It's criminal."

Radford proposes a state single-payer health insurance plan that would cover all uninsured people. People would have a choice between enrolling in the state plan or buying private health insurance. The state plan would have sliding-scale premiums and would cost less than private plans, because of efficiencies in the system. Radford noted that Medicare overhead is very low, about 3 percent, whereas overhead in private insurance companies is close to 30 percent.

"The whole health care system has got to change," Radford said. "I see this as something people really want. The rest of the world is doing this; we're clearly missing something here."

Another priority for Radford is education, especially higher education. "Our K-12 education is close to last in the nation, and higher education is close to not being there for us anymore," she said. "We need an educated workforce for the business community."

On other issues, Radford had the following comments.

• Immigration reform: She favors enforcing existing laws, including holding employers accountable for hiring illegal immigrants. However, she does not want to penalize the children of illegals and would favor a pathway to citizenship for them at age 18.
• Transportation: Rather than building more roads, Radford wants to expand bus and rail service and accommodate a more pedestrian-friendly lifestyle.
• Same-sex marriage: She is in favor of Referendum I, which would grant certain privileges to domestic partners. However, she does not see this issue as the most important in the state.

Radford says she is best qualified for the house seat because she is "actually paying attention to the needs of the people who live here." She accuses her opponent of focusing too much on social issues and not supporting public or higher education.