Vic's Issues & Platform

Real Solutions for Real People of Colorado House District 47

Platform Overview

Protecting Democracy Workers' Rights & Economy Education Criminal Justice & Mental Health Veterans & Military Families Community & Public Safety
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Protecting Our Democracy

Standing up for democratic values and institutions

Democracy is not self-executing. It requires people who believe in it, understand it, and are willing to fight for it. That's what Vic has done throughout his life—in the military, in the workplace, in his community.

Democracy is how we decide to live together as a people. It's messy. It's complicated. But it's worth protecting because the alternative—rule by the few, by the powerful, by those who don't answer to the people—is far worse.

Why This Matters

Threats to democracy aren't abstractions. They have real consequences. When democratic institutions weaken, working people suffer. When the rule of law breaks down, the powerful take advantage. When politicians undermine elections, they're undermining the foundation of government by the people.

Vic's Commitment

  • Defend democratic institutions - The Colorado House needs legislators who believe in the separation of powers, checks and balances, and institutions that work
  • Protect voting rights - Every qualified citizen should have the right to vote and have that vote counted
  • Oppose government overreach - Defend individual rights and freedoms against abuse of power
  • Demand transparency and accountability - Government decisions should be made in public with public input, and those who break the law should be held accountable
  • Strengthen Colorado's institutions - Make Colorado strong enough to protect the rights and freedoms of all Coloradans

Democracy is the foundation everything else is built on. Without it, workers can't organize. Schools become propaganda machines. The powerful run roughshod over everyone else. Vic has spent his life defending democracy—from the military to the workplace. In the Colorado House, he'll continue that fight.

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Workers' Rights & Economic Opportunity

Fighting for fair wages and strong working families

Vic's younger son works a union job at Safeway. He doesn't live extravagantly. He works hard every single day. And he still struggles to make ends meet. That's the reality for too many Coloradans, and it's unacceptable.

In my 17 years working in the corrections system, I fought for workers' rights on the AFSCME board. I've seen how the system is rigged against working people. It's time for the Colorado House to fight for them.

The Problem

Wages have stagnated while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Workers who work full-time jobs struggle to pay rent, buy groceries, and afford healthcare. The power imbalance between employers and workers has grown worse. Unions have been weakened. Working-class Coloradans have been left behind by politicians who care more about corporate profits than working families.

Vic's Platform

  • Fight for fair wages - Workers deserve to earn enough to live with dignity
  • Protect workers' compensation rights - The system should actually work for injured workers, not against them
  • Support union organizing - Unions give working people a voice to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions
  • Make Colorado affordable - Fight for policies that keep housing, healthcare, and education costs manageable
  • Hold corporations accountable - Companies that profit from Colorado should pay workers fairly and contribute to the communities where they operate
  • Protect workers from abuse - Enforce labor standards and protect workers from retaliation

Vic has lived the life of a working person. He's worked multiple jobs. He's been a union member. He's seen firsthand how the system can be rigged against working people. In the Colorado House, he'll fight to fix it.

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Education

Investing in quality public education and supporting educators

Vic was a middle school math teacher in Walsenburg. He loved that work. Teaching is hard work that transforms lives. Teachers deserve respect, fair pay, and resources to do their jobs well.

When I taught middle school math, I wasn't just teaching equations. I was helping young people believe in themselves, develop confidence, and see possibilities. Teachers do that every single day. We need to pay them what they're worth.

Why This Matters

Vic's daughter is a high school English teacher. He knows from personal experience that teachers are underpaid, that schools in rural areas don't get adequate funding, and that the teaching profession has been under attack. Education is the foundation of opportunity for all Coloradans. We're failing our children and our teachers when we under-fund schools.

Vic's Platform

  • Invest in public education - Fund schools adequately so every student gets a quality education
  • Pay teachers what they deserve - Teachers should be valued and compensated fairly for their crucial work
  • Support rural schools - Colorado has too many rural schools struggling with inadequate funding. That needs to change
  • Ensure accountability - Spend money responsibly, but don't use "fiscal conservatism" as an excuse to starve schools
  • Protect public education - Public schools are the foundation of democratic opportunity. Defend them against attacks
  • Support vocational and technical training - Not all paths go through a four-year university. Vocational training is valuable and important

Quality public education isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. It's how we give all Coloradans, regardless of family income, the tools to build good lives. Vic has taught in Colorado schools. He's served on school boards. He knows what works and what doesn't. In the Colorado House, he'll fight for our schools and our teachers.

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Criminal Justice & Mental Health

Evidence-based approaches to actual rehabilitation

Vic spent 17+ years with the Colorado Department of Corrections. He started as a corrections officer, was promoted to Sergeant, and became a case manager. Most importantly, his offenders had higher success rates than most other caseloads. That's not luck. That's a philosophy that actually works.

After spending 17 years in corrections, I learned that people can change. Our job should be rehabilitation, not just punishment. When we treat people with dignity, hold them accountable, and actually help them change, it works. The evidence shows it.

The Problem

Colorado's criminal justice system is broken. We warehouse people instead of rehabilitating them. We talk about rehabilitation but practice punishment. Mental health is largely ignored in the corrections system. Drug addiction is treated as a crime instead of a health crisis. The result: high recidivism, destroyed families, and communities that suffer.

Vic's Platform

  • Focus on actual rehabilitation - Programs that work should be expanded and funded
  • Treat addiction as a health crisis - Drug addiction should be treated by the health care system, not the criminal justice system
  • Address mental health - Many people in our prisons have serious mental health issues. They need treatment, not just incarceration
  • Reduce incarceration - Use incarceration as a last resort, not the first option
  • Support reentry programs - Help people successfully transition back to their communities
  • Invest in prevention - Prevent youth from becoming involved in the criminal justice system in the first place

Vic has walked the cellblocks. He's talked to people in prison. He's seen what works and what doesn't. He's seen people change when given the chance and the right support. He's seen mental health crises turn into crime when we don't intervene. In the Colorado House, he'll fight for a criminal justice system that actually works—one that rehabilitates, that treats health crises like health crises, and that breaks the cycle of incarceration.

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Veterans & Military Families

Supporting those who served and their families

Vic is a veteran. He served as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter mechanic and flight crew member with the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell. He was deployed to Honduras, recalled to active duty during the Gulf War, and stationed in Germany. His family service tradition goes back to the Revolutionary War—his ancestor was Brigadier General Andrew Pickens.

When my country called, I answered. That commitment to duty, to excellence, and to the people depending on you—that stays with you for life. Our state has a responsibility to take care of the people who've taken care of us.

Why This Matters

Veterans have sacrificed for our country. Many come back with injuries—some visible, many invisible. Transitioning to civilian life is hard. Mental health crises are common. Homelessness among veterans is a scandal. Military families face unique challenges. Colorado has a responsibility to support our veterans and their families.

Vic's Platform

  • Expand veterans' benefits - Healthcare, housing, education benefits should be adequate and accessible
  • Support mental health services - PTSD and other service-related mental health issues need treatment
  • Combat veteran homelessness - No veteran should be on the street
  • Support military families - Spouses and children of service members face unique challenges
  • Honor military service - Veterans should be treated with respect as a matter of course
  • Ensure veteran voices are heard - Policy decisions affecting veterans should include their input

Vic has walked in a soldier's boots. He knows what service means. He knows the challenges veterans face. In the Colorado House, he'll be a voice for veterans and their families—fighting to ensure they get the support they've earned and deserve.

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Community & Public Safety

Community-based solutions for strong, safe neighborhoods

Vic ran the Communities That Care program, working to keep kids away from drugs, delinquency, and teen pregnancy. He understands that real community safety comes from strong communities, not from heavy-handed law enforcement alone.

Real public safety comes from strong communities where people care about each other, where kids have positive role models and opportunities, where problems are addressed before they become crises. That's the kind of community work I've always believed in.

The Problem

Rural Colorado communities are often overlooked. Infrastructure decays. Young people leave because there are no opportunities. Drugs infiltrate communities. Teen pregnancy, gang involvement, and crime are symptoms of communities that have been abandoned. Colorado needs to invest in rural communities and support the kinds of programs that actually keep kids out of trouble.

Vic's Platform

  • Invest in rural communities - Infrastructure, broadband, economic development—rural Colorado needs state support
  • Fund youth programs - Keep-kids-engaged programs work. They should be expanded and funded
  • Support evidence-based prevention - Programs that keep kids away from drugs, crime, and teen pregnancy should be everywhere
  • Build community partnerships - Law enforcement, schools, nonprofits, and community members working together are more effective than any one agency alone
  • Tackle the root causes - Poverty, lack of opportunity, and lack of community investment drive many social problems
  • Support rural first responders - Rural fire departments, police departments, and EMTs are often under-funded and under-staffed

Vic has worked in rural Colorado communities his entire life. He's run community programs. He's seen what works and what doesn't. He knows that real public safety comes from strong, supported, healthy communities. In the Colorado House, he'll fight for rural Colorado and for the kinds of community-based solutions that actually keep people safe.

Join Vic's Campaign