Shelly Watters

303-668-1846

shelly.watters@msn.com

My 20 years of experience in the public arena has prepared me well for representing House District 3 in the State Legislature. For seven years, I worked as an aide and policy analyst for two Denver City Council members: Councilwomen Joyce Foster and Carol Boigon. Both chaired the Council’s Intergovernmental Committee, the liaison between the City and the State Legislature. I attended weekly meetings with members of the Mayor’s staff and the City’s lobbyists to discuss Denver’s positions on upcoming state legislation and attended biweekly meetings with the Denver legislators. Before working at City Council, I volunteered for then-Senator Doug Linkhart at the State capitol, where I also monitored legislation for the ACLU. Prior to that, I was Director of Planning and Allocations for the Allied Jewish Federation, a non-profit fundraising and community planning agency.

I am endorsed by State Senator Joyce Foster.

This is an exciting time to be representing District 3. Although reduced revenue is necessitating some difficult budget decisions, the economic stimulus package and the proposed federal budget will be providing some unique opportunities. The time is ripe for both healthcare and school reform. There is consensus that something needs to be done and the business community is now a strong supporter of both. I support a single payer health care model. I believe the current bill to set up a healthcare authority is a move in that direction.

We also have no choice but to improve our schools. Educated, informed citizens form the basis of a democracy and we must have a vibrant, effective public school system to ensure our future and economic growth. I support the pay-for-performance agreement worked out between the Denver teacher's union and the Denver school board.  The state has an opportunity to work with local school boards in devising a similar type bonus system that reqards the best teachers and those working in the most challenging schools.  We must involve teachers in developing reforms that improve our schools.

In the past, under Republican leadership, the Department of Transportation was really the "department of highways." We cannot continue to rely solely on automobiles. I strongly support mass transit and I am glad to see that under Democratic leadership some state funding is now going to transit.

Having worked in city government I understant the needs of local jurisdictions.  Sometimes the state (like the federal government) imposes unfunded mandates on local municipalities. We need to be sensitive to this. Legislation that interferes with issues such as zoning is better left to elected city and county governments. An example of the state proposing legislation detrimental to Denver concerns eminent domain. Although abuses have occurred in some jurisdictions, that has not been the case in Denver. Eminent domain can be an important tool for redevelopment of blighted areas. University Hills was an abandoned, deteriorating shopping center. Some owners were happy to leave things as they were. Just the threat of eminent domain was enough to bring all owners together to sell the property. The subsequent redevelopment enhanced the neighborhood and generated revenue for the City. It is important to have some representatives in the legislature who are sensitive to the interests of Denver and Arapahoe County.

Please vote for me as your next representative for District 3.

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