Please join Congressman Jared Polis - Conifer Town Hall Meeting Aug 4 @ MRC

Conifer Town Hall Meeting with Jared Polis August 4, 2014

Meeting Agenda and Timeline:
Jared Polis - 5 minute update followed by audience questions

Five Minute Update Topics:
Lame duck session starts in a bit
Budget deficit
Education issues
Wilderness management
Fire suppression system installed in Eisenhower Tunnel
Foreign policy
Ukraine, Iraq, Islamic State, Kurdish State

@11:05 Audience Questions
1. Fracking issue - state and local issues
4 of the 5 large cities in his district have passed moratoriums on fracking
Important for people in the areas where this is developed need to have a say

@17:38
2. Fracking - What's happening at the federal level in terms of natural resources extraction?
Fracking has been exempt, proposing legislation that would remove exemption.
Federal land mineral leases

@19:42
3. How many fracking operations are there in Weld ? County?
What is an example of an emission from fracking? Methane gets released.

@24:00
4. Average fracked well takes copious water usage. How do we make compromise for that much usage for one well given our normal dry state and restrictions on commercial/residential use.

Polis: Looking at reclaiming some of that water.

Concerned about not being able to remove all chemicals from injected reclaimed water.

@27:02
5. How do they deal with the methane emissions?
Since our economy is based on petrochemicals, where do you [Rep Polis] stand on it.
He does not see tremendous benefit for US.

What's the solution for energy independence?

@31:49
6. Is there any analysis available that Rep Polis knows of comparing pipeline jobs vs renewable jobs?
Haven't seen anything.

@33:08
7. Wondering about pending legislation (Bill 1666 and 1339) initiated by American Cancer Network (associated with American Cancer Society) concerning palliative care?
Staff making notes on which bills so Rep Polis can review in-depth. Will he please co-sponsor them?

@38:09
8. Consultant working with nonprofits that serve low-income citizens. Upset with Congress for cutting food stamps for low income, nonprofits can't make up difference. Please go back and tell colleagues to re-consider.

Student loans.
Income based repayment bill co-sponsored with Tom Petri
Real direction is cutting cost of college
Mentioned retroactively fixing college loan rate that had been set to double. Partisan bickering but both parties' plans similar, just had to be brought together.

@45:09
9. Has availability of student loans affected rate?
Constituent services available with Rep Polis' office. Act as ombudsman for cases. Contact office.

@47:48
10. We bailed the banks out a while, now it seems like they are getting back to funny business.
Lost their home to fire. Lender-based insurance put on loans. Filed complaint.
Not getting money to rebuild house from bank, getting run-around.

@50:10
11. Sgt Tahmooressi in Mexico still being held. Would like to see Congressional pressure to release him and a fence being built along border.
Rep Polis supports comprehensive immigration bill, includes border security.

@53:03
12. Correction to statement by Rep Polis. Not paying social security.
Include employers in immigration reform - go after and fine those who hire illegals
Mandatory employment verification

@55:02
13. Moved by Rep Polis's letter about illegal immigrant children. Support taking care of them.

@57:51
14. How has it gotten to where the legal process is so difficult for
Rep Polis: process is broken. Immigration reform hopes to address that, though it's not perfect.

@1:02:20
15. Undocumented can get drivers license. Can they get food stamps? Emergency care? Disability?

@1:04:40
16. Broken government. Healthcare.

@1:09:40
17. Comment: Work in healthcare, would take exception with statements that we're not better off.

@1:12:58
18. Comment: Impressed with advocacy for Kurdish State. Growing sense of outrage at humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Our government has been noticeably quiet.

@1:17:27
19. Kurdish State. Is part of that area under ISIS?

@1:18:35
20. Comment: If there's not an accommodation to lift oppression on Gaza, conflict will not stop.

@1:21:24
21. VA Hospital situation.

@1:26:22
22. What about single-payer or Medicaid for all?

@1:27:10
23. In this room, we will all agree and disagree on various issues, but those we elect also disagree. Are we so partisan that we can't get anything done? Is it due to leadership? Do we need to vote out and bring in all new?

@1:31:56
24. Sgt Tahmooressi - what are you going to do and what can we do to help?

@1:334:52
25. Back to Israeli-Palestinian issue. Settle West Bank feasible?

Adjourn

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