Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser stopped by Fort Lewis College to speak his mind about issues affecting Colorado, which included criticism of inaction on the part of local governments when it comes to water shortages and the housing crisis.
“Solutions have to come from local levels,” Weiser said. “We’re not going fast enough.”
Weiser first opened the forum by going around to all in attendance and taking down names and majors, as well as the biggest concern each attendee had. Many of the students, political science or prelaw majors, expressed anxieties over reproductive rights and tribal sovereignty, but the most prevalent topic brought up over and over was the state’s housing crisis.
“There are people who go to this college who can’t afford to live here,” said one of the students.
Weiser acknowledged FLC student struggles with Durango housing while focusing on the larger scope of teachers, firefighters, police officers and medical staff, along with other working-class residents, struggling to afford places like Durango, where the housing market continues to skyrocket.
“There are no healthy communities without public servants,” he said, “and they can’t afford to buy a home here. Who can afford a $700,000 home?”
State Rep. Barbara McLachlan, also in attendance, engaged with the discussion.
“I know people with Ph.D.’s who are having to rent out their houses,” McLachlan said. “It’s ridiculous.”
“We have a lot of money out there specifically for this issue,” said Weiser, “but have we spent a dime to address it?”
Weiser also discussed what he believes are two other major issues affecting Coloradans: broadband and the water shortage.
“Broadband is the electricity of the 21st Century,” Weiser said. “It breaks my heart that students today don’t have access to broadband at home. Forty percent of students in Cortez have issues with their internet, which affects their academic success. Forty percent! Everyone should be able to access broadband, and it should be affordable.”
Weiser once again blamed local governments for the poor handling of the water shortage in Southwest Colorado, along with climate change exacerbating the situation.
“Climate change has affected the snowpack,” he said. “Lake Mead water levels aren’t there anymore. We have less water than ever and more people than ever. The lower basin areas need to get real (about the water crisis) and start conserving water. Everything depends on our ability to manage our water. Everything.”
Toward the conclusion of the forum, Weiser tackled the topic of voting rights with the upcoming election.
“Elections should not be tribalized warfare,” he said. “Voting right’s are under attack, and we are seeing efforts to undermine them like never before. The city of Atlanta has fewer voting drop boxes than the city of Durango. Colorado is No. 2 in voter turnout. Colorado should be the ideal, but it’s not. Why is it not?”
Weiser looked to social media as a source for the escalating problem.
“People are living in information bubbles,” he said. “That’s what led to Jan. 6. We have to fight against these forces pulling us apart. We need citizens engaged in respectful dialogue.”
Weiser ended the discussion with advice for those students going into law or politics for public service and policy.
“Take your LSATs (Law School Admission Test) and prepare intensely for it,” he said. “Clerk for a judge when you graduate. Get that writing experience and analyzing legal issues. Build relationships. Do extra credit. Work to advance public policies that help people.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
