Jonathan Singer
Age: 40
Family: Wife Allison, daughter Gwen (4), son Wlliam (2)
Professional history: I am the state House representative District 11 (north Boulder County) and a former child and adult protection caseworker for Boulder County Housing and Human Services, housing case manager for Denver Human Services, child care worker and supervisor at the Boulder YMCA, case manager and policy researcher for the CSU Drug Court Pilot, affordable housing assistant. I’ve also worked as an organizer to protect public lands with North Carolina Public Interest Research Group.
Political history: I have represented House District 11 in the state House since 2012 and current chair of the Public Health and Human Services Committee. Chair of the Joint Technology Committee, chair of the Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System Committee, former chair of the Local Government Committee, Democratic Party precinct committee person 2004-2012. Delegate to DNC Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama, and Dennis Kucinch.
Campaign website: singerforbouldercounty.com
Email: [email protected]
Issue questions:
As the state and country continue emerging from COVID-19 restrictions, what is Boulder County's role in helping residents and businesses whose livelihoods and financial well-being has been impacted by the pandemic?
As commissioner, I will use my experience as the chair of the Public Health and Human Services Committee to make sure that everyone in Boulder County can get coronavirus health care and free testing, coordinate contact tracing, and make sure vulnerable populations and first responders get protective equipment. We can’t even begin to imagine an economic recovery until it is safe to participate in normal life. We need to be able to test, track and contain outbreaks, and make sure we are protecting our friends and neighbors who are the most at risk.
I have also called for a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions during the crisis for those impacted by COVID-19. I can’t imagine anything more dangerous or cruel than forcing families to move or even be homeless in a crisis where the safest thing you can do is stay at home. We can use federal disaster funds to provide aid to businesses and responsible property owners to help them stay afloat.
Human services is the biggest part of the county budget. As a social worker I helped families experiencing homelessness find jobs and housing, and the county should play a similar role in making sure the most vulnerable people in our population are protected, as well as making sure communities of color are receiving the same recovery options.
Going forward the county will play a crucial role in the recovery from this recession. Boulder County already invests heavily in workforce development. I am committed to championing a Green New Deal for Boulder County as a centerpiece of our recovery. This would help Boulder County workers get back to work in sustainable industries and also focus heavily on making sure we have a just recovery.
As demonstrations continue across the country, state and county, what steps do you believe commissioners need to take to ensure racial equity in Boulder County?
There is no short answer for this question. It will take a constant effort to make sure there’s equity in our systems of government and society.
We need to recognize the disproportionate impact our criminal justice system has on communities of color. I’ve spent the last nine years working on legislation to decarcerate our jails, and invest in supportive services like affordable housing, mental health, and addiction treatment. I helped repeal and reduce mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses. This year we achieved historical law enforcement reforms that will require new levels of police accountability. We voted to repeal qualified immunity, ban the deadly chokehold, and before this year I championed legislation which guaranteed that officers involved in deadly incidents undergo mental health evaluations. Going further, we need to direct funding away from our criminal justice system and into our social services and support systems.
Our county needs to take concrete steps to make sure our undocumented community is treated as neighbors by allowing them to have access to community identification cards. I already passed legislation that allows undocumented individuals get driver’s licences in Colorado. We need to create an office of equity within the government structure. We can make sure that communities of color and minority owned businesses have access to recovery programs.
Lastly, since the county controls the county jail, we need to look at best practices for keeping people out of jail and continue building on our work at the state level to prioritize treatment over incarceration. I will work to defund the police’s ability to procure weapons of war and instead invest in housing and expanding services.
Boulder County's moratorium on oil and gas development set to expire on July 31, what is your position on the industry and its place in Boulder County in the future?
Now is not the time to let up, we need to push harder to protect our health and safety. I championed and cosponsored legislation to allow local governments to ban fracking at the Capitol. Right now I am working with constituents in a local lawsuit to reinstate Longmont’s fracking ban.
I was the first local candidate in Colorado running in 2020 to take the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. One of the first bills I ever ran was to increase inspections at fracking sites and in 2013 we doubled the number of oil and gas inspectors. Just last this month I passed a bill to create a water cleanup fund paid for by oil and gas.
We know that fracking is carcinogenic, causes air pollution, pollutes water, kills wildlife, and is a serious threat to our neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces. We have made progress on fracking, but until we can guarantee our health and safety from fracking we have more work to do.
I have a long and proven track record of standing up to the oil and gas industry and winning. Taking on oil and gas companies is not an easy challenge for any community. I will be ready to step in on day one to take on this issue. I’m honored to be endorsed by the Sierra Club, Colorado Rising, 350 Colorado, the Lookout Alliance, and The Climate Mobilization Colorado. I will use my over nine years of experience as an elected official to do everything I can to protect our open spaces and keep our neighborhoods safe.
What other issues do you believe are most pressing for the county?
Climate change should continue to be a top priority. I will champion a Green New Deal for Boulder County to invest in green jobs, and use county resources to reduce our carbon footprint. Our plan must include protecting pollinators, working to sustain regenerative agriculture, and investing in electric vehicles and green mass transit. I will work to protect open spaces if we face budget cuts.
Housing is still a top issue in Boulder County, and it’s one which is personal. In 2018, I was forced to move because my apartment doubled its rent. As a caseworker, I spent time with landlords creating fair housing practices and helped an organization named CARE Housing develop supportive housing programs. At the Capitol, I helped pass bills to create an affordable housing fund, require that landlords provide rent receipts, and allow tax credits for developers to create more affordable homes. The county should expand affordable housing by working with cities to plan development alongside green mass transit so everyone can be welcome in our community, without increasing traffic or density for those who have lives here for years. I will work to create or support an emergency rent assistance fund and provide defense counsel for people facing eviction.
Another top issue will be mental health. Even before COVID-19 we had a mental health epidemic. As a lawmaker, I have passed legislation to ensure that people with behavioral health disorders get treatment, expanded treatment for minors, and worked to reform our criminal justice system to ensure better access to treatment and services.
Lastly, as commissioner I would work to reduce gun violence by working to make sure domestic violence abusers can’t get access to firearms. I took on the NRA at the Capitol to ban assault weapon magazines and expand background checks.
