KRDO 2020 Voter Guide: John Carl Hjersman

John Carl Hjersman is the Libertarian candidate for Colorado's House District 16 seat.

What is your top issue for the next legislative session, and how do you plan to fix it?

Hjersman: My priority is always to defend individual liberty and equal treatment under the law.  Accomplishing this includes resisting legislation that favors specific businesses or industries by interfering with market functioning.  It includes resisting legislation that robs Peter to pay Paul.

How can the legislature address the state's housing and cost of living issues?

Hjersman: Housing shortages can happen as a result of upward shifts in population for whatever reason.  The market response to this need would be answered by the construction industry if not for over regulation by market-insensitive rules.  Just as some rules are being relaxed as necessary to respond to the current pandemic, so other obstructionist rules need to be relaxed to accommodate current reality in housing and every aspect of civilized life.

Should COVID-19 be handled more at a local level or from a top-level approach in the state?

Hjersman: Public health issues should be handled, within Constitutional limits, by public health professionals, not politicians.  We are currently experiencing the result of giving control to inappropriate authority.  Top level control is by definition further removed from the problems that need resolution.  So, in general, I favor local control over remote control.