By Shannon Lukens.
United States Congressman Joe Neguse held a Town Hall in Steamboat Springs Wednesday night, on the campus of Colorado Mountain College, where it was standing room only in Allbright Auditorium. Some of the questions from the crowd were about frustration with the current administration in Washington DC. Neguse quoted Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream speech,” with the line in the speech that said, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.”
“And yet, his admonish to that was, ‘Don’t despair. We’ve got work to do. Let’s get to doing it.’ So I’m going to keep doing my job and I’m going to make a humble request to all of you as citizens, that you keep doing yours. Stay engaged, stay activated. Keep participating and hold me and everyone that’s a leader from the local level to the federal level accountable. And know that we’ll be back here in Steamboat soon. Thanks so much for having me.”
Congressman Neguse was asked by Paula Cooper Black about the Post Office in Steamboat Springs. It is lacking services again and he spoke of his awareness of the problems there over the years and how he will continue to help.
Congressman Neguse was also concerned about “mass terminations in the U.S. Forest Service,” which can greatly affect Colorado.
He said, “Now we are faced with this administration gutting our land management industries and opening land up to the highest bidder. We have to prevent the current administration from selling off our public lands.”
“We have to use any legislative tools that we can to protect Colorado and our way of life.”
He spoke of how tough it is in Colorado right now. And he spoke about the economic policies that the president is pursuing right now.
Another question from the crowd was about the LGBTQ+ community. Congressman Neguse said, “Being a voice for the voiceless couldn’t be more important.”
He also said he has been talking a lot about wildfire resiliency and mitigation and the watershed as big issues for the state.
Neguse’s stop in Steamboat Springs was one of five counties he visited on Wednesday. He represents Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, which has 12 counties in it. Immediately after the Town Hall at CMC, he left for another Town Hall in Eagle County.
