Steamboat Springs — "Our View" in the Aug. 17 edition of the Steamboat Pilot & Today hit a nerve and the nail on the head. As I read the Editorial Board's view of the House District 57 race, I realized that, as a candidate, perhaps I have been too quiet as I campaign for one of Colorado's most important state races. In today's world of constant TV ads, e-mail blasts, robo-calls and newspaper commentary, those of us who simply are talking to voters about their personal issues and how we can help, can get overlooked. Big-dollar campaigns are now more common than big-idea campaigns.

On the day the editorial was published, I was visiting with voters in West Garfield County about issues that face them daily. Standing in the shadows of the Roan Plateau and oil rigs, we discussed how the recent BLM auction of oil and gas leases would continue to alter the ever-changing landscape surrounding us, and how it would impact the communities of Rifle, Parachute and others. We shared our personal health care stories: One man had just had back surgery; another's wife was unable to attend because she was in the hospital; and my wife, Sarah, and I spoke of the hospital bills we were struggling to pay after our son's recent premature birth. We discussed alternative energies and the bark-beetle epidemic, and I told them of the meeting I had attended earlier in the week with other area leaders who are working with a South Dakota company to build its new cellulosic ethanol plant in Northwest Colorado to help both our forests and our economy. We talked of water, of my experience dealing with water issues in my coursework in water law at Colorado State University, and in my personal experience defending the water rights my family owns on our Green Creek Ranch. We discussed the plight of working families and of the need to fund education, both K-12 and higher-ed. The press was not there, but this group of people discussed the issues and how we could address them.

During the past few months, this same scenario has played out when I attended neighborhood gatherings, political events, and the Garfield, Moffat and Routt county fairs. Mr. Baumgardner and I have yet to meet in a debate, so I don't know how our views will differ, but I can assure you that I have a firm grasp of what the issues are in our area, and I am ready to not only discuss them but to help solve them.

I invite you and your readers to visit my Web site, www.ToddforColorado.com, to find out more about my experience and positions on the issues. Web links from that site can direct you to my recent editorials written as vice president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, detailing my recent tour of Walden's wood-pellet plant, my work with local land conservation efforts, and my views on our economy, health care, and more. Links can be found to the Steamboat Pilot & Today, as well, where I have written articles about agricultural and historic preservation issues, among others. I also encourage anyone with questions to feel free to e-mail me at Todd@ToddforColorado.com.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today always has made sure we are aware of the issues in our area, with "The Last Stand" series of late being a perfect example. I hope we can count on you to cover this election with the same kind of reporting that has made you a dependable source of information in our county, and I hope that you continue to host the debate on these issues both in public forums and on your pages. I look forward to working with you, and will be at your disposal, both as a candidate and as a state representative.

Todd Hagenbuch

Phippsburg

Candidate, Colorado House District 57