Campaign Conversations

Vote for
Lora Abcarian

the clear choice
for Dist. 1 County Commissioner
Park County, Colorado

The people's choice for leadership in Park County, Colorado

"Campaign Conversations” is an area where I can post my responses to questions emailed to me or asked by Park County residents. This tab will grow as we get closer to the election.

     Please click on “Contact Lora” to email your questions to me. Although names of constituents sending questions will not be posted here, please include that information and a phone number in your initial email so I have a way to get back with you if necessary.

     The newest questions will be posted at the top, so check back to see what has been added.

Campaign Conversations

Q: I would like to sign your petition, but I don't know what district I live in.

     A: Any active registered voter in Park County -- whether he or she lives in Districts 1, 2 or 3 -- can sign a petition to have my name placed on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. If you want to know which district you actually live in, have included a tab, "Commissioner Districts," which will give you a graphic representation of where these districts are.

Q: How long do I have to register to vote so I can sign your petition?

     A: I plan to start circulating my petitions on May 2, and you must be registered to vote on the day you sign my petition. The last day I can have voters sign my petition is June 9.

     You can register to vote at the Park County Clerk and Recorder's office, either in the County Annex Building in Fairplay or the County Building in Bailey. Both offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. While the Fairplay office does not close for lunch, the Bailey office is closed between noon and 1 p.m.

Q: Do I have to be registered as an Unaffiliated voter to sign your petition?

     A: No. You can be registered as a Republican, Democrat, or Independent.

Q: Why are you running as an Independent?

A: Park County has suffered from too many years of partisan politics. Because of the nature of local government, it makes more sense to me to have people working together in the spirit of cooperation and consensus to improve our county. I have already received calls from residents – Republican, Democrat, and Independent – who support my candidacy.

Running as an Independent gives me a chance to represent people and not political agendas.

Q: I just read some of your old editorials in the Flume. Your positions on trying to control others people property rights tells me you’re not the person I want representing the community. Has your position changed at all?

A: As a society, all of us must learn to live with others. While I do believe in the general concept of personal property rights, we must recognize that these rights are not granted in a vacuum. In other words, each individual can have an impact -- favorable or adverse -- on someone else. This is the fundamental reason we have government. Our society is too large to operate without fundamental rules and regulations.

Example: A citizen owns a residential parcel of property. The owner has a right, within reason and within the framework of the Park County Land Use Regulations, to improve that property for residential purposes. This means adding on to a home, constructing a storage building, etc.

This does not mean, however, the individual has a right to create a junkyard on their property. Creation of a junkyard has a negative economic impact on adjacent property owners, which essentially constitutes a violation of their personal property rights.

I am a strong supporter of our LURs, and I do not feel our LURs have been enforced as completely as they should. I am also a supporter of our Strategic Master Plan, which was developed at significant investments of time and energy on the part of Park County residents. It is my feeling that our SMP should have been given teeth as more than a "guideline" at the time of adoption.

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