Everyday Costs and Essential Services
Your paycheck should leave room to live.
Affordability is the total at the end of the month: housing, groceries, utilities, transportation,
childcare, and medical bills. Even when one expense holds steady, another can erase the
breathing room a family worked hard to create.
Access matters, too. An appointment that requires a long drive and a missed day of work carries
costs beyond the bill. Childcare that does not fit a parent’s schedule may be unavailable in
practice.
Russ Andrews believes state government should take those realities seriously. He will push to
reduce unnecessary costs, protect taxpayers, and strengthen access to essential services.
Make everyday life more affordable:
Defend taxpayers.
Russ supports TABOR and opposes unnecessary tax increases. He believes
government should examine its spending and explain its priorities before asking families and
businesses to pay more.
Push back on unfunded mandates.
When the state requires local governments to take on new
responsibilities without providing the money to carry them out, the costs land on local taxpayers
or force cuts to other services. Russ believes lawmakers should account for those costs before
imposing new requirements. He will push for clear funding plans, practical flexibility, and a
stronger voice for the communities responsible for doing the work.
Support reliable, affordable energy.
Russ supports a diverse energy supply, including natural
gas and the development of nuclear power. His priorities are dependable service, competition,
and affordability.
Strengthen rural health care. Russ supports better access to rural medical and mental health
services. He believes rural providers deserve attention in funding decisions and that patients
should be able to obtain care without unnecessary administrative barriers.
The goal is straightforward: leave people with more room in their budgets and make essential
services easier to reach and use.
