6-21-24 *INTERVIEW* Rep Lauren Boebert on Zip Code Bill for CO Communities

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Yesterday I saw an email, anemail blast, not a personal email to
me from Congresswoman Lauren Bobert, andthe headline is Representative Bobert introduces zip code
bill for Colorado communities. And Ijust thought this issue was so interesting that
I wanted to have Lauren back onthe show. So, Lauren, welcome

(00:22):
back to KOWA. It's good totalk to you, great to be on.
Thanks so much for so You've beenon this issue for a long time,
apparently as I'm reading more about it, but I haven't heard about it
before. So can you please explainwhy this issue is important. Yeah,
so this was actually brought to myattention back in twenty nineteen when I visited
Custer County and the town of Silvercliffand Silvercliffs really lost their identity back in

(00:50):
the nineties when their zip code wastaken from them, and in losing their
identity, they've also lost hundreds ofthousands of dollars in tax revenue that should
be going to their town, butit's been absorbed into the city of Westcliff
there in Custer County. Now Irepresented them before the redistricting and now it's

(01:10):
Brittany Petterson who is their congresswoman,and she has taken my previous legislation and
introduced that, but I have jurisdictionover the specific issue in the Oversight Committee.
So in my research of still tryingto help West or Silvercliff, I
also found that there are twenty nineother cities throughout our country who are facing

(01:34):
the same problem. And if you'reliving in one of these cities, it's
one of the biggest priorities that youwill hear about because it's so valuable to
them and important to them to havethat revenue for their roads and infrastructure right
there in their communities. So Ihave put a piece of legislation together that

(01:55):
incorporates all thirty cities in the UnitedStates who have lost their specific unique zip
code, and I'm looking to reinstatethat. I've been talking with my Democrat
colleagues who are very much in favorof getting this going this Congress so we
can find a solution. And inColorado we also have Lone Tree, Castle,

(02:16):
Pines, Continial, and Superior,So there are many cities right in
Colorado that this issue impacts. AndI am very passionate about it because I
have visited Westcliff and Silver Cliffs sooften over the years and have looked so
far into this, and I wantto provide a solution for all of these

(02:38):
cities to provide them with that uniquezip code. Okay, so we just
have a little bit of time lift, maybe ninety seconds or so. But
can you please explain how the citieslosing their own zip code causes a loss
of tax revenue. Yes, sothey aren't able to generate that tax revenue
for themselves. It's absorbed into thenearest city next to them. So like

(03:01):
Silvercliff, it's an incorporated town underthe state of Colorado, and it should
be recognized as such. Additionally,Silvercliff, it's expecting they were expecting.
Why when I first introduced this,over one hundred new homes to be developed,
and according to the Silvercliff mayor,the zip code issue caused the community

(03:24):
to lose an estimated five hundred thousanddollars in sales text revenue. Now,
also this is a problem with thepostal service itself in delivering mail accurately.
So we have veterans who are waitingon their medication and and senior citizens who
are waiting on medications that sometimes havemany issues with receiving that because of the

(03:45):
mailing difficulties. And so I havefound more often than not that the cities
that have absorbed the towns that don'tno longer have a zip code are in
favor of those towns having a zipcode back and getting their revenue that they
deserve so they can have that infrastructurefrom online sales and local sales and county
county tax, state tax and whatnot. They're they're okay with that because they

(04:12):
want those communities to flourish. SoI guess I get from local mayors.
Yes, I get the I understandyou. You've explained very well the issue
and the problem. I still don'tget. And this is just a nerdy
question. I'm not like poking holesin your thesis. I like what you're
doing. I don't understand how losingthe zip code causes the problem that you
are describing. That is how wegenerate sales tax and revenues to go to

(04:39):
those particular cities. It is itis connected to the actual zip codes.
And this is this is just beingignored by the postal Service. There's no
actual reason why they cannot have theirunique zip codes reinstated. This has been
something that's been pushed aside and completenegligent by the Postal Service. So now

(05:01):
I am taking action in Congress becauseif these cities actually petition to get their
ZIP codes back and they are denied, they're unable to appeal that decision for
ten years. So I'm taking legislativeaction in Washington DC to help these small
communities and even the larger ones likeLoan Try and Centennial. From a federal

(05:23):
level, do you think you'll getDemocrats on board? Absolutely? There are
many Democrats who represent these cities,and I do believe that we are going
to get them to support this.I have also talked to Jeanie Raskin,
who is the ranking member on theOversight Committee, and he said, oh
my goodness, I didn't even knowthat this was an issue. Yeah,
and he said, this sounds likesomething we can solve this year, and

(05:46):
I said, let's do it.Wow, all right. Lauren Bolbert represents
Colorado's third congressional district seeking a Republicannomination in Colorado's fourth congressional district, and
I wanted to have her back becauseI never heard about this issue, and
I find it fascinating as clearly youdo too, Lauren and thank you for
trying to solve a problem. Iappreciate it. Yes, in a very

(06:08):
nerdy and compassionate way. I amvery dedicated to this issue and will not
stop until it's resolved. All right, Well, nerdiness is always welcomed on
my show. Thank you, Lauren, Thank all right.