When the State Becomes the Thief: Property Rights and Democratic Tyranny in Colorado

By Chaz Evanson – Candidate for Governor

The Silent Crisis Undermining Liberty. There is a quiet but devastating crisis unfolding in Colorado, one that threatens the very foundation of our freedom: the right to private property. Once held as sacred by the Founders and enshrined in natural law, property rights are now being eroded by ideological governance, progressive legal frameworks, and bureaucratic overreach. The people of this state are being stripped of their homes, businesses, and livelihoods, not by criminal trespassers alone, but by the very government that swore to protect them.

Democratic Socialism in Practice: Tyranny by ProcessWhat we are witnessing is not a string of isolated incidents. It is the direct result of a political worldview that exalts the collective over the individual. Under Governor Jared Polis and a progressive legislative regime, the rights of Coloradans have been subordinated to a system that uses process, procedure, and ideology to rob them of what is rightfully theirs. This is democratic socialism in practice, where government wields words like “equity” and “redevelopment” to justify tyranny, and where those in power pick winners and losers not by law, but by political convenience.

Real Stories, Real Victims. The consequences of this shift are not theoretical; they are deeply personal. In Grand Junction, Mike and Amber Martinez ran G.J. Auto Sales for more than two decades. Without warning or explanation, their property was condemned under a redevelopment plan. There was no consultation, no assistance with relocation, and no real justification beyond the fact that their business didn’t align with the city’s “vision” for downtown. Their livelihood was erased, not by the rule of law, but by silence and bureaucratic maneuvering.

Meanwhile, in Montrose, private citizens are navigating a dystopian legal nightmare. One woman returned from vacation to find the individuals she left to watch her animals now refusing to leave her home. Another neighbor is facing potential lawsuits after asking a deceitful friend, whom he had temporarily helped, to move out. In both cases, Colorado law shielded the unauthorized occupant and left the rightful property owner scrambling for legal remedies. This is not justice, it’s the inversion of justice. It’s government choosing ideology over truth.

This Is Not Justice, It’s Injustice with a Smile. When a homeowner can be sued for defending their home and a small business can be erased without a hearing, we are not living in a republic, we are living under a smiling despotism. The state has traded the Constitution for community planning schemes. It has exchanged justice for agenda. It speaks the language of progress, but it acts with the iron hand of control. And when officials hide behind “staff recommendations” and consent agendas to avoid scrutiny, they betray the public trust in the most cowardly of ways.

We Need a Restoration, Not Just Reform. This is not a matter of tweaking laws or improving transparency. This is a full-blown rebellion against constitutional order, and it demands a full restoration—not mere reform. As Governor, I will not patch over this system. I will dismantle it and rebuild it according to the only standard that matters: the rule of law, natural rights, and the Constitution.

I will introduce the Property Owner Protection Act, which will clearly define and defend the rights of lawful property owners, eliminate legal gray zones exploited by squatters, and end the abuse of eminent domain used to punish businesses that don’t conform to political trends. No more buried consent agendas. No more vision boards replacing property deeds. No more silence in the face of theft disguised as progress.

We will restore the balance between government and the governed by doing five things:

• Clarify and codify the difference between lawful tenancy and squatting. Deception will not qualify for tenant protection.

• Empower law enforcement to remove unauthorized occupants based on verified ownership without months of delay.

• Require full public transparency for any eminent domain or property seizure through public hearings, not closed-door processes.

• Establish a state-backed legal aid and relocation fund for families and small business owners forced out by unjust takings.

• Enforce contract integrity to ensure bad-faith actors are held accountable, not protected.

If You Can’t Defend What’s Yours, You’re Not Free. The right to property is the right to liberty. It is the right to build, to labor, to shelter your family, and to secure your future. Strip that away, and what’s left? A hollow citizenship easily controlled and easily discarded. If the government can take your home, seize your land, or deny you due process, then you are not a citizen; you are a subject.

And if you must ask permission from your government to reclaim what is yours, then you are not free.

We’re Not Asking for Privilege. We’re Demanding Justice. The people of Colorado are not asking for special treatment, we are demanding justice. Justice for the Martinez family. Justice for homeowners in Montrose. Justice for every citizen who is being pushed off their land, priced out of their property, or punished for protecting what they rightfully own.

This is the line. We will not go quietly. We will not retreat. And we will not accept a government that treats its citizens as obstacles to be managed rather than people to be served.

This is our land. This is our time. And we will take it back.