'Not Political': Louisville Residents Impacted By Marshall Fire Talk About President Joe Biden's Visit
LOUISVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) — President Joe Biden wrapped up a tour of fire-damaged areas in Boulder County Friday after hours of discussions with local and national Colorado leaders along with homeowners impacted by the Marshall Fire. Among those he spoke to was Louie Delaware, who lost a home in the Enclave neighborhood of Louisville.
"He was really quite gracious about this, saying yes we are here for the long haul," Delaware said he spoke to the President for about 10 minutes, nine more than he thought he might get.
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"What I wanted to convey to him was, we're doing OK. We've got OK insurance. But there's a lot of other people in Louisville that don't have that same sort of circumstances. And we kneed the federal government to be there over the long run. They can't forget about us."
The people CBS4 spoke to were vetted. But Delaware indicated he did not think it was political.
"He was there from a standpoint of not political. Wasn't anything of that sort. The discussions were, we want to help. We want people to come back stronger than before."
Biden not only talked to people on the ground amid the devastation but delivered a speech at the Louisville Rec Center and spoke to people there as well.
PHOTO GALLERY: President Joe Biden Tours Marshall Fire Damage
"First I'm just impressed that he's here," said Curtis Johnson, a Boulder County Sheriff's Office Division Chief who lost his family home of 23 years in Louisville.
"I think we're concerned what it will really look like six months from now, a year from now. How long it will take to recover and get everybody back on their feet?" said Johnson. "Given the price spikes and the cost to rebuild especially in Boulder County, I'm concerned it may be a challenge for us."
He and Delaware both believe they have sufficient insurance but are concerned for others, "I think there are a lot of people in our community who have lost more than we did that don't have the resources that I might."
There was discussion among leaders, said Congressman Joe Neguse, about streamlining the rebuilding process.
"One of the residents actually suggested that just today during the conversations that we had so it's certainly an idea that we would support. And we'll work with the local officials certainly who govern land use decisions like that."
It will take creative thinking he added to emerge from a level of damage so great.
"I think it's going to force us to be nimble. To be flexible and I think that a process that he described would make a whole lot of sense."