“Thank you, Commissioner Ranson, for your due diligence and working on this. I know it takes a lot of work and dedication to get the numbers… “
Category: Opinion/Letters
BIG PIVOTS: The Nexus of Climate Change Politics in Colorado
Our Colorado mountain town is being hammered by climate change. We are responding in many ways…
OPINION: Should the Taxpayers Pay Commissioner Medina’s Personal Legal Bills?
“Before taxpayers are required to pay this bill, I respectfully ask the Board and County Attorney to answer a very simple question…”
EDITORIAL: Shooting in the Dark… at Tax Targets, Part Two
“Seems like a choice to go the $6 million route makes sense, given other demands on the county like schools, roads, water, etc. Not to mention our tax burden we all get to share…”
OPINION: Municipal Collective Bargaining Law in Colorado Effectively Permits Union Busting
Rather than capitulate, municipal workers can, in conjunction with other labor organizers and their city’s voters, change the law in their favor…
EDITORIAL: Shooting in the Dark… at Tax Targets, Part One
At the end of that BOCC work session, a discussion took place between the three commissioners that had not been indicated on the meeting agenda…
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Hints at Plans to Discontinue Road Maintenance, Part Three
For 22 years, past commissioners have not had the cojones to fully follow a reasonable road policy…
OPINION: A Drought in Ranching Opportunities in the American West
We don’t have a shortage of people willing to work. We have a shortage of opportunities for them to get started…
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Hints at Plans to Discontinue Road Maintenance, Part Two
In 1998, Archuleta County entered into an agreement with 12 Pagosa Lakes subdivisions, guaranteeing road maintenance for five years…
OPINION: Colorado’s Lax Regulations Result in Death of Another Reintroduced Wolf
“Colorado has an opportunity to demonstrate that our vision of restoring the wild, of restoring wolves, to our state is in fact attainable…”
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Hints at Plans to Discontinue Road Maintenance, Part One
There’s a simple fact that’s been well known, and often discussed, by various County commissioners and Road & Bridge Managers, for 30 years…
OPINION: Will the Real USDA Rural Housing Reorganization Plan Please Stand Up?
Moving programs to HUD or Small Business Administration would mostly kill off much of the USDA rural housing function…
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Wants Your Help, Updating the Community Plan… Part Two
One of these documents — the 2025–2028 Archuleta County Strategic Plan — was the result of a couple of years of work…
OPINION: Colorado History Déjà Vu
A recurring theme throughout Colorado history is the mistreatment of vulnerable people and communities…
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Hears a Rio Blanco Fire Update, Part One
“We understood very quickly that we needed help, so we requested help from a Type 3 incident management team…”
EDITORIAL: Archuleta County Wants Your Help, Updating the Community Plan… Part One
“Planning ahead helps ensure that as the County grows, residents keep access to a range of housing options, reliable infrastructure, a strong local economy…”
EDITORIAL: Ballots, Taxes, and Debts, Part Three
“Give us a ballot measure we can feel good about approving…”
OPINION: Why I Agreed to Run as Victor Marx’s Lt. Governor Nominee
Like Victor, I don’t do politics as usual. So, when he asked me to stand with him, I said yes because Colorado doesn’t need more failed career politicians…
EDITORIAL: Ballots, Taxes, and Debts, Part Two
The survey was a bit more extensive, however, than simply asking how voters felt about the sample ballot language…