Here’s a question for Mesa County workers: When was the last time your political party helped make your life better? If you can’t think of anything, there’s a reason. The dominant political party in our area has long been the Republican Party,…
Category: Economics
Grand Junction’s Tax Day March Dominates Downtown on the Day Before Easter
While some stayed home dying Easter eggs Saturday, almost 300 western slope citizens turned out for the national Tax March to demand Donald Trump make his tax returns public. Marchers gathered at Grand Junction City Hall and listened to speeches before starting off…
How About Letting the Rabble Decide What to Spend Their Own Tax Money On?
The way ballot proposals typically come about in Grand Junction, the Grand Junction Chamber, big local business owners and members of the Old Guard Republican Establishment (OGREs) conceive of some idea that benefits one or more established, successful businesses. They…
Rep. Scott Tipton Faces Upset Liberal Crowd at Montrose Town Hall
The western slope’s U.S. Congressional Representative Scott Tipton (R) faced a packed and overwhelmingly liberal/progressive crowd in the gymnasium at Montrose High School Friday evening, April 7, 2017, at his town hall meeting. Citizens came from Montrose, Crawford, Paonia, Ouray, Grand…
Saying “No” to the Events Center Doesn’t Mean You’re Saying “No” to Grand Junction
The events center promoters call their group “Say Yes for Grand Junction,” but a “no” vote on the proposed events center doesn’t mean you are saying “no” to Grand Junction as a whole. Far from it. Grand Junction residents aren’t shallow or selfish.…
Event Center Promos Mislead; Proposed Events are Costly
If you’ve eaten out lately, you may have seen table tents displayed at downtown restaurants promoting Measure 2A on the city ballot this coming April. The measure asks city residents to approve increasing the City’s sales tax by a quarter…
What is the Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District, and Why Should We Care About it?
A guest post by Janet Johnson On February 6, Colorado House Representative Yeulin Willett introduced HB-1152 in the Colorado legislature, a bill titled “Federal Mineral Lease District (FMLD) Investment Authority.” The bill certainly does “open an important conversation,” as the Grand…
Another Reason G.J. Needs a Recreation Center: The Skyline Warehouse
Last night I had the opportunity to attend a kids’ indoor soccer game at the Skyline indoor sports facility at 2522 Highway 6 & 50. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Skyline is an old warehouse that in 2011 was repurposed into…
Putting Grand Junction’s Costco Rumors to Rest
For years western slope residents have been hoping and wishing that a Costco warehouse store would open in Grand Junction. Around 2010, rumors started circulating that Costco was considering locating a new store in Grand Junction. People even started proposing possible locations for the…
Cattle Left to Fend for Themselves on Public Lands
Western cattle ranchers often rail against federal government control of public lands, but aren’t averse to taking taxpayer-funded handouts whenever they can get them. Indeed, even famously insurgent Nevada cattle rancher Cliven Bundy took help from a taxpayer-funded public defender after being arrested on…
Survey: G.J. Chamber Members Don’t Support the Chamber’s Political Meddling
The website of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce says “We take the lead in shaping laws that affect business on the western slope,” but according to a new chamber survey, only a tiny fraction of its members seem to…
Focus on the Bright Spots in the Election
Half the country woke up this morning despondent, demoralized and in utter dread of what a Trump presidency will mean to this country. We’ve never had a president before who confessed on video to sexually assaulting women and who is endorsed by…
Want to See Marijuana Commerce Back in Grand Junction? Sign the Petition for a Ballot Measure
Want to see retail marijuana back in Grand Junction? Well, so do a lot of other people. The nonprofit group GJCAN (for “Cannabis Access Now”) is circulating an official petition to get retail marijuana back in the City of Grand Junction.…
G. J. Chamber “Hasn’t Even Considered” Marijuana as a Way to Boost the Local Economy
Diane Schwenke, the CEO of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, said at a meeting at Main Street Bagels this morning that the chamber’s board hasn’t even discussed or considered the possibility of bringing retail marijuana commerce to Grand Junction as a way…
What’s Really Going On Inside Mesa County Government? Here’s a Hint: It’s Pretty Bad.
The following is a guest column from the August 28, 2016 issue of the Daily Sentinel that many people may have overlooked. The author is the operations manager for the elections division of Mesa County. She describes how the County treats its…
Hundreds of Business Owners Go Public with Support for Amendment 70, the Minimum Wage Increase
Business owners across the state are lining up to support Amendment 70, which would raise Colorado’s minimum wage to $12.00 and hour by 2020. Many of these owners voluntarily raised their own employees’ wages and are telling the public about the impacts it has had…
Grand Junction Chamber Drops its Longstanding Support for Scott Tipton
In a subtle but stunning rebuke, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce has quietly declined to endorse Scott Tipton (R) in his bid this year to win re-election as Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District’s House Representative. In its 2016 Voter Guide (PDF), the chamber…
Why We Need to Question the Chamber’s “Experts”
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce is working hard to defeat Amendment 70, which would raise Colorado’s minimum wage to $12 and hour by 2020. Part of its opposition involves chamber president Diane Schwenke running TV ads against the measure in…