The above article from the March 27, 2016 issue of the Grand Junction, CO Daily Sentinel says that the increase in registered Democrats is happening without any kind of organized registration drive being put on by Mesa County Democrats, while at the same time, the Mesa County Republican Party is actively working to register new members and is even meeting their goals. The growth in Democrats is coming from people switching parties, as well as from new registrants.
The new marijuana economy is helping Colorado towns boom — but not Grand Junction
The little town of DeBeque, population 500, in Mesa County, Colorado, which voted to start selling retail recreational marijuana in 2014, is basking in the financial glow of its decision.
Marijuana sales taxes are now generating more revenue for the town than all the other retail establishments and oil and gas industry impact fees combined.
The Brady Trucking site by the Colorado River more than a year after citizens voted to re-zone the site. Proponents promised the re-zone would create high-paying jobs and a landscaped extension of the Colorado riverfront trail.
That was how local pro-business interests promoted passage of Referred Measure A on the April, 2013 City ballot, which asked voters to uphold light industrial zoning by the Colorado River and the proposed Las Colonias Park site, so a private company, Brady Trucking, could expand its operations.
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, it’s deep-pocketed lobbying arm, the Western Colorado Business Alliance and the West Slope Oil and Gas Association all championed the re-zoning measure.
Chamber President Diane Schwenke, CEO said, “This is an issue where the voters can support good jobs and development of trails.” Schwenke promised that if the measure passed, the new jobs Brady would provide would average $70,000 per year.
“What would we as a community be willing to give up to attract this kind of business and job opportunity? And yet here we have a private company that is willing and eager to provide the opportunity and actually enhance the riverfront’s recreational opportunities at the same time,” Schwenke crowed.
If the measure passed, voters were told, Brady Trucking would build a walking and biking trail within on a 50-foot wide easement along the river, as well as fencing and landscaping. Proponents boasted Brady’s expansion would attract even more businesses and jobs to the area.
Voters passed the measure.
One year later the site is completely untouched.
No jobs, no trails, no landscaping, no nothing.
Schwenke suckered us again.
So much for the promises of a Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce.
Update – as of January 15, 2015, the site looks exactly the same.
The Glenwood Springs, Colorado, City Council has approved retail sales of recreational marijuana, and will soon start working on devising rules for licensing retail vendors. Glenwood Springs Mayor Leo McKinney said, “There’s a sentiment on my council that we don’t like to see government get in the way of business, no matter what the business is.” Currently, a quarter of the medical marijuana business in Glenwood comes from Grand Junction and Mesa County. The Grand Junction City Council and Mesa County Commissioners have voted to ban retail sales of recreational marijuana. The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce opposed Amendment 64, which legalized recreational use of marijuana state-wide, but has not offered the community an update on where they stand now that the measure’s passage is starting to create a new industry and generate new jobs and public revenue in Colorado. The Glenwood Springs Chamber of Commerce Board opposed Amendment 64, has not changed their position opposing recreational use of marijuana, and,according to Glenwood Chamber President Marianne Virgili, does not plan to revisit the issue any time soon.
Main Source: KREX-TV Grand Junction, October 9, 2013
