A quick summary of the eight candidates running for Grand Junction City Council in the April 6, 2021 election

Eight candidates want to get inside these doors and help run the city we all love. Learn about the candidates running for Council and vote wisely.

In case you don’t have time to research the eight candidates running for City Council in the April 6th election, I’ve done the research and condensed it down to a couple of paragraphs about each candidate to help you make an educated choice. I drew on the sources of information that are most accessible to most voters, including the candidates’ campaign and personal websites, their campaign and personal social media accounts (the links to which the City conveniently provides on their Elections Information page). I also researched news reports, published articles and past blogs I’ve done about them, if any, and investigated some of the claims the candidates made on their websites about what groups and organizations they belonged to. I also attended the Western Colorado Alliance (WCA) online candidate forum held on February 24th, and noted which candidates attended and which didn’t.

Here is what I found on each candidate:

District A candidates:

Mark McAllister is a lighting designer at All Phase Electric and a former Second Vice Chair of the Mesa County Republican Party.

Mark McAllister

Mr. McAllister was the subject of a February 8, 2021 Colorado Times Recorder article titled, “Former GOP official with history of racist Facebook posts is running for council in Grand Junction.”  The article highlighted Mr. McAllister’s racist, sexist and homophobic social media posts. One of the posts cited in the article was a meme that compared the face of Black congresswoman Maxine Waters to the face of an alien character in Arnold Schwartzenegger’s 1987 movie Predator.  Another meme posted on McAllister’s account showed Trump placing a noose around Barack Obama’s neck. More recent Facebook posts show Mr. McAllister promoting anti-mask ideology, holding mask-free campaign events and spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines. He also likes to post photos of wind turbines on fire.

Feb. 28 social media post by Mark McAllister showing men smiling while displaying wolves killed in leg hold traps, which are banned in 88 countries because of their cruelty.

On his campaign website, McAllister wrote that he was “a member of the Free Foundation Board, a nonprofit organization that teaches financial literacy and free enterprise,” but searches of Google and the Colorado Secretary of State’s nonprofit database turned up only one organization with the name “Free Foundation,” and it was a volunteer group based in Virginia that awards mobility and rehab equipment, like walkers, canes and wheelchairs, to low income and uninsured adults.

On his Facebook page, Mr. McAllister promoted a “Stop the Steal” rally in Grand Junction on January 6th, amplifying Trump’s anti-democratic Big Lie that Trump had actually won the 2020 election, and promoting the ideology that caused the Jan. 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

March 2 anti-mask post by Mark McAllister

On February 28, 2021 Mr. McAllister posted photos of two men smiling while displaying dead wolves that were killed in leg hold traps, which are banned in 88 countries because of their extreme cruelty.

Mr. McAllister also posted an article February 5th that reflected his belief that the best way to prevent sexual assaults against women is by teaching women self-defense, without mentioning the need to teach boys not to sexually assault women.

Mr. McAllister did not respond to a questionnaire by the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of the Grand Valley, nor did he participate in the February 24 online Candidate Forum put on by the Western Colorado Alliance. (The group’s next online candidate forum is on March 10 at 6:00 p.m.)

Colorado House Reps. Matt Soper and Janice Rich have endorsed Mr. McAllister.

 

Rick Taggart

Rick Taggart is an incumbent City Councilor and former mayor of Grand Junction and who is running for re-election.

Mr. Taggart moved to Grand Junction in the early 1980’s. At that time he was co-owner and CEO of Marmot Mountain Works, a local outdoor clothing and equipment manufacturing company. After Marmot was sold, Mr. Taggart worked as senior Vice President of the international business unit of The Timberland Company, and then became CEO of Swiss Army Brands for 15 years until 2010. He’s been on the Grand Junction Airport Board and currently works at Colorado Mesa University as a lecturer in the Business Department.

Back in 2016, Mr. Taggart was the only city council member who actually responded to emails from citizens inquiring about legalizing marijuana sales in the City, and even though he did not agree with it, Taggart actually sat down to discuss the issue with constituents over a cup of coffee.

On Friday, October, 21 2017, in a conversation over coffee with KeepNorth4Ever organizer Mackenzie Dodge, Dodge reported that Grand Junction Mayor Rick Taggart admitted the City’s system for enacting ordinances has been “broken” for a “long time.” Under the current system, Council holds a workshop on the issue, then has a public hearing and votes on the ordinance. Mayor Taggart said the process should be: Council holds a workshop, then hosts a public discussion, then holds its public hearing and takes a vote.

The corrected system, with a hearing devoted solely to public discussion about the issue at hand, would have given City residents more time, notice and opportunity to comment on the proposed name change of North Avenue back in 2017. But the current system, Taggart noted, seems designed more to limit public comment than solicit it, and causes ordinances to be rushed through without adequate input from the public.

This was a great epiphany by Mr. Taggart, but he never pursued changing the City’s system for enacting ordinances.

Mr. Taggart has few social media posts and his social media contains nothing controversial or offensive. He makes no mention of his religion on his campaign pages, nor does he appear to have any overt political bent towards one side or the other. His simple campaign website sticks to touting his experience in business and on City Council, and suggests he is the best candidate to help Grand Junction recover from the pandemic.

Mr. Taggart did attend the February 24 WCA Candidate Forum, and he did fill out the Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s questionnaire. Mr. Taggart does not list any endorsements.

District D candidates:

A Greg Haitz Facebook post of 1/3/21 that had to be removed because the information was patently false.

Greg Haitz is a chiropractor who promotes fat loss programs and nutritional supplements on his business website. On his personal Facebook page, he has Bible quotes and promotes CBD, and he touts his religious faith and belief in God on his campaign website as well.

Dr. Haitz has posted patently false information on Facebook. One of his posts was removed by Facebook because it spread the outright lie that wearing face masks harm children.

Greg Haitz

Dr. Haitz’s positions on issues regarding the coronavirus pandemic appear superficial and indicate that he is either unable or unwilling consider important nuance when making decisions. For example, on his campaign page Dr. Haitz decries how big grocery stores like WalMart were allowed to stay open early in the pandemic while restaurants were forced to stop indoor dining. This complaint indicates Dr. Haitz has a dangerous lack of understanding of the circumstances that contribute to a communicable, deadly virus spreading like wildfire in the larger community. Dr. Haitz failed to consider that restaurants are enclosed spaces in which large numbers of maskless people routinely gather in close proximity while talking, laughing, drinking and eating — the exact circumstances well known to spread the virus exponentially — and contrast them with grocery stores, in which people can wear masks the entire time they are shopping, and that have far more room for customers to physically distance from one another. Haitz also fails to consider that grocery stores had to remain open so people could buy food to eat while they were sheltering at home, and he did not acknowledge that people spend far less time inside grocery stores than in restaurants.

That Dr. Haitz was unable to recognize these important distinctions or see any nuance at all in this issue shows he lacks the ability to consider the entire range of important aspects of a problem before arriving at a conclusion. This will pose serious deficit if he becomes an elected official, especially during a pandemic, since he is likely to push for actions that violate well-established scientific conclusions and make it far harder for our area to recover from the pandemic.

Dr. Haitz has an endorsement on his campaign page by Jason Marsh, Associate Youth Pastor of Life Community Church. Dr. Haitz posted the following quote from Marsh:

“We need solid, Jesus-following business-minded people to direct local public policy.”

The fact that Dr. Haitz displayed this comment indicates Dr. Haitz shares Mr. Marsh’s lack of recognition of the clear boundaries between religion and government, and that Dr. Haitz may be moved to try to inappropriately mingle the two if he is elected.

Dr. Haitz did not attend the Feb. 24 Western Colorado Alliance online Candidate Forum, nor did he answer the questionnaire form the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of the Grand Valley.

 

Dennis Simpson

Dennis Simpson is a recently-retired Certified Public Accountant who has been a CPA for 40 years. He previously was head of the finance department of Durango School District 9R. He has a strong knowledge of institutional accounting and on February 1, 2018 he established a Facebook group called “Transparency in Mesa County” to give people his take on issues like City and County budget priorities, spending, the City’s land leases, funding of private businesses, shielding of documents from taxpayers, the hiring and firing of city and county employees, and other issues. Mr. Simpson makes documents available to the public that he obtains from the City and County through Colorado Open Records Act requests, like internal emails, budgets, reports, etc., on which he bases his conclusions about the City’s financial activities. Mr. Simpson has sued the City to get them to comply with campaign finance laws.

Mr. Simpson is keenly concerned with how the City manages its financial difficulties during the pandemic. He has spent his own time and money to advocate on behalf of taxpayers, and he strives to make taxpayers aware of their rights and help people see the importance in otherwise extraordinarily dull documents, like budgets and spreadsheets. He has a full understanding of state and local laws that guide and restrict government actions. Mr. Simpson follows City Council closely, knows the City Charter well — probably better than anyone else running for Council — and he closely watches how the City and County manage their budgets. He has irked elected officials by consistently paying such close attention to what they do, and explaining to large numbers of people what he sees them doing wrong.

Mr. Simpson is generally conservative politically, but has nothing offensive or eyebrow-raising on any of his public social media accounts, and he does not promote or mention religious ideology or affiliation on any of his social media or campaign sites. His campaign website is simple, and it appears all of Mr. Simpson’s efforts are aimed at using his knowledge of institutional finance to enlighten people about what he sees going wrong in local government.

District E candidates:

Jody Green

Jody Green is a construction worker who says on his campaign page that he helped build the Oxbow subdivision, the Postal Annex on Patterson, Ratekin Tower Apartments, Lakeside Apartments and other buildings in Grand Junction. His campaign website indicates he either owns or owned “hundreds of acres on Glade Park,” and that he “considered himself homeless for a time,” but he offers no specifics about his homelessness. Green says he worked with Habitat for Humanity to build his own home, and then volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for other people. Green writes on social media that he “Works at School of Hard Knocks, University of Life.”

In a February 4, 2021 article in the Daily Sentinel, Green said he is running for City Council because God asked him to.

On his campaign website Green writes that he has volunteered for over 25 years with Mesa County Search and Rescue (MCSAR), but an inquiry to MCSAR to verify this information brought a response from Sergeant Richard Acree of Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services and Fire Management that calls Green’s claim into question. In his response, Sergeant Acree wrote:

“I had to ask around to see if anyone knew [Green]. I have been involved in SAR for the Sheriff since 2005 and never heard of him. I heard he was on the ATV team but I do not have any records showing his 25 year involvement. It must have been prior to 2000 but I can’t confirm this without a lot of research.”

A Facebook post by the “Public Lands Access Association,” to which Green claims to be a board member. The page  appears to be a political outlet for someone named Linda Bestland, whose posts dominate the page. Few posts have anything to do with public lands.

Mr. Green also writes on his campaign website that he “served as the President of Citizens Access for Public Lands.” A search of the Colorado Secretary of State’s database shows a nonprofit corporation with that name was formed in 1998 and was “administratively dissolved” in 2004. Its registered agent was Jody Green. The group weighed in on the proposed closing of roads in Mesa and Garfield Counties, but the minutes of a 2005 Garfield County Commissioners meeting (pdf) showed that Green sometimes misunderstood the positions taken by public officials on these issues when he was protesting proposed actions.

Green also states he was a board member of the “Public Lands Access Association,” which does not appear in any Colorado Secretary of State database. The only reference I could find to a group named the “Public Lands Access Association” that wasn’t a Facebook page was a 2014 legal case in Montana about public lands access. The “Public Lands Access Association,” in Green’s context, appears to be a politically right wing Facebook group that posts anti-mask ideology and rips local politicians who follow state orders by public health authorities that are aimed at reining in the pandemic.

Green appears to have very poor writing and spelling skills, as is clear in the descriptions he posted on his profile on LinkedIn:

A sample of Green’s spelling from his LinkedIn page

 

The “Experience” section of Jody Green’s LinkedIn profile

 

This level of literacy could be a problem because City Council members often have to read and be able to digest hundreds of pages of documents to be informed enough to do their jobs.

Green did not participate in the Feb. 24th WCA online Candidate Forum, nor did he fill out the Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s questionnaire.

 

Abe Herman

Abe Herman owns a successful small business called the Sukkah Project that provides Jews around the world with “affordable, klutz-proof sukkah kits” — kits used to erect the traditional structures used around the world in the celebration of the Jewish holiday Sukkot. He sells the kits to residential, commercial, educational and institutional customers nationally and internationally. His business is headquartered here in Grand Junction.

Herman is the youngest candidate for Council and is an avid rock climber, skier and outdoorsman. His main concerns are keeping Grand Junction affordable, and assuring local wages allow people to afford decent housing. His campaign social media posts show him doing ride-alongs with the G.J. Fire Department and Police Department, offers information about city council and how to get meeting agendas, and generally follows Mr. Herman as he works to understand, and help others better understand how the City and all its different departments work.

Herman’s personal social media posts mostly highlight his outdoor activities, like mountain biking and climbing, and his participation in local nonprofits with missions aimed at making peoples’ lives better. His social media accounts contain no offensive, eye-brow-raising or extreme political posts that raise any questions about his integrity or would be considered negative or critical of anything. None of Herman’s social media accounts or his campaign website mention religion.

Herman’s website says he is a board member of FOYAN, which stands for Friends of Youth and Nature, an organization in Hotchkiss that works to get kids outside  and stimulate their appreciation of nature. It also helps them be more confident, use their imagination more and develop a sense of responsibility. Herman’s affiliation with this group was verified.

Herman has pledged to attend every public event he is invited to.

Here is Abe Herman’s campaign YouTube video:


Herman was under consideration in July of 2019 for appointment to fill the District E seat after Councilman Duncan McArthur resigned from council due to illness. Despite Herman emerging as the clear favorite in the first round of voting by Council members at that time, things turned curiously contentious after council members Duke Wortman and Phyllis Norris went into high gear working to tank the clear majority choice — Herman — and instead push to install Kraig Andrews into the seat.

Abe Herman attended the Feb. 24th WCA online Candidate Forum, filled out the Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s questionnaire and has been endorsed by CMU President Tim Foster, in Mr. Foster’s capacity as a private individual.

District At Large candidates:

Kraig Andrews (yes, “Kraig” is spelled with a “K”) works as a mortgage loan administrator in downtown Grand Junction.  He currently occupies the District E seat on City Council, but he has never been elected to the seat. He was appointed to it in 2019, after Duncan McArthur resigned due to illness.

Kraig Andrews is the former chair of the Mesa County Republican Party.

As a stalwart Republican, Andrews was a strong supporter of President Donald J. Trump, who, at the time Andrews was under consideration for an appointment to Council, had made headlines with a series of overtly racist tweets and statements targeting four female congresswomen of color, horrifying Americans on both the left and right, and generating statements of shock and disgust from leaders around the world.

As chair of the Mesa County Republican Party, in October of 2016, Andrews refused to condemn statements Trump made in the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged that he could sexually harass women all he wanted, and “grab ’em by the pussy, anything…” because he was a celebrity. In a subsequent interview broadcast on KJCT on October 9, 2016, Andrews, when asked about these comments, dismissed them, saying Trump made them “…Ten years ago before he was running for office, in a private conversation. Things that he said were not the greatest, but it was 10 years ago,” Andrews said.

Kraig Andrews’ 2012 personal Facebook post agreeing with an article that likened people who use food stamps to feeding wild animals.

Andrews’ personal social media in recent years has been mostly innocuous and inoffensive, consisting mainly of photos of landscapes and family activities. However, a 2012 Facebook post on his personal account likened the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Stamp program that feeds needy Americans to feeding animals.

City Council member Rick Taggart made the deciding vote that installed Andrews on Council in 2019, despite that Andrews was someone for whom racism, sexism, scapegoating immigrants and fostering hatred among members of our community was perfectly suitable behavior for people holding public office.

Andrews did not attend the Feb. 24th WCA candidate forum, nor did he fill out the Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s questionnaire.

 

Randall Reitz, Ph.D.

Randall Reitz, Ph.D. is a Marriage and Family Therapist who has held director roles at Marillac Clinic and St. Mary’s Family Medicine Residency. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Bringham Young University. Reitz speaks four languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese and English).

When he was the Executive Director of Summit Community Care Clinic, Dr. Reitz expanded the organization from 15 to 45 staff, and oversaw a multi-million dollar budget. He has served as Director of Behavioral Medicine at St. Mary’s Family Medicine Residency since 2008.

Reitz’ personal Twitter account posts are positive, professional, occasionally humorous, and mostly related to his work.

Dr. Reitz’s personal Facebook page indicates he and his wife have hosted several foreign exchange students. There is little to nothing political on his page. His personal posts are about family time, outdoor activities, mountain biking, progress against the pandemic, lifting people up and enjoying life. Dr. Reitz does not promote religion of any kind on his web pages or social media posts. It is notable that his Facebook page has few photos just of himself. Most photos are group shots, some of which include Dr. Reitz.

Dr. Reitz has served on multiple School District 51 committees and has coached youth sports for 19 years.

He likes Eric Clapton and Blondie and has filled in as a DJ on KAFM 88.1.

Dr. Reitz attended the Feb. 24th WCA Candidate Forum and filled out the Outdoor Recreation Coalition’s questionnaire.

He is endorsed by Sister Karen Bland, Executive Director of Grand Valley Catholic Outreach in Grand Junction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  107 comments for “A quick summary of the eight candidates running for Grand Junction City Council in the April 6, 2021 election

  1. I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU (mary- who is NOT worthy of that name) as YOU SPEW LEFT ideology and PUT down Faith Believers and the people OF GOD and the BIBLICAL TRUTH.
    Ideology is PEOPLE like YOU who know nothing of the Scripture that puts trans, gay, lesbians as SIN….So anyone who believes your ideology is NOT some one who I would trust with my news.

  2. Another attack on conservatives by the Liberal left. Painting the conservatives as these horrible people while portraying the liberal candidates as patron saints. Nothing to see here. Wouldn’t be surprised if the whole election was rigged as well considering all three of them won .We sure know who wrote this article.

    • There’s no “attack”.
      Time to move beyond jesus and leave behind what you think so that you can learn to see. Conservatives have no idea what this means, they’re stuck on a fixed jesus, thinking all is an attack and a threat. Truly a boatload of ignorant stupids. Literally.

    • Yes, David; every time the GOP loses, it’s rigged. Totally unfair.

      Seriously, when did all you big, tough American Patriot Freedom Oath Keeper Warriors turn into giant crybabies?

  3. One can certainly tell what party affiliation or political wing you support by the extremely biased portrayal exhibited herein! What a POS! Sleep well knowing you spread as much crap as humanly possibly!

    • I thought it was actually pretty clear. Don’t get mad just because the people you like have a bit of dirt lingering about them. I could be misinterpreting what you wrote but it sounds like you are accusing the author of being dishonest. It’s a small town. If that’s what you really feel I will be happy to meditate a sit down so you can talk to her in person, and not slander her from behind a screen. I believe they found what information they could and put that in the article. Easy peasy. You just didn’t like what it was they did, and did not, find.

  4. Thank you so much for the research! It really helped me pick the right folks! Maybe we can drag this city into the 21st century!

  5. I am so thankful for this blog! And by thankful I mean thank you for helping me vote for everyone you were bias against!

    • Christianity is the global pandemic that has rendered 2.5 billion “walking dead”. It is an unnatural rhythm that prevents knowledge and experience of ones nature. The 2.5 billion who “believe in jesus” are hardwired to THEIR OWN delusion of THEIR OWN NATURE, and should be on disability.

      They are the poor and blind referenced in the bible.

  6. There is but one truth. The left has gone way beyond dirty politics. The overview of candidates is obviously biased. Everyone needs to do own research on candidates. Don’t let the left destroy our country and our Christian beliefs. God has final say in all matters. Pray for our country.

  7. This is the best reporting to come out in decades. It is neutral and informative. The entire state applauds here what is now commonly known as the Bible of Grand Junction. Praise be to Anne.

        • So far he has not responded. Too bad. I was waiting for all that truly important information to make my vote. Sigh…I had to make my decision without the help of the fake news police.

      • Jesus has been “fact checked”.

        A cross creates four quadrants, representing the four elementals of earth, air, fire, and water. At the intersection of this is man, where the four quadrants meet. It animates the nature of man. Man itself IS the four elementals, hence, man where they intersect.

        Christians, however, have missed the entire message, and anthropomorphized one particular symbol into a literal man, and in doing so, rendered themselves impotent: nature denied, self denied.

        “A giant bird shall descend from the skies, and scoop all of Vatican city into its bill, and fly out over the sea where it will discard the “trash of ignorance” into the waters, where they will finally see, after all this time of praying to a separate deity per their imposed doctrine which they defend with violence, that spirit and matter have never ever ever been separate, that it is their Belief System which has all along been the error. (See also, “Crucification and Resurrection of Jesus”, which animates this very message that closed belief systems themselves are delusional)”

        -Anonymous-

  8. And, Lo, the squeals of indignation from the right-wing morons echoed through the valley that day, shrieking with rage that someone would dare tell the truth about their ignorant, racist heroes.

    • If I really thought you people knew what you were talking about. You are the most – ignorant, intolerant and unintelligent people I have ever heard form.

    • Well that was more informative of your personal bias rather than factual reporting on the candidates. You talk like bringing fourth the facts about masks and the Covid hoax as a bad thing and a disqualifying factor. There were plenty inaccuracies about some of the candidates that I know personally. You use a person’s Facebook page as a way to gauge a candidates qualifications when social media is in no way a good picture of who the person is let alone their ability to do the job they are being hired for by being voted in. Tender the are public servants not leaders. They are voted in by the people who pay them and want someone who will represents the people’s interest not their own. Something the Democrats/communist need to remember when trying yet again to ruin what is so great about our country and our used to be great state. We want someone who will not only do the job we hire them for but will save us from this dangerous me psycho ideology of sheep when it counts. Not find more ways to divide much like this whole article attempted with us rhetoric.

  9. My, my, Ms. Landman has had a really difficult time putting forth an unbiased summary of the candidates. Shame on you.

  10. Your reviews expose your Liberal ideology. It literally made the case for the candidates I had already met.
    I was really hoping for an UNBIASED report.

    • You’ll just vote for your team anyway, Duke. No matter how despicable of a person.

  11. Thanks so much for the information regarding the candidates!
    It made our decision easier once we had the low down on their political views as well as their background.
    As far as the negative responses… they still think the election was stolen.

    • Name a single American election previously where people were sent home before the count was completed. Just one.

      It sure is a shame that the only way to winning is chicanery. Perhaps if you had competent candidates then perhaps a true victory instead of a charade is possible.

      Borders shot, kids are caged like rabid dogs, dollars loosing value quickly. Oh well, at least the Bad Orange Man isn’t in office, that is all that matters, nothing else does.

      • You lost, Cletus.

        You’re gonna have to deal with it.

        Or, not, I guess. Maybe go rush the Capitol again, that worked out well for ya.

      • Lmao NOW you care about the children at the boarder? Now? Where were you in April 2018 when the zero policy went into affect? Where was all your righteous indignation then?

        As far as the election goes. Oh, honey. You find the tinniest little thing and hold onto it like a starving dog because you CAN NOT come to terms with the things you have said, the things you have DONE , and the hate you have let consume you while you followed Trump. If you admit the truth then you also have to come to terms that you were wrong and you can’t do that. You can’t do that because deep down, you are ashamed of what you have become. You know you have allowed your ignorance and your bitterness embolden you hatred for anything that confuses you or is different.

        Well, I tell you what. The world is changing. Either you learn to let go of this fear you have that is eating away your humanity or you will be left behind. The western slope is turning a nice shade of purple, which in my opinion, is what every place should strive for.

        I strongly suggest you look at some therapy to help guide you through some of your issues that lead you to Q’s doorstep. I will pray for you because honestly, unless you try to find help, I think that is all that is left for you.

  12. Vote for the candidate that least supports the dulling superstition and sadistic theology known as christianity.

    • Dear Fail Mary, I used to think like you, but changed my focus. My position now is that evidence supports that when faith in the Christian God is removed hope for “progressive” humankind is removed. An oft recited example is that now that no prayer is allowed in school this “progressive policy” has resulted in plenty of students reverting back to frontier days or worse. All one needs to do is watch the news to see that it is the so-called “progressives” that are falling back on the dulling superstitions (seen the proposed new school curriculum?) and sadistic (child trafficking), only two examples of major regressions. All who practice Christianity aren’t perfect by any means, and many a Mary has failed, dusted herself off, and tried again. As for me I’ve found that favoring a transformed mind and a softer heart is better than my former heart of stone and regressive thinking. My happy family is quick to thank the Good LORD for my changed life.

      • Too bad they misinformed you. Prayer has not been banned from schools. Only teacher-led prayer was. Students are free to pray as they see fit. I’m sure you see the wisdom of that when you think about your reaction to a Muslim teacher leading a class in prayer.

        And have a nice day.

  13. Cuz praying has ended a pandemic and prevented people from losing their businesses. You wake up.

    • This was written with such a slant I will have to do research elsewhere. I am looking for a non-biased discussion of the issues. I don’t know anything about these candidates. This post is laughable!

      • Then look up the information yourself. Do your own research. These people are in a small town. You can probably go to thier work or church and have a nice chat with them. Or just look up thier social media. Oh wait…nvm…the sane people won.

  14. “Herman … main concerns are keeping Grand Junction affordable, and assuring local wages allow people to afford decent housing.”

    You are astoundingly stupid. You are unable to parse this.

  15. Dear Republicans,
    This article was not a personal summary. Title:
    “A quick summary of the eight candidates running for Grand Junction City Council in the April 6, 2021 election”. Also stated “Here is what I found on each candidate:” The author found and compiled information that anyone could find by taking the time for the research. I did not read any phrases in the article such as (I think, I feel, my opinion is or any name calling by the author). This is a resource for all Grand Junction Voters. Thanks, Anne the summary is very much appreciated.

    • This is a joke. Everything about this article is personal opinion. Somehow all the candidates the author likes have “positive” social media posts…because the author agrees with them. Wild concept. “Kraig Andrews’ 2012 personal Facebook post agreeing with a post that likened people using food stamps to feeding wild animals”, this is a clear metaphor, the author of this article didn’t like the truth behind it so therefore twisted its meaning to support her own political agenda. Nothing about this article should be taken seriously…don’t read unless you want a good laugh at the astonishing bias.

      • I don’t understand what you big, strong, Oath-Keepin’ American Patriot Warriors are worried about. The truth about the GOP candidates has never mattered. This is Western Colorado; y’all have proven you’d vote for any half wit (even one who poisons innocent patrons, marries a sex offender, and makes you pay her delinquent taxes) just by wearing snug jeans and waving a weapon around, as if 2A rights are ever in any danger.

        Talk about a joke…

      • This was written with such a slant I will have to do research elsewhere. I am looking for a non-biased discussion of the issues. I don’t know anything about these candidates. This post is laughable!

      • I found this an extremely helpful resource. All I had to to was look for the candidates Ann talked trash about and then vote for those people.

        Of course a kind, caring progressive would never make fun of somebodies misspelled posts from the past as a lack of literacy. They are the kindest, most caring people and we are so, so lucky to have such people around.

        • Could we make fun of pig-headed, ignorant GOP voters who will admittedly vote for anyone, regardless of their insuitability, just to “stick it to dem Libz”?

          Or would that be mean?

  16. Thank you very much for your hard research. I am glad we have members of the community like you, promoting the growth of our community. It is disheartening everyday seeing people around town and in comments on blogs like this spitting support for proven xenophobic, racist, misogynist, sexist, and homophobic people, just to be assholes and keep their head in the mud. People like you help educate our community and enlighten us. Hopefully one day we will see a real change, until then we’ve got to keep fighting

    • Yeah, that’ll teach us. Keep running this city into the ground, scaring away residents and businesses, just to “stick it to the snobs”.

      Brilliant.

  17. Sad fact of the matter is, the dumbest and the most regressive will win. This is Grand Junction, after all; proudly backwards, belligerently ignorant, and completely baffled as to why nobody wants to move here or build a business here anymore.
    Time is the only thing that will solve this issue. Just like with evolution; eventually, the dinosaurs have to die off.

    • “This is Grand Junction, after all; proudly backwards, belligerently ignorant, and completely baffled…”

      Looks like we have a new welcome sign.

  18. This blog was obviously written with extreme bias. People need to do their own research and make up their own minds, we are not puppets on a set of strings. Do you like where your country is headed right now? I don’t!!! Wake up and look around. Pray and remember in the end GOD WINS!!!

    • What’s wrong with the way the country’s headed now? We seem to be making some progress, and cleaning up the messes that the previous tenant in the White House left behind.

    • I don’t understand why you say it is biased. If a person goes to the candidates’ campaign and personal websites, their campaign, and personal social media accounts they will find the same information. You can decide. Yes, there IS a difference in each candidate just. If you think you want a certain person, you have a right to vote for whom you wish.
      Some of the things that are important to remember, this is about our community, not the United States. We need honest hardworking people to be in these positions.
      When a person ignores a questionnaire or forum, that says to me they are not taking the job seriously.

    • Yes. You should go pray. Find a pew, and pray. And fill the collection plate with your sins. Make sure its a big enough plate.

  19. Your breakdown of each candidate is a joke. If no one knew, they would by reading this garbage that you are on the left side of the aisle, and most likely agnostic or atheist. You can’t seem to write one positive thing about any of the Republican candidates, and in fact go out of your way to trash them. Democratic candidates however, not a single bad word about them, only kudo’s. Give me a break. You want to be taken as a serious pundit, or commentator, better learn to do it in a nonpartisan and nonbiased way to be taken seriously.

    • Your fear is that there might not be a literal Jesus waiting, even after the soil is thrown on the casket. No matter how much you’ve tithed, or believed, or prayed, or tried to will yourself into literal nonsense.

      Open yourself up. Stop conceptualizing. Ever opened a book on any non-abrahamic religion?

  20. Thank you for the information and for showing your sources. Keep up the good work!

    I love the irony of the extremists calling you “biased” in the comments. Hahaha!

  21. Thanks for your clear-eyed analysis of these GJ CC candidates. Some of the comments left here demonstrate how we need a critique that uncovers the bat-sh-t crazy things that some people leave on social media. I definitely would not vote for anyone who can’t spell, who doesn’t know the basics of how virus transmission (from a supposed doctor, no less), supports in anyway the baloney from the last administration, is anti-democracy (as most of the Republican base is now) or who is a far-right insurrectionist in training. This blog was very useful for helping me to decide who to vote for. Thank-you!

  22. Lol you gave a roadmap for the best candidates. Anyone this blueanon nutter opposes sounds good enough for me.

    • *blogger (not nutter, ugh autocorrect). Blog came up when searching for candidate positions and was a bit surprised by tone- heavy on personal attacks relative to policy. Been Looking through some other articles and comments…I am sad there is so much hate and resentment. praying for discourse, rationality, and respect.

    • I agree. This blog was very helpful to me. Everyone the writer disparaged in her summaries is clearly my choice! She is clearly biased left, anti Trump, and anti God. My picks were clear! The exact opposite of hers! Thanks lady!

      • I agree. There’s a lot of inflammatory statements in this article. This is not good or unbiased journalism.

        • This article is obviously bias, but if you read between the lines you can see that there are facts in this article that are irrefutable. And I personally was glad that someone else did the bulk of the research so I didn’t have to. It’s amazing to me the candidates who attended the WCA Candidate Forum and those who didn’t. I personally want people who show up to these type of functions in a position to make decisions, not the ones who didn’t bother.

          And if you disagree with this blogger, then maybe do the leg work yourself and see that these claims are true. Just look at the Facebook posts!! What people do in their personal time says way more about them then what they do in the public eye.

      • Republicangirl,
        There is no such thing as “anti god”. Our nature is irrefutable. So, then, know what IS “anti god”? ” Believers”. “Believers” are “anti god” in their denial of their own nature, which, is “anti god” to think. We save ourselves, hon. In the meantime, go on with Christianity’s separation of spirit and matter, which is only to collect tithes from the ignorant. Such as yourself.

  23. Anne, Anything that Facebook Fact checkers take down is strictly a partisan view by indoctrinated morons. They are hell bent on silencing conservative views . You are obviously partisan in your assessment and therefore your opinion is extremely one sided. As far as COVID is concerned turn off CNN the Communist News Network and do a little of your own research. You will find that we are being played. Thank you for nothing.

  24. It is easy to see that the author of this compilation is another brainwashed left winger that has drunk the left wing cool aide. So please vote for those it has attempted to belittle and discount as unworthy.

    • My Take exactly. Un fair tactics from the far left click that has been in Grand Junction for years. The same that have squandered all the tax revenue from the oil and gas booms and the existing energy facilities that are in operation. Also squandered all the Home land Security Funding gave to all City municipality’s after 09-2011.

  25. it is so easy to see that the author of this info is another left wing brain washed democrat. please vote for those he tries to belittle and downgrade with well understood left wing sayings, such as the voter “big Lie”.

  26. Anne–
    Citizens for Clean Air have not received answers to our air quality questionnaire from Mssrs. McCallister, Andrews, Green, or Haitz. Answers from the other four candidates will be posted on our website and Facebook page.

    I also had a flyer dropped off at my house that indicates that those four candidates are endorsed by “Stand for the Constitution.” A search of that website indicates a very “conservative” local organization. Their website includes a presentation on the Constitution by the John Birch Society.

  27. Thank you for the information.

    It’s too bad that the religious people who run for office or are heard often are those who are intolerant and unkind. I suspect that some people running for office have religious beliefs, but realize that representation in a civic setting is not the place to make exclusive comments/pleas about their “spirituality.”

  28. So the candidates who go on about god are racist ignorant dim arrogant violent and hateful.

    Once again literally proving that “believers” are actually “retarded”.

    There is no separate thing to believe in – “believing” is literally the wrong statement.

      • Mary,

        With all due respect, there is more than one context. This is not splitting hairs. I made the original comment. I stand behind it. It was not written derogatorily. To see literally IS retardation. It is, Mary.

  29. Thanks for the information Anne. It’s incredibly hard to find accurate information on local candidates in this town. I knew McAllister was a despicable untrustworthy s**tbag from personal experience, but I didn’t realize the information that was available online about him. Thanks for that.

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