Category: Elections

Economics, Elections, Ethics, Grand Junction City Council, Local concerns

29 Road interchange project still alive despite being resoundingly defeated at the ballot box in Nov., ’24 election

by Anne Landman • March 9, 2025 • 7 Comments

Screenshot of March 5 meeting at which City Council discussed moving forward with the 29 Road interchange project, even though it was resoundingly voted down at the ballot box just 4 months ago

Even though voters turned down the proposal to build a new interchange on I-70 at 29 Road in the November 5, 2024 election by a margin of 56.44% to 43.36%, a discussion of how to push forward with the project was on City Council’s agenda at their March 5, 2025 regular meeting. The proposal on last fall’s ballot asked voters to approve the City and County taking on $80 million in debt to fund the project, with a payback cost of $173,438,202.

At the time, the City’s finance manager told City council members at a workshop that the debt the from the project would “decimate city capital, basically.”

The City and County combined have already invested over $2 million in trying to make the project happen, and the City is now considering what to do with $800,000 remaining under a current design contract for the project.

Below are notes about the project from Council’s 3/5 regular meeting. Boldfaced emphasis was included by a person who lives on the 29 Road corridor and is following the project closely.

MAGA customer spews racist insults at employees of 5 Guys hamburger restaurant in G.J.; restaurant fires employees

by Anne Landman • November 9, 2024 • 14 Comments

A customer wearing a Trump “Never Surrender” T-shirt was emboldened to hurl racist insults at employees at 5 Guys hamburger restaurant at 2480 U.S. Highway 6 in Grand Junction on the evening of Election Day, Nov. 5, calling them “beaners” and “f*cking invaders” as they filled his order.

Elect a criminal, expect crimes

by Anne Landman • November 8, 2024 • 28 Comments

There will be no one to blame but American voters for what is going to happen next.

After a decade in politics, we all knew Donald Trump was a criminal.

He was found guilty last May of 34 felony counts of fraud and was slapped with a $355 million fine after he and his company were found guilty of engaging in a decade-long scheme to defraud banks and lenders by falsifying the values of his properties. In writing the verdict in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron wrote “The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.” In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Trump mimes giving a blow job to his microphone at rally in Milwaukee, WI

by Anne Landman • November 4, 2024 • 19 Comments

[Warning: This post about the Republican nominee for U.S. President is unsuitable for children.]

Upset about a problematic microphone at his Friday, Nov. 1 rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump went on an extended rant about microphones that included his miming of giving oral sex to another male while standing behind a podium that bore a sign saying “Trump will fix it.” [The BJ part starts at 3:00 into the 4:05 video]

Comparison of interchange projects elswhere in Colorado shows taxpayers are getting a raw deal in Ballot Issue 1A

by Anne Landman • October 27, 2024 • 9 Comments

With other highway interchanges being built elsewhere in Colorado, the developers who will benefit from these projects kicked in millions of dollars towards their completion, or paid the total cost of construction up front and will get reimbursed from the future taxes generated on the retail development it stimulates on the rest of their property.

That’s not the case with the proposed I-70 interchange at 29 Road. The owners of the land the interchange would be built on haven’t pledged a dime towards its construction, even though their land around it would likely skyrocket in value after it is built, and generate income for them far into the future.

Interactive map shows donors to Harris/Biden and Trump in Mesa County in the 2024 presidential race as of 10/24/24

by Anne Landman • October 24, 2024 • 7 Comments

This fascinating interactive map from the Washington Post shows a surprising number of people in our area are Harris supporters, and that Mesa County has continued to trend more “blue” politically since 2020.

Voter Guide for the Mesa County Ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 election

by Anne Landman • October 22, 2024 • 11 Comments

Are you wondering how to vote in the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 General Election? Are you worried about where you’re going to find the time to research all of the candidates and ballot measures, especially on such a long ballot?

Relax.

AnneLandmanBlog has done all the work for you.

Following is a summary of recommended votes for the 2024 Mesa County General Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Mesa County Ballot Issues 4A & 4B: School District 51 Bond issue and Mill Levy Override

by Anne Landman • October 21, 2024 • 7 Comments

Ballot issue 4A asks if School District 51 can take out a bond (loan) for $190 million with a maximum repayment cost of $410 million and use the money to renovate, make additions to existing school buildings and upgrade classroom technology. Plans include doing high-priority repairs like roof replacements, adding fire sprinklers, upgrading classroom technology, making schools more secure and making it easier for disabled kids o access all school facilities.

Many of the local public schools were built in the 1950s-1960s and need maintenance and upgrades to keep them functional, up-to-date and safe into the future.

The bond measure won’t raise taxes because it replaces an existing bond that will be fully paid off on December 1, 2024.

Ballot Issue 4B authorizes the school district to extend the current mill levy override so the District keep getting a tax already in place that was approved in 2017 and keep the $6.5 million it generates annually to continue paying for additional student instruction days, updated instructional materials, teacher training and priority maintenance to extend the life of its buildings. (A “mill levy override” is a voter-approved increase in property taxes that provides a school district with additional funding.)

Follow the money Mesa County: A short dive into Tracer reports for county commissioner race 2024

by Anne Landman • October 19, 2024 • 4 Comments

Important campaign finance research and analysis of the District 1 Mesa County Commissioner race between challenger Tom Acker and incumbent Cody Davis.

Cody Davis, Conservatives, Economics, Elections, Mesa County, Mesa County Republican Party, politics

Mesa County Ballot Issue 1B: Can the County keep tax revenue above the Tabor limit and use it to fix roads and bridges?

by Anne Landman • October 19, 2024 • 8 Comments

Mesa County Ballot Issue 1B asks voters if the County can keep almost $11.5 million that’s already been paid in taxes, use it to maintain roads and bridges and raise the TABOR limit in the future so they can keep more tax money. So Ballot issue 1B asks Mesa County voters to let County government avoid complying with the state’s TABOR law.

What’s TABOR?

Tax-and-Spend Republicans?

Colorado’s TABOR (Taxpayer Bill Of Rights) law says state and local government can keep and spend only a specific amount of money based on their prior fiscal year’s revenue, an amount called the TABOR limit. If they collect money above that amount, it must be refunded to the taxpayers. The TABOR limit can only be adjusted according to a “population plus inflation” formula. The intent of the law, which was promoted by Republicans, was to constrain government to keep it from growing, a long-held conservative ideal.

Mesa County Ballot Issue 1A: The proposed 29 Road interchange at I-70

by Anne Landman • October 18, 2024 • 3 Comments

29 Road at I-70, where the proposed interchange would be built. Right now there is just a bridge over the interstate. (Photo: Google)

Proposition KK: Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax

by Anne Landman • October 15, 2024 • 5 Comments

Proposition KK would charge a new 6.5% excise tax on the manufacture and sale of firearms and ammunition. The tax would be imposed on firearms dealers, manufacturers, and ammunition vendors. The revenue would go to a new fund called the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Cash Fund and would be used to fund criminal victim services programs, mental and behavioral health programs for kids and veterans and school security and safety programs.

A “yes” vote approves the new tax. A “no” vote opposes creation of the new tax.

Prop. KK is expected to generate up to $39 million the first full year it goes into effect.

Proposition JJ: Should the state be able to retain additional revenues from the sports betting tax?

by Anne Landman • October 13, 2024 • 1 Comment

Thirsty untended cattle left to fend for themselves on BLM land in winter climb into the Grand Valley Canal and break through the ice to get water. Proposition JJ would let the state keep revenues generated by the sports betting tax over the $29 million cap and put those funds towards water projects state wide. The Colorado Cattlemens Association supports Proposition JJ.

[Propositions placed on the ballot by the legislature that amend state statutes or refer a tax question to the voters are identified by double letters.]

Proposition JJ would let the state keep additional revenue it collects from the sports betting tax above the amount voters approved when they first legalized sports betting in 2019. Proposition DD, approved by voters in 2019, authorized the state to keep up to $29 million/year in taxes generated by sports betting. Proposition JJ will let the state keep revenue the tax generates above the $29 million cap and spend it on water projects throughout the state instead of refunding it to casinos and sports betting operators.

In Colorado, sports betting is taxed at 10%, compared to 36% in Pennsylvania and 52% in New York.

In budget year 2024-2025, the amount collected over the $29 million cap is forecast to be $1.2 million, and in 2025-2026 it is expected to be $2.5 million.

Proposition 131: Top-Four Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative

by Anne Landman • October 9, 2024 • 9 Comments

Proposition 131 changes Colorado’s current primary election voting system into a ranked-choice voting system.

In ranked-choice voting, all candidates running for an office who have met the state’s conditions to run, regardless of their political party, get their names on the ballot, and voters rank the candidates in order of preference. The top four vote-getters then advance to the general election.

This is called an “all-candidate primary.”

Here are two examples of what ranked-choice ballots look like:

Proposition 128: The Parole Eligibility Initiative

by Anne Landman • October 8, 2024 • 4 Comments

Photo: Unsplash

*Some information from Ballotopedia:

Proposition 128 (full text, PDF) would change requirements to be eligible for parole for people convicted of specific violent crimes like second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first or second-degree sexual assault, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary, and aggravated robbery.

Currently in Colorado, a person convicted of certain violent crimes can apply for parole after serving 75% of their sentence, and their sentences can be reduced further by time earned for good behavior.

Under Prop. 128, people who commit crimes like this on or after January 1, 2025, would be required to serve 85% of their sentence before being eligible for parole, and earned time for good behavior could not be used to reduce the sentence.

Prop. 129: Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates & Prop. 130: $350M in one-time Funding for Law Enforcement

by Anne Landman • October 7, 2024 • 0 Comments

Proposition 129 – Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates

Prop 129 would create a new category of veterinary professional called a Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA), analagous to Physicians’s Assistants who work with M.D.s (Photo: Unsplash)

This measure would create a new a class of veterinary medical professional analagous to Physician’s Assistants (PAs) who work with M.D.’s in human health care. It would require a Master’s Degree in veterinary clinical care or the equivalent to become a Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) and would require VPAs to register with the state board. It would allow registered VPAs to practice veterinary medicine under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

Proposition 127: Prohibit bobcat, lynx and mountain lion hunting

by Anne Landman • October 7, 2024 • 5 Comments

Propositions with three numbers (e.g., Proposition 127, Proposition 128, etc.) are measures amending state statutes.

Proposition 127 is a grassroots citizens initiative that would make it illegal to hunt, shoot at, or trap bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions in Colorado. The only exceptions are for the protection of human life, property and livestock. Violation would be a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine and limiting of the violator’s wildlife hunting privileges.

The measure is supported by Cats Aren’t Trophies, and is endorsed by animal welfare societies, wildlife sanctuaries and rescues, Audubon Societies, Wild Earth Guardians and the Sierra Club, among others.

Lettered Amendments on 2024 Mesa County ballot

by Anne Landman • October 4, 2024 • 12 Comments

Amendment G – Modify Property Tax Exemption to include Veterans with Disabilities

*Some info taken from the Colorado State Ballot Information Booklet

The lettered measures on the ballot (e.g., Amendment G, Amendment H, etc.) amend the state’s constitution.

Amendment G, a constitutional amendment referred to the ballot by the state legislature, would reduce the property taxes some veteran homeowners pay by expanding the existing homestead exemption to include veterans who have disabilities that make them unemployable.

Since it’s a constitutional amendment, it needs 55% of the vote to pass.

The homestead exemption reduces the amount of property taxes paid by some groups of people, like seniors 65 years and older who have lived in their homes for over 10 years, veterans who have service-connected disabilities rated 100% permanent and total by the federal government and the surviving spouses of Armed Forces members who died from service-related injuries or disease.

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