Letters to the Editor – The Journal

‘People-powered campaign’ for CD-3’s Stout

Anyone that lives in Colorado (or the U.S., really) knows that the race to represent Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District is contentious. With some of the most well-funded candidates on bot...

DATE: Oct 5, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Herald only reports woke/liberal news’

We’ve decided that since The Durango Herald only reports woke/liberal news, we are no longer interested in paying you to provide us with lies! We’re sick and tired of your biased reports and...

DATE: Oct 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Paint this town red’ for Kuss

We gotta paint this town red as in the Maglia Rossa (red Jersey in spanish) to honor our own Sepp Kuss absolute crushing and winning the Vuelta de Espana (Tour of Spain), which has not been ...

DATE: Oct 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Climate lesson in ‘My Weekly Reader,’ 1959

Some of you may remember “My Weekly Reader,” a current events newsmagazine for school kids that teachers handed out once a week. A short report called “The Air Is Changing” made a lasting im...

DATE: Oct 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Glad to hear of improvements for disabled’

I was very glad to hear of the upcoming improvements in Durango for those of us who are disabled. We started coming to Durango in the Fall of 2002 as our daughter was attending Fort Lewis Co...

DATE: Oct 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Crushing weight of U.S. debt piling up’

Dear Washington, D.C., It is time to re-prioritize spending. You already receive plenty of tax money from us. Use the money you already take in a more prudent fashion! That’s why we elected ...

DATE: Oct 2, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Right thing,’ opposing rezoning for ILC

I want to thank Cortez City Council members for their strong well-reasoned arguments against rezoning and for voting 7-0 not to rezone the property at 1050 Lebanon Road to industrial. You ha...

DATE: Sep 29, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘More outrageous behavior, the better’

The congresswoman from Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District achieved exactly what she wanted to achieve over the last few weeks. People are talking about her and her name is in the paper. H...

DATE: Sep 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Why modify TABOR again?’

Prop HH is on the ballot in November. The Taxpayers Bill of Rights was enacted in 1992 to prevent government from wasting taxpayer dollars. TABOR amounts the state can retain are indexed to ...

DATE: Sep 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Get real,’ Bidenomics not working for ‘most’

After reading the Sept 17 letter to the editor about how “Bidenomics is working for the average American,” I can’t help but wonder what America the writer lives in. In 2016, the national ave...

DATE: Sep 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Cortez, get with the flow!

National gas prices have dropped after Labor Day to an average of $3.80 per gallon, according to Fox News. Come on, Cortez, get with the flow! Steven Coy Cortez ...

DATE: Sep 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Just got mugged by the state'

I just got mugged by the state of Colorado. I took my $59.96 down to the Montezuma County Department of Motor Vehicles to register my 45-year-old Ford pickup, which is used about four times ...

DATE: Sep 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Photos: 2024 Burro Fest puts local arts, music and food on displayOn Saturday, more than 1,000 people head to Mancos for burrosFor the town of Mancos and its businesses, it’s the biggest day of the year, said Stephanie Hallum, event coordinator for Mancos Creative District, in an interview with The Journal.This year’s Burro Fest featured 10 animal artists, a Makers Market with 20 additional local artists and makers, live bands, a kids area, a silent auction and food trucks.Photo gallery by Ilana Newman, for The Journal

On Saturday, more than 1,000 people head to Mancos for burros

An exciting end to the Ute Mountain RoundupOver half of Ute Mountain Roundup’s first-place performances came on night threeSaturday was a barnburner for the Ute Mountain Roundup.The last night of Cortez’s annual PRCA rodeo sold out every seat, and fans were not disappointed.The third night was the charm for the bull riders, who finally posted qualifying rides.Scotty Knapp took home the big check after an 83.5-point ride.However, Josh Frost, the four time Linderman Award winner and three time Reserve World Champion bull rider, walked away with the audience’s support, who loudly booed the judge’s 78.5 score for his ride on Powder River Rodeo’s “Rez Dawg.” Frost’s brother, Jate Frost, took second with an 80.5-point ride.

Keenan Hayes, who stunned the rodeo world last season by becoming the first-ever person to win Rookie of the Year and the World Championship in the same year, visited the UMR just long enough to win the bareback competition. Hayes tied the arena record with his 85-point ride.The ladies of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association tallied first-place performances in barrel racing and breakaway roping posted on night three. Maddy Deerman of Hope, New Mexico, won the breakaway roping title with a time of just 2.4 seconds, and Doskie Edwards swept to the top of the barrel racing event in 17.35 seconds.

Jake Hannum won the tie-down roping event with a time of 8.7 seconds. In a total of five out of eight events, the first-place performance happened on Saturday night, marking an exciting end to the three-day UMR.In all the excitement, the crowd also saw a few warmhearted moments.The UMR celebrated Military Appreciation night by recognizing HD Randolph, Jerry Huskey and Gerald Goodall for their service. The crowd also welcomed 82nd Airborne veteran and skydiver Mike Semanoff, who made his third and final descent into the arena carrying the American flag.Rodeo clown Matt Merritt was tasked with choosing a “fan of the night” for each night of the UMR.On Night 1, he chose a couple who had been married for 62 years. On Night 2, it was a Vietnam veteran in the front row. On Night 3, it was a pair of 91-year-old twins who had attended every UMR Rodeo since 1953.Merritt had the audience believe that the award and accompanying gift card is given to the loudest, rowdiest person in the arena. However, being unable to give the award to himself, Merritt seemingly chose the winner based on merit.

Over half of Ute Mountain Roundup’s first-place performances came on night three

Photos: It’s rodeo timeUte Mountain Roundup Rodeo electrifies the crowd on Saturday

Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo electrifies the crowd on Saturday

Moore, a Lewis, Colorado native and 2015 champion, took center stage in the Ute Mountain Roundup Rodeo's barrel racing event on Friday

Riders hail from Northwest New Mexico, Northeast Arizona and Southwest Colorado

If voters adopt ranked choice voting, Colorado may prevent it from taking effectLast-minute provisions added to an elections bill would create a major barrier

If Colorado voters decide in November to pass a ballot measure making big changes to the way the state’s elections are conducted, it may be years before they go into effect – if ever.That’s because of a last-minute amendment added to a broad bipartisan election bill awaiting Gov. Jared Polis’ signature. The provisions would create a major barrier to a proposal to alter Colorado’s primaries so candidates of all parties run against each other, with the top four vote-getters advancing to a ranked choice general election.Now, proponents of the election overhaul, who were unaware of the big hurdles created by Senate Bill 210 until they were contacted this week by The Colorado Sun, are demanding that Polis veto the legislation. County clerks and opponents of the voting changes are demanding that he sign it.Amid the growing pressure campaign, the governor won’t say whether he will sign or veto the measure, which would require ranked-choice voting to be tested in 12 municipalities before it could be used statewide. He has until June 7 to decide.“The governor is reviewing the final version of the bill,” said Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Polis.The future of Colorado’s voting process hangs in the balance. So does the rest of what’s in Senate Bill 230, which election officials say is necessary to safeguard state election workers.

Colorado Voters First, the group pushing for the election system changes, is spearheaded by Kent Thiry, the wealthy former CEO of the Denver-based dialysis giant DaVita. For years he has used his deep pockets to fund ballot initiatives, including ones aimed at tamping down on partisanship by letting unaffiliated voters cast ballots in partisan primaries and taking redistricting out of the hands of the Legislature. Colorado Voters First intends to place a measure on the November ballot asking voters to change how Colorado’s primaries are conducted and adopt ranked choice general elections, similar to what’s used in Alaska. The changes would go into effect in 2026. The overhaul would diminish the power of the two major political parties, which are chafing at the changes.In ranked choice voting elections, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate wins more than 50% of the first-preference votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate reaches that threshold, candidates with the fewest first-preference supporters are eliminated. The process continues until one candidate exceeds 50% of the total vote.

County clerks across the state have warned that they are unprepared for the overhaul and expressed anxiety about how the ballot measure could affect their ability to follow other state and federal election laws. They worked on the amendment in Senate Bill 210 delaying implementation of open primary system and ranked choice general elections alongside a group called Coloradans for Accurate and Secure Elections, a consortium of mainly progressive organizations opposed to the Colorado Voters First proposal.The provisions would require a dozen Colorado municipalities in counties of a certain size and with a specific demographic makeup to conduct ranked choice elections before a ranked choice election could be used in a race for state or federal office. Additionally, Colorado could not move to the new primary system proposed by Colorado Voters First until that requirement has been met.

Finally, the amendment would require the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office to produce a report on how ranked choice voting went in the municipalities and present its findings to the Legislature.Only a handful of cities and towns in Colorado – including Boulder, Fort Collins and Telluride – currently use ranked choice voting in their municipal elections. Voter approval would be required before the change is adopted in some communities. That means it would likely be 2028 or 2030 at the earliest before the new primary system and ranked choice voting could be used in state and federal elections.The clauses were added in a two-page amendment to Senate Bill 210 adopted on the Sunday before the end of the state’s legislative session on May 8. There was no debate on the amendment, which was offered on the Colorado House floor by state Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat and one of the bill’s main sponsors.“This amendment was worked out with several of our (county) clerks to ensure that as new voting methods are implemented in different types of elections we have a good amount of data to analyze to ensure we’re not undermining Coloradans’ confidence in our elections and that voters understand their ballots,” Sirota said on the House floor.The amendment was introduced, explained and passed within a minute.“These last-minute antics are what voters hate about politics,” said Amber McReynolds, an elections expert who is part of Colorado’s Voters First. “Communities across Colorado have already approved and used ranked choice voting in elections, and our fantastic clerks have systems in place to run and audit those contests. Using ranking systems simply gives voters more choice, and does not substantively change the way votes are processed.”She said the way the amendment was adopted – with no chance for public input during a legislative committee – “begs for a veto.”Curtis Hubbard, a spokesman for Colorado Voters First, went so far as to allege that the amendment was akin to Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“Anyone who was – rightly – outraged by Trump’s efforts to overturn an election after the fact should be disgusted with this front-loaded attempt to undermine the will of the voters,” he said.Matt Crane, who leads the nonpartisan Colorado County Clerks Association, said his organization worked on and supported the amendment. He said it’s smart policy for ranked choice voting to be tested on the municipal level before it’s adopted statewide. (Only Alaska and Maine conduct all statewide elections using ranked choice voting.)“Anytime that you are going to make a seismic change to an election model, it’s a bad idea to do it without understanding all the impacts of it,” he said. “We just aren’t there with rank choice voting. Will it create broader voter confusion? Does it have a suppressing effect on people of color and the seniors?”He added: “We like to be on the cutting edge. We just don’t want to be on the bleeding edge.”Crane said if support for ranked choice voting is as broad as its supporters say it is, it shouldn’t be difficult to get the system adopted in towns and cities across Colorado. He added that because Senate Bill 210 would make a change to state law, the Legislature could come back next year and strip out the statutory hurdles should voters overwhelmingly back the ballot measure on open primaries and ranked choice voting.“As clerks, we don’t care about who wins,” Crane said. “We just care about who’s participating. Ranked choice, this movement is designed to change who wins.”Crane said if the governor were to veto Senate Bill 210, which is 42 pages long, a laundry list of other provisions meant to improve the state’s election system would be collateral damage, including clauses protecting local elections officials from conspiracy theorists, improving safety for presidential electors and shielding county clerks from nuisance public records requests.“It’s a critically important elections bill in an election year,” Sirota, one of the bill’s main sponsors, said in an interview Thursday. She rejected the idea that the way the amendment was passed was inappropriate. She said the bill arrived in the House late in the session, crossing over to the chamber from the Senate on May 1 after it was first introduced April 17.And, she said, the ranked choice voting provision is “a totally fair way to ensure if the voters pass a ballot measure that it is rolled out in a methodical way.” Sirota said the provision would force the rollout of ranked choice voting to be akin to how Colorado adopted its universal mail ballot system.“I’m getting pretty tired of the uber-wealthy among us just throwing their money around and the impact on Colorado’s public be damned,” she said, referring to Thiry.The Legislature has passed other bills in recent years aimed at affecting ballot measures.In 2021, lawmakers passed a bipartisan measure kneecapping a ballot measure seeking to cut property taxes. This year, the Legislature approved a bill aiming to neuter the effects of a possible November ballot measure requiring voter approval for new government fees.Colorado Voters First still has a ways to go before it gets a measure on the November ballot. It must collect about 125,000 voter signatures by Aug. 5 to qualify. The group also hasn’t settled yet on which measure to pursue as two of its proposals are being reviewed by the Colorado Supreme Court.But because of Thiry’s deep pockets, it’s widely assumed that it will land a measure on the November ballot.The Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering Colorado issues. To learn more, go to coloradosun.com.

Last-minute provisions added to an elections bill would create a major barrier

Photo gallery: Farmington hosts Healing Field for Memorial DayMore than 100 people braved the hot sun to pay their respects to San Juan County veterans and first responders, who lost their lives in the line of duty. As they sat atop the bleachers, 528 American flags fluttered in the wind, and the tingle of dog tags could be heard as the names of those lost were shared.

More than 100 people braved the hot sun to pay their respects to San Juan County veterans and first ...

Photo gallery: Montezuma-Cortez commencementOn Thursday, the Montezuma-Cortez school district bid farewell to the Class of 2024

On Thursday, the Montezuma-Cortez school district bid farewell to the Class of 2024

Lasting roughly 75 minutes from start to applause-heavy finish, commencement concluded DHS’ 2023-24 ...

PHOTOS: Durango 9-R’s Title VI Native American Education program celebrates Class of 2024Graduates represent seven tribes, including Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Navajo Diné, on Saturday

Graduates represent seven tribes, including Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Navajo Diné, on Saturday