Opinion https://www.the-journal.com/feeds/opinion/ 2026-05-26 01:32:30 -0700 en-us https://www.the-journal.com/articles/blight-debate-deserves-closer-scrutiny/ What a fine story regarding the Republican Central Committee debate (Journal, May 6). Hugs, kisses and handshakes all around. Very little of substance was said, but candidate Rodney Cox was clear on h... 2026-05-24 05:00:00 -0700 9590e1c6-a503-4266-8b1b-f13b691c932d https://www.the-journal.com/articles/broken-promises-from-the-president/ The topic I will cover is broken promises. So far, our current president has not kept many of his campaign promises. He said he was not going to start a war, he was going to release the Epstein files ... 2026-05-22 05:00:00 -0700 84857067-19d5-41d3-b3ba-34763e270435 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/think-for-yourself-not-slogans/ ICE is the Gestapo. Trump is Hitler. Trans women are women. Israel is the aggressor. Capitalism is the problem. We live on stolen land. No one in the country is illegal. Abortion is good. The homeless... 2026-05-20 05:00:00 -0700 7bb5fc5d-800e-4b98-a835-3b5c210a20d1 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/editorial-cartoon-481/ ... 2026-05-20 05:00:00 -0700 f38b4cae-edf0-4fa0-a500-9c4341f46367 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/our-view-colorado-public-lands-day/ Since 2016, Colorado has observed the third Saturday in May as Public Lands Day, honoring the role public lands play in the state’s identity, economy and quality of life. In a state where more than 22... 2026-05-20 05:00:00 -0700 392d6183-1150-4700-a372-93c91c421c1c https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-lawmakers-keep-dodging-debate-over-public-stream-access-rights/ It’s perplexing that preserving legal public stream access remains one of the most untouchable topics in the Colorado legislature. Our state’s constitution boldly proclaims that every natural stream b... 2026-05-17 05:00:00 -0700 2967b4f2-216f-42ac-91d3-e1339b1ecfbc https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-budget-passes-but-long-term-fiscal-imbalance-remains-unresolved/ As the Second Regular Session of the 75th Colorado General Assembly winds down, the conversation once again centers on the state’s annual budget. On April 30, the General Assembly finalized next year’... 2026-05-15 05:00:00 -0700 8bcb5891-549d-4d3c-a7f4-ceed9a809ff2 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/our-view-take-pride-where-you-reside/ Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but most people know the difference between rustic charm and a growing pile of junk. The old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” certainly ap... 2026-05-13 05:00:00 -0700 6129504b-6dfc-4d7d-8241-7c115048cb56 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/legislative-sessions-final-sprint-votes-signing-ceremonies-and-upcoming-town-halls/ This year’s legislative session ends May 13, and we worked through the weekend to get bills across the finish line. If you’d like to learn more about our work over the past year, come to one of my tow... 2026-05-13 05:00:00 -0700 4d00833f-f38c-4a9f-b812-6cde29cb8524 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/editorial-cartoon-480/ ... 2026-05-13 05:00:00 -0700 19265ebc-f9ad-4808-9e72-71040fa34989 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/sustainability-is-blueprint-for-local-prosperity/ Sustainability is a matter of community and economic well-being. You might be rolling your eyes, thinking that sustainability is a bunch of bleeding heart hippie nonsense. Here are some things to cons... 2026-05-10 05:00:00 -0700 d829d696-c273-4fdf-b028-002d6361214f https://www.the-journal.com/articles/delivering-reliable-water-for-tribal-communities-in-the-west/ In parts of the Upper Colorado River Basin, families still live without reliable access to safe drinking water. That’s not a resource problem; it’s a delivery problem. For decades, the federal governm... 2026-05-08 05:00:00 -0700 07e7735a-5cf1-41d7-bffb-ad1bb0ee73b8 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/use-impact-fees-to-fund-blight-enforcement/ Already during the very early stages of discussing anti-blight enforcement in the county, our commissioners are fretting and wringing their hands over how to fund and staff enforcement. Strange indeed... 2026-05-08 05:00:00 -0700 f2fc8b26-1037-4314-837f-ea6834fb5e12 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/biochar-may-offer-farmers-a-path-forward/ Shortages and increasing fertilizer prices are causing problems for farmers, and use of less fertilizer will result in lower crop yields. At the same time, there may be less crop irrigation water at h... 2026-05-06 05:00:00 -0700 f9b6fc49-9231-4a39-9a34-655e3dc69593 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/our-view-public-radio/ “I never wake up in the morning thinking, ‘I might sue the president of the United States today,’” said KSUT Executive Director Tami Graham (Journal, May 27, 2025). But that is exactly what happened –... 2026-05-06 05:00:00 -0700 8086d3fe-2ce1-4b2c-bc43-7794fb817da2 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/editorial-cartoon-479/ ... 2026-05-06 05:00:00 -0700 2937023b-dd56-4d7f-b4cd-8d100485325e https://www.the-journal.com/articles/legion-riders-honor-fallen-heros-homecoming/ Last week, the family of Willibald Bianchi requested that the American Legion Riders Post 132 escort his remains home to New Ulm. We were part of this escort. To say that this was an experience of a ... 2026-05-03 05:00:00 -0700 507aa9c6-c9b3-4fe8-b3fc-671f31cd7b1f https://www.the-journal.com/articles/southwest-colorado-needs-riess-at-the-capitol/ I am proud to endorse Naomi Riess for Colorado House District 59. I have known Naomi for more than a decade, both as a client and as collaborator on planning projects, and I can say without hesitation... 2026-05-01 05:00:00 -0700 7ce5d210-aac9-4a5e-8586-7ca97443c0ac https://www.the-journal.com/articles/keeping-montezuma-county-beautiful-a-balance-of-policy-and-partnership/ As Montezuma County Commissioners, we have heard our residents’ concerns loud and clear. Across the county, people are seeing an increase in trash, abandoned vehicles, and neglected properties – and w... 2026-05-01 05:00:00 -0700 4051e8be-b3a2-4686-8d81-3a2dfcef0d27 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/our-view-artemis-ii/ Filtered by the noise coming from a mostly blocked Strait of Hormuz, missiles and drones over the eastern end of the Mediterranean involving multiple countries, and even the Final Four, the Artemis II... 2026-04-29 05:00:00 -0700 b76a6434-ae7d-49c8-b21e-61c5618c6cec https://www.the-journal.com/articles/strong-leadership-transforms-s-w-memorial/ I recently attended a presentation by Joe Theine, CEO of Southwest Memorial Hospital, hosted by the Montezuma County League of Women Voters. His thoughtful remarks highlighted not only the challenges ... 2026-04-29 05:00:00 -0700 d890fdec-5e0d-4b2f-8734-f07cf88403cb https://www.the-journal.com/articles/editorial-cartoon-478/ ... 2026-04-29 05:00:00 -0700 765f776b-9fe4-42be-a72a-ce4978ece9e2 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/invoke-the-25th-remove-trump-now/ The strain on cherished friendships over the present president of the United States has been so profound in my life that it’s caused a pain and angst I’ve never experienced before. His recent depictio... 2026-04-26 05:00:00 -0700 5bf551cf-ddcf-476c-8471-afb7fbb02b87 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/who-is-government-panel-brings-public-service-stories-to-cortez-stage/ Perhaps the most famous quotation from a U.S. inaugural address is John F. Kennedy’s: “And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” It... 2026-04-24 05:00:00 -0700 08bf0a44-8bff-4de8-9860-1a92912c20df https://www.the-journal.com/articles/do-your-job-on-iran/ An open letter to Congressman Hurd: How many glaring signs of madness does a president need to show you before you initiate action to remove him? Your inaction makes you personally deserving of whatev... 2026-04-22 05:00:00 -0700 b41b5b5b-10ed-470a-99e7-41778253e5b3 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/our-view-drought-demands-action/ Southwest Colorado is in extreme drought, and municipalities are responding with restrictions. Cortez and Durango have both moved to limit outdoor water use – a signal conservation is no longer option... 2026-04-22 05:00:00 -0700 d3710107-36fb-41d3-a7e7-c97442a5448c https://www.the-journal.com/articles/editorial-cartoon-477/ ... 2026-04-22 05:00:00 -0700 f1734fcb-0254-4146-9630-0b2cf0cf6f6a https://www.the-journal.com/articles/backcountry-turkey-hunting-and-the-roadless-rule-are-both-worth-protecting/ Twenty years ago, I had the privilege of first crossing paths with Durango resident David “Elkheart” Petersen at a public meeting of the Colorado Roadless Areas Review Task Force in Pueblo. David was ... 2026-04-19 05:00:00 -0700 045cf462-7fa1-4b6a-b649-f0f003b3e233 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/greatness-requires-honesty-about-our-history/ Make America great by being honest, facing the truth and owning our history. Some leaders and citizens want to erase and rewrite history. Many whites think their race is superior and refuse to admit a... 2026-04-19 05:00:00 -0700 8bd41cee-d875-4630-b84f-9a74561cb096 https://www.the-journal.com/articles/colorado-budget-cuts-will-hit-schools-medicaid-snap-and-rural-hospitals/ As I’m writing this, the House is hearing the “long bill,” which lays out the entire Colorado budget for the coming year. As many of you know, Colorado is facing a more than $1.5 billion budget defici... 2026-04-17 05:00:00 -0700 8b1743f3-f4cb-4dfe-b13f-7bf830e49f06