Guest Columns - The Journal

Why voters should pay attention and vote in school board elections

In November, voters living in the Cortez RE-1 and Mancos RE-6 school districts will vote to fill seats on their local school boards. Though congressional and presidential candidates get a lo...

DATE: Sep 26, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

A budgetary crisis: What happened during the Special Session

Last week was a difficult week for Colorado – and for our country. The ache of gun violence is persistent nationally, and another school has been impacted by this inexplicable harm. Amid the...

DATE: Sep 21, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Why your Montezuma County property taxes are higher in 2025

The Montezuma County Assessor’s Office has seen an increase in property owners asking about higher property valuations. If your property’s assessed value went up since 2023, you’re not alone...

DATE: Sep 19, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

A better deal for students, employers and communities

For too long, we’ve treated “going to college” as if it were the same thing as “getting an education.” But that’s like saying “putting food in your mouth” is the same as “good nutrition.” It...

DATE: Sep 12, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

The push is on to strip big trees from our national forests

It didn’t get much notice, but President Donald Trump has turbocharged logging on public lands in ways that are likely to increase dangerous wildfire. Inside the “Big Beautiful Bill” that be...

DATE: Sep 3, 2025 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

Medicare or Medicare Advantage? It’s complicated, make an informed choice with Montezuma LWV’s help

Traditional Medicare is a public insurance trust that pays private health care providers, using money collected through payroll taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Each mont...

DATE: Aug 29, 2025 | CATEGORY: Guest Columns

Government growth got us into this mess, it won’t get us out

Like sunburns and mosquito swarms, the Special Legislative Session has become an unpleasant seasonal tradition in Colorado, courtesy of Gov. Jared Polis’ restless pen. For the third year in ...

DATE: Aug 20, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

HR1’s $1.2 billion impact on Colorado’s budget shifts costs to state, increases health care costs 30% to 40%

As we head into the last weeks of summer break, my family has been preparing for back-to-school, and now I’m prepping for back-to-the-Capitol for Special Session. Before I head back to Denve...

DATE: Aug 15, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Honored to serve as Chair for Indian and Insular Affairs

When I was elected to Congress, I promised to bring rural Colorado’s voice to Washington and to make sure our communities – especially those often overlooked – would be heard. That’s why I’m...

DATE: Aug 6, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Wild farming, ranching and gardening – strategies in rewilding local foodsheds

In January 2008, just after a meeting of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition at Asilomar on the gorgeous mid-California Coast, I set out to explore one of our nation’s breadbaskets – or be...

DATE: Jul 30, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Getting in good, necessary – and staying out of bad – trouble

July 17 marked the fifth anniversary of the passing of Rep. John Lewis. To honor this legend of the Civil Rights movement, “Good Trouble Lives On” rallies were held across the United States,...

DATE: Jul 27, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Federal cuts and frozen funds threaten Southwest Colorado schools, hospitals, individuals and families

To start off on a positive note, my family and I had a wonderful time celebrating our nation’s Independence Day. We enjoyed the Rotary pancake breakfast in Durango and fireworks in Mancos at...

DATE: Jul 18, 2025 | CATEGORY: Opinion