Thursday, December 17, 2009
Gov. Ritter mum on Pinon Canyon future
Gov. Bill Ritter touted his administration’s support of troops and veterans on a swing through Colorado Springs on Wednesday. But he also dodged questions about one of most vexing issues on the military front in Colorado: expanding the Army’s Piñon Canyon training area near Trinidad. “We pledge to you we’ll do all we can to support you in your efforts,” Ritter told Fort Carson’s commander, Maj. Gen. David Perkins. Ritter, though, wouldn’t talk about his support of a state ban on leasing land it owns to the Army to expand Fort Carson’s 235,000-acre Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site...read more
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3 comments:
They say that, "Silence is golden," but Governor Ritter's silence on the Pinon Canyon issue is an unwise strategy. By refusing to answer questions about the Army's plan to sieze Southeastern Colorado in order to turn it into the world's largest live-fire training range, he seems to be hoping that the controversial issue will go away. But Pro-expansion spokespersons of the defense industry will not let that happen. If he refrains from a clear articulation of his position on the issue, others will fill paint his silence with garish, anti-military stripes.
Ritter should simply speak the truth. He should say that he is opposed to Scott McInnis' plan to cannibalization of one economic sector, namely agriculture in southeastern Colorado, in order to induce artificial growth in another sector, the defense industry. He should make it clear that boosting the military-industrial complex at the expense of ranching is an unsustainable approach to economic development. He should not be shy about saying that he favors economic diversity and sustainability and that that doesn't make him anti-military. He should state clearly that destroying one area of the state, Southeastern Colorado, for the sake of another area, El Paso County, is not his idea of wise and just governance of the state. He should declare that his desire to protect the property rights of ranchers around Pinon Canyon doesn't make him anti-military. And he should explain that the unjustified federalization of 6.9 million acres of our state, the loss of irreplacable land and culture would not be in the best interest of the state as a whole.
If he would break his silence and say these things, the contrast between himself and pro-expansionist, defense-industry consultant, Scott McInnis would become clear.
I've got to agree with Doug. Not answering shows a lack of leadership. The name-callers are going to hound you no matter what. Either one believes in principles, or one does not. Being the ornery, fringy fellow that I am, I still believe that being forthright is the best ticket, causing the least harm to all parties once the dust settles.
The problem for folks in agriculture today is that the general public takes our supply of affordable, high quality food for granted. They maintain a mythical view of the way it is, and the gap between the myth and the reality is widening at an alarming rate.
As to our politics, for better or worse, we are becoming more like Europe. The conservatives prattle on endlessly about traditional values and free enterprise as the liberals go on endlessly about tolerance and open minds, but at the end of the day all continue to bolster Big Government and its friends at the expense of pretty much everything else. There are exceptions, of course, but they are all fringe figures. Most of It is a shame, because we could use honest, reasoned debate now more than ever.
Thanks to both of you for great comments.
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