Bob Beauprez and his running mate Janet Rowland, who happens to be from Mesa County, are having a bit of a communications problem with the editorial board of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.Perhaps Beauprez is unaware of the line in the sand about oil and gas development on the Western Slope: no drilling in sensitive areas. So, when he said he would let technology drive drilling in municipal watersheds and environmentally delicate areas, that didn’t make a big impression west of the Divide. (And let’s not forget his “Move elk, not gas wells” habitat initiative.)
The Daily Sentinel wrote:
Gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez didn’t come right out and say that he supported natural gas development in the Grand Junction and Palisade municipal watersheds while appearing in Breckenridge with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter before a meeting of the Colorado Water Congress last week. But he might as well have said as much.
Ah, Bob. It’s not a good sign when the major Republican-leaning newspaper on the Western Slope gives you a kick in the shins.
The Daily Sentinel editorial didn’t stop there.
Ideally, Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland’s private faith ought not to be part of this editorial or Beauprez’s campaign for governor. But Rowland has made it so by ingratiating herself to an important GOP constituency group through her unabashed and widely publicized support for creationism in the classroom.
Mmmm. That quote doesn’t bode well either for the Beauprez campaign. Will we be adding this notation after November 7th? “The Western Slope, once a Republican stronghold….”
Oh, one question, Janet — do you propose sending all the public education teachers to seminary school?