In what ought to be viewed as a fairly troubling sign, former Congressman Scott McIinnis's appearance at a mineral royalty owners symposium in Battlement Mesa is getting entirely the wrong kind of buzz.
Published reports, columns and comments from those present seem to indicate that the former Congressman chose to be on either both or no side of the issues surrounding the present governors institution of controversial natural gas extraction rules.
The problem with riding the fence is not that you're going to be bucked off but rather that you're not going anywhere. Times have changed the last few years in Western Colorado and issue triangulation is a lot easier to see when voters are right next to it. Shaken and nervous proponents of the regulations have tried to raise a covering noise for the precipitous drop-off in energy production on the Western slope by claiming it is entirely connected to the dropping price of the commodity.
The comparison of national and state figures of rig count however belie that assertion, as Colorado has seen almost a 30% increase in rig reduction over the national average in one of the best producing fields in the nation.
Congressman McInnis is a fine man and would make a good governor- as such, we hope he does not fall victim to running a tepid campaign at this time of critical importance.
No Republican candidate for statewide office can hope to win without vigorous and solid support from the Western slope of Colorado in general and Mesa, Delta and Montrose Counties in particular. Well informed readers of local politics would attest that the adage "faint heart never won fair maiden" is especially true this election cycle.
