Just when you thought politics couldn’t get dirtier or uglier, here come the Koch brothers to Durango.
One of the first targets of this out-of-state, anti-land use planning cabal is Gwen Lachelt, our twice-elected La Plata County Commissioner.
Lachelt ran afoul of the Tea Party crowd when she had the gall to ask the BLM to implement corrective steps that would protect local residents from the harmful effects of methane venting … a rule which the right wing feels would “overburden” the fossil fuel industry.
When it comes to dollars versus health, industrial profits trump health concerns every time in this corporatist Republican era. An earlier attempt to oust Lachelt via a bogus ethics investigation fell flat when that investigation failed to find any violation.
I strongly protest the presence of the brothers Koch, who are attempting to nullify the results of the last election.
No one is in favor of “outlawing farming” or “taking’”private land without compensation; saying otherwise is to attempt to misinform the voting public.
Oregon’s decades-old land use planning laws demonstrate that planning works and is essential to preserving the natural resources and beauty of a tourist destination state such as Colorado. Good land use laws allow for stability and long-range planning that protects the investments that all Colorado landowners have made.
This effort by outside interests to unseat Commissioner Lachelt is an affront to all voters. Please do not sign the petitions which are being circulated, and be sure you are registered to vote in November, 2018.
Larry A. Bollinger
Durango
