A proud parent’s prayer for graduates everywhere

For parents, graduation is like a welcome gasp of relief sucked through teeth clinched tight in terror. So far, so good. But now what? At a time when it feels as though the only certainty is uncertainty, parents understandably worry about what the future holds for their children. Will they fare well at college? Will […]

The states of taxation: Latest index reveals the best and the worst

During the recession and subsequent recovery, the general move on taxes in the states has been in a distinctly negative direction. That is, faced with budget deficits, states have reacted by raising taxes. This past July, for example, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported: “The impact of the severe economic recession that began in […]

Redistricting should keep the Western Slope whole

The General Assembly’s redistricting committee recently released proposed maps outlining Colorado’s new congressional boundaries. The maps offered by the Democrats and Republican members of the committee are as different as night and day. The Republican maps start from the fact Colorado has the same number of congressional districts in 2011 as we did in 2001. […]

A chance to reconsider economic development

Economic development is in one sense an evolutionary process. The business of attracting new businesses and jobs constantly changes, in large part because of changing markets and economic circumstances. The situation has been no different for the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and its predecessor organization. Formed in 1980s in the aftermath of the oil shale […]

Democrats force the pieces in redistricting jigsaw puzzle

Every 10 years, Colorado legislators must assemble the complicated jigsaw puzzle that is congressional redistricting. Using information from the latest Census results, state lawmakers have to apportion the population evenly among the congressional districts in the state. In the process, lawmakers also must strive to meet a lengthy list of other objectives. They must try […]

Get in touch with God, turn the government off

There are times when I come to the office on deadline Tuesdays and think to myself, “I honestly have nothing I care to write about because, quite frankly, this is getting to all be a bit much.” Some of my friends tell me this is because I pay too much attention to what’s going on […]

Why don’t you write us?

Nobody appreciates more the hectic pace business owners and managers maintain in running their operations, all the while striving to make time for family and personal pursuits. Nonetheless, we’d like to suggesting one more thing for them to do: share their views. More specifically, we’d like them to share their views with this publication in […]