As is usually the case, economic indicators for Mesa County for the first half of the year constitute something of a mixed bag. And a midyear update prepared at the University of Colorado confirms Mesa County continues to lag behind other metropolitan areas of the state in key measures of economic performance. The news isn’t […]
Of all of the headlines that didn’t surprise me one iota over the past few weeks, only one was the absolute least surprising. No, it wasn’t one from the Democratic National Convention about giving away more and more of our tax money on vote-buying schemes. No, it wasn’t about how unquestionably corrupt Hillary Clinton is […]
For those who haven’t yet watched the video promoting outdoor recreation in the Grand Valley, make some time to do so. It only takes about six minutes and is well worth that short span. The video — which can be viewed online at www.GrandDayCO.com — follows Grand Valley resident Mason Klebold as he goes snowmobiling, […]
As an extraordinarily overpaid columnist for the Business Times, every so often I receive a note from someone —outside of my avid seven or eight readers who send me things — who happens upon my column. Please note that when I receive reader feedback, I always take the time to actually read the comments I […]
The most important thing to know about the Obama administration’s new overtime rule is that it has now disrupted or voided the arrangements 73,000 Coloradans had with their employers. Arrangements, mutually beneficial to employer and employee alike, accommodated individual lifestyles, family commitments and emergency needs. The 73,000 number comes from the U.S. Department of Labor […]
Try to imagine for a moment the perfect industry. No doubt the first important attribute would be that the industry pulls fresh money into the Grand Valley rather than recirculate existing dollars. While we’re at it, let’s make the industry a clean one that doesn’t require a lot of natural resources or produce a lot […]
One thing guaranteed to make things hotter in an even-numbered-year summer is that politics adds its heat to the atmosphere. Maybe we’ve found the real reason for man-made global warming — and no, I’m not endorsing that fairy tale. Because, as this column will hopefully show, the best way to cool things off is for […]
While we’re deep into the 2016 election season and political pundits remain focused on the presumed Democrat and Republican presidential nominees, there’s still much left to do on the congressional calendar. One of the most pressing items our lawmakers will face in coming weeks is the future of the nation’s energy legacy. Currently, House members […]
I don’t really have an answer as to who should be president — other than someone who will champion individual, inalienable, God-given rights and protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And I haven’t seen anyone like that thus far. Given our choices, I don’t blame anyone for sitting this one out or […]
Brian Stevens offers a moral to his life story about his struggles in the aftemath of the housing crises and his subsequent turnaround: Unwelcome change sometimes leads to unexpected success. The secret, he says, is how people cope with change. It’s probably no coincidence all that sounds a bit like a metaphor for what’s happened […]