Bill Ritter and Bob Beauprez were both stumping in Salida this week, according to the Mountain Mail. From the article, "Front running candidates for Colorado governor made campaign stops in Chaffee County Friday and Saturday. Republican Bob Beauprez met Friday with local water officials and Democrat Bill Ritter stopped in Salida Saturday for an interview by KHEN Radio and to meet residents. Ritter continued to Gunnison for a meeting of the Gunnison County Stock Growers Association. He is the lone Democrat running for the job.
"Beauprez may face Marc Holtzman in the August primary, although petitions submitted by Holtzman to include his name on the ballot were found invalid last week. Officials with the Holtzman campaign said they plan to appeal the decision. Friday, Beauprez was asked to find a way to fast-track reservoir expansion and was told construction projects should be a priority. He began a western Colorado water issues 'listening' tour at the Poncha Springs ranch of state Rep. Tom Massey. Beauprez heard primarily from current or former directors of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District. He was asked to find a way to speed the process of government approval for water storage projects in the upper Arkansas River basin."
Bob Beauprez knows how to get west slope voters on his side. He's come out against new water transfers to the Front Range, according to the Montrose Daily Press. From the article, "Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez said Friday he opposes any Western Slope water transfers to the Front Range. 'Nobody has convinced me we need trans-mountain diversions,' Beauprez said in a campaign stop in Gunnison to speak to local supporters. He said each basin in Colorado must deal with its own water needs within the basin. Until Front Range municipalities exhaust local resources, they should not look at places like the Gunnison River...
"He said 'money always finds the water' and the state must try to find a way for everyone to share in Colorado's future. Beauprez said if water issues are not addressed around the entire state, the Front Range, where all the money is located, will end up with all of Colorado water assets. 'If we don't keep the land wet, we are done,' Beauprez said. He said Colorado must increase its storage capacity to prevent the state's share of water from flowing out of the Colorado. Beauprez was a supporter of Referendum A, a previous statewide ballot measure that proposed billions in bonds to build more reservoirs but was soundly defeated in 2004...
"Bob Drexel, who is with the Upper Gunnison River Conservancy District, said he was wary of the notion that everyone should work together to solve Colorado's water problems. He said the Gunnison Basin has been fighting Front Range and other interests for years to protect its water resources. He said the entire state must be concerned about the recent drought and a potential call on the Colorado River, which would impact trans-mountain diversion in the upper Colorado River. Drexel said the issue is not just a Front Range issue and could have an impact on the Gunnison Basin...
"Gunnison resident Mark Schumacher said there is a lot of skepticism about the statewide roundtables. He said the short-term threat in the Gunnison Basin is Front Range interests and the long-range challenge is the increasing demand for water by states like Nevada and Arizona. Beauprez said he would represent all of Colorado's water interests, not just the Front Range, if elected governor. He said he has been a dairy farmer and understands the needs and concerns of rural Colorado."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
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