GJ Chamber continues to allienate

Having not learned from the fiasco of endorsing Laura Bradford last year over a past GJ Chamber citizen of the year, Bernie Beuscher, the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce has endorsed candidates for city council (see article on www.gjsentinel.com).

Being a membership organization, endorsing candidates for any level of office is the height of arrogance and lack of long-term thinking. It is turning a business-focused organization into a high school clique or a college fraternity where popularity is more important than substance.

Here's my humble opinion: if you're going to make legislative issues the cornerstone of the reason for the Chamber to exist, stick to the issues and quit making it personal. You depend on membership dues for your very existence. Don't alienate existing or potential members by choosing sides, regardless of their propensity to support business issues within your jurisdiction especially during these times of polarity among ideologies.

I'm sure that this issue is a deal-killer for many members of the Grand Junction business community. While this practice continues, you can count me among them.

To Republicans in Mesa County

To all of the Republicans that stood outside the Mesa County offices and asked Obama to veto the stimulus package just passed by the House and Senate, it's time to get your head examined and then I have a challenge for you.

So, it's assumed that you feel that we should do nothing or continue to wrangle over the political nature of every item in the bill. Obviously none of you have any education in macro-economics. Look it up, take a class or ask someone. Since the banks (all of your rich, white-collar buddies) are too busy paying themselves huge bonuses and not loaning, businesses can't borrow and therefore have to cut payroll, which means that consumers spend less and the cycle continues. The only major sector that can stimulate the economy is the government. Period. And guess where they have to get the money? From our friends overseas and those domestically that want to keep from losing any more wealth. Yes, China and Japan are still investing in treasuries and when that money is spent by the government, it gets spent many times over. It's all about keeping people working for now so they can pay their mortgages and taxes (yes we need to keep paying taxes so that we can eventually balance the federal budget - all of us).

So here's my challenge to local Republicans - you want Obama to veto the stimulus bill? If your local governments or businesses are planned to receive ANY funding from this stimulus package, send it back. Deny your constituents the opportunity to affect the local economy. Keep your myopic thinking in place that the county isn't affected by anything outside of the Bookcliffs, the Grand Mesa and the Colorado National Monument. Keep thinking that the local banks are strong enough to support any local lending requirements and are not affected by the economic crisis in front of all of us. Keep thinking that you are right. Keep thinking that all you have to do is cut taxes and that will make everything alright. Keep you collective heads in the sand. But don't you dare take any of the stimulus funding for anything after your senseless demonstration that comes from a complete lack of education and forward thinking.

I'm just appalled and waiting for the hypocrisy to start.

NPS maintenance backlog and the stimulus package

I have another thought regarding the latest stimulus package. Why not invest some of those billions right here on our own soil by addressing the huge maintenance backlog with the National Park Service? This seems like a no-brainer to me!

• You preserve our national treasures for future generations
• You put Americans to work
• You use supplies made in the good ol' USA
• You encourage Americans to travel domestically and spend locally
• You make our national parks more attractive to international tourists
• You make the NPS staff proud to represent their parks, monuments and recreation areas
• You make Americans proud of their heritage and great outdoors

So there's the challenge without earmarks or pork and creates a win-win for our country. Now we'll see if anyone listens.

The stimulus package - Take 2

I only have two things to say.

One - create jobs here in the United States. You can't trust that money given to everyone through vehicles such as tax cuts is going to get spent in the good ol' USA. And I'm not considering going to Wally World and buying a big screen TV the best way to stimulate our economy. China's yes, but not ours. Infrastructure, whether it be highways and bridges or alternative energy development, is the best place to put the funding. Include dealing with the enormous backlog of maintenance in the National Park system. This is a perfect place to put Americans to work using American goods and labor.

Two - ACCOUNTABILITY! I can't say this one loud enough. The American people have had enough with Wall Streeters and others getting OUR MONEY and treating it like toilet paper. Everyone in Washington should have to live with a wage freeze or a wage cut to feel what it's like out in the real world. And those responsible for the lack of accountability with the first bailout plan should be strung upside down and have the money shaken out of every orifice! It's OURS! PERIOD! Take Thane from Merrill and seize his personal property. That's what would happen to someone in the middle class. Who is he that he should be exempt from prosecution? Or how about tar and feathering like in the old days?