We use words every day. Our words are designed to entice and interest our readers, and most importantly, to keep them informed. So, we think we understand how to use words.
The use, timing and context of words are critical to the successful use of those words.
For example, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources asked sometime back for comments on the revisions to the Colorado Roadless Rule. They began their request with: Colorado’s 4.1 million acres of roadless national forest provide an irreplaceable source of clean water, wildlife habitat and biodiversity and play a critical role in supporting long-term sustainable economic sectors.
We think that someone who had a demonstrable bias to the adoption of the strictest rule possible wrote opening statement, but nobody seems to care. We wonder how the request would have been accepted if the preamble read: Colorado’s 4.1 million acres of roadless national forest prevents the removal of beetle-killed timber, restricts access to handicapped individuals and amounts to a moratorium on future expansion of coalmines, leading to substantial and unavoidable unemployment in areas dependent upon energy production.
Of course, that too would have been blatantly biased, but no less truthful.
One of the reasons we were less than enthusiastic about Josh Penry’s original decision to run for governor was that we think we need him in the Colorado Legislature. He recently helped our position, when he asked that Governor Ritter make some difficult decisions regarding the Roadless Rule, and that he make those decisions now.
The Roadless Rule has been a topic of discussion and controversy for five long years, and too often decisions are made based on emotions rather than reality.
We can add some reality to the discussion. There is no magic switch someplace where we can turn off the coal and natural gas fired power plants and instantly switch to some pie-in-the-sky form of wind or solar energy. We have to depend on what we have while other options are developed.
Constantly attacking the developers of natural gas and coal through regulations like those that will be imposed by the current roadless advocates will result in more drilling companies moving out of Colorado, which will result in more empty houses, which will result in more real estate agents applying for unemployment, which will result in fewer retail sales, which will result in…
The list goes on and on. Those above average salaries being paid to employees in the North Fork will likely not come back once they are sent away.
We hear Governor Ritter say again and again that he is concerned with the economic status of rural Colorado. We have yet to see him demonstrate that concern. We do agree that he understands the problem. He should; he is responsible, in our opinion, for a good portion of that problem.
