Ag issues addressed

ALAMOSA — One of the Monday speakers for the Colorado Farm Bureau Mid-Summer Meeting, Republican candidate for governor Scott McInnis addressed various agricultural-related topics such as water and immigration.

The Farm Bureau conference continues today in Alamosa.

McInnis and Dan Maes are running for governor on the Republican ticket and John Hickenlooper on the Democratic ticket. Many of the Valley counties’ ballots are being mailed this week.

McInnis said Colorado has not had a governor from the western slope, where he resides, or southern Colorado for a long time, and he is the only candidate who lives outside the Denver metro area and the only candidate with agricultural experience.

He is also experienced in government, having served five terms in the state legislature and 12 years in the U.S. Congress.

During his previous tenure in public service he sat on natural resource committees at both the state and national levels, he said.

McInnis was instrumental as a congressman in passing the legislation that converted the Great Sand Dunes Monument to a national park, a move pursued in large part to protect the water in the expanded park area from exportation schemes, McInnis reminded audience members on Monday. He credited the local people with spearheading that effort.

He criticized state legislative measures that took money away from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Branding Board. He said those funds should be used for the projects for which those boards were set up, not to supplement other programs in the general fund.

Valley farmer Mike Mitchell asked McInnis about immigration, as it is associated with agricultural employment, and suggested this country needs a program similar to Canada’s immigrant work program with Mexico.

“That’s exactly the program we need,” McInnis said. He said that type of a program would be helpful not only for agriculture but other industries in the state such as the ski industry.

“Legal immigration is absolutely essential for our economy,” McInnis said.

He also suggested a verification system that would take the burden off employers’ backs. He said when he was in congress, he had a full time person assigned to immigration issues.

“I have a clear understanding how critical this issue is for our state,” he said.

When asked how the state could address projected water shortfalls in the future without drying up massive amounts of agricultural land, McInnis said agriculture is essential to the health of this state, and rather than dry up ag lands to provide water for future growth, Colorado needs to look at alternatives.

He suggested additional water storage and pointed to a doctoral student’s project that proposes to draw water from the Flaming Gorge through Wyoming to the Front Range.

“That’s the kind of answer that’s going to be our future,” he said.

He said the cost of such a project might run $5 billion, but the cost could be spread over time. “It’s an investment we must make,” he said.

Abel Benavidez of Trinidad told McInnis those against the military expansion in Piñon Canyon need his support on that issue as much as they need his support on water issues. McInnis said he opposes imminent domain for the expansion but supports protection for willing property sellers. He said people should not be prohibited from selling their property if they want to sell it but should not be forced to sell it.

McInnis also talked about creating jobs for Colorado.

“Colorado has to be open for business,” he said.

He added that in the past Colorado had a great reputation for energy development but that has changed to a more punitive stance, and the results of that change were lost jobs and lost revenues for schools, roads and other budget needs.

McInnis said he is optimistic about Colorado’s future but realizes tough decisions will have to be made to get the state back on track economically.

“In extraordinary times you need an extraordinary governor because that governor is going to have to make tough decisions.”