Penry continues to gain on McInnis - makes a heck of a lot more sense than McInnis

Penry showing stronger leadership capabilities than McInnis from the GOP point of view.

From the Pueblo Chieftain:

Friday, September 04, 2009

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COLORADO SPRINGS: Gubernatorial candidate defends Pinon Canyon vote

September 04, 2009 08:29 am

DEAN TODA
THE GAZETTE

It was billed as one young professional talking to a bunch of people like him about what it’s like to quickly climb the ladder of success.

Josh Penry has lived that story. At age 33, he’s the Republican leader in the state Senate.

But what the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Rising Professionals group got with their lunch Thursday was a stump speech by Penry, who wants to succeed Gov. Bill Ritter.

Penry, who’s from Grand Junction, spent much of his 40 minutes at the microphone at the Crowne Plaza Hotel accusing Ritter of hurting the state’s economy by driving away oil and gas exploration and “unionizing state government.” “His policies, his priorities, have made a bad situation worse,” Penry said.

Penry’s prescription is classic Reaganomics: tax cuts, which he said would not only energize the economy, but increase tax revenues enough to pay for what he called “reforming” the public education system, making college more affordable and investing more in the state’s transportation system.

Penry also defended his vote this year to deny the use of state lands for the expansion of the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, a Fort Carson training ground south of La Junta. He argued that his vote protected private property owners who have seen their former neighbors dispossessed by the Army through eminent domain confiscations.

The more common view in the Springs, however, is to see the Pinon Canyon law as the first toppling domino.

According to a variety of local Republican officeholders at the state and county level, if a Pinon Canyon expansion is less practicable, then Fort Carson becomes less desirable as a place to transfer new Army units or keep the ones already there.

There’s no evidence that the Pentagon is planning to pull the plug on Fort Carson. But the Pinon Canyon issue has become something of a litmus test for local Republicans.

Penry also faces a name recognition hurdle. He’s not as well known in the Springs as Scott McInnis, who served six terms in Congress and is also seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

County Commissioner Sallie Clark is chairwoman of McInnis’s campaign in El Paso County, and came to hear Penry on Thursday. Did she hear anything to change her mind? “Absolutely not,” she said, citing McInnis’ record and experience.

County Commissioner Amy Lathen was also on hand, but has endorsed neither candidate. Was she impressed by Penry? “That would be a resounding yes,” she said.

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