KVOR Blog points out McInnis is on WRONG side of Pinon Canyon issue

Many in the conservative circles are scratching their heads concerning Scott McInnis' - from being on the wrong side of the Pinon Canyon issue to refusing to debate with fellow candidates to continually getting his facts wrong.  Here is one example of people absolutely understanding that the Pinon Canyon expansion is wrong: CLICK HERE

Penry: one of the 'other' GOP candidates has differing views from McInnis' 'expand' position

Saturday, October 24, 2009
Penry wins kudos on base expansion

By PABLO CARLOS MORA
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

October 24, 2009 12:06 am

TRINIDAD - Josh Penry found a receptive audience Friday among Southern Coloradans opposed to the Army’s proposed expansion of its Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.
       “The Army needs to come clean with folks out here,” Penry said in meetings at Trinidad State Junior College and later in Walsenburg.
       “Until the Army takes eminent domain and condemnation off the table,” the Republican candidate for governor said he will oppose expansion.
       Penry, a state senator from Grand Junction, contrasted his stand on Pinon Canyon expansion with that of Scott McInnis, the former 3rd Congressional District representative who also is seeking to unseat Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter. Republican Dan Maes also is in the race.
       “McInnis said it was not about private property rights and people who oppose the expansion are anti-military. That is irresponsible and reckless,” Penry said. “Fort Carson is important. So are private property rights.”

Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition against McInnis

PCEOC Press Release Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition vehemently against candidate McInnis Defending against the Pinon Canyon expansion requires we use our voices and power of vote to keep him out of office. For immediate release Contact: Lon Robertson 719-980-5114 Steve Wooten 719-384-5813 KIM, Colorado (October 12, 2009)- Representatives of PCEOC again met with Scott McInnis in Walsenburg last week, in an effort to explain directly to Mr. McInnis that he was misleading the public with statements such as 'it's not the majority of residents down there that are against expansion' and other remarks that belittle all of our opposition efforts. Then to find today that he has placed a false statement on his website stating, "It was great to again meet with local ranchers who were justifiably upset by the Governor's needless legislation attacking military jobs." This statement is entirely fictitious as no ranchers were there that weren't against the expansion of PCMS and all of them present actually support the Governor's legislation to protect landowners in southeast CO. Thus the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition (PCEOC) will oppose the candidacy of Scott McInnis for governor. McInnis has spoken in favor of Pinon Canyon expansion because "Expansion will create jobs in El Paso County and the I-70 corridor". PCEOC president Lon Robertson pointed out that "McInnis has chosen the military industrial complex over the property rights, agricultural economy, and future of Southeast Colorado. We are a non-partisan organization. We are not endorsing any candidate, but we do feel compelled to counter the position of this candidate. The federalization of Colorado's land and the militarization of the state's economy are not the answer to our financial problems." Robertson added: "We are defending our region of Colorado against a direct assault. McInnis believes that it's okay to sacrifice our part of the state for the benefit of defense contractors in Aurora and Colorado Springs. A gubernatorial aspirant should be thinking about the interests of the state as whole; not destroying one region to benefit another." McInnis has given up the pretext that Pinon Canyon expansion is about National Defense. He says "Ft Carson [Pinon Canyon] expansion is about jobs, jobs, jobs". Grady Grissom, a PCEOC board member, observed that McInnis' position is ironic for a conservative. "Ultimately all wealth is created in the private sector. McInnis is proposing the destruction of private businesses and the federalization of private lands in order to subsidize local economies with federal tax dollars. I don't see that as a conservative position." PCEOC members include significant numbers of veterans and residents with sons and daughters that are actively serving in the military. Robertson pointed out that, "Our patriotic membership resents McInnis' attempt to use our military as an economic development tool. We support our troops. We fully expect our military to properly train our men and women in uniform, and we believe the mission of our troops is to defend this country, not to prop up local economies." Robertson says that PCEOC plans to mobilize its extensive statewide network in opposition to McInnis' candidacy. "We are fighting for the future of our community and our country and we are asking everyone that opposes the expansion to also oppose Mr. McInnis in his bid for office." Army planning documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show a multi-phased Pinon Canyon acquisition strategy which would ultimately displace over 17,000 people within 6.9 million acres of Southeastern Colorado. PCEOC is intent on protecting our land, our homes and our way of life. The Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition is a broad-based coalition representing communities across Southern Colorado in their opposition to the proposed expansion of PCMS. Bi-partisan PCEOC members include business owners, teachers, students, elected officials, ranchers, environmentalists and many others. The coalition is united in its opposition to any expansion of PCMS. No funding, no expansion. For more information, please see www.pinoncanyon.com. ### Blog with PCEOC Follow PCEOC on Twitter PCEOC www.pinoncanyon.com PCEOC www.pinoncanyon.com

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Pro-expansion candidates and Army continues to try back door approaches

Recent statements by persons running for Governor and for the 3rd CD show the need to push and push hard for a permanent ban. Here is a story on a pro-expansion candidate that just announced Trinidad Times Independent - Friday September 25th.

Not 1 More Acre opposition group blocked a recent effort by the Army to do an 'end around' by annexing the Pinon Canyon maneuver site into Fort Carson (and by doing so changing the name and intending to side step legislation against expansion specific to Pinon Canyon). Read Notice by PCEOC here

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Judge rules Army 'Arbitrary and Capricious'

From the September 10th Pueblo Chieftain:

IT'S TIME for the Army to go back to square one now that a federal judge has blocked plans to increase its use of the existing Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch this week set aside the Army's decision authorizing new facilities and year-round training at the 238,000-acre site northeast of Trinidad. The judge concluded the Army's impact statement "does not adequately assess the impact on the environment of the increase in intensity and duration of training operations" at the site.

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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