Vote for Curry for House District 61

Voters in the central Rockies, from Aspen to Glenwood to Paonia to Gunnison, have three diverse candidates to choose from to be their next representative in the state Legislature.

Democrat Kathleen Curry, a Gunnison-area rancher, brings the strongest credentials. She’s been working toward this election for about a year and a half, motivated originally by current 61st District Rep. Gregg Rippy’s lack of commitment to water users in his district, whether they be ranchers and farmers or kayakers and fishermen.

Republican Becky Rippy, who is only distantly related to Rep. Gregg Rippy, brings little political experience to the table. The New Castle resident does have a solid understanding of child- and health-care issues, having worked in both areas for nearly two decades. Her primary issue is the ongoing state budget crisis, which affects the human-service agencies she knows so well.

Libertarian Dale Reed, a former state employee, has conflicting values. Although he speaks of cutting the size of state government, the No Name resident supports increased spending on health care and education. Like both his challengers, he is for amending the state constitution in order to allow more government spending. He is also a firm supporter of gun rights.

Of the three, Curry deserves the support of voters in the Roaring Fork Valley.

She worked hard to defeat Referendum A in 2003, the ballot initiative that appeared to most Western Slope residents like a $2 billion Front Range water-grab. Curry and her husband are ranchers, so she understands the issues facing the agricultural community. And her seven years’ experience working to protect streamflows for the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District exposed her to the views of environmentalists and recreationists.

She is fiscally conservative. She would prefer to amend the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to allow state and local governments to resume tax collections at historical levels, leaving limits on new spending in place.

Her reluctant support for Amendment 35, the tobacco tax that would be dedicated to health care, reflects both her distaste for using constitutional amendments to set policy and her recognition of the current budgetary crisis.

If elected, Curry would represent her diverse constituents well. She deserves the support of Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians alike.

Vote Curry for House District 61.