RSSEmail letters, June 19, 2012
Walcher part of ‘group temper tantrum’
Woody Walcher just doesn’t seem to get the fact that he lost the March GOP caucus vote by a significant margin. To accuse the “party hierarchy” of lining up against him is absurd. Having worked as an educator for years, I am familiar with child psychology, and Woody’s assertions are nothing more than the protestations of a 6-year-old who didn’t get what he wanted.
Bjorkland and the others who have chosen to join Woody in his group temper tantrum have viciously attacked one of the best conservative figures in Mesa County. Rose Pugliese is a fearless advocate of conservative principles and policies. She is smart, friendly and genuine, and she has a personal stake in the future of this county and its schools.
Woody and his bully brigade have been marginalized by no one. There is no conspiracy by the “party hierarchy” to oppose him. The local GOP is too busy planning to beat Obama and the Democrats in November to worry about Woody and his flailing complaints.
But Republicans and conservatives in Mesa County are paying attention to Walcher, his mean-spirited ads, his incessant whining about “the party bosses” and his underhanded and sniveling attacks against Rose Pugliese.
My message to Mesa County Republicans: If you want a grown-up for county commissioner in District 3, vote for Rose Pugliese.
MARJORIE HAUN
Grand Junction
Party bosses don’t dominate caucus system; Walcher treated fairly
Gary Harmon’s article noted the “dismay” by candidate Woody Walcher, spurned by those he calls the “party bosses,” who chose Rose Pugliese to be the GOP candidate for county commissioner. I do not know either candidate, Walcher or Pugliese. However, I do know a lot about party structure and so-called control by political bosses.
I have served as both a precinct committeeman and a county chairman in another county on the Western Slope. I have also worked in politics in other states where party bosses did have a heavy hand in candidate selection.
That said, serving as county chairman in La Plata County was the most neutering experience I had in three decades of political involvement; it requires administering the rules and total impartiality as to competing candidates who come before the county assemblies and primaries. The fact is, the caucus system and its various assemblies may be archaic, but they are not dominated by bosses—only by those who show up.
So, poor Woody ended up not meeting the threshold (it’s not a high bar) to make the primary ballot, a spot he competed for willingly, accepting the rules. Now he says the system was rigged against him, so he wants Republicans to vote for him. Why? What does he have to commend his candidacy?
With a guitar strumming in the background, he tells radio listeners that he is from here. His opponent has a funny name and is not from here. He is from here. His opponent is a lawyer who hasn’t been here as long as he has. He is from here, and he will donate his first year’s salary to charity.
To that I can say, Mr. Walcher knows what he is worth. His campaign is not worthy of support.
STEPHEN DAVIS
Grand Junction
Pugliese lauded for acumen, experience, people skills
I am supporting Rose Pugliese for county commissioner in District 3. The recent endorsement of her primary opponent by the Democrat in the race has only strengthened my support.
I have been impressed how Mrs. Pugliese reaches out to people, from the young man who helped nominate her at the county convention to seasoned business owners and retirees. She has an ability to listen to people and to learn from them what problems and issues they face in their day-to-day dealings with the county.
In debates and candidate forums, Rose Pugliese was invariably the candidate who could answer every question intelligently and support her answers with facts, having taken the time and effort to learn the issues. With thoughtful responses, she displays experience as a community and business leader and conservative advocate. She applies conservative principles for practical solutions.
Rose demonstrates meticulous attention to detail, not only in her policy positions, but also in her financial responsibilities. The campaign finance reports just released show how seriously she takes such matters as campaign accounting and financial discipline. Rose has raised the most money from individual contributions in her race and has spent less than she has raised, leaving her with a surplus.
Her opponent, on the other hand, has borrowed 90% of his campaign funds and spent 100%; that smacks of wild desperation. A candidate with irresponsible borrowing and spending habits is not someone I want making financial decisions for the county using my hard-earned tax dollar; I would rather have a true fiscal conservative, such as Rose Pugliese, in that position.
In closing, I believe the above is evidence for why the Democratic candidate endorsed Rose’s primary challenger. He would be a much easier opponent in the November election.
SCOTT GODFREY
Fruita
Justice Dept. strikes out baseball players, lets government officials slide
It seems that the Justice Department has no problem spending five years, devoting thousands of man-hours and spending millions of taxpayer dollars trying to convict one baseball player of lying to Congress, yet it can’t justify hiring a special prosecutor for Fast and Furious or to look into White House leaks. The baseball player was looking at possibly 30 years if convicted.
However, government officials at worst will have to step down and live off their overblown government pensions for the rest of their lives. Sort of makes you wonder!
LLOYD HUNLEY
Grand Junction
Pitbull robocalls against Henry are undeserved
Is Mesa County taking a page out of the big Denver politico playbook? In the eleventh hour, with no time to respond, attack ads against Ken Henry
full of venom, innuendos and false statements are relentlessly being robo-dialed to voters.
Henry and his opponent are both decent, good guys. The voters need to decide who has the most private and public experience to best represent Mesa
County.
Ken has served on the Fruita council and as mayor in addition to years in business and community service. Ken has shown he will listen and respond to
the needs of citizens and taxpayers. He does not deserve this kind of attack on his character.
LOIS DUNN
Grand Junction
Pugliese takes ‘high road’ despite ‘low blows’
I am so glad that Rose Pugliese has chosen to take the “high road” in the county commissioner race. She is a smart, common sense, kind, soft-spoken young woman—the opposite of the person Woody Walcher portrays her as in his ads.
He says she is an East Coast (mob-like?) lawyer and an outsider. I was quite dismayed at his low blows. I hope this negative campaigning backfires on him. Rose has my vote and the votes of my family. We know she will be fair and do a great job!
SUSAN VALDEZ
Grand Junction
Walcher vows to fight hard for conservative values
As a lifelong Republican, it is more important in these tough economic times to stress what I will do as a conservative. To me a conservative insists that government works for the people, not the other way around. Ronald Reagan believed this more than any president in the modern era; he had it right.
I believe it is flat-out immoral to use taxpayer money to advance a personal agenda. I believe that before we spend any county money we must promise our fellow citizens that it is the best thing to do. I will work hard to advance our county at every opportunity. I promise to be conservative of county money because it is not mine; it belongs to our citizens.
I will fight hard to advance the county as I am doing currently on the planning commission. I will work to bring in more industry and business, because, as President Calvin Coolidge said, “The business of American is business.” And, having run several successful actual businesses, I know how to get things done, and that means job creation, too.
I have lived, worked and paid taxes in this valley all my adult life; I am not new to the area. I do not have any hidden agendas and am not owing to anyone or party for your vote – except you!
I will fight like a dog to protect and promote Mesa County because that is the job of a good county commissioner. This is a real, full-time job with lots of overtime involved and is best done without outside distractions or another job.
Bottom line: I promise voters I will be 100 percent dedicated to doing the right thing for them, because that is the job and the morally right thing to do.
Serving the people of Mesa County is my goal, and I am working hard to win that honor. I have walked 148 miles and knocked on more than 1,500 doors, talking to Republican voters over the last seven weeks.
Please go to my website, http://www.woodywalcher.com, or email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any questions or comments.
WOODY WALCHER
Grand Junction
COMMENTS
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.Wow! The Woody bashers are out in full force. Ms. Haun says he was beat by a “signifigant” amount, but I seem to recall it was maybe 9. That is more like a slim margin and considering what led up to that loss I would say “negligent” would be more realistic.
Who is telling the truth? Ms. Haun? Woody Walcher? Want to find out what happened at the caucuses to support Walcher’s point or see if Haun and friends are telling the truth? If you really want to know go to the link for Western Slope Conservative Alliance Tea Party and read the words of a “trained observer”.
http://wscateaparty.com/
Dennis, the significant amount happened to be 58.4% for Pugliese to 27.5% for Walcher. That is a very significant amount if you didn’t realize it!
http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/pugliese-swamps-district-3-field-for-mesa-county-c
Who is telling the truth? What about the deceptiveness of posting a website that is trying to steal the name of Western Colorado Conservative Alliance by adding the ‘Tea Party’ to the end? The real WSCA website is http://www.wscaonline.org/ . The ‘Trained Observer’ happens to be the campaign manager for Dan Robinson—the Democrat running in opposition to Ray Scott (Republican). As such she is hardly an unbiased reporter on things happening at the Republican Convention!
Several points in the last post are false. First I am not “Trained Observer.” I do not know who “Trained Observer” is. That individual posted a comment at my website (http://www.konola4colorado.com) and GJResult requested my permission to repeat the comment. I believe in transparency, so I gave GJResult permission to use anything they saw at my website. I also monitor what is posted at both GJResult and WSCA’s website and public facebook pages so that I know what is going on in the Valley. I understand that not everyone is as curious as I am, and find it odd that I would actually read what conservatives are saying, but that’s the truth.
As for Dan Robinson, I am no longer managing his campaign. I am still supporting Dan for House District 55, but I had to resign from the campaign when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I wasn’t sure what energy levels I would have during the campaign season while undergoing treatment for the cancer, so I reluctantly left the campaign. Don’t blame Dan or his campaign for the things I say or do, I’m expressing my own opinions.
My bad. I did not realize that was a comment posted on your site! Please forgive me!
I’m sorry to hear about your cancer. Prayers for your recovery!
Mr. Barker, You are making some serious charges by accusing someone of “stealing” the name Western Colorado Conservative Alliance. Let me see if I can get this straight now, being just a country boy I do get confused somethimes so please help me out here.
I don’t know anything about your Western Colorado Conservative Alliance. I have heard of Western Slope Conservative Alliance (not a tea party) and Western Colorado Tea Party. Now I know Western Slope Conservative Alliance would like to make people believe they are grass roots, but most know by now that they are really CINO(conservative in name only) and a shill for the MCRP.
Then we have Western Colorado Tea Party, which was formed on March 5, 2010 and is a tea party of 4.It was formed by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Schoenradt and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bailey in order to give “Tea Party” support to Scott Tipton.
Finally we have Western Slope Conservative Alliance Tea Party, a newly formed “grass roots” tea party for the Western slope to rally around. Their purpose is to promote real “grass roots” candidates who have conservative values and principles.
Now,I am at a loss to know who you are accusing of “stealing” and just what they are “stealing” as I have checked with the Sec. of State and believe their are accurate, or am I missing something?
I guess I needed to reread my post better! Ha. I did get the correct website/initials!
Mr. Barker,I still don’t see any proof of the theft you are making accusations about.
Mr. Barker, after Ms. Konola’s post you have ignored “trained observer” and the information brought out there. If it wasn’t Ms. Konola who was it? Maybe someone on the inside. Does the MCRP have a leak poblem? Loose lips might sink leaky ships.
Sorry…had to run some errands.
As for ‘stealing,’ that may not have been the correct word. It didn’t find out about the SOS filing until recently. (I am not part of either WSCA, WSCATeaParty, GJResult, or any other ‘TeaParty’ group by the way). What I do know is that the group calling themselves Western Slope Conservative Alliance has been around and having events for some time (much longer than the official filing reflects) and I have been to some of their events. I guess you could say that even though someone else has worked the claim, in a legal sense they had not ‘staked’ it. In our day a handshake doesn’t mean much—you have to have a paper for everything!
As for the ‘trained observer,’ I apologized and admitted I was wrong. I have no way of knowing who that individual is but I was involved in the caucus system and the events described don’t line up with what I experienced.
The ‘leak’ as you call it could be anyone as these are public meetings.
Mr. Barker, In my day a handshake was a persons’ word and good as gold. You are right, now it all has to be on paper. There was some claim jumping going on all right, but it all started way back in Aug of 2008 when GJResult was organized and started planning the first TEA Party on April 15, 2009. After that event GJResult worked with other conservative groups with the intent of working together to take our country back and rein in the every growing government. (all agreed to by a handshake)
For over a year GJResult tried to work with the newly formed Western Slope Conservative Alliance, waiting for the promised election of board members. It never happened and “temporary” board decided that the rank and file members would NOT be allowed to vote. At that time GJResult left the group.
Since you claim not to be “with” any group you must be relying on rumors and hearsay, so I recommend that you do your homework before making assumptions about who is claim jumping.
You might start with the following from KKCO….
Thousands Rally Against Government Spending During Grand Junction Tax Day Tea Party
Posted: 5:56 PM Apr 15, 2009
Reporter: Tim Ciesco
“members of GJ Result, who organized a Tax Day Tea Party in Grand Junction Wednesday”.
Can there not be more than one ‘Tea Party?’
I would think that the product from the mine would be the proof of the quality of the location/ground. Another way of putting it…the fruit shows what kind of tree it is. Why can’t there be different trees without trying to take fruit from one to hang on the other?
Mr. Barker, just a short while ago you were calling GJResult.Tea Party
thieves and claim jumpers and now you are asking why we can’t work with
WSCA and the GOP toward a common goal? What changed your mind; facts? I
doubt that or you would not want to pick the rotting fruit from that tree. One rotten apple spoils the barrel and there are way more than one rotten one on that tree.
Did you think you knew the truth? Well, we could fill volumes with what you don’t know about what Western Slope Conservative Alliance has been doing in the name of the GOP and now in the name of the Tea Party, including completely bogus criminal charges filed by a WSCA board president against our Tea Party leadership, (Pinocchio file) disrespecting the vote of the people in the last election by
denying the Republican Gubernatorial primary winner their support in
favor of a third party candidate that cost us the state house, and now
you want us to be pals and work together after three years of WSCA
trying to co-opt and/or destroy our good name and our TEA Party like they did so many other little conservative groups.
But what was their position on being pals just a few short months ago?
Read WSCA Board member Marjorie Haun’s letter to the editor and the
other documents including the Pinocchio file referred to at
http://wscateaparty.com/. Does the truth matter to you, or are you really just one of them in sheep’s clothing sent out to do their dirty work?
I said nothing about working together. The best way to win a race is to run and not try to trip the opponent.
I seems quite likely that we will not agree on this issue so I will close my part of the discussion with the fact that this all started with: Rose Pugliese won a place on the GOP ballot by a significant amount 58.4% to Woody Walcher’s 27.5%. The amount required to be on the ballot was 30%.
I’m fairly new to all the political discussion in the valley but the fact of what happened at the GOP convention is clear to me—Rose won!
Have a great day! I look forward to more discussions in coming issues!
Mr. Barker, the object in the beginning was for ALL conservative groups to work together and it was a great and noble idea. To find out why it didn’t happen I urge you and everyone else to educate yourselves by looking at the proof in print and researching the history. A good place to start is at wscateaparty.com/ . While you are doing that keep this in mind “Minds are like parachutes and umbrellas—they work much better when open”. Also, remember that at the GOP convention the “voters” never had a vote but they will soon. Have a good day now.
I wrote Ms.haun a letter last night and here is what I wrote
“Ms. Haun
I am deeply insulted about your comment about Woody Walcher being “like a six year old who did not get what he wanted”. I to am knowledgeable of child psychology and know for a fact a six year old does not continue his run for county commissioner by going door to door and getting support. A six year old will drop to the floor and scream and rant and rave, I do not believe Woody has done that. Knowing Woody for over half my life as my step father, my friend, my supporter, my adviser ans all around loving and giving person Woody has never done that. Woody goes after what he wants not just to get it, but because he is passionate about this County. He has not bashed Pugliese he has merely stated facts. Pugliese is a business owner, one in Mesa county and two in Florida which she just recently opened. That does not sit well with most of the voters in Mesa County, how is she helping Mesa County. You say he is viciously attacking Pugliese yet you have said “if you want a grown up” for county commissioner vote for Rose. That is kind of a childish statement. Furthermore my father Woody Walcher has never “whined” a day in his life, even when he was building his 9 business from the ground up in Mesa County and went through the toughest of times before Pugliese was even here. And he has not “whined” one day during this campaign when he is out every day knocking on doors and getting his message out there. He has also never whined when Pugliese and her cronies attack him, he raises his head and is confident in the fact that he is being truthful and will work his tail off for this county. Can we say the same for Rose?”
To me she replied “welcome to politics, Woody knew what he was getting into”.
I do not claim to know everything about politics but I would like to believe that politics is not about bashing the other person or making fun of them for continuing to fight what he believes in. The write in ballot is a legal and God given right and I say good for you Woody Walcher! I think it shows some strong character and great leadership to follow what you believe in to make a change.
Kristi, the sad thing is that all the bashing, lying, and dirty tricks that go on in politics is done mostly by those people who claim to be good “Christians” and Conservatives with values and principles. They give both a bad name while looking down their elite noses at the rest of the unwashed masses who are not worthy of them.
Sadly, they keep very good people from running for office with their threats of personal attacks and destruction, and many stay away from voting because they are sick and tired of having to vote for the lesser of two evils. It would be great to be allowed to vote “for” someone instead of “against” the other guy.
On April 15,2009 over 3000 people turned out for a TEA Party rally at Lincoln Park. That should have showed the elite that the “people” are fed up with the status quo, but they just don’t get it yet. The MC Republicans have been trying to take credit for that rally ever since, but it was not their doing and they either ignore or don’t understand that those people who attended are just as fed up with them as they are with the Democrats.
Maybe Woody will be the one who can show them it can be done. If the masses turn out and write in his name it could happen. I would love to see their faces then. Don’t vote for the party choice, don’t vote for the incumbent, and don’t vote for the politician.
Ms. Haun I have one question that I would appreciate an answer to. Where is it in the Mormon faith to be allowed to be wrapped naked in a flag holding a fire arm? For one it is a disgrace to the American flag and two it is not behavior for a single mother or devout Mormon to do. I am attacking you personally for these false attacks on my father, and Rose should be embarrassed to have you on her side, on the other hand seeing as she is not appalled by your behavior and inappropriate photos her character also needs to be questioned. So I say this to you Mesa County forget about all the bashing and childish tactics and really listen to what both parties have to say, and really pay attention and do your research on who has contributed more to this community. Not just Woody Walcher but the entire Walcher family has helped this community. What has Rose done? A few pro-bono cases big deal. Where is her money coming from and where are her taxes on her businesses being paid? If elected where is her salary going to go? More trips to Florida to maintain her businesses down there? Back to New York to pay the light bills at her law firm? I am very disappointed in the Marjorie Hauns of Mesa County, but like I always say “it is hard to smart in a world full of ignorance and hypocracy” Ms. Haun if you would like to chat about your mormon ways I would love to listen 970-712-4692