Mail to the Chieftain: Primaries heat up

Lauren Boebert's record in Congress

During her term in the 117th Congress, 3rd Congressional District Rep. Lauren Boebert sponsored 24, mostly frivolous bills that read more like snarky tweets than serious bills.

The vast majority of the 230 bills that she co-sponsored have gone nowhere. Only six passed the House and only two of those have become law.

According to VoteSmart.org, of the 107 national key votes in the House, Boebert voted "yes" on just seven; "no" or didn’t vote for the remaining 100.

She voted "no" on two bills to help ease the baby formula shortage.  She voted "no" on the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act.  She voted "no" on The Affordable Insulin Now Act.  She voted "no" to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.

And don’t let her fool you that she’s brought money back to the district from Washington, D.C. — she voted against the appropriations bill.

She insults anyone who doesn’t look like her, talk like her and act like her.  She thinks strength derives from carrying a gun strapped to her hip. She considers only those she deems “patriots” as worthy of her time and attention.  (Excuse me, I’m a proud American, too.)

Are you a woman with an IUD, or taking contraceptives?  Careful — given the chance, Lauren Boebert would outlaw them in a heartbeat. 

Adam Frisch, on the other hand, is a successful businessman, contrasted to Boebert’s troubled, oft-indebted restaurant in Rifle, Colo. He spent eight years working as a city councilman, building consensus with colleagues. He will strive to regain the trust and support of rural voters who have, at times, been neglected by the often too metropolitan-centric Democrats. He believes a woman’s reproductive healthcare choices belong between her and her healthcare provider.

I’ve seen Adam Frisch in action. He’s thoughtful, smart, patient, humble and passionate about getting things done in Congress, qualities I believe are essential for a representative — and qualities that Lauren Boebert lacks entirely.

Jay A. Richter, MD | Pueblo

Lauren Boebert's financial knowledge

Although Ms. Boebert preaches about being a fiscal conservative, her business and campaign finances indicate that she has little understanding of how finances work.

For four pre-pandemic years (August 2016 through February 2020) she racked up no fewer than eight tax liens on her restaurant for failure to pay her unemployment insurance. An oversight one fiscal quarter might be understandable, or even a temporary cashflow issue. But repeated offenses indicate either a lack of organizational skills (hire a bookkeeper — it has to be cheaper than those hefty fines), a failing business, or just a scofflaw attitude. Not acceptable.

Her campaign finances cause her equal or greater woes. Lack of funds is not the reason. She has plenty in her war chest, mostly from sources outside Colorado — but that is a different topic. She has repeatedly been warned about contribution violations, errors, and questionable expense claims. Those chronic issues indicate that she is incapable of putting together a team that both understands and executes within the parameters of campaign finance rules.

Smart people acknowledge and understand their shortcomings. Ms. Boebert appears to be either too arrogant or too clueless to admit she doesn’t understand basic financial management and is incapable of managing her dollars. Do you really want her making decisions about yours?

Teri Feeney Styers | Grand Junction

Don't run with scissors or vote for this candidate

For those of you not from Mesa County, you need to know Tina Peters, running for secretary of state.  She is the current Mesa County clerk and recorder.  She is currently under indictment for at least 10 crimes, several of them felonies.

Here in Grand Junction, in a June 14 editorial, the first paragraph states:

“In general, The Daily Sentinel does not endorse in primary elections. But we are making an exception this year to endorse against the following: running with scissors, drinking Drano, and voting for Tina Peters. She is a uniquely unqualified, incompetent, and immoral candidate in the Republican race for secretary of state.”

Other than her incompetence of leaving 500 uncounted ballots in a drop box in 2019, and the fact that in three years she has not completed the course required of county election clerks to take within two years, the main accusation against her is that, late on a Sunday night, she stole into the secure room where voting machines are located, ushered in three other people, turned the TV monitors off, downloaded passwords and photographed them, and a few days later displayed them. This was to prove that voting machines can be tampered with. It will cost the county millions to replace the machines, which are obviously compromised.

In Mesa County, she has been removed from her election duties by our current secretary of state. Now, she wants you to elect her to that job.

Republicans and unaffiliated voters have a choice between three candidates for secretary of state. If you want your vote counted and your property protected, vote for Pam Anderson.

Bill Heller | Palisade

Letters must include the writer's name and address. Those containing dis- or misinformation, or inciting hatred or violence will not be accepted. Letters may be edited for grammar, length or clarity. Send letters to opinion@chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Mail to the Chieftain: Primaries heat up