Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper\u2019s decision to abandon his pathetic run for president and go for Colorado\u2019s representative to the U.S. Senate excites me not one bit. The last thing we need is another promoter of the oil and gas industry in the Senate.<\/p>\n
As a former geologist for Buckhorn Petroleum, Hickenlooper performed his duties as governor as if he were still on their payroll. He opposed any regulation designed to make oil and gas extraction safer, healthier or less impactful on the climate or the environment.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t tell me Hickenlooper has the best chance to beat incumbent Cory Gardner. After one term, Gardner is dead meat. Polls show anybody with a \u201cD\u201d behind their name would trounce him by 10 points or more. Colorado has become my blue heaven.<\/p>\n
Gardner committed harikari when he endorsed Donald Trump for president. That\u2019s poison in this state. He might as well have backed Tom Tancredo.<\/p>\n
Besides, I found my needle in the 14-candidate haystack for the Democratic nomination for Senate at an Aug. 21 meet-and-greet for former Colorado Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff at Carbondale\u2019s Bonfire coffee house. He had me with his first words.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy top priority is to rescue the planet by reversing the effects of climate change,\u201d Romanoff said.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t think of a more important issue. I\u2019m sure Hickenlooper could.<\/p>\n
Romanoff said he isn\u2019t in favor of incremental reforms to solve the climate crisis and he called for an immediate carbon tax. Not forgetting the reduction of oil and gas extraction would cause a large job loss in Colorado, Romanoff said there should be job training for oil and gas workers in other industries.<\/p>\n
I asked the question I know you all want Romanoff to answer. He doesn\u2019t know what happened to Anastasia.<\/p>\n
Fred Malo Jr.<\/p>\n
Carbondale<\/p>\n