December 13, 2016 01:25 AM UTC

Mesa County Commissioners and Math

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• by: Benita Phillips

The Mesa County Commissioners’ weekly meeting was punctuated by several scenes of interest.
The first, was the opening statement by Rose Pugliese regarding the denial of the Jordan Cove port project with its subsequent cross-country pipelines. The usual rhetoric about “government” overreach ensued. Rose used the public’s time for a tirade that was made of her total misunderstanding of what she called “basic economics.” She ignores what the public has stated in no uncertain terms, that Jordan Cove is not in the future thinking of Oregon or Colorado citizens. The future belongs to renewables. Old oil and gas technology is a Trump-thing due to his aging brain.

The second, was Scott McInnis’ tirade at two citizens that dared to make him uncomfortable. Two citizens of Mesa County had legitimate questions and wanted answers and wanted to make sure the Commissioners were compliant with the law. Scott McInnis showed just how thin his skin really is when it comes to questioning his transparency and honesty.

The third and most disturbing issue had to do with the audience. I don’t know how many Mesa County Department heads were in attendance, but I would venture to say most of them. The meeting in which they remained an audience lasted about an hour and a half. They were sitting like dutiful lackeys, doing the Commissioners’ bidding by being there on the taxpayers’ paid time. They were there to take their turn genuflecting, at the podium, reassuring the Commissioners that they were doing a good job. Of all people, President Tim Foster of CMU, was there and was saccharin in his appraisal of the Commissioners’ attempt at making a budget and ensuring he gets his blood money from the Mesa County turnip.

Mesa County Commissioners: In, minus out equals accumulation. This is real basic economics Rose. As “fluid” as you think your budget is, you cannot spend money the county does not have. It is called money management, where “deficit spending” is NOT considered good money management. Deficit spending has become a Republican hallmark. Just ask Cheney about deficits incurred on the Iraq war and never addressed. Then remember 2008.