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onewhocares (Anonymous) says…

Mr. Andrew, there is a thing called a balance, which we need to practice with oil drilling. Because we have the ability to drill on thousands of isolated, open acres within Moffat Couny, it is insulting and ridiculous that the commissioners opened the door to drill in or near Loudy-Simpson, a park thousands use for recreational and esthetic purposes. Although the commissioners are stating it will not happen in the park, the “wheatfield” mentioned by Tom Gray IS on park property, right about the soccer field, visible from 4 miles away. I'm shocked the county has not done anything to beautify that acreage, such as adding a walking & bike trail (that high school age kids could build as a community project), or planting trees up top with picnic tables overlooking the beautiful views, instead of allowing oil rigs that will only financially benefit a few. So, Mr. Andrew Steve Morris had every right to stand up and fight for land that was not the commissioners personal property to lease away.

nikobesti (Anonymous) says…

Steve: Raising issue with decisions your government makes most definitely does not make one a hypocrite just because they enjoy living in that community. This nation was founded on democracy, just like Moffat was largely founded on resource use. Does that make you a hypocrite for condemning Mr. Morris for exercising his democratic right to voice his decent?

Just curious, did you support the tea partiers? Are you also opposed to criticism of Obama? Why is speaking out a good thing when they agree with your cause but bad when they don't? Could that be hypocrisy?

bluestflameco (Anonymous) says…

When I was a little girl, I called my brother “stupid head.” My mother shook her head, and said, “How sad for you that you have nothing of value or logic to argue your point. If you did have something worth saying, you would not have to resort to name-calling.” Mr. Andrew, you should listen to my mother.

Sage_Sam (Anonymous) says…

So because Moffat County has traditionally had extractive resource industry, it is then okay to go a lease our park? This argument is completely specious and shallow. Loudy-Simpson is an amazing resource to our community, providing amenities that everyone can enjoy. To call Mr. Morris a “hypocrite” for raising the alarm that the Commission's decision to lease one of our community's jewels as a shortsighted decision is downright ridiculous and senseless.

It is our duty as citizens to analyze, question–and when deserving–actively oppose the decisions of our elected officials. They work for us–the citizens and to denigrate someone for actively engaging in our democracy via an ad-hominem attack reeks of the pattern of continued suppression of alternate ideas and ideals that has been a hallmark of our community for too long.

We can only cling to the familiar for so long, at some point we need to begin planning for a future without the coal mines and power plant (let's be honest, oil and gas development has a negligible economic impact here in terms of jobs and direct economic impacts, pipelines provide tax revenue and that's about it). In order to attract and retain business and innovative and motivated individuals, we need to be able to provide some amenities, amenities like Loudy-Simpson. We cannot continue to mortgage our future for a few trinkets today, less we place ourselves and our children in a position of failure 30 years on down the road.