Al White in Dist. 57

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

During three terms as the representative from House District 57, centrist Republican Al White has developed an impressive list of accomplishments ranging from tourism funding to creating the state no-call list for telephone solicitations to standardizing concealed-carry weapons permits throughout the state.

He deserves to be re-elected.

White was recently named to the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee. If he is re-elected to the district that includes Grand, Jackson, Routt, Garfield, Rio Blanco and Moffat counties, he will add another Western Slope voice to the committee now headed by Grand Junction’s Rep. Bernie Buescher.

White’s opponent, Democrat Andy Gold, is also from Grand County. He is running as a moderate Democrat and his views on many issues are not significantly different than White’s.

Both men say they will work to protect western Colorado’s water and to enhance the rights of surface landowners in disputes with the oil and gas industry. Both also argue for protecting private property rights with respect to condemnation by governments.

But White already has a solid legislative record on such issues. He has voted for measures like last year’s water-quality bill that would have made it more difficult for Front Range entities to divert Western Slope water to the other side of the mountain. Additionally, he served on the Water Resources Review Committee, examining potential legislation on water.
White supported legislation that would have given more protection to surface landowners last year. Moreover, White is an outright rarity among Republicans these days. He has won the endorsement of the Colorado Conservation Voters and has a record of voting more often than not with the group during his six years in the Legislature.

He is also a limited-government Republican. He carried the legislation this year that prohibits local governments from condemning private property for the purposes of economic development.

The greatest differences between White and Gold involve education and immigration. Gold hews more to the Democratic Party line on changing CSAP tests. White is much more adamant in supporting legislation to reduce state services to illegal immigrants and to impose sanctions on employers who knowingly hire them.

White has been a very good representative for the 57th District and the Western Slope. He needs to be re-elected.