Club 20 detractors should join to add balance

Previously published in the Grand Junction Sentinel.

As a resident of the Western Slope and a registered Democrat, I was disappointed to read that Gov. Hickenlooper turned down Club 20’s debate invitation.

Western Colorado has unique issues and I wanted to hear them addressed by both senatorial candidates. As a Club 20 member, I agree that the organization’s current membership leans conservative, but that is by self-selection. Club 20 welcomes anyone from the Western Slope who wants to join. If Democrats want this influential organization to have a more balanced voice, then more Democrats should join.

I joined because I’m a volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Club 20
advocates for energy policy on behalf of the Western Slope. That means they
are talking for me. So I got involved.

Listening to Club 20 presentations and the diverse perspectives of regional
leaders helps me better understand the specific local impacts of policy
decisions. If your county’s economy depends on snowpack and tourism,
climate change is an existential threat. If your county’s economy depends
on fossil fuel extraction, then climate policy is an existential threat. We have heard presentations from various perspectives on implementation of the state clean energy laws passed in 2019. Last March, Citizens Climate Lobby gave a presentation to the Club 20 Energy Committee on Carbon Fee and Dividend, a revenue-neutral policy that has bipartisan support in Congress.

We are in a fast-paced energy transition with lots of challenges to solve. Club 20 will be a key part of that and we need broader participation. Governor Hickenlooper is a consensus-builder. If he wants to earn a seat in the US Senate, then he’d better be willing and able to debate ideas in a right-leaning
forum.