Good Morning

Right now there is but one unopposed candidate on the ballot for district 2 county commissioner.  That person is Bruce Hovde.  Barring any other challenge, Bruce will be the next commissioner.  I’ve been urged by many of my supporters to provide a needed choice by petitioning on to the ballot.

For me to make that decision requires that I look more deeply into Bruce’s positions than most, since his recent public pronouncements are, on the surface very little different than mine.  IF THERE TRULY IS NO DIFFERENCE THERE WOULD BE NO REASON FOR ME TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE AND CERTAINLY NO REASON TO PETITION ONTO THE BALLOT.

I was struck by the phase “preserve quality of life” in his campaign literature.  I thought that curious.  How does government preserve quality of life?  I mean what tools are used to guarantee open space for example, a typical quality of life issue.  The answer is zoning, subdivision regulations, density standards, restrictions on ag land and more and more regulation. Just the tools Boulder, Aspen, and Telluride have used for years.  When government is involved there are always three parties, winners, losers and government, the 10,000 lb gorilla in the corner with its threat of force.  That was the first clue for me.

To gain additional insight into his real underlying core values I decided to look at whom he has supported in the past and what their major positions were.  I remember the forest of signs, a harbinger of things to come, in his yard supporting Jim Blankenship in the 2004 commissioner race.  So I researched the archives of the DCI to see what Bruce found so attractive about Jim’s position and principles. I found Jim supported zoning, communal review of private property decisions, and regulation of industry especially the mines and  surprise surprise  “preserving quality of life”.  Jim’s views were so far left, so socialistic that he received only 14% of the Republican vote. I believe that these are still Bruce’s hidden, unexpressed core values and the reason he supported Jim in the first place, liberal ideas that are diametrically opposed to my own.  It is free men and free enterprise that made us the envy of the world not government. 

I had now satisfied myself that there are fundamental and profound differences between our real core values. I believe in the rights of individuals to control their own lives.  I believe we already have way too much government and need to roll it back.  Since I really am conservative, two Republican Conservative groups one local, one national, have endorsed me.  Bruce has no such endorsement for good reason.  With your help, I want to grab the reins of Government and pull back.  Therefore, I feel it is my duty my obligation to offer voters a choice in the August primaries that they would not otherwise have by petitioning onto the Ballot.  With the help of other like minded citizens I hope we will be successful and that the conservative republican voters of Delta county will chose more freedom for their own lives in the August primaries by electing me, Mike Mason, as the next county commissioner from district 2.

If we are completely successful at the petition and win the primary, I can’t do it alone.  We have a great man running for County Commissioner in district 3 That man is Olen Lund who said in a Mar 8, 2008 letter:  “I am unapologetically conservative. I promise to protect private property rights and limit government to the best of my ability.  This country was not founded on principles of big government and communal property and I see no reason, particularly in Delta County, to change our course and implement such principles now!”   If I could I would make his words my own.  If elected it takes more than one commissioner to rein in government.  I sincerely hope and pray that Olen is returned to office to work with me to fulfill that goal. 

I am confidant that when voters know the real liberal values of my opponent they will overwhelmingly chose to loosen the shackles of regulation and control rather than tighten them as he would do. 

However of the 8,753 registered republican voters in Delta County we must get 632 valid Republican signatures for my name to be on the ballot. Only Republicans can sign. The bar is high. Absent those signatures there will be no choice.  There will be no debate or discussion of Delta County’s future.  There will be but one candidate on the primary with no announced opponent from the other party in the November general election. In effect you will have no choice at all.  Your vote will be meaningless. 

Isn’t Delta County’s future worth a choice, worth a little effort, thought and consideration?  I urge you to sign the petition or better yet volunteer to be a circulator and get up to 30 others to sign.  I urge you to sign even if your present leaning is for my opponent, just to preserve your right to vote, to hear the issues discussed freely and openly.

Thank You

Mike Mason for Delta County Commissioner