EDITORIAL: Polis’ actions cast doubt on interest in governing all of Colorado

Journal- Advocate Sterling ^ | March 8, 2022 | Journal- Advocate Editorial Board

[george76]

A question must seriously be asked whether Jared Polis is interested in governing all of Colorado, or just the narrow strip that contains the vast majority of the state’s population.

Polis has repeatedly angered the small band of hardy farmers and ranchers that make up Colorado’s second-largest industry by his insensitive slights and tone-deaf insults. It’s as if the governor pays lip service to agriculture one day and then slaps it in the face the next. Case in point: In February Polis ignored the recommendations of his own Department of Agriculture and appointed yet another animal welfare extremist to a state position, this time within the ag department.

Rebecca Niemiec, who has actively supported the introduction of wolves to Colorado (despite objections from the professionals at Department of Parks and Wildlife) and publicly pushes a plant-based dietary agenda, is now the director of DOA’s Bureau of Animal Protection. Niemiec is an assistant professor at Colorado State University, which on the surface appears to be a stellar credential, especially given CSU’s long relationship with Dr. Temple Grandin. Prof. Grandin is one of the nation’s leading animal welfare experts and has worked closely with the livestock industry to help them minimize stress on their animals and thus maximize profits.

Not so, Prof. Niemiec, who teaches in something called the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at CSU. She is linked closely with “Mercy for Animals,” an organization devoted to the elimination of the livestock industry.

We were willing to give Polis a pass when he named anti-livestock provocateur Ellen Kessler to the state veterinary board. He claimed he was just looking for diversity on the state’s boards and commissions. We thought perhaps nearly two years of backlash and the eventual implosion of Kessler’s membership on that board may have been a learning experience for the governor. He has proven us wrong.

Polis took the stage at the March 2 Colorado Agriculture Forum (which used to be called the Governor’s Conference on Colorado Agriculture, pre-Polis) and spouted the usual bromides about how important ag is to Colorado and how devoted state government is to promoting new markets, yadda, yadda, yadda. He quickly left the stage before anyone could ask the obvious question, “If you love ag so much, why do you keep appointing anti-agriculture activists to state positions?”

We would suggest that, if the governor truly wants diversity in his appointments to ag-related positions, he looks for urbanites with corporate backgrounds, city folk who know something about opening new markets, Broncos season ticket holders with an appreciation for a good ribeye. And when it comes to animal welfare, why are Temple Grandin and Lily Edwards-Callaway at CSU not consulted? Surely one of their graduates would be highly qualified for the position.

Gov. Polis is not just looking for diversity in his appointments. Jared Polis has now made it perfectly clear that he has little or no interest in actually promoting Colorado’s livestock industry. And it occurs to us that a politician who is, at best, unaware of the existential threat to agriculture or, at worst, openly hostile to it, may not be qualified to govern all of Colorado.

[kiryandil]

I last ran my Obama 2008-2020 vote fraud tool for Colorado in August of 2021, but I have learned many more things since then.

[qaz123]

And why that ladybugs being persecuted by the Colorado SecState

[qaz123]

And why that lady is being persecuted…..auto correct got me

Those numbers are staggering

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