Letter to the editor from russel curtis

Candidates’ contributions 
from billionaire troubling

I have spent most of my life here. No issue raises the hackles of Western Slope people more than the Front Range people messing with us: our water, our funding and our politics.

I was very suspicious when I learned a billionaire from Greenwood Village, Ed McVaney, was the biggest contributor to the campaigns of John Sluder, Michael Lowenstein and Pat Kanda for the District 51 school board. Why would someone from the Front Range meddle with a school board election in Mesa County?

I’m not bothered that MVEA was a big contributor to Tom Parrish’s and Greg Mikolai’s campaigns. If teachers want to support them, it makes sense for the teachers’ organization to contribute. Those teachers live and work here. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of our local school district.

What business does a billionaire from the Front Range have in our local election? Unless, of course, he hopes to “do business” here. Unless, of course, he’s hoping to buy our school board and be able to expand the private schools he owns. I say Western Slope issues need to be resolved by Western Slope people!

Can we really trust candidates who can’t raise enough funds locally and have to get funds from someone living on the Front Range? Sluder, Lowenstein and Kanda have walked into a hornet’s nest by accepting McVaney’s money.

RUSSELL CURTIS

Fruita