Democrat policies defined the theme of Republican candidates gathered at the Cortez Conference Center last week.

Political aspersions were cast against the Democrat-controlled White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. Forest Service and the EPA. The traditional election-year roasting triggered applause from the 40 or so GOP faithful.

"There is a disconnect between what is going on in Washington and the issues that we face here at home," said U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez). "This election is about the future of our country."

The hometown favorite is running for a third term and is facing Democrat Abel Tapia, of Pueblo.

Lack of cooperation from the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate is stalling important legislation, Tipton said.

"We have three of our bills with bipartisan support that have passed the House and are now sitting on the doorstep of the Senate," he said. But the administration's attitude is that they are "dead on arrival."

Tipton outlined his stalled bills that he said deserve Senate attention.

The Healthy Forests Management and Wildfire Prevention Act addresses ways to more effectively prevent wildfires through increased logging opportunity.

"It would give states and counties more control on how forests are managed and address the devastation we've seen," Tipton said.

The Planning for America's Energy Future Act focuses on developing domestic energy, rather than importing it from the war-torn Middle East.

"Do you think it is appropriate in terms of the international challenges we are seeing right now to not develop our own energy resources, and provide local jobs?" Tipton says.

Tipton also promoted the Water Rights Protection Act. The bill is designed to prevent federal control of local water and reign-in EPA policies. Tipton says the federal government is trying to claim private water rights in violation of Colorado appropriation laws. He says claims would violate the Fifth Amendment because it's a "taking" of a private property right.

"The EPA's extreme regulations try to control every drop of water that falls out of the sky onto our state," Tipton said. "We're fighting back to protect our water, but the attacks will keep coming. Ye,t our water bill sits on the Senate doorstep."

President Barack Obama did sign Tipon's Small Conduit Hydro-power Development Act into law last year. The bill strips redundant regulations away for small-hydro projects, making construction more affordable, and creating jobs.

Don Coram, Republican state representative for the 58th District, which includes Montezuma and Dolores Counties, is running unopposed for a third term. He said a hydro project in Montrose County benefited from the Tipton's hydro bill. Coram also passed bill in the Statehouse that benefits local hydro power projects.

"Hydro is a great base - our coal and natural gases are great bases," he said. "There is nothing wrong with wind and solar, but we need base power sources for when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow."

State Sen. Ellen Roberts represents La Plata and Montezuma county in District 6, and is running unopposed for a second four-year term. She took a few jabs at the U.S. Forest Service for what she feels is poor management.

Roberts wants the forest service to do something about beetle-ravaged forests because they are an eye-sore and deter tourists. She says increased logging sales are needed to thin out forests in order to deter major wildfires like the destructive West Fork fires last year.

"We need more active forest management. The destruction on Wolf Creek Pass reminds me of a Grimms Fairy Tale," Roberts said. "Standing dead and burned trees are ugly. During the fire tourists were redirected to Chama instead of along U.S. 160 to Pagosa, and onward to Durango and Cortez."

Tipton bristled at claims of gridlock in Congress, claiming it's the Democrats who are stonewalling.

"The Obama administration and (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid call for bipartisanship," Tipton said. "I submit that their idea of bipartisan is their way or no way. We need a system that works that's why we need to elect Cory Gardner to the U.S. Senate."

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com