Election Day – April 7 Make Sure Your Vote Counts!

The candidates discussed growth, traffic, trains, safety, water, economy, tiny homes, affordable housing, pay wage increases, balancing our quality of life and their take on the ballot issues in public discussions held last month. For those not paying attention to the election discussions, no one is talking about the elephant in the room, recreational marijuana, except Ward Luthi who said the word “dispensaries” with regards to Fort Collins tourism. Luthi understands the ideals that make this City great: recreation, open space, and governmental accountability. 
Mike Pruznick, who was added to the mayoral candidates after our deadline for the March issue, represents the middle ground, and plans to protect and promote the general welfare of the community. Kristin Stephens, addressed safety concerns with traveling through our ever-more populated City, and can represent those seeking affordable housing. Carl Wangsvick is calling for CSU to open the 12 vacant residence halls so that more than 3,000 students can live on campus, freeing up space for other citizens. Gerry Horack wants young people to get involved and let their voices be heard. This means YOU! Nancy Tellez’s experience on the school board has fostered a desire for more public input, better public transit, and municipal broadband so people can telecommute.
Ray Martinez and Eric Kronwall skirted around issues and deferred to answers like: “what the people want,” and “we’ll talk once I’m elected,” which aren’t true answers for what they stand for. Martinez even said in our last story, “medicinal use of marijuana is very acceptable and always has been for me,” which is an outright fabrication. Now that recreational marijuana is legal, does he think we’ve forgotten, in our Cheetos and Twinkies haze, where he stood just four years ago? In 2011, he successfully lead a campaign “Don’t Let Our Town Go To Pot” to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Fort Collins. In 2012, his book, “The Truth about Marijuana: America’s Snake Oil” was published in which he states, “Today we are faced with the twenty-first-century ‘snake oil’ that proponents want you to believe that marijuana cures everything from minor pains to curing cancer. Snake oil never lives up to the sellers’ hype.”
Wade Troxell is also quoted in Martinez’s book, “Let’s be honest and stand up for what’s best for our community. Under Amendment 20, voter intent did not allow for retail distribution on marijuana.” However, in our story last month, Troxell said, “I respect Fort Collins’ voters and stand in support of ordinances passed by the Fort Collins City Council.” So which opinions are their truth? The ones published in Martinez’s book, or the ones published in Scene Magazine?
Whoever you support, do yourself and your community a favor and mail in your ballot! You have 6 days from the time this issue comes out to have your voice heard. Don’t delay!