Meet Jack Turner, Independent Candidate for County Commissioner, District 2

HELLO, I’M JACK TURNER, CANDIDATE FOR LA PLATA COUNTY COMMISSIONER. MY FAMILY’S BEEN HERE FOR SIX GENERATIONS AS RANCHERS, BUILDERS, AND ALL SORTS OF BUSINESSPEOPLE… AND WE’VE HAD A FEW RASCALS TOO. IN THE 160 YEARS SINCE JOHN C. TURNER FIRST ARRIVED IN THE ANIMAS VALLEY, OUR COMMUNITY HAS ENDURED AND SURVIVED MAN-MADE AND NATURAL DISASTERS - EPIC STORMS, WAR, A GREAT DEPRESSION, WILDFIRE, FLOODS AND ALL SORTS OF LESSER CRISES. TODAY WE’RE TASKED WITH REINVENTION AND RECOVERY FROM A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, AND CLIMATE STRESS THAT’S WORSE THAN ANYTHING I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT IN OUR FAMILY HISTORY. AND YET, I’M EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC FOR OUR FUTURE.  THE PROBLEMS HERE ARE SMALL COMPARED TO WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD FACE.  THE REASON FOR MY HOPEFUL OUTLOOK IS THAT I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN OUR PEOPLE. I JUST FINISHED A 1,700-MILE, SIX-MONTH JOURNEY BY CAR AND BIKE ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY.  I DROVE EVERY COUNTY ROAD AND PEDALED ALL THE STREETS IN DURANGO, BAYFIELD, AND IGNACIO.  I TREKKED THROUGH AS MANY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I COULD FIND, FROM FOREST LAKES ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY TO RED MESA IN THE WEST. I’VE BEEN THROUGH DOZENS OF MOBILE HOME PARKS, URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS, RURAL SUBDIVISIONS, AND GATED COMMUNITIES.  YOU CAN SEE PHOTOS AND GPS TRACKS ON MY WEBSITE, ELECTJACKTURNE.COM. ALTHOUGH I’VE NOT RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE BEFORE, I ENTERED THIS CONTEST FOR TWO IMPORTANT REASONS. FIRST, I’M EXPERIENCED, WILLING, AND ABLE TO SERVE LA PLATA COUNTY AS MY FAMILY AND OTHER LONG-TIME LOCALS HAVE DONE FOR GENERATIONS. SECOND, AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT IN THESE TIMES, IS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK FOR OUR NATION AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO START GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.  THIS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT CONSIDERING THE PARTISAN DIVIDE THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE GOTTEN THEMSELVES INTO. I BELIEVE THAT A MAJORITY OF CITIZENS HUNGER FOR A WAY TO HIT RESET WITH EACH OTHER - EVEN RIGHT HERE IN LA PLATA COUNTY.  THAT’S WHY I’M RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT, WHICH, BY THE WAY IS HOW 40 PERCENT OF LA PLATA COUNTY VOTERS ARE REGISTERED – MORE THAN ANY OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES BY A LONG SHOT. IT’S NOT THAT I DISLIKE OR DISMISS POLITICAL PARTIES.  DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS BOTH HAVE SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SUCCESS.  MY HOPE IS TO FIND A WAY TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN BOTH THOSE GROUPS WITHOUT LIMITING MYSELF, OR YOU, TO A NARROW IDEOLOGICAL LANE OR PARTY TRADITION. CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE,ELECTJACKTURNER.COMTO LEARN ABOUT MY UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE, OUTLOOK, AND WHAT I STAND FOR. NOW, THERE WON’T BE ANY TRADITIONAL CAMPAIGN DEBATES OR RALLIES THIS YEAR, BUT THERE WILL BE LOTS OF MEDIA COVERAGE AND SEVERAL CANDIDATE FORUMS THAT YOU CAN FIND ONLINE THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND, OF COURSE, RIGHT HERE ON THE LOCAL NEWS. IN CLOSING, I BELIEVE THE SUN ALWAYS RISES ON LA PLATA COUNTY.  WE WILL SURVIVE AND THRIVE, ESPECIALLY IF OUR MOST IMPORTANT CALLING IS TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER. IF I’M GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SERVE AS YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, MY PROMISE IS TO GIVE A FAIR LISTEN TO ALL BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE ANY POLITICAL DEBT. I’LL BE HONEST, TRANSPARENT, AND THOUGHTFUL IN LEADERSHIP AND BEING YOUR PARTNER WHETHER THERE IS GOOD NEWS OR BAD. AND I’LL WORK MY TAIL OFF TO DO SO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.