Face the State

Emails Obtained by Face the State; Conservative Members Concerned
Face the State Staff Report

Durango, Colo.—As business leaders prepare to meet here today as part of the highly influential Club 20, they may just be in for a heated debate. E-mails obtained by Face the State reveal the desires of a one liberal member, San Miguel County Commissioner Art Goodtimes, to bypass Club policies and pull the organization away from its traditional focus.

The organization, long active in Colorado politics and seen as the voice for western Colorado business and environmental issues, is convening its committee on agriculture, energy, water, public lands, and natural resources, to discuss some of the most important issues affecting western Colorado’s economy and geography. Committee meetings are also scheduled later in the month in Gunnison to discuss transportation, tourism and health care.

Goodtimes, who received the prestigious Johnson/Theos Bridge builder award from Club 20 in 2005, is the founder of the “Club 20 Progressives Caucus”, also known as the “Pony Tail Caucus”. The informal group is made up of members who share the same goals as Goodtimes to exert “progressive” influence on the group and its policies.

Goodtimes’ series of e-mails, sent over the past several months to fellow club members associated with the caucus, discuss his goals of bringing Club 20 “out of the dark ages,” exerting “progressive influence,” “breaking our way into leadership,” and usurping the club’s established committee process. Those receiving Goodtimes' e-mails as members of the caucus include state legislators, county commissioners, city council members, and various western Colorado activists.

In an e-mail dated September 7, 2006 Goodtimes explicitly discussed opportunities to “bypass Club policies" and transform the organization to reflect his liberal outlook. And in an In a June 6, 2006 e-mail, He calls Club 20 “a booster club for industry.

Goodtimes has also attempted to work around Club 20’s longstanding committee process. Club 20 Executive Director Reeves Brown sent a letter to Democrat U.S. Reps. mark Udall and John Salazar discussing Club 20's position on western Colorado’s Roan Plateau. His communications with the elected officials came on the eve of Salazar and Udall’s failed attempt to pass a federal amendment to prevent the BLM from moving forward with leasing the area.

As reported in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Gootimes attacked Brown for sending the letter but later apologized, stating that “Reeves had every right to send the letter.” But in a June 23, 2007 email, Gootimes wrote both Udall and Salazar, urging them to ignore the official Club 20 position.

Goodtimes’ e-mails also shadow a more public fight over Club 20 control. Goodtimes' public dispute with Brown was reported in a recent article published by The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.

Goodtimes' efforts have also begun to push out any longstanding Club 20 members. One club member, speaking off the record, stated that many longtime members of Club 20 have recently dropped their membership or stopped attending the group’s functions because of their belief that the organization has lost its way in lobbying for pro-business, multiple use policies in western Colorado. According to the member, Goodtimes’ e-mails give credence to the belief that there has been a concerted effort underway for the last few years to take the organization by over by liberal interests coming from the inside.

Click here for the apology email from Goodtimes

Click here for other emails referenced.