GUEST COLUMN: Why I changed position on the Southern Delivery System
By Scott McInnis
I appreciate the opportunity to share my perspective on a recent Gazette column questioning my commitment to the Southern Delivery System — which will be an important project for the entire Pikes Peak Region. (Re: “Water, money and the man who would be governor,” Barry Noreen, May 27).
The fact is that the SDS project has come a long way in six years, and a bipartisan coalition of local officials and stakeholders in the Pikes Peak region — and in Pueblo — deserve enormous credit for broad improvements in it.
This is a big improvement from 2004 pertaining to the Preferred Storage Option Plan that Colorado Springs Utilities was championing at the time. Basically, the so-called PSOP legislation — really a last-minute amendment to another bill — would have called for a study of enlarging the Pueblo Dam, among other things. I neither supported that, nor the Southern Delivery System. Representing a rural district, agriculture, ranching and farming as a base, water, of course, was critical — as it is throughout our state. But the key was to ensure that everybody received a fair deal.
Simply put, I believed then that the project needed significant improvements — improvements that a “no” vote could encourage. It’s clear that, as I left Congress, others, including my successor, could give deep consideration to positive and needed changes to the project. That’s exactly what happened.
I don’t believe in just moving projects forward because that’s the easiest route to take. I believe in doing it right. It was clear that this project was important for the region’s future and that sending it back to the drawing board would benefit all concerned. If PSOP was such a good idea, I reasoned, it would come up again and get due consideration this time.
The key is cooperation and dialogue. I was very pleased to see Colorado Springs, Pueblo County, rural Colorado, the Western Slope and others work together in earnest. The playing field was leveled. And it was and is, today’s good-faith cooperation that forms the foundation of the Southern Delivery System.
This collaboration, which was frankly lacking in 2004 and is alive today, is why the project has earned my support. I’m also very pleased with the required safety and environmental projects on Fountain Creek. As with many folks in the region, while my support didn’t come easily, it’s enthusiastic for this reformed and vastly improved project. What convinced me is all of the hard work, good-faith negotiations and collaboration that we’ve seen between Colorado Springs, El Paso County, the City of Pueblo, Pueblo County, and all of the other interested parties. Now, SDS and Fountain Creek are seen as connected — which had to happen — each a part of a larger system. Thanks to the hard work of many, we now know that SDS is what’s best for all. Not just here in Southern Colorado, but for all Coloradans. SDS is a model of what we should be doing more of in the West — making the maximum safe use of existing water storage facilities so we don’t have to build new ones. It is a great example of sound fiscal policy.
It is important for me to tell the whole story about the evolution of this project. And I’m proud that so many of the real champions of SDS in Colorado Springs are supporting my bid for Governor, including people such as Mayor Lionel Rivera and Vice Mayor Larry Small, like El Paso County Commissioners Sallie Clark, Jim Bensberg, Wayne Williams, Dennis Hisey, and former Councilwoman Margaret Radford.
These leaders know how to respect differences of opinion and move on — and partner with their colleagues to find common ground. As governor, I will work for all Coloradans and look out for the best interests of our state even in the face of politics as usual, knowing that it’s plain and simple the right thing to do.
Scott McInnis is running of the Republican nomination for governor
