District Demands: Border, Crime, and Property Rights Take Center Stage

By Anne Boswell, Colorado News Your Way

From the borders to the barnyard and beyond, Southeast Colorado residents turned out to speak up to Congressman Jeff Hurd. The Representative for Colorado's third district promised a visit and came prepared to hear it all.

Taking notes, Congressman Hurd went around the room asking each attendee what his or her number one concern for Colorado at this moment in time.

Third District US Representative Jeff Hurd talks with Otero County resident Michelle Gardner

The border, crime, private property rights, drugs, threats to agriculture, and drugs were the most common responses, although getting rid of Colorado's mail-in voting system received honorable mention.

Otero County ranchers Barb and Zane Leininger attended because they have been involved with following something that would greatly affect them and their cattle operation.

"My biggest concern is private property rights as it pertains to loss of ranch land for beef production," Barb said. She followed by explaining that Southeast Colorado has a very aggressive Southern Plains Land Trust. (https://southernplains.org/en/)

It is a non-governmental organization, an environmental non-governmental organization, or NGO as to which they are commonly referred.

Barb continued, "Yes, an environmental NGO that buys up ranches and then takes all of the fences out and re-wilds."

According to Meriam Webster dictionary on-line, the term re-wilding is defined as follows:

An effort to increase biodiversity and restore the natural processes of an ecosystem that typically involves reducing or ceasing human activity and often the planned reintroduction of a plant or animal species..."

Leininger worries because she explains that it would take private land out of production for agricultural purposes.

Otero county resident Betty Blanco expressed her continued concerns that the United States have a secure border.

Congressman Hurd answered he feels major improvements have been made so far.

"The southern border from a human smuggling standpoint, it is virtually secure, we made amazing steps, President Trump has done a fantastic job, we did a lot with Congress and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, and getting the border even more secure."

He said they are still working on getting control over the smuggling of fentanyl into the country but at least it's more difficult to get the drugs here with fewer people coming in.

"The cartels don't have that part of their business anymore because the southern border is virtually secure, if you think that a multi-billion dollar company or cartel is just going to give up and say 'oh we're not going to try it anymore,' you're crazy, so we need to stay vigilant."

Fowler resident, Otero County GOP Chair, wife of a Veterinarian and self proclaimed "military brat" Trish Leone agreed with most of the concerns on the table but added her main concern now is getting the government open.

"But I completely stand with not bending or breaking because America cannot afford that trillion dollar package for socialized medicine, we've got to figure out a different answer," Leone went on to say she has been following the updates closely. There was much discussion on the topic which Leone prefaced she knows it's the hot topic.

As of this writing, the Senate had not moved to re-open the government. Stay tuned.

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