LATEST LETTERS

Focus on the state

Thursday, March 29 at 12:01 AM

Mark Sear of Lakewood writes:

When I voted on my state representative, I was under the impression that state problems were to be the focus. There is no shortage of them, from education funding to road repair. If legislators don't have enough work to do with our homegrown problems, maybe they should just go home.

There is no reason for them to be debating Iraq policy, as that is the job of our federal representatives. Please, those of you in the Statehouse, do the job that you were sent to do and leave policy that you have no authority over alone.

There are plenty of ways for those who want to make their positions known to those who have the authority to deal with Iraq policy.

READER COMMENTS

While I can see Mark's concern, there is this to consider. When the Bush administration spends, and wastes, billions of dollars in Iraq, then those billions are not available to spend on needs at home. There are many state needs that require federal funding. To paraphrase, no state is an island unto itself, it is a part of the whole, and what is done to the whole is done to each part. So it is not altogether inappropriate for a state to be concerned about what is done to the whole. Sorry about that John Donne.

Posted by Truth on March 29, 2007 08:41 AM

Mr. Sear

You REALLY don't expect our reps to do anything for the citizens of Colorado do you??

Really??

Posted by A on March 29, 2007 09:56 AM

It is hard to quarrel with "Truth" because there are three sides: Yours, mine, and that of the final arbiter; however, herein, I concur with Truth over Mark's concern. r22037@yahoo

Posted by Richard Grimes on March 29, 2007 10:12 AM

Why doesn't the state legislature pass resolutions about the billions of dollars the federal government wastes on pork and other ill-advised projects and programs? If it did, there might be less oportunity to feed at the federal trough. When did the state legislature become experts on military policy?

Posted by taxpayingdupe on March 29, 2007 10:48 AM

Apparently our state doesn't have any genuine problems. The way I can tell is that when they're not pointlessly debating Iraq, our legislature wrings its hands about teens going to tanning parlors. That's a made-up problem if I ever heard of one. I'm expecting the other shoe to drop anytime now: the legislature will debate a bill to keep teens indoors on carcinogenic (sunny) days.

Posted by karen on March 29, 2007 11:35 AM

I think Mark is bang on. Pretend for a moment that Colorado's legislature comes to some sort of agreement, and finds the absolute perfect solution for Iraq. Then what? They give it to...who? Can we pull home all the troops from Colorado?

The CO legislature arguing over Iraq is as worthless and pointless as what we're doing on this webpage: nobody but us will ever read this or if they do, they won't care what Richard Grimes or Karen says.

The CO government needs to govern CO. That is something they have the authority (although not necessarily the ability) to do.

Good letter, Mark.

Posted by Grog on March 29, 2007 04:33 PM