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LATEST LETTERS

Diversity spending

Friday, January 19 at 6:09 PM

Silly me. I thought former state auditor Joanne Hill was long gone ("Thank God and Greyhound, you’re gone"). The Jan. 18 Rocky Mountain News article, “Two seek audit of diversity spending” shows her ghost is still kicking. State Rep’s. Gardner and Cadman are also pre-occupied where pennies ($21.8 million in CU’s diversity program) are being spent, just like it was with Hill and her showboating audit of CU’s football, “wine, women, and song” funds. These two point-men, like Hill, give the Keystone Kops a bad name. Diversity is code for aiding disenfranchised citizens, who are seeking educational assistance, so they can better themselves. Most of these applicant-citizens are of an ebony-hue, and their fore-fathers have historically paid taxes to support CU, however, they nor their children were permitted to use the institution.
The GOP is famous for finding irrelevant wedge-issues, to deflect their guilt or pilfers in other areas. If the GOP posse of Cadman and Gardner really want to do all taxpayers a favor, then they should audit the disbursements made in the $14 billion in federal funds spent in the T-REX, Fas Tracks, and Stapleton/Fitzsimons redevelopment projects. Until I read their audit findings, these projects will always be remembered by me as GOP cash-cows, graft, and pork. Gardner and Cadman should tread lightly here, because they just find the undisclosed location of more “roomies” for Cunningham and Nye.
Colorado has more than 400K military veterans. Those of an ebony-hue, would appreciate knowing from an audit conducted by Gardner/Cadman, how and why, Owens (draft-evader) nullified their federal disability, contracting, and employment benefits, in the aforementioned federal projects. Maybe Gardner and Cadman can lend a hand. Across all racial lines, our vets have seen their benefits package vaporized by Owens and the GOP. Gardner and Cadman should repeal Owens’ illegal standing order which prohibits State of Colorado Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Labor (Veterans Employment & Training ) employees, from aiding vets in getting state jobs and contracts. Invader-in-chief, President Bush, has the same “standing order” as Owens, with his U.S. Dept. VA veterans employment counselor’s.
On both sides of the political aisle, our congressional reps and entire state legislative body, have failed our veterans in their lack of fiscal oversight, stewardship, “due -diligence", accountability, responsibility, and overall shirked their sworn duties. Cadman and Gardner should purge all of Owens’ lingering illegal appointees to state career civil service jobs and give those earmarks to their rightful owners, vets who served when America faithfully and honorably, when she called them to serve.
As a personal request. My family, bank account, and I, would appreciate it if this dynamic duo would audit why I applied for more than 250 jobs in the past 17 years with numerous state agencies, and never got an offer of employment. Thanks to the likes of Cadman, Gardner, and their draft-dodger led GOP-posse, I proudly join U.S. Rep. John Murtha (USMC Vietnam War hero), “I wouldn’t serve in today’s armed forces".
James J. Tenant
Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired
Centennial

This letter has not been edited.

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