June 2007 | Main | August 2007
I think it is a waste of money for the US government to give Colorado more Homeland Security money due to the upcoming Democratic convention. Denver will be the safest city in America during this time. Terrorists know that Democrats are soft when it comes to terrorism. So they will do no harm to this city and will support any candidate the Democrats elect to represent them.
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Cuba and Castro
The Cuban who wrote about Castro needs to know . That Castro was Cuban caused and created. If those Cubans who fled in the 1950’s had the guts to fight for Cuba like Castro did. They would still be in Cuba.Castro with a ragtag ill equipped and outnumbered army beat those who supported Bastista and made a living off the poor of Cuba. Do Not feel sorry for him at all.
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Bush’s war policies
It’s remarkable how President Bush’s war policies have alienated even some of the United States’ most reliable Middle East partners. Even the typically servile Saudis have tired of the disastrous doings in Iraq and have openly announced their support for the tenacious Sunni insurgency there.
The Saudi Wahhabist royal family would love to see the Shiite Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, deposed and have baldly named Iraq an “illegally occupied” country.
In response to these dramatic diplomatic deviations, Bush now characteristically offers his wavering Gulf clients the only thing he’s capable of delivering. He’s placed more than $20 billion of hi-tech U.S.-made weaponry on the table, enough it’s hoped to convince the Saudis to stifle their insurgent Sunni allies inside Iraq.
Moreover, Israel’s understandable concern over such a destabilizing deal will be allayed with financial and military emoluments worth billions more, prompting, in turn, a balancing boost in armaments and funds to prop up Egypt’s corrupt police state.
That these hackneyed arrangements, when inevitably approved in substantial form by Congress, will continue to fatten the wallets of Bush’s friends in the military-industrial-oil complex is, of course, merely a convenient coincidence.
Peace.
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CNN presidential debate
News is coming out that only two of the many GOP presidential candidates have so far agreed to participate in the upcoming CNN debate. Could it be that most of them are afraid of modern technology, especially when it will expose them to the real world of real people on national TV, rather than—as Bush/Cheney/Rove have taught the past six years—to talk only to preselected and thoroughly vetted audiences as these people always do.
It is about time that all the candidates become exposed to what the majority of people think and feel, rather than just the minority who agrees with most of their positions.
It will be revealing to see if any more are willing to talk to the people at large. My guess is, in the end most of them will participate to keep from losing face entirely, but most of them will do badly and will be embarrassed by their positions when compared to the majority of the country.
This is what politics should really be about, exposing all who run for office to a large audience that represents a cross section of citizens, not to only those who have enough cash to buy scads of TV time for thirty second sound bites. Good for CNN and Cooper Anderson for offering us this revealing format.
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Bill Johnson and Ward Churchill
It’s worth noticing when your columnist, Bill Johnson, takes on the cause of someone who’s not a minority, because it is rare. On 7/27, he chose a white guy. Not your average white guy; a white guy who masquerades as a Native American to acquire a plum position as a professor at a state university. And not just a pseudo-Indian, but a flaming plagiarist who minors in intimidation in his classroom and assault for those who challenge him, be they Italians or real Indians. And yet Johnson champions him.
The amazing irony in Johnson is that this professor likely denied a minority member from that plum position by posing as an Indian. Of course we are talking about the pseudo-Indian, unqualified professor, and super-demagog; Ward Churchill. His supporters, including Johnson, opine that it was his “Little Eichmanns” paper that motivated CU to oust him. That is a big red herring. It was actually the publicity from that paper’s publicity that caused CU to have their noses rubbed in their own incompetence by having promoted him to a position he was never qualified to hold. And yet Johnson champions him.
It would seem that Johnson is reacting to the feeding frenzy of the Right by being a contrarian to reason in championing Churchill as he tilts at the rehire windmill. Just because the Right is in a feeding frenzy, it does not mean they are wrong. Inflaming passions is Johnson’s stock in trade, and he certainly ought to acknowledge a righteous cause. Banishing Churchill from his banal classroom screes is not only the right; it is the obligation of a well-run university.
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Bush administration
Leroy Quet
But the thing is, it is THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION ITSELF that has CAUSED, in the first place, the very problems that Americans want Congress to address!
I doubt many Americans want Congress to just let Bush and friends get away completely with their illegal activities. Should the White House be REWARDED for messing up our country and the world by having Bush Admn officials’ wrong-doing uninvestigated simply because Congress is too busy fixing the problems caused by the Bush Admn itself??
That would defy all sense of justice.
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Joe Nacchio
One can certainly sense the glee and gloating from the media and the public with the stiff sentence handed down to Joe Nacchio.
Lest the editors and columnists of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News get too heady eith being able to kill so many trees for a story, be they reminded of the late-1990s when they filled endless pages with glowing stories about Nacchio and Qwest. Any counterpoint was quickly ridiculed and squashed. I did not see the newspapers as co-defendants for aiding and abetting Nacchio’s efforts to blue-sky Qwest to investors, but perhaps they should have been. Those who take sides indiscriminately simply for the sake of personal advantage are guilt of pandering.
Within the context of a retributive justice system Nacchio’s sentence certainly seems ‘fair.’ But what can we say about the retributive system in general? What, really, does it accomplish in such cases? Other than temporarily sating one of the lowest of human emotions - vengeance - not much.
Two wrongs don’t make a right; but if the human race hasn’t learned that by now, it is not likely to ever learn it. We’ll keep going with a retributive system of justice and judges intoxicated with power belching out the tired old bromide, “A stiff sentence will send a message to others” whilst knowing full well there isn’t a shard of evidence to indicate any such thing.
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Joe Nacchio
I miss the smile. You know, the big, cheery, arrogant, catch-me-if-you-can smirk Joe Nacchio (and his wife) always put on for the media when going to-and-from the courthouse during his trail?
The half-page photo of Nacchio in the Rocky Wall Street West (7/28) was just missing oh, I dunno, that certain something. I guess learning that you’re going to be spending the next six years locked up, even in a federal minimum-security country club (will the cons in the laundry room there be able to get Joe’s tennis whites —really— white?) sorta takes the starch outta your shorts. Penning a check for around $60 million—lopping a whopping what, 3-4% off the top of his ill-gotten fortune (but still plenty left to keep the missus in the style to which she has grown accustomed while you’re away, Joe!)—has probably added another frown line to Joe’s face, too. I bet he’d already earmarked that folding cash for a(nother) yacht.
Well, at least Joe has one thing to smile about: in a minimum-security pen, he won’t have to worry about putting smiles on the faces of any hardened, violent criminals in the showers.
Too bad.
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Iraq
RMtnNews devoted nearly a full page to D. Pipes’ pipe-dream about ‘salvaging ’ our Iraq project. “We’ve lost the occupation, but we can win the war.”
Pipes wants us to retreat to desert bases. He hopes this will a) unseat Syrian & Iranian regimes (b)assure free flow of oil and gas (c) and fight Qaeda.
In other words, he wants to set up permanent bases in Iraq. Now the House of Representatives must fund such bases. But the House has passed 7 resolutions opposing permanent bases. The last measure passed by a uniquely bipartisan majority: 400 votes vs. 24 against the ban.
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Mike Rosen
Mike Rosen believes that the Republicans might just make a comeback in 2008.
He thinks that if they continue to sit quiet and quiver in the corner over the blatant violations of our constitution, the lying, cheating, killing, perjury, and shredding of the constitutional checks and balances, that no one will notice and they won’t have to take responsibility.
The Republicans sit and twiddle their thumbs while their party aids and abets the worst president in the history of the earth.
Does Mr. Rosen really think that llibertarians and independents are going to forget about this in 2008? Yeah. He’s hoping.
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Democrats should focus on what matters
Oh, yes! The Democrats who now have the majority in both houses of Congress are doing just fine.
They tried to ram an immigration bill down our throats that consumes over 200 pages (as it showed on my version of Microsoft Word) and that is almost impossible to read, let alone implement.
They are wasting everybody’s time with investigations of the president’s firing of a few prosecutors.
Of course, these Democrats never mention that Bill Clinton fired them all when he was president.
They are consuming resources investigating why the president had the NSA spy on our enemies’ phone calls.
And to top it off, one of their leading candidates for president, John Edwards, runs around claiming that the war on terror is just a bumper sticker.
How misguided these democrats are.
They should stop wasting all of our political talent on such trivial matters and instead focus on how to win the war with the radical Islamists. This is an enemy that has repeatedly stated in writing what it wants to accomplish — our demise, our destruction, our submission or death.
Apparently, the Democrats are more interested in grabbing power than in protecting this great country.
Colin C. Case, Highlands Ranch
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (62) | TrackBackRebutting Libby case misrepresentations
Ethan Hemming’s July 10 letter concerning the Libby commutation, “Bush’s twin messages,” showed such reckless disregard for the facts that it cries out for correction.
Fact: Article II Section 2 of the Constitution states that the president has the power to reprieve and pardon and that this power is absolute and unreviewable by Congress or the courts.
Fact: This pardon power was intended for various purposes including political purposes (and, from the start, the Libby matter was about a political policy dispute over Iraq).
Fact: The prosecutor knew from the start it was Richard Armitage, a Bush antagonist, not Libby who leaked Valerie Plame’s job.
Fact: Plame wasn’t a covert operative — she had a desk job at the CIA and her top-secret code name there was “Valerie Plame.”
Fact: A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee Report concluded Joe Wilson lied repeatedly in testimony to them.
All this is a matter of record for those interested in the truth. Libby’s conviction ranks among the most egregious examples of criminalizing political differences.
With the passage of time, cooler, more objective historians will define it as the “perversion of justice” it so richly merits.
Richard Eggers, Niwot
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (42) | TrackBack‘We all deserve equality’
After I read the Rocky Mountain News editorial on Jonathan, I was excited that he will be able to realize his dream of going to college (“The missing option in Colorado,” July 20).
But at the same time, I felt disappointed because there are many more students who need help.
I will be one of those students.
I am studying really hard so I can have the opportunity to go to college and to have a better job, because with the money from a better job I can help my family survive.
I am a high school student in Denver and in three years I will be graduating. I would like to have the support.
My parents are also immigrants, and they cannot afford to pay approximately $34,000 a year for out-of-state tuition at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
I have five brothers and sisters, and we all would like to go to college. By denying us the education that we deserve because we do not have documentation, the government is making sure we stay poor.
This is an injustice. We all deserve equality.
Paola Perez, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (60) | TrackBackA few tips on how to earn a good tip
In response to letter writer Patti Rankin (“Servers need the tips,” July 16), I have a few corrections and thoughts.
Most servers earn at least $4 an hour or more. Health care is offered at a reasonable cost after working for 60 to 90 days.
Now to the meat of the story. I don’t know where Rankin works, but if the utensils have paper napkins wrapped around them, there is a good chance you aren’t going to see a 20 percent tip no matter what you do.
If a server thinks he or she can just slap a plate of road kill on the table, walk away and wait for the big tipper to pay for college, he or she must be dreaming.
Servers are the middlemen between the kitchen, bussers, food runners and even dishwashers.
Ever had dirty utensils, glasses or rotting condiment bottles on the table?
Thought so.
If an order is wrong, it is the server’s job to fix it ASAP.
Servers control their own destinies and tips.
Bring it fast, hot, good, made to order, smile, get over it and then we will consider a 20 percent tip.
Just a few tips to help out.
Darin Garrett, Highlands Ranch
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackSome questions to ask yourself
These questions are for those that are asking the candidates, “How can Washington make my particular life better?”
Can a lifestyle change help me with my own health care or economic problems? If so, why won’t I make this change?
Why is it someone else’s responsibility to alleviate self-inflicted problems? Am I willing to accept restrictions on my freedoms from those I expect to finance my relief?
Am I willing to get the education and do the work that is necessary to advance myself? If not, why?
Am I willing to look for solutions that do not include (or expect) a government-imposed solution?
Am I more worried about claiming my “rights” than fulfilling my responsibilities?
A cartoon caption says it well: “The problem with society is that there are too many people with too many rights.”
Mark Sear, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBackFree speech Chicken Littles
It was amusing to hear college professors cry that the free speech sky is falling in the wake of Ward Churchill’s firing (“‘A fateful decision’ for faculty,” July 26).
After a lengthy investigation, it was proven that Churchill, among other things, committed plagiarism, invented facts and manufactured sources for his research.
If that doesn’t justify a professor’s termination, I don’t know what does.
I wish the Rocky Mountain News and other media outlets giving a forum to all the free speech Chicken Littles out there would care as much about the rest of the Constitution as they do about the First Amendment.
Anthony J. Fabian, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
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College education
I’m a well-educated student here in Denver: I work hard to get good grades because I want to go to college and be a future dentist here in Colorado.
Now, I feel like my dreams are getting crushed, because neither the DREAM Act has passed, nor an instate tuition bill.
I come from a hard working family, which earns enough to support us, but my family doesn’t earn enough for my college education because universities would charge me out of state tuition, because I’m not a legal resident. No disrespect, but that is by far the most stupidest policy I have ever seen! Why are legislators prohibiting students from an education? Why are people in power deciding my future? Why don’t you want me to be a dentist?! What benefits do you get? Just because I wasn’t born here shouldn’t mean I have to pay more. I have lived here in the U.S. ever since I was one year old. It’s not fair that you shut the doors in our faces. I’m a human being’ too. Education is a right, not a privilege.
I urge you to let students go to college with in-state tuition. No matter what, we ARE going to college. I am going to be a dentist, and I will fight, no matter how long it takes. Stop this NONSENSE. USE YOUR BRAIN and have COMMON SENSE. Put yourself in our position! You had the right to go to college. Why can’t we?! Pass the DREAM Act so that I can be a part of the U.S. Pass in-state tuition now, so we can have justice to go college.
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Ward Churchill
The university should have nailed him when he violated plagiarism policies, prior to the 9/11 thing, and for that the university is at fault, and probably hypocritical. But, as a CU alum, and my son currently enrolled, I would hate for CU to continue to emply a known cheater, one who is unrepentent and will not admmit he’s wrong - we have enough of that in the white house
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Health care
If Mr. Salazar wanted to tax his brain, instead of the people, he would address the underlying causes of our current health care system that is failing to meet the needs of American families. But it is much easier to just slap another tax on cigarettes and tobacco. After all smokers are in the minority. Consider these issues that are not being reported: SCHIP is funded not only on a 156% cigarette tax increase but a proposed tax that will decimate the premium cigar industry by raising the cap on cigar taxes an astounding 20,413%! No other product is subject to a tax rate that even approaches this level.
Many of the manufacturers and retail tobacconists that sell handmade cigars are small family businesses. This onerous tax is almost certain to bankrupt them. What about the children in Honduras and Nicaragua whose family’s livelihoods will be destroyed by this tax? Are their lives any less important? It is one thing to raise taxes reasonably to support a worthwhile social program. But no industry can be rationally expected to absorb such a drastic tax increase without going out of business. Cigars already fund the Colorado state coffers with a 40% state tobacco tax. You are in danger of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
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Republican/Democratic parties
We have to remember the Republican Party came into existence at the time of Abraham Lincoln, in part because the Whigs could not get past their denial about slavery, but also because the United States was about to be transformed from the agrian to industrial age. Through the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt it was a progressive party; then it flipped and began to represent the interests of large industrial age businesses centered in the Yankee north. The Democrats became the defenders of the poor, minorities and union workers.
I argue that as we enter the 21st century, the Republican Party will go the way of the Whigs. Each time it has come to power it has demonstrated an appalling inability to get the job done. Like the middle-aged male who just doesn’t get it, it’s leaders deny the existence of problems such as health care and the environment. Its solution to education is merely to dismantle the public school system and give vouchers to those now paying for private education. Its solution to immigration is just to load up the busses.
I grew up in a Democratic family, but have been Republican for thirty years since I went to college. I now see myself as an Independent, as do most of my friends. To Mr. Rosen, I would say, “sometimes the pendulum quits swinging and, shortly thereafter, there is an irreversible transformation". The industrial age and historical forces that perpetuated your political party are all but gone. Time to embrace the 21st Century and create a fusion party using intelligent design; time to get it!
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Marijuana use
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Bush administration
The performance of the rest of this Congress, in contrast, has been sorely disappointing. No better should be expected from the Republicans of this Congress since most are not even embarrassed or shamed by a president of their party who has single-handedly, and with malice aforethought , bequeathed this nation and its riches to his leech-like friends, and punched holes in the belly of this nation through which he and they are sucking the juices of democracy.
We who voted for Democratic candidates in the 2006 Congressional election can only wonder what happened to their resolve; if they are afraid to face down the president to end the war in Iraq - or failing that, to impeach him - how would a Democratic administration ever deal with terrorists or malevolent despots? Indeed, how would one ever get elected?
Most Americans would rather see this Congress deal with President Bush now than to concentrate on being elected in 2008. Otherwise, there may be little opportunity to accomplish the latter.
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Deputy charged with tampering
Hummmmm. It is time to throw the book at a police officer who know the law and continue to brake the law.
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Ward Churchill
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Prison and inmates
The Colorado DOC has one 756-bed “supermax” and another 948-bed high security prison planned (total of 1,704 beds) for an inmate population of 22,519. The percentage of beds needed for disruptive, escape-prone inmates is far different for the total inmate populations served (1% for BOP and 8% for Colorado). To spend an additional $102.8 million for another Colorado maximum security facility may better be used on re-entry initiatives such as increased programs in education, anger management, and substance abuse.
Inexpensive, proactive facilities like the Cheyenne Mountain Re-Entry Center in Colorado Springs reduces recidivism while maintaining a safe community.
By 2011 one in every 178 U.S. residents will live in prison, according to a report entitled,
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Thank you for an illuminating article
My most sincere thanks to Lisa Ryckman and her editors for a compelling and illuminating article on mental illness (“Hope, dismay create ‘family roller coaster,’ advocates say,” July 21).
In particular, thank you for including Mental Health America’s definition of mental illness: “Mental illnesses are biologically based brain disorders; they can’t be overcome by willpower and bear no relation to a person’s character or intelligence.”
Until five years ago, when new medications freed me from the worst effects of bipolarity, I encountered continual and painful prejudice from friends, family and co-workers.
I can’t count the number of times people would suggest I could overcome my problems through strength of will. In other words, the disease was my fault.
Why does our society blame the mentally ill but consider it inconceivable to treat a patient with cancer, diabetes or multiple sclerosis in such a manner?
As a bipolar survivor, I continually preach the benefits of modern medicine and therapy. I work to educate others to the true horrors of mental illness. And I encourage fellow sufferers to come out of the closet. As long as we remain ashamed, society will seek to shame us.
Kate Forgach, Fort Collins
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackLiberal arts give job candidates a leg up
I just couldn’t let Dennis Hammond’s letter go unanswered (“Math, science are key in education,” July 24).
Hammond writes against the “liberal arts,” which he may be confusing with the Republican political re-definition of “liberal.” The two are not the same.
The liberal arts have traditionally included language, music, literature and the other fine and performing arts.
Learning math and science without the liberal arts is unbalanced.
Having worked as a headhunter, placing engineers in high-tech jobs, I quickly learned that the candidates most valued (hired fastest, paid the most) were ones who had good communication skills and a good command of the English language.
There will always be a plethora of drone-like techies, and they have their place — usually reporting to the guys who can speak and write well, as well as doing the math and science.
Hammond boasts of using algebra “almost daily.” How often does he use the English language? More often, I’d wager.
Imagine a world without poetry, without music or literature. I wouldn’t want to live in such a world.
That’s sad. It’s even sadder that Hammond would advocate such a shriveled world for young people.
Chris Murphy, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBackBush’s bull-headed stance on display
The article on President Bush’s bull-headed stance on the Iraq war (“Flat out of patience, Dems tell president,” July 13) just further verifies the diminishment of the office of president by showing his refusal to listen to the American public through its congressional representatives when he said he doesn’t think Congress ought to be running the war.
Never mind the previous outrage of a personal indiscretion of a president with a blabber-mouthed intern, this current administration has far exceeded that conduct in gross immorality.
In my mind, the lying and hyping of intelligence to attack another county is probably the unforgivable epitome of immorality — the cold, calculating deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people and, in particular, the deaths and maiming of our soldiers.
Lillian Norgren, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (130) | TrackBackRepublican Party has strayed from its roots
It is with a remarkable madness that the Republican Party, particularly its members in the Senate, continue to provide cover for the most incompetent and power-hungry administration this nation has ever seen.
Karl Rove may have envisioned a 100-year conservative Republican reign for America, but all of the lies and failures of government, the blatant disregard of international law and the systematic dismemberment of the Constitution are not passing unnoticed by the public eye.
It is painful to watch a once respectable political party that championed personal responsibility, accountability and the rule of law sink so low in its inordinate and emotionally crippled thirst for power.
Robert Porath, Boulder
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (30) | TrackBackStick to the words of the Constitution
I was quite amused today to hear that Ward Churchill and his lawyer, David Lane, are filing paperwork in court to sue the University of Colorado for violating his First Amendment rights (“Churchill fired; next shot in court,” July 25).
I should point out that the only people that can be sued in this case are those in the U.S. Congress.
Concerning free speech, the Constitution only limits the actions of Congress. Congress cannot write a law making certain speech illegal. People cannot be arrested solely because of things they say.
However, people can lose their jobs because of the things they say if their statements are not in the best interests of the employer, as in the case of the CU and Churchill.
I challenge anyone to explain how language in the First Amendment relating to the actions of the Congress in any way can be applied in this case.
There is no connection if you stick to the words.
If you start thinking as a utopian or base your argument on what you think is fair, you can go anywhere with the First Amendment.
But if you stick to the words, Congress is the only one that cannot limit free speech.
Steve Hellmann, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (28) | TrackBackIf you don’t like CU’s actions, leave
So, some students and supporters are upset and ashamed to be going to the University of Colorado after the valid termination of their plagiarizing, lying, cowardly, bigoted hero Ward Churchill.
If you fall into this group, let me give you some advice: If exposing and removing Churchill is causing you so much pain, then leave (and don’t let the door hit you on your backside when you go).
There are thousands of people who would gladly take your place and prefer not to be exposed to the simplistic and unfounded rants of someone like Churchill.
One basic fact remains out of all of this: Most CU students want to be educated, not lied to, as Churchill is now famous (or is it infamous) for.
J. B. Adams, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackNowhere man
Ward Churchill says that he is “going nowhere.”
Well, he is a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land ... I borrowed that line from a song by the Beatles — I wouldn’t want to commit plagiarism.
Jim Gronert, Wheat Ridge
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBackMaybe the Rocky Mountain News can answer this question for me: “Mommy, why is that man taking a nap on the floor? Does he not have a bed?”
This question is, of course, in reference to the July 17 cover picture of Aaron Snyder as he lay dead on the floor of the Capitol building, and it was not a question I was prepared to answer for my inquisitive 3-year-old.
Why does the Rocky insist on putting pictures of dead people in the newspaper?
I am not ignorant of the happenings in the world, which is why I read the newspaper.
However, I do not care to see pictures of dead people.
It is insensitive to the innocent victims, and it is attention that the crazy people of the world do not deserve.
Jodie Miller, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (84) | TrackBackApology owed
I have to say that I am thoroughly disgusted with your July 17 front-page picture of Aaron Snyder’s body.
I can’t even imagine what this man’s parents are going through, and then to wake up and see this.
People, no matter what they did, deserve dignity, even in death.
You owe this man’s family an apology!
Heather C. Neil, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (28) | TrackBackWine column a treat
I don’t care for wine. Everything except Mogen David wine tastes like vinegar to me! But I never miss Jennifer Rosen’s wine column. I believe she could write about logarithms and make the subject interesting and entertaining. I hope you appreciate what a treasure you have.
Judy Retz, Colorado Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackListen to your true readers
Every day in every way, the Rocky Mountain News is getting smaller and smaller. Soon it will just fade away into ... what? Cyberspace?
Dusty Saunders, Robert Denerstein, Linda McConnell. Who will take the place of these talented, experienced people? Honest-to-God newspaper people or 20-year-old computer geeks?
Please stop tinkering and just put out a newspaper! The alleged readers you appear to be catering to wouldn’t subscribe to a newspaper if John Temple came to their houses and read it aloud to them every morning.
Show some respect for your loyal, longtime subscribers. It would be nice if you catered to us for a change.
You’ve heard the litany of complaints from your true readers.Stop assuming we’re all going to die soon and our opinions don’t matter. I’m in my early 50s and it’s possible that I could be a subscriber for another 50 years.
Mary Chandler Mahoney, Englewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackCorrections cast doubt
I wish I could say I was amused by the lengthy list of corrections to Bill Johnson’s column about the upside-down flag protest (“Woman’s flag upside down, as are neighbors' responses,” July 11).
Like many good storytellers, Johnson never lets the facts get in the way of a good story. That’s permissible from a friend telling a tale over a beer, but it’s not permissible from a newspaper columnist.
Johnson’s history of corrections leaves me unable to judge the accuracy of anything he writes, and it causes me to wonder about the truthfulness of your other columnists.
How much longer is the Rocky Mountain News going to put up with him?
Dan Rubin, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackShame on Campos
Paul Campos’ despicable comment regarding Joe Paterno, calling him “incontinent,” was cruel and unwarranted (“Looking at Vick via Orwell,” July 24).
For someone “over-educated and privileged,” as he says he is, I was shocked. He belittles himself with this attempt at humor at the expense of an outstanding gentleman. Shame on you.
Rita Smith, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackNot suitable for kids
The July 17 cover picture of the Rocky Mountain News is very inappropriate.
We have 9-year-old twins whom we encourage to read as much as possible. However, we cannot even let our children see that day’s paper.
Showing a picture of a dead man in the Capitol building, while it may be breaking news, is in poor taste. I am disappointed in the decision your staff made.
Karen Hay, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBackKeep sports in the sports section
It seems that more and more sports articles and photos are appearing on the front page and in the news section.
The July 20 Rocky Mountain News had a 24-page sports section, and, in addition, most of the front page and all of NEWS 8 were dedicated to sports.
This seems to be occurring fairly often. Surely in this day and age, with all the things happening here and around the world, there has to be something more newsworthy to write about. Those two pages are celebrity oriented and could have been in the Spotlight or sports sections, not on the front page!
Patricia Mathes, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
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Ward Churchill
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Ward Churchill
Churchill is acting like all that went before is some kind of protected behavior. He has to come to the realization that his firing was not about what he wrote in September 2001. He brought himself to the attention of inquiring minds through no fault of anyone else but himself. It was after his article came to light, that other facts concerning this man’s behavior began to be brought to the attention of the university. Facts and concerns that had nothing to do with his September 01 writings.
Facts and concerns that had everything to do with his qualifications to be a university professor, and how he got to where he was in the first place.
It was those facts and concerns that were proven to be accurate enough to the Regents of the University of Colorado to act in the manner that they did, and justifiably so.
This whole situation is not a Fruit of the Poisonous Tree situation, as Mr. Churchill and Mr. Lane would like us to believe.
Take your lumps Mr. Churchill. You have earned each and every one of them.
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President Bush’s “war on terror” speech
As the President rightly asserted, “Iraq’s not the reason that the terrorists are at war with us,” referring to the fact that America was not in Iraq when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in 1993, Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, the USS Cole in 2000, and New York and Washington in 2001. This is an obvious statement and should need no clarification. Yet, for the benefit of the Democrats, it is necessary to elucidate such facts. The enemy has disclosed its sinister plot from the very beginning, yet some still don’t get it.
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Ward Churchill
For nearly six years, Churchill has remained a disgrace and embarrassment to CU, starting with his contemptible September 2001 essay on 9/11 berating victims and arguing US foreign policies provoked the attack. Further investigation resulted in charges of guilt on seven counts of research misconduct.
In May of 2006, an Investigative Committee concurred, recommending dismissal, Now...after mountains of negative press and years of waste and wrangling, the Board of Regents ....finally, voted 8 to 1 to fire him, at last - decisive, but why not unanimous?
Does Boulder’s Regent, Cindy Carlisle, approve of his behavior? Now, compare this situation to the “real world.” Assume that a sales manager suspects that a salesman is guilty of misconduct, disgraceful and harmful to the company. Investigation reveals that the man is misrepresenting the company’s products, making invalid claims, falsifying his travel itineraries, etc.
Well, the sales manager doesn’t need an investigative committee or board of regents or a chancellor to take action. Once the proper documentation is in order, an “exit interview"- termination, that is - takes place with a witness present and within minutes the justification is validated and the firing process complete.
In business it is all about appropriate consequences for dishonesty and misbehavior coupled with a sense of urgency to avoid further damage.
In academia, why must a “blockade” called “tenure” protect the guilty and derail the wheels of justice? It is absurd!!
Thank goodness, in general, the commerce of our nation is not stymied by tenure or our economy would be at a standstill instead of thriving as it is today! God Bless America!
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Bond issues
The focus we keep hearing about from City Council is all about which projects will be funded and will everything make the wish list. In reality there will always be politics around which projects do or do not make the list and we will always have more projects than money. The money however is always going to be coming from the taxpayer and what has been proposed doesn’t solve the problem.
The infrastructure committee has come up with the “Pay-as-you-go” model for funding new projects. This model sounds good, and who would argue with not spending more than you will have. The problem here is that we may have the money on paper, but we won’t have it in reality.
Some of the money that is part of “Pay-as-you-go” actually sits in the city’s general fund to the tune of $6.8 Million for roads and buildings according the committee reports for 2007. Although the money is ‘designated’ for roads and buildings, that money can and has historically been diverted to pay for other things. That’s how we got here in the first place and nothing that is being proposed changes that.
In addition as councilwoman Jeanne Faatz has pointed out, if we increase the bonding capacity to address the current backlog we will still be short of money. The ballot measure to increase taxes to pay for maintenance and ‘bridge the gap’ is not enough to cover the cost of the additional projects.
That means we would fail “Pay-as-you-go” right out of the gates and put us back in the hole which means we haven’t solved the problem. To truly solve to problem, money that is designated for capital maintenance has to be set in a special fund that ensures the money will be used as it is intended and until that is done for ALL the money that supports these capital projects, we should not be increasing our taxes. Why did a bigger hole?
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H. Payne’s cartoon
Every once in a while a political cartoon comes along that hits the nail directly on the head; this is one of them. The Dem’s strategy in Iraq makes as much sense as forfeiting a baseball game when your team is ahead.
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Can Democrats and Republicans work together?
Hardly anything gets done in Congres, neither party has the clear plans or cares for society and their own country?
It would be nice to see both parties to start working together -not fighting and get things done.
Dear team of House of Rpresentatives , the way you talk to us -public makes you look like none of you has any knowledge of economics. What you say and/or do, do not make any sense for many of us.
Who suppose to have more knovledge - You or us? Can you talk with more respect for yourself and others, not criticizing everybody around you like politicians used to talk with the grace class and knowledge of the subject.
The way you talk in public is not even acceptable in average work place, definitely not acceptable at the management level. Please consider.
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Ward Churchill
How Churchill came to be the chairperson of ethnic studies with his biased views is a tragic waste of taxpayer funds. Instead of promoting understanding and acceptance among the many ethnic people of the world, he has only alienated and caused further division. Hopefully the Board of Regents will scrutinize the scholarship of their professors to prevent further incidents that cause has much harm as Churchill has.
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Ward Churchill
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Education is more than ‘irrefutable fact’
Once I had determined that Dennis Hammond was not joking in his letter to the editor (“Math, science are key in education,” July 24), I felt compelled to write that as impressed as I am that he uses algebra on a daily basis, chucking those high school courses not directly related to the physical realities of the world is hardly good advice.
We teach history so that we may learn from the errors of the past to avoid incessant repetition of our mistakes. We teach civics so that we may understand and appreciate why America is the greatest socio-economic experiment in the life of our species, thereby perpetuating our citizens’ ability to do their part in the nation’s continuing success.
And, since the vast majority of decisions made by human beings are based on opinions rather than irrefutable fact, we teach that too so that students may become proficient in creating informed and thoughtful opinions rather than spouting ill-conceived and shallow pomposities.
Jeff R. Wilkins, Fort Collins
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (21) | TrackBackNot proud of CU
My wife, two of our sons and I are University of Colorado graduates.
We are not proud of that institution. I cannot believe that there are very many Colorado parents that would like their children to be influenced by Ward Churchill, this so called academic.
I do not believe that you can teach culture and respect. It is learned in the home, in the family, in the Boy or Girl Scouts, in the neighborhood, in the church, in the shopping center, etc., and in the humanities.
Freedom is gained with respect for other people’s freedom, not by disdain.
How do the courses that Churchill was teaching add anything meaningful to our knowledge base as a society or prepare anyone to be more productive, contributing in the competitive world we live in?
Bob Stamp, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (50) | TrackBackEnough about Churchill
Ward Churchill has the right to express his opinions to any group that will have him, but there is no obligation to pay him for those opinions.
Universities must allow latitude but are not required to endure incompetence and fraud.
Enough said about this fool.
Dennis SaBell, Wheat Ridge
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Status quo on SCHIP is unacceptable, too
The Rocky’s July 16 editorial (“Seeking middle ground: Renew the children’s health program, but reform it”) correctly criticized the Bush administration’s proposal for children’s health insurance as a step backwards. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Bush plan could force more than 1.4 million children out of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and back into the ranks of the uninsured.
However, your recommendation that Congress should simply maintain the status quo was off the mark. Making sure that children get the health care they need is one of the most critical priorities facing this country. Over the past 10 years, SCHIP (in partnership with Medicaid) has reduced the ranks of uninsured children by more than one third, proving itself as an effective, efficient way to accomplish this goal.
With such a proven, successful solution available, there’s no reason to bring our progress to a halt. There are an estimated 9 million uninsured children nationwide and more than 170,000 here in Colorado.
Congress should strengthen and expand SCHIP so it can provide health insurance to more kids who need it. When it comes to the health of our children, standing still just doesn’t cut it. We need to keep moving forward.
Adela Flores-Brennan is with the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
When the 208 Commission, the Blue Ribbon panel looking at health care reform in Colorado, held a meeting Monday morning, no reporter took the time to attend — and apparently no editor found it interesting enough to spring someone loose to be there.
What a shame. In our democracy, the involvement and reporting by a free press is critical to not only keeping the public and the voters informed but also to keeping the government committees and commissions, like this one, accountable to the people.
You fell down on the job. The issue of health care reform will touch every Coloradoan and arguably every American in the coming months and years.
Please make it a priority to attend these critical meetings and report — even if in brief — the activities or even the lack thereof of those charged with moving this effort forward.
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Water issues
“You’re not going to end run this deal.” And the sad thing is that there is no politician of either political stripe who has the testosterone to pick up a battering ram. It’s so much easier not to the rock the boat - makes for easier re-election. Just wring the hands. It proves that you’re concerned.
Meanwhile back to the hot, dry, water-less summer.
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Ballot issue
I would just like an answer to the following question, (I emailed Councilman Hancock last July 20, 2007 and have yet to receive a response): When is a tax increase not an increase?
In the Thursday, July 19, 2007 paper the article states “If voters approve the mill levy and only $480 million worth of projects the increase would be $49.25 on a $255,000 home. This is not a tax increase, but if the entire $550 million, being asked for, resulting in an increase of $61.66 on the same priced home is a tax increase. Mr Hancock says (in that article) his concern is that the Mayors campaign for the ballot issues doesn’t demonstrate that anything above $480 million would be a tax increase. Isn’t the $49.25 a tax increase? In the Friday July 20, 2007 paper again the Council is concerned that voters will keep the total approved issues under the $480 million mark to prevent a tax increase. Again I ask: Isn’t the $49.25 increase if the $480 million mill levy approved not a tax increase if my taxes will go up by that amount.
Why is it just an increase if the mill levy and the bond issue are both approved totaling $550 million and the taxes on a $255,000 home go up $61.66.
It is really time the politicians start telling the people the whole truth.
That if any of these ballot issues are approved, YOUR TAXES WILL GO UP!!!!!!!!!!. Perhaps I am reading things incorrectly, and if so I would welcome someone explaining it to me as I requested in my email to Mr. Hancock.
Again I am not opposing or supporting the issues, I just would like people to be told the truth so they can make well informed decisions.
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Bike/pedestrian bridge
This isn’t the first time this much needed project has seen the axe.
Both the T-Rex Project and FasTracks removed the bridge from final consideration at the 11th hour. Now, somewhere between the IPTF final recommendations and last week, the bridge was dropped again.
Greenprint Denver calls for “Vibrant, livable urban centers that support walking, biking and mass transit, and that reduce reliance on cars...”
However, when given this opportunity to fund a project that will reduce our reliance on cars, we pass it up.
The City talks a good game about reducing emissions until difficult decisions must be made. Then it pulls a project that would have direct impacts on reducing emissions. This comes at a time when the Metro area has recorded its fourth ozone violation, a threat to people’s health that may result in regulatory actions by the EPA.
City Council Finance Committee, please reinstate this project. After all, what is our priority?
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Math and science necessary?
Jeff Kocsis’ “A Differing View” says Advanced Math and Science is not needed in everyday life. Dennis Hammond says it is. Wouldn’t it be great is everyone was just like me! That would answer the question for sure.
Am I a teacher, psychologist, accountant, social worker, store clerk, legal analyst, restaurateur, marketer/salesman, property manager, cosmetologist, minister, general electrician, repairman, janitor, service worker, driver, child care worker, lock smith, painter, police officer, travel agent, corporate manager, entertainer, plumber, soldier, or any of a number of other occupations?
Or am I an architect, computer technician, doctor, environmental scientist, advanced mechanic, pilot, financial planner, marketing or finance director, HVAC specialist, engineer, veterinarian, or another occupation with a high level of specialization?
Did you know that algebra is being taught in the 6th grade?
Did you know that most wars, including Iraq have been fought for ideas and principles?
People live, work and die every day for ideas and opinions. I have never heard of anyone dying for algebra or calculus.
Did you know that understanding geography, history, religion, and politics can help tell the story of human development and help predict it’s future.
Of course, if we want to remain economically at the top among countries, we need more specialists. But this is a land of opportunity. A land where we can decide what we want to be, where we have the opportunity to be a scientist or a psychologist, a mechanic or a carpenter.
Do we all need advanced math to think or do we all need to understand human motivation in order to get ahead? It all depends on your own perspective, but should we force one way of thinking over another for everyone in public schools or are we to provide opportunities for everyone? Your ideas are as good as mine. Anyway, wouldn’t it be great if everyone was just like me, and could think just like me?
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College tuition for illegals
Discrimination. Please. Try something original. Any time you put a lawyer in the mix. Some people can’t come up with any good response to an argument, so they just throw that word in and everyone is supposed to start cowering.
Do the people who write these kind of articles have kids ? I see nothing wrong with someone who is?of illegal parents, having to pay more for things like that. Illegal parents have nothing to complain about. They’re GIVEN too many things as it is.?Children of illegals should look at it from our point of view.
How many of their parents are living and working here illegally using a stolen SSN? How many of their parents are driving our streets with no license or insurance ? How many of their parents are living in a house paid for with non-taxed income ? How many of their parents walk the streets in protest demanding rights that they’re not deserving of ? How many of their parents have no intention of learning our language or assimilating to OUR?culture ?
Any American in jail for grand theft or identity theft, any auto violation,?or tax evasion, should be?released. Then they should be rewarded somehow.
Because, they haven’t?done anything that these illegals aren’t doing.?And we’re rewarding them.?
It’s sad to see America being stomped on and disrespected?by these illegals.....
and by it’s own people who feel sorry for them.?
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Ward Churchill
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Oil use in America
We cannot have agriculture or industry without oil. Pie in the sky promises of ethanol, wind power, solar power providing all the energy we need are false . We cannot rely on such measures in a competitive world of increasing population. I’m all for protecting the environment. I want a realistic approach , holistic, which will consider the political and economic environment my children will live in not the one issue feel good, save the caribou, approach which controls the argument over hydrocarbon and nuclear power. Where is that politician? Nowhere.The short sighted only vote for people who speak pap rather then reality. It is more comfortable.
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Hillary Clinton
Now she’s come out criticizing Barack Obama for his willingness to engage in talks with the leaders of rogue nations. So according to Hillary Clinton, saying you’d definitely not meet with these leaders is a “terrible mistake,” saying you’d be willing to meet with them is bad too, but saying maybe you’d meet with them, maybe not, is a sign of leadership?
This nation desperately needs a change from the current administration. Talking with our adversaries, as Reagan did with the USSR during the Cold War, only makes sense. With Barack Obama we’ll get a leader who understands the importance of diplomacy.
Will we with Hillary Clinton? Maybe yes, maybe no.
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Math and science necessary?
Below is my reply: The irony exuding from Dennis Hammond’s letter ("Math, science are key in education,” July 24th) is simply wonderful. He condenses an entire field of academic study (the Humanities or what Mr. Hammond calls the “Liberal Arts") into “nothing more than opinion and memorization,” equating this to brainwashing while beginning his letter, “I disagree with...”
Perhaps Mr. Hammond was being satirical. But, if he wasn’t and doesn’t realize his humorous faux pas, I’ll point the glaring fallacy in his argument: it *is* an argument. In other words, Mr. Hammond is providing an opinion.
I wonder where he learned to do this? In Algebra class? In Advanced Calculus?
The Humanities exist to enhance critical thinking and analytical skills.
The whole field of study includes Philosophy, English, Literature, History, Civics, Sociology, Art, Linguistics, Theology, Music, and Composition. In short, everything that makes us human (outside of biology).
With the recent uproar over immigration and furor over Hispanics who “just won’t learn English,” the Humanities are more important than ever. How else can we understand and make sense of the world around us without some basis of study?
You cannot create a mathematical formula for culture, language, or religion. Thus, the Humanities focus on the gray aspects of existence.
And, perhaps Mr. Hammond neglected to study the ancient philosophers that refined his daily practice of Algebra. Euclid comes to mind (a philosopher), as does Leonardo da Vinci.
The Liberal Arts are not some bastion of Socialist propaganda or brainwashing imposed on empty minds. The Liberal Arts are there to create critical minds—to allow Mr. Hammond to actually write his letter through the use of language and thought.
Then again, maybe we should just devolve into the “pure” Sciences of Mathematics and Physics. We’ll slowly transform all language and thought into binary and communicate through long series of 1’s and 0’s.
But that’s just my opinion.
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Thank you, regents and Hank Brown
Thank you to Hank Brown and the regents for finally putting an end to the disgraceful tenure of Ward Churchill at the University of Colorado (“Churchill fired; next shot in court,” July 25).
While recognizing that academic freedom is essential to quality higher education, it’s important to remember that this freedom is predicated upon a fundamental integrity and respect for humanity.
This man betrayed the trust CU placed in him, and his Pall Mall-infused tirades only undermined the reputation of a quality institution of higher education.
Jim Truitt, University of Colorado, Class of 2006
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBackRoad to nowhere
I had to smile when I saw the headline on the July 25 cover of the Rocky Mountain News that was Ward Churchill’s quote, “I am going nowhere.”
With Churchill’s defiant attitude, I am sure he is on the road to nowhere, and nowhere is probably exactly where he will end up since arrogance like his never brings anyone to any place meaningful.
He can raise his fist in pretend victory all he wants, but we know for sure where he will not be going any time soon: back to his high-paying and privileged position at the University of Colorado.
Dina McNulty, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBackWe need to protect the Roan Plateau
With regard to the drilling that is planned for the Roan Plateau, Clare Bastable expresses the pious hope that, “We need to maintain the balance, so that after the oil and gas industry is out — which it certainly will be once (the gas is out) — we can still maintain our economy through recreation and tourism” (“Admirers cite plateau's isolation, biodiversity,” June 9).
Many of us who have moved to the West have done so mainly because places like Roan Plateau still exist — they keep alive those aspects of the American dream that have been irredeemably spoiled in more industrialized regions of the nation.
Instead of being able to fill the bottomless pit of our addiction to oil, drilling in the Roan Plateau might end up turning our geography of hope into one more landscape of failed desire, re-creating the dark side of the American dream.
Is that what we really want?
It is ironic that this effort is being driven by Republicans, who are supposedly for taking away power from big government and giving it back to the locals.
We need more citizens as watchdogs to bark ferociously whenever private groups like the gas and oil industry threaten to destroy the natural beauty that makes life here worthwhile.
Joel Brence, Carbondale
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack‘Everyone should have known better’
Ward Churchill, through his lawyer, David Lane, is suing the University of Colorado (“Churchill fired; next shot in court,” July 25). He claims the official investigation that revealed academic misconduct is invalid. The investigation originated only because of Churchill’s outspokenness and therefore violates Churchill’s First Amendment rights to free speech.
Lane has a point.
CU was unwilling to do anything about Churchill until his insane writings and rantings gained media attention.
No one (at CU anyway) would say that Churchill was violating academic standards for fear of ridicule from associates, who had also been intimidated by other faculty members (including Churchill). Everyone should have known better.
Instead, CU gave him tenure and elevated him to chairman of the Ethnic Studies Department. This episode in CU history should become a classic study in how manipulative people use the weakness in our personalities to blind us to the obvious.
If Lane prevails in court, then misconduct can go unpunished if a person makes outrageous statements before that misconduct is investigated.
We’ll see what the Denver jury says.
Rich McLean, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBackCelebrating the firing
It seemed to take a decade, but I can finally celebrate the firing of Ward Churchill.
The July 25 Rocky Mountain News cover photo showing Churchill in his cute American Indian Movement T-shirt and his raised, clenched fist brought a huge smile to my face.
In the related article (“Churchill fired; next shot in court,” July 25), Churchill, commenting on his firing, was quoted as saying, “That’s a farce, but more than that, it’s a fraud.”
Well, if anyone can recognize a fraud and a farce, it’s Churchill.
Bye-bye, Wardy, you shall not be missed!
Michael J. Mee, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBackTearing apart free speech
So the Ward Churchill fiasco is coming to a close, huh (“Churchill fired; next shot in court,” July 25)?
I guess now it’s time for the powers that be to tear apart the freedom of speech and to limit what one learns at an educational facility. No more free thinking for you kids.
These are our tax dollars hard at work. Great job, University of Colorado!
Mark McCabe, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (31) | TrackBackTake candidate’s religion into account
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot of letters wondering why Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney being a Mormon should have anything to do with his qualifications (“Bigotry is behind criticism of Romney,” July 9).
I’ve seen people say that Romney being a Mormon should be irrelevant or that evangelical Christians are being hypocritical since we say that our religious views shouldn’t bar us from office.
These people just don’t have a clue.
I’m a Christian and a Southern Baptist by denomination. My faith is core to who I am and what I believe. Therefore, it only makes sense that I would also want someone who believes like me. Why is that any different than any other reason we vote for candidates?
Why should we automatically exclude someone’s religion as if it’s not a part of who they are? Are these letter writers only voting for a candidate based on two or three issues? Pardon me for basing my vote on the candidate as a whole, religion and all.
However, just because I believe that I shouldn’t be precluded from office because I’m a Christian doesn’t mean that I don’t get to vote against someone who believes differently than me.
Bryant D. Dillard, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (42) | TrackBackA new precedent
I am thrilled that those folks in Cambridge Park can fly the American flag upside-down (“No penalty in flag flap,” July 14).
They have established the precedent that I no longer have to show any sensitivity to the sensitivities of my fellow condo owners!
Now, I am free to put a 15-by-30 foot portrait of George W. Bush saluting the American flag on the outer wall of my condominium!
This is a great day for us all and for my freedom of speech.
Delmar H. Knudson, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBack
Long before it became a political boondoggle, debate was a well respected, formal method of interactive and position representational argument
Our presidential debate format does rely on meaningful questions intended to determine specific positions; but these questions seem to serve only as an invitation for candidates to (a) change the subject, and (b) expound in the form of a campaign speech rather than answer the question.
What a joke..by the time a candidate is finished with the “non answer” I have usually forgotten the question!
With modern electronic technology, there are two techniques that could improve the honesty and accuracy of the these candidate’s claims.
First, start by asking ONLY yes or no questions - and require timed, “push button” response. If either a “yes” or “no” is not registered within five seconds, an electrical shock is administered until the answer is obtained.
Second, a simple “why” would follow the yes or no answer, and then a polygraph (lie detector test) would record the candidate’s physiological responses as each explained the reason for their position.
Okay..I admit that there is a flaw in my program!
Yes, it is highly conceivable that most of our candidates are such good liars, that they could probably beat the system! God Bless America,
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The country of Turkey
Regretfully, we will not. The turn from commited secularism to Islamic fundamentalism, although democratically determined, will be a disaster and I do not wish to be even an observer. We fear for the welfare of many good Turkish friends.
Since the Korean conflict Turkey has been a staunch supporter of the U.S... until the Iraq war. The entire course of the war might have been different if Turkey had allowed the 4th ID to cross into northern Iraq. I have to believe that we were double-crossed and the Turkish Parliament, recently taken over by the Islamists, backed away from an agreement to allow that crossing. Of course, they had every right to change their minds. Just as we have a right to avoid Turkey in future travels.
We will.
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Pinon Canyon
On July 26th it was announced that the Army would rethink Pinon Canyon.
The Army wants about 1000 square miles for the expanded training site. It will almost triple the size of the Pinon Canyon facility.
On Sunday a Post article hinted the Army really wants the eastern half of Colorado for training.
100’s of ranches, 1000’s of people and billions of dollars lost to Colorado’ s economy.
1000’s of soldiers more but millions more acres.
The Army knew that in 2005.
What is the real story of Pinon Canyon? We don’t know the complete plan for Pinon Canyon and we want the truth!
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The media and politics
P
The media screams that congress’s polls are even lower than the president, which is news indeed, but it never informs the public why.
The media loves fractious politics, the more devisive the more they love it. Bi- partisanship is like kissing your sister to the media Look no further than the “blue dess’ journalism in the Clinton years for what the media likes to impart to us. There wasn’t enough of “blue dress” stuff in the hyped up pre-Iraq war garbage Bush dumped on us and consequently, the media must take its share of the blame that allowed him to get his war and here we are today, nearly a half trillion dollars poorer and over 30,000 needless casualties.
The distressing part about this is those reading this aren’t the ones not informed, the ones not reading this remain blissfully ignorant on what’s really going on. The media wins again but sadly, America loses again too.
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
For those who don’t trust Mr. Moore—and have had the luck to not yet been an insurance companies’ scapegoat to save money, do your own research; I have—and I do NOT mean listening to the falsifications found in mainstream TV or Congress, both bought by big business—the biggest of which are the HMOs and pharmaceutical companies. We have the highest infant mortality rate of any industrial countries; we’re even behind several 2nd and 3rd world countries. We have the highest mortality rate in every age group vs. the top 14 countries, and we pay more and get less for our money now. Our hospitals are dumping people who cannot pay on the streets rather than treat them, and even those with insurance are being denied healthcare so that the companies can post record profits. And are we so easily frightened by the word “socialized†or “rationing†that we turn into jelly and stop thinking? We have socialization in the US that we take for granted: unemployment, Medicare, public education, etc., although all of these have been under siege in attempts to privatize them for several decades, and yes, they’re now a wreck. We are the ONLY 1st world country without universal healthcare—have we become we so callused and ignorant to not see that our capital is not money or machines but people, all people, then surely we no longer deserve the Statue of Liberty.
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The Wall Street Journal purchase
This is more of the projection the Left finds so useful. No such wall has existed for decades at its venerable leader, that gigantic media octopus known as The New York Times Company.
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Still no border fence?
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Mental illness
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Ruby Hill power lines
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Article stereotypes horsemen group
Upon returning from my 27th horseback ride with the Roundup Riders of the Rockies, I read with dismay the article in the Rocky Mountain News about the ride (“Rich horsemen get special ticket to ride,” July 21).
If this is journalism, I’ll eat my horse’s back. The terms “wealthy horsemen,” “secretive fraternity,” “conducting swanky rides” and “very politically connected group” are totally inaccurate.
While some members are wealthy, many are not. We include schoolteachers, professors, firemen, horse trainers, ranchers and many other vocations.
Wealth is not a criterion for membership.
Our requests for the waiver of the “25-heartbeat policy” are frequently denied.
I was pleased that the reporter included the conclusion of Bob Leaverton, Pike and San Isabel National Forest supervisor, that “the riders ended up having little impact on the wilderness area.”
Charles H. (Tim) Sanford, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackTry renewable energy
Too much effort is put into finding new sources of oil and derivatives of coal. We need a larger push for renewable energy. By using domestic renewable sources, we will not only reduce our reliance on unstable outside sources but create more jobs in America and support a healthier environment.
To get this going I’d like to see Sen. Ken Salazar encourage Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman to let the Senate vote on a renewable energy standard that would require utilities to generate at least 20 percent of their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2020.
Luke Janes, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackFoolish fuel source
To put it simply, turning food into fuel is immoral!
When thousands are dying of starvation, when the poor struggle with rising food prices, when there are other more efficient ways to produce ethanol, when corn sucks up water at an alarming rate, when ... Well, you get the picture!
Let’s find other, more efficient ways to fuel our cars and trucks, and let’s use alternative means of transportation.
No food for fuel; it’s a fuelish way to solve our greed for oil!
John Pipe, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBackSince taking office G.W.
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Shooting at the capitol
This writer was working in San Francisco in November 1978 when Supervisor Dan White fatally shot Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk in City Hall.
While such incidents are rare, they do, in fact, happen as history illustrates. It is absurd to suggest that the State Capitol ought to conduct “business as usual,” after the fatal shooting in Denver. If security measures are essential at the airport and City Hall, why should the State Capitol be exempt from such precautions? While such measures may be inconvenient for some, the primary consideration should be the safety of the Governor and his staff.
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Iraq war
With the Iraq war / occupation dragging on with no end in sight, and our country becoming more and more devided as to how to proceed from here, I would like to offer a plan, with some possible solutions.
I’ll use the Rumsfeldian technique of asking and answering my own questions, as that seems to be what our friends on the right can grasp.
Q. Can we get our troops home soon?
A. Why not? They seem to be serving no other purpose other than being targets for the so-called insurgents. We need to get them the hell out of harms way. They didn’t start this fight, and it’s only the compassionate thing to do for the families who’ve sacrificed enough. Let’s bring them home.
Q.Won’t the country fall deeper into civil war?
A. It’s going that way no matter what.
Q.Who will see to it that the conflict doesn’t spill over into other Arab nations?
A. How about other Arab nations? After all they DO have a stake in wanting peace in the neighborhood, but as long as the U.S is there, it won’t happen.
Besides, Saudi Arabia is certainly financially able to foot the bill , and Iran as well, thanks to petro-dollars.
Q. How will the different factions get along?
A. They don’t have to, the country can be divided into three parts, Kurdish, Sunni, and Shia.
Q. How will the oil revenues be split up?
A. The Arab nations will act as advisors and mediators.
Q. What if they won’t agree to the split?
A. Then they will be S.O.L....If they don’t play nice then they lose.
Q. What about the multi-national oil companies that are making out like the bandits with the profits from Iraqi oil ? (The Bush “plan".) A. Tough noogies. They’ll just have to struggle by with the record breaking profits they’ve already made. I’m sure they’ll figure a way to work with the good ol’ boys they’ve been playing golf with for years to keep the stockholders happy.
Q. What role will the U.S have?
A. None. Bush and Company have screwed it up enough already. And the Arab nations need to handle it alone, because if the Bush cronies are perceived to be involved, then it’s back to square one. What Arab will trust them? Or for that matter, what American?
The right has been claiming that we lefties don’t have a plan.
There’s your damn plan.
Now bring our GIs home.
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Marijuana
“MARIJUANA ONLY CREATES ZOMBIES”
I am lot more disappointed to read Jessica’s article on Marijuana. The Police Chief Cooke was right on this issue. Her concern for preserving and protecting the right of the people is absolutely right. I support her 100% on this issue. As a Scientist who has worked on the effects of drugs on brain function, all the scientific reports I had read only show dangerous and deleterious effects of Tetrahydrocannabinoids on the brain function. On the basis of Science, Marijuana cannot and should not be legalized. In 3rd world countries like India, people who use marijuana live like zombies who are stoned all the time. The deleterious effects of marijuana are lot worse than its beneficial effects if any.
Why is it dangerous? When Tetrahydrocannabinoids the active chemicals from Marijuana commonly known as THC reach brain, they are chemically attached to the fat cells in brain. Any other drug goes to the brain, carries out its function and it is degraded by the liver and excreted in urine. Not in the case of THC. Why? Because, it does not reach the liver. It is chemically attached to the fat cells of brain and never leaves the body.
As a right of the people to be implemented, I am on her side. I am disappointed that she took the wrong issue for her cause.
Why was it approved by the people? It was false propaganda. It was totally misrepresenting the cause just as Amendment 23. Those who collected the signature for Amendment 23 actually lied to me about the proposition. For, Marijuana, The TV, and radio commercials were totally misleading.
Now that her husband is also involved, I do not know what to say. I do not have much respect for lawyers. To them, it is not what is right VS what is wrong. For them, it is where money is. I hate to say this. But, this is the fact. We do not have a government of the people, by the people and for the people anymore. But, it is the government of the lawyers, by the lawyers and for the lawyers who are elected by Zombies who are addicted to Marijuana.
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Al Gore
The Rocky Mountain News - Re “Earth’s habitability at increasing risk, Gore tells summit” (July 19) A sure fire way to make the Earth less risky in the future is to elect, or as many of us 2000 voters believe, re-elect Al Gore. Supreme Court Justice Scalia was the most vocal of the five justices to order stopping the counting the vote count in Florida said: “If the vote count was not stopped, irreparable harm would have been done to George W. Bush.” Duh! Yeah, Al Gore won Florida.
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Time to impeach?
Time to Impeach: It’s time for Congress to begin formal hearings on the impeachment of the president and vice-president. Not because of who they are, but because of what they’ve done. We are in a constitutional crisis, and the solution to this crisis is for Congress to follow its responsibilities as mandated in the Constitution and begin impeachment hearings. Regardless of whether you are a Republican or Democrat; regardless if you are a liberal, conservative, moderate or independent; regardless if you are a progressive or libertarian— the president and vice-president have acted in direct violation of the Constitution. They believe they can intercept your emails, tap your phones with no oversight from another branch of the government or declare a person to be an enemy combatant. The vice-president claims and then operates from the position that he is not part of the Executive Branch and, therefore, does not need to provide Congress with information it seeks. And now the president claims he does not have to allow Justice Department prosecutors to pursue contempt of Congress charges against the president’s staff for failing to give testimony to Congress. If this president and vice-president’s action go unchecked, the next president, and those to follow, will believe they have the authority to operate outside of the law. If you believe in the principles of democracy, in the systematic checks and balances of the Constitution, you need to demand that the House of Representatives, the body that is closest to the people, begin impeachment hearings. This is not about personalities or partisanship or political ideology—it’s about principles.
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ACLU
Once again, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) proves that it values a liberal agenda above and beyond its commitment to civil rights or, for that matter, sanity. On July 19th, the Rocky Mountain News quoted Cathy Hazouri, of the Colorado ACLU, defending Ward Churchill’s job on first amendment grounds. Thankfully, the News reiterated the actual reason for firing Churchill: his fraudulent scholarship, not his abominable personal views.
Then, on July 20th, the News quoted Hazouri again, who this time staked out positions against school police officers in general and the employment of Tasers in particular. Never mind Tasers—is the ACLU so out of touch with reality that it sees police officers in public schools as overkill? Who will ensure students’ rights to a safe learning environment or, for that matter, their lives in case of an attack?
Thank you for championing the rights of the Ward Churchills in our society and for undermining school safety, ACLU. When you have some time, how about protecting the rest of us?
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Tipping at restaurants
I would admit, it hurts to see that cash disappear in this economy, But if we can’t share what little we have with the other deprived workers, Then I guess we’ll just quit having resturant’s in this plush country. After all, becoming a thrid world country does have it’s appeal. No more world responsibilities! Amazing how things can escalate. But there are few people who still believe this is a free state and figure there are too many people getting their freebies.
I see this not as a reward issue, but as a scared issue. As the tip is not required in some restaurant’s, would he feel better if the restaurant he patronizes starts paying minimum wage or what those people truly earn? How about they start making required tip’s? But then we could just wipe out the entire industry! Yeah, that last idea really is appealing! But then I’d lose that glorious smile I get when I tip. That’s a rough one. Losing human sociality. Maybe you ought to chip that ice off of your heart and look into some people’s eye’s. There are rewards that don’t require money. I like those people who I tip. Sometimes they are beautifully charming.
More than likely I haven’t changed your mind. But hopefully I crushed your influence on other’s. That would be nice. And i might even get a kiss out of this.
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Ward Churchill
From all the evidence presented, it certainly seems that much of Churchill’s “research” was neither independent nor original.
If faculty membership and also tenure are based on popularity and/or ideology, why have a University? Is not our University of Colorado considered a laughingstock in many quarters today because of the granting of tenure to professor Churchill?
The threat, before the University has rendered a verdict, to sue the University if they come out with the “wrong verdict” sounds something like extortion. “You’d better render a favorable verdict or I’ll get you", and cost you a lot of pain, time and effort. Apparently, the University officials responsible for the verdict are supposed to cower and render a verdict favorable to Churchill as by far the easiest way out.
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Ed Stein’s Denver Square
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Congress needs to work on our borders
Now that this illegal amnesty mess is finished (“Immigration reform sent to political limbo,” June 29), it is time for the Senate and House to get down to the business of securing our borders.
This should be done in an orderly, reasonable way without the usual bickering between parties. No “earmarks,” “mark-ups,” or “add-ons.” Just the business of getting the job done. It can be done if the House and Senate have the will to do it. And they must for the security of our country.
We need to know who is in our country and who is here legally. I cannot understand how Congress can do nothing, knowing there are so many illegal immigrants in our country. We know not from where they came, who they are or what their backgrounds are.
Secure our borders. Then establish a guest worker program that matches a worker with an employer for a specified period of time.
I witnessed this being done during World War II. Present-day technology should be able to create a program quickly and efficiently that would serve the same purpose. This should he done for the good of our country.
This has been a problem for several years without Congress taking positive action to fix it. Now is the time to get it done. No more delays, just do it.
People who cross our borders illegally should have to pay a penalty, as should those who hire them.
Lyle Daniels, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack‘Eco-friendly’ homes also tax environment
Before you consider buying one of the “eco-friendly” homes featured in the Rocky Mountain News’ Home Front section (“The eco effect,” July 21), consider this: Those homes are not only part of the “green living movement,” they are also part of the urban sprawl movement. There is nothing “green” about urban sprawl.
If you own a 6,200 square-foot home, whether or not the square footage is contained within a 3,800 footprint, your footprint upon the Earth is still several times larger than a family who lives in a 1,500 square-foot home within the Denver city limits.
The article doesn’t say anything about the lot size of these homes. Also, if the people living in these homes commute into Denver for work, they are using more fossil fuels and producing more CO2 and other pollution than someone who lives closer to their job.
Green living is important, and I am hopeful to see that the general population in this country seems to be more aware of environmental issues. I’m just keeping it real.
Laura Lubbers Evans, Colorado Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (19) | TrackBackMath, science are key in education
I disagree with Jeff Kocsis’ “A Differing View” (“Most grads won’t use high school math and science,” July 17) about the value of mathematics education in high school.
Math, like music education, creates brain power and analytical thinking while liberal arts are nothing more than opinion and memorization. Translation: brainwashing.
Primary and secondary education require civics and history schooling, but most liberal arts are simply someone’s opinion.
It’s best to teach high school students science and math, the realities of our physical world and quantitative fact so that they can develop their powers of analytical thinking and hence the ability to think for themselves — something certainly frowned upon by the educational establishment.
Keep the math and science and chuck the politics, political correctness classes and green studies. Math and science help students understand the world in which we live.
By the way, I use algebra almost daily.
Dennis Hammond, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (24) | TrackBackHealth-care coverage simply not enough
I am a 60-year-old woman who is insured by Kaiser Permanente. Last year, my health-care cost more than $10,000. I don’t know how long I will be able to pay for health care. I live on a tight budget and cannot put much away for retirement, and will not be able to have a vacation this year or next. I work seven days a week.
My daughter is insured by Blue Cross Blue Shield through her employer. This year she needed six iron infusions which cost $8,000. She was informed that she will be responsible for $4,000 of it on her own. She only earns $8.50 an hour.
I thought having health insurance would spare me from financial hardship, but not so. My situation is not that unusual, and I know people who cannot afford health insurance and were financially devastated by health emergencies. One friend has died because he had no health insurance when he got cancer.
I want national health care as soon as possible and will be voting on this issue.
Dawn Hartfelder, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (59) | TrackBackProtests justifiable
The June 12 Rocky Mountain News article, “Activists to party in streets at DNC,” leads us to believe that just a bunch of old hippies is going to descend on Denver during the Democratic National Convention, but it never addresses the reasons why thousands of people are willing to protest what has become a corporate-soaked media event that makes a mockery of our democracy.
Denver must not limit our constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and dissent, nor advocate police violence toward demonstrators who have come with legitimate concerns about the selling off of our democratic foundations to a wealthy elite who pull the strings of power.
Denver’s media must not trivialize the most important issues of our times.
Ann Krohn Rick, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBackDenver need to spruce up its golf courses
Why can’t Denver take care of its beautiful golf courses in the same manner that the suburbs do?
The greens are overwatered and mushy at City Park and the fairways are underwatered and brown at Wellshire.
Any Denver golfer will tell you that the greens at City Park, Wellshire and Willis Case golf courses do not even compare to those of Aurora Hills or Fitzsimons in Aurora.
It would be a pretty straightforward process for Denver to take a look at how its neighbor to the east is managing its golf courses and find a way to duplicate it.
All of the Denver courses are wonderful facilities, some with nearly 100 years of tradition. Denver should be setting the standard in golf course care instead of being shown the way by its younger, suburban neighbors.
Jason L. Arnold, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (23) | TrackBackA refreshing change
In a recent article on campaign fund-raising in Colorado (“Obama on a roll with Colo. Donors,” July 16), it was reported that Barack Obama has raised almost $1 million in Colorado since the first of the year.
This is over $400,000 more than any other presidential candidate, Democratic or Republican.
What makes this statistic even more incredible is that Obama has said he will not take money from lobbyists or from political action committees.
What a refreshing change!
Katie Beckett, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Senators have squandered many opportunities
The July 13 Rocky Mountain News editorial “The senators’ chance” concerning Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar is far too kind. Neither has represented the state in a useful or competent manner.
They failed to achieve passage of immigration legislation, health care reform or any other legislation that would benefit the citizens of the state or the country.
One could also challenge their inability to adequately protect our national forests, parks and wildlife. In fact, the only serious business they seemed to have managed to do in the past term is to ignore the almost unanimous wishes of the people impacted by the Lookout Mountain towers and to sell their souls — for what? — to the broadcast interests.
Oh, yes I forgot their stances on the Iraq war. The plague is already on our houses. Let it descend on theirs.
Henry B. Ledyard is a resident of Evergreen.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBackOur City Council seems to have some real problems with our “newest” Chief of Police, Richard Myers and his leadership style. The Mayor, the Vice-Mayor and even one or two other Council members seemed to “attack”
What’s going on here?
It is one thing to ask questions and give opinions, but to actually say that the “new” Chief of Police doesn’t know what he’s doing in his re-structuring planning is another. Just who, exactly, are these City Council members??? Have any of them come from a Law Enforcement/Public Safety background? Answer: No.
How about City Councilman Jerry Heimlicher’s rantings/ravings about our Police Department not pulling its share in terms of gathering more fines/money for our City’s general fund? Now, that’s just PLAIN WRONG. Our Police Department is SUPPOSED to work for, strive for and ensure PUBLIC SAFETY - NOT be this City’s largest FUND-RAISER.
The recent blatantly open disrespect against and toward both the “new” Chief of Police Richard Myers AND the CSPD overall by our City Council is a PUBLIC DISGRACE.
There needs to be a BIG-TIME and VERY PUBLIC apology to Chief Myers and each and every member of the CSPD by the City Council - specifically (and foremost) from the Mayor, Vice-Mayor and Councilman Jerry Heimlicher.
And, it needs to be done IMMEDIATELY (as in NOW.)
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New Mexico College and undocumented students
This is in response to the article in Monday’s paper (7/16/07) titled “N.M. college opens doors for undocumented”. Let me get this straight: The University of New Mexico is going to admit 10 undocumented students from Colorado and allow them to pay in-state tuition.For some, their tuition will be covered by institutional scholarships. My, how nice for them! In the mean time, my son had to apply for federal financial aid (which he has to pay back) in order to attend a state university in Colorado.
Granted he’ll pay in-state tuition, but he has to pay it back. We looked for scholarships too as he didn’t have the luxury of a counselor who knows the ins & outs abouts
If we all applied the logic that undocumented students should be allowed to attend college by paying in-state tuition rates, then ALL students should be allowed to attend a college or university anywhere in the U.S. and pay in-state tuition. We’d have no need for out-of-state tuition rates. I’m not saying that these young people don’t deserve to further their education. But they should not do so at the expense of those of us who are tax-paying, lawful residents of the U.S. If they want to attend college they should have to pay non-resident rates and apply for bank loans—not federal loans. Permanent residents and foreign students are eligible for bank loans but are required to apply with a credit-worthy cosigner. Cosigner must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Does the UNM allow students from other countries who come to the U.S. on student Visas to pay in-state tuition? After all, what is the difference between these foreign students and the undocumented students from Poudre High School?
Fair is fair, right?
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Scooter Libby
Amnesty for Scooter
Never in my life had I even considered choosing a political party, but I did so out of concern for what I saw in the Republican Party, particularly with regard to the Iraq War.
You see, as a veteran of the Iraq War, I am angry that the Administration and the Republican Party who have continually chosen to mislead the people on the true nature of the insurgency. When I returned from my second tour, in October 2004, I thought it was the highly charged political atmosphere of a presidential election that was essentially forcing the Administration to make claims about the war that I knew were untrue. However, I learned that half truths and outright lies are common with this Administration, and their talking points are loyally repeated by those in the Republican Party.
Despite my disappointment in the Administration I honestly didn’t want to believe that they would go so far as to overturn the decision of the jury and the court. They did!
The Administration, and the Republican Party who supported the Libby pardon, have once again let me down. They have proved that there is a different justice system for those in power and the rest of us. For if I had leaked that there was no evidence of WMD in Iraq before the war started, I can guarantee you that I would be thinking about that decision in Leavenworth Federal Prison for the next several years of my life.
But not Libby.
Not a person who was part of outing a convert CIA agent, and then lied to investigators about what the VP’s office had done. And after being convicted by a jury of his peers, he is essentially pardoned by the President. Apparently personal responsibility only applies to those people who are not in the Republican Party! I am ashamed of this Administration, and I know, in my heart, that this is not what I fought for when I went to war for my country.
Fortunately, I now know that I have made the right decision to become a Democrat. As much as I am not a fan of the two party system, I know that opposing this type of misguided power is the right thing to do, and it is the responsibility of the American people to change course.
Amnesty seems to be a dirty word these days, particularly to the Republican Party, but in the case of Scooter Libby amnesty has made conservatives proud of the President. Go Figure!
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Progressives point of view
To the Progressives, victory is “stopping the violence". Thus, each new car bombing only confirms at we are “failing” in Iraq, and that it is a “quagmire". I saw a woman on CSPN desperately crying “We must end it! We must end it!” It was clear she just couldn’t bear it! This Progressive secularist attitude is understandable: *
*
To the Patriots who wish to defend Democracy and Western Civilization, victory is simply preventing medieval Radical Islam from taking over Iraq.
The violence may last 50 years! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to think through the disaster were we to lose our will and hand victory to Al Qaeda and their sponsors. But the Progressives refuse to see the danger in Radical Islam as did the British elite in the late 1930’s who refused to see the danger in Hitler.
The German invasion of Poland in 1939 thoroughly discredited the British elite and brought Churchill to power. But the attack on 9-11, which should have had a similar effect here, hasn’t. The strong denial and the unwillingness to face reality have transformed 9-11 into some one time natural disaster like hurricane Katrina in the minds of most Progressives.
The “evil” as far as the Progressives are concerned is President Bush “persecuting innocent Muslims!” Quite an Alice in Wonderland view! One can only speculate how the Progressives will persist in explaining away the continuing Islamist violence which only grows in ferocity, frequency and ever closer.
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Smoking & health concerns
To all the people that complain about unable to smoke in taverns, restaurants and now casinos. Please hold off your constant whining an wait until you get some kind of cancer and then complain after years and years of smoking. Then stated that you had no idea about the link of smoking and cancer. Even though it say it on the pack. And some people stated that the letters should be larger on the cigarettes. Oh, one more thing. Alcohol can also harm you. So start reading what is on the items that you consume.
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War on drugs & U.S Borders
Here is a novel and very workable idea, kill the so-called war on drugs, it has had less than zero positive effect on drug use or trafficking; and use the money saved toward actually securing our borders and putting some sensible controls into effect on the unlawful activity now prevalent at gun shows and poorly secured gun shops.
This will never happen because we seem to have nearly zero politicians today who are willing to do things like this that make good sense, would save lives, make us more secure and get rid of a program which has become nothing but a sop for federal government agencies and local governments, because it would be unpopular in some conservative circles.
Are there any politicians out there that are willing to take this challenge? I doubt it.
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The Democratic controlled Senate
After the defeat of the “Amnesty for Illegal Aliens” Bill and the shameful “all night Defeat-a-thon” to surrender in Iraq, has anyone else but me come to the conclusion that it is TIME FOR THE SENATE TO BE dissolved, eliminated and removed from our form of government.
They have shown themselves to be “above the law and the Constitution” and DO NOT have the best interests of this country as a priority!
If this Democrat controlled Senate was seated during the campaign for Guadalcanal during World War II, we would have lost the island and probably the war! If Al Qaeda does attack us and blows up the Capital building while the Senate is in session they would be doing us a favor! They are an embarrassment to our allies, a comfort to our enemies and UNWORTHY of the sacrifices our military is making in THEIR NAME!
The answer isn’t to pull out of Iraq, the answer is to cut the Senate OUT of our form of government, like a cancer, before they do any more damage!
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Shooting at the capitol
According to the Rocky Mountain News, the incident at the State Capitol on Monday was no big deal. This writer was working in San Francisco in November 1978 when Supervisor Dan White shot Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk in City Hall. While such incidents are rare, they do, in fact, happen as history illustrates. It is absurd to suggest that the State Capitol ought to conduct “business as usual,” after the fatal shooting in Denver. If security measures are essential at the airport and City Hall, why should the State Capitol be exempt from such precautions? While such measures may be inconvenient for some, the primary consideration should be the safety of the Governor and his staff.
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Jim Nicholson resigns
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Shooting at the capitol
One Block Either Way
First we would repeatedly hear that the suspect never drew a weapon. Then we would hear that the suspect was some member of a protected interest group, sexual orientation group, undocumented visitor group, homeless group, or religious group. Members of these groups are more important than the average citizen.
Community leaders, religious leaders, cop watch groups, political activists, groups with acronyms in their title, and just plain bleeding heart liberals would be demanding investigations, answers, better answers and more answers. On talk radio, one show’s host would be telling us how his father would had handled this better back in a rough and touch eastern city. Another talk show host would be telling his listeners how he would have use his military dog tags and disarmed the suspect without ever needing to use deadly force. Mental health workers would be demanding more training for the police, so the police would be sensitive to the needs of pistol packing mental patients. The police monitor would be demanding to get the case as soon as possible. Your Denver mayor and the city council would be showing no support for the officer involved in the shooting. Teams of lawyers would be standing before microphones looking for deep pockets.
Trooper Hemphill you did what needed to be done, but you will never know what difference a different uniform or another block would have made for you.
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Alpine rescue team arrived after the fact
Speakout author Scott Havener (“Billing injured hiker is a big mistake,” July 1) writes as if he were a member of Alpine Search and Rescue, but was he on the scene of the rescue in Clear Creek Canyon, or is his description of the event based on secondhand information?
Did Alpine members have the aerial photos of the location showing alternative rescue routes on the scene?
The Golden Fire Department routinely calls Alpine if additional manpower and equipment might be needed to complete a rescue. The rescue was already under way when Alpine volunteers arrived, and none were needed.
Havener implies that Alpine volunteers are more experienced and better qualified than the Golden Fire Department rescue team.
The Golden Fire Department is a volunteer organization, with only a small full-time staff; those volunteers are paid by Golden taxpayers for more than 600 hours of training per year, plus a modest amount for answering emergency calls. The city takes into account individual circumstances of rescues outside the city limits and does not bill all those it helps.
If Alpine members want to persuade hikers in serious trouble that it is better to be rescued without risking paying for it than to phone for 911 first responders, the club should advertise that and publish its phone number in all hiking or climbing areas.
Dick Sugg, Golden
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBackThere must be other options than a hunt
I have been reading and listening for weeks about the possible hunt (if you want to call shooting nearly tame elk a “hunt”) that Estes Park is planning for its overpopulated elk herd.
Am I the only one that thinks this is absurd?
With the many areas of Colorado and surrounding states devastated by fire the last few years, I don’t understand why the idea of relocating the “problem” elk to an area that has lost much of its wildlife is not at the top of the list.
Why is killing an animal that has lost its fear of humans the only plan that is being discussed, at least in the forums available to me?
A little research about other options might generate better ideas.
Relocating large herds has been done before, and could be a viable answer to this problem that Estes Park has found itself in.
Why do we, the people who keep encroaching into the domain of wildlife, find it so easy to just “clean house” when faced with a problem? Let’s think it through and find a better option — and keep on top of this “overpopulation” before it becomes such a problem again.
Susan Wilson, Idaho Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (35) | TrackBackAirport security woes
An editorial recently opined that metal detectors should not be standard at the Capitol because they would decrease openness (“Our open Capitol,” July 18).
While a laudable opinion, it’s too bad that the editors did not also campaign for an easing of airport security.
Airports force us to remove shoes, undergo extra security machines and have our cars searched. TSA personnel rummage through our belongings outside our presence.
While some security measures are necessary, many of the ones in place are knee-jerk reactions that discourage open travel in a free country.
Russell Weisifeld, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBackA way to help in foster care
Every year in Colorado, many children are taken from their homes due to parent abandonment or neglect.
These children often end up in foster homes, hopefully temporarily but oftentimes permanently, staying until they age out of the system.
Due to the shortage of foster homes throughout Colorado, a significant number of our youth are ending up in group homes and placements that can’t give the children the loving, nurturing environment a family home can.
I understand that child neglect is a much deeper issue and isn’t going to disappear, at least not in the near future. Not everyone can be a foster parent, but there are several other ways people can get involved in these children’s lives.
The most significant way that I have found recently is the CASA program. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and many people don’t even know the program exists.
A CASA represents a child in a dependency and neglect case. You are given the chance to become their voice in court. You advocate for what you feel is best for them. Visit www.colorado
casa.org to get more information.
Children are our future; let’s help make it brighter!
Jennifer Gruenberger, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackBusting the myth of ‘labor shortage’
There are many of us who feel herded by the media and not heard. I would like to thank our government representatives, big business and the media for the whitewash leading us to believe that Americans are too lazy for many jobs; that we’re too educated and have moved on from menial hire; that supply and demand laws don’t apply; that Americans are better off governed to serve the wealthier portion of the population.
They say that illegal immigrants are needed to address a severe labor shortage. We now have long lines of people who are 30, 40, and 50 years old fighting over $6.50-per-hour jobs at big box stores like Wal-Mart.
There is no labor shortage. Our labor surplus has driven wages down far below a living wage. Our quality of life is better when companies have to compete for labor by providing better wages, 40-hour work weeks, educational, health care, optical, dental, stock option, profit sharing, cafeteria plan, vacation and retirement benefits.
Immigrants? Keep the best, ship the rest, seal the borders and use quality of life to measure the government’s performance.
Clayton Hinman, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBackStaggering statistics in Iraq war
Daily I read, hear and see the staggering statistics about the war in Iraq.
Now it is a war longer than World War II. The tragedy and heartbreak of the loss of life and the disabling injuries are immeasurable and beyond our limited human comprehension to absorb.
Spending has topped $450 billion dollars; $450 billion! How many zeroes are there in that number? Who can possibly conceive of such a figure?
Surely, all our congressional representatives can see beyond the mendacity of the administration’s spin to be able to devise some exit policy that will stanch the flow of blood and resources.
It is high time to allow those resources to concentrate on such worthwhile missions as rebuilding New Orleans — still a wasteland after almost two years — as well as assuring the continuation of Social Security.
We all reel at the waste, injustice and horror of this dark age, the age of the war in Iraq.
Don Perl, Greeley
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Inconsistent on Iraq
In its July 7 editorial, “Iraq, the reassessment,” the Rocky Mountain News wrote: “Two months ago, we argued against the attempts of some Democrats to impose a timetable for withdrawal on the Bush administration. That is still the path of folly, as Domenici and Lugar both recognize.”
The editorial concludes by stating: “To paraphrase Domenici, Americans cannot ask their troops to sacrifice indefinitely if the Iraqis appear more committed to sectarian domination than to defeating the Islamic radicals in their midst.”
But, if not “indefinitely,” then isn’t establishing a timetable or some parameters for the Iraqi government a viable option?
I don’t see any folly in that.
Rick Kearney is a resident of Colorado Springs.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackSo now on channel four, they have an problem. Catching the City and County of Denver watering during the day time. I have lived in Denver for years and have seen the City watering parks during the day all the time and even watering the sidewalks and streets. Just walk down Speer Blvd. around 13th and 7th ave. . I have complained on several occasions but to deft ears. Now all of a sudden, the local news talks about it and the Mayor will step in and fix thing. Hummmm.
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Cigarette smoke
I am really sorry, I have to admit, I was so wrong.
*We have mentally disturbed people buying guns and threatening (Colorado) and killing (Virginia Tech) innocent people!
* We have drive-by shootings of innocent people.
*We have hold-ups and killings in banks, fast food restaurants, gas stations, liquor stores, bars & convenience stores.
*We have domestic violence killings.
*We have gang members killing each other and innocent people.
Not to mention the traffic deaths from DUI’s and speeders.
Oh yeah! Did I mention gouging gas prices, dishonest politicians, illegal immigration and the war in Iraq?
And all I was worried about was cigarette smoke....Silly Me!
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Fuel economy standards
Before I submit my letter showing how improved fuel economy standards would help Colorado consumers, economic growth, and national security, I felt compelled to relay that I have heard that automakers have been active attempting to get papers to curb their coverage of this vital issue.
I do not know if you have been subject to automaker pressure, but in any case I would ask that you either print my letter below, or, better yet, editorialize on this subject yourself (or both), as the need for strong fuel economy standards to protect our oil and environmental security is a subject too important not to be heard.
My letter is below: I have made my personal effort for U.S. oil and environmental security by purchasing a Prius, and it is time for Colorado ‘s representatives to do the same.
The U.S. House is about to vote on an energy bill that could lock-in the Senate’s strong but sensible 35 miles-per-gallon target. The National Academy of Sciences has concluded that automakers already have the technology to make all their vehicles more fuel-efficient without sacrificing safety or size, and the House bill would gived more than a decade to reach the 35 mpg target (remember that a decade ago, no one in America even heard of a hybrid).
Once these cleaner cars hit the road, it would result in over $500 million in savings at the gas pump each year and over 3,000 jobs created in Colorado , and would save more oil than we currently import from Saudi Arabia nationwide. My congressman, John Salazar, and every representative in our state must take the responsibility to help bring these vehicles to market, just as Congress overrode automaker complaints about mandatory air bags, seat belts and catalytic converters.
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
I can honestly say that normally I am not a fan of Michael Moore, I usually find his tactics to be a little questionable and one sided but SICKO not only rang true to me but it made me cry, how can the richest country in the world be this far behind in healthcare? How can our government reject a system that our biggest ally Britain has had in place since the late 1940’s? I was particularly appalled that the current healthcare system was given its beginnings in the 1970’s and yet my very republican baby boomer parents believed the media hype to such an extent that they now actually blame Hillary Clinton for HMO’s. It terrifies me that the most powerful and influental people in the country seem most concerned only that they keep their power and influence, who cares what happens to the rest of us. It saddens me to see that this is the current state of our country our politicians are too busy arguing about illegal immigration and wars against the “axis of evil” (both of wh!
ich I see as a very direct cause of the rise in racism today in the US a whole other issue) to care that people in their own county are dieing, losing their life savings or choosing not to have healthcare at all because they can’t afford it. Even with insurance I won’t go to the doctor unless I have to. With Blue Cross Blue Shield last year my annual exam cost me $200. How can that be right? I am fortunate to be a single person with some disposable income but I have coworkers who are single parents barely scraping by and can’t afford even preventative health care for them or their children even on a fairly good salary and with insurance.
People shouldn’t have to choose between keeping thier family healthy and buying groceries or paying the rent this month. The aging baby boomer generation only adds a ticking time bomb aspect to this problem. I implore our politicians to grow a back bone and stand up to the wealthy powers that be, isn’t that your job? If my job performance was this bad I would have already been fired.
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GOP and Iraq
Your headline, “GOP prevails on Iraq after all-nighter,” had me laughing out loud. Yes, clearly, the GOP has prevailed on Iraq. They were wrong in their reasoning for starting the war, they have prosecuted the war ineptly, and they have no plan for ending the war. Perhaps “GOP prevails, America loses” would have been more to the point.
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The CIA and al Qaida
The CIA analysts claim that the al qaeda is using it’s growing strength in Pakistan and Iraq to plot attacks against us. If the CIA has this kind of information, they must know where the al qaeda is located, and if they do know where the al qaeda is, why don’t we just take them out? If we don’t know where they are, we can’t really verify the source of the information, and if we can’t verify the source, then anyone on the Internet or other communication forms can claim they’re al qaeda just to make fools out of us.
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Handgun poll
I was a bit shocked to see the Rocky Mountain News asking its readers whether handguns should be banned in an online poll posted on Tuesday, July 17th. It reveals a disturbing tendency by society to assail the Second Amendment anytime violence occurs, without considering the benefits that responsible handgun ownership creates. In Israel, for instance, where terrorist attacks on the public used to be a daily occurrence, dozens of lived have been saved by civilians using personal firearms in self-defense. Thankfully, diligent capitol police were able to prevent a tragedy, but what if Aaron Snyder had chosen to proclaim himself emperor in a busy commercial district? Surely, law-abiding citizens wielding handguns would be have a chance to protect themselves and the public.
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Japan and nuclear waste
WAITING FOR GODZILLA Since the Japanese government, after the July 16th earthquake in Japan, stated that nuclear waste may have spilled into the ocean but that there is no reason for concern, are they also waiting for Godzilla to appear like I am?
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Bush has demonstrated the lack of care and concern he has for this nation and its people by his ego-driven “do or die” philosophy. Our troops are his personal sacrificial lambs and to what purpose? Do not say “for freedom". Rather, say “for futility.”
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Ending the war in Iraq
Yesterday, House Democrats, backed by the will of the American people, took action again to end the war.That vote marks just the beginning Unfortunately the Roadblock Republicans, supporting an unpopular President, are trying to stand in our way.
More than six months into the President’s troop surge, it is clear that his strategy isn’t working. A new report this week confirmed that the Iraqi government has failed to meet the agreed-upon political, economic and military benchmarks. Democrats will continue to hold the President accountable and fight to ensure that the Iraqi people take control of their own country.
With each passing week, we see the tragic consequences of the President’s failed policy in Iraq. More than four years have passed and more than 3,600 American lives have been lost. More than 26,000 of our troops have been wounded. More than $450 billion has been spent. Democrats are demanding a New Direction and an end to this war.
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Working for tips
I have a tip for Miss Rankin and all the other “servers” in this world.
No one asked you to become a wait person. You knew going in the base salary was a joke. One waits tables for the tips. But, hold it just one minute.
The tip is for service received. It is not, and I repeat, NOT part of the check and remains up to the discretion of the customer. Certainly not the server. To expect a good tip (20 per-cent) one must deliver excellent service.
No mistakes. That is the drill, plain and simple. Forgetfulness, sloppy timing and attitude all diminish what the tip will eventually be. No guarantees. For Miss Rankin from Arvada, or any other server to assume that the tip is “guaranteed” is nonsense. Her attitude is astonishing. But in this day of demanded instant gratification who can wonder that she doesn’t feel obligated to work for the money. We must all take note that she is doing us a favor to deliver the food, hot, cold or otherwise and she is under no obligation to do anything else, if that. After all, she only makes a couple of bucks an hour. Right! I was a waiter many times and I know what the money can be.
But only if the service warrants. That’s the tip, baby. It is work. Get a new grip on your tray, stop complaining and start hustling with a big smile.
Otherwise, your empty pockets are your own doing.
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War in Iraq
With each passing week, we see the tragic consequences of the President’s failed policy in Iraq. More than four years have passed and more than 3,600 American lives have been lost. More than 26,000 of our troops have been wounded.
More than $450 billion has been spent. Democrats are demanding a New Direction and an end to this war. The will of the people is evident. We need to withdraw from this Iraq mess now. We do not want any more our nation’s finest coming home in boxes.
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War in the Middle East
We are tired of the mass murder this government has been committing in the Middle East.
There are other places on this world where
Our allies and our brothers and sisters are dying or living with the scars of your war.
Call them back home to protect our country
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Illegal immigrants
US GOVERNMENT TO BE SHUT DOWN!!
Elvira Arellano, an illegal alien from Mexico, that has entered this country illegally, has been arrested and deported, and again entered this country illegally, and again has been arrested. The second time she entered illegally she became pregnant, hoping the anchor baby would give her status to stay. The father is unknown. The second time she was arrested, she was also found guilty of identity theft. Before she could be deported, she took refuge in a west side church in Chicago. She has been there since August 15th, 2006. On June 28th 2007, the same day our Senators voted to kill amnesty, Elvira Arellano vowed a campaign against the US government. If amnesty is not voted in by August 15th, 2007, she announced to a Chicago Newspaper, pro-illegal immigrant organizers will bring this government to a financial and economic halt. Incidentally, she has been in this country 10 years and still can not speak English. She needed an interpreter to talk to the reporter. The 911 terrorists could not bring this country to a halt. How could she hope to do it? How long will these criminals continue defying our laws and our government?
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Global warming
Just one comment: there will be no
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War in Iraq
Our President opened a bee’s nest in Iraq and does not know how to close it. Our soldiers are fighting a war that is not for America. It is time for them to come home to their families. We can’t afford to keep this up any longer. The sad part is the Iraqi government will probably spit on us after the fact.
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Upon reading the July 8 editorial “S. Platte Quandary,” I get the feeling that we well owners should just give up and go away. It’s a feeling we’re used to. We’ve been getting the same from Boulder, Centennial, Greeley and other objectors to irrigation wells.
We farmers don’t give up so easily. Neither should the South Platte Task Force.
Giving up would mean that legislators really did not intend to integrate irrigation wells into the prior appropriation system with its 1969 legislation.
Giving up would mean that they intended to eliminate the wells and all of the beneficial economic activity they create.
When the irrigation wells were drilled, mostly in the droughts of the 1930s and 50s, no permits were required. All anyone had to do was hire a well driller. The state at least passively encouraged well drilling. And senior water right owners weren’t objecting.
Later the 1969 legislation came along, well owners did what the state asked, they got their wells adjudicated and they joined augmentation districts. This worked for over 30 years until the state Supreme Court took away the power of the state water engineer to administer augmentation plans.
Exacerbating the situation, the 2002 drought hit at the same time and 2006 was about as bad if not worse.
Still, there is no need to eliminate an entire class of farmers, those who irrigate with wells. Of course senior water rights should be protected. On the other hand, junior water rights should not be denied water when their rights are in priority and that is exactly what happened for several weeks this spring.
There are solutions to this crisis, although they won’t come easily. But giving up isn’t a solution and the task force needs to see it that way, too.
David Dechant is a resident of Fort Lupton.
Posted by denver-admin at 03:18 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBackBring our troops home
The time is long overdue to bring our troops home and put an end to this.
This war was badly planned, had so many mistakes not been made perhaps we wouldn’t be sitting in this mess today.
We owe our troops and their families better. We can’t remain in Iraq forever without accountability and our military can’t continue much longer at this rate.
Our soldiers are tired and weary. They need a break and time with their families. We can’t continue to ship them over for tour after tour with no end in sight.
The Bush Administration policies aren’t working in Iraq and things are getting worse, not better.
We are spending billions and for what? Failure. We need to stop this and soon.
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War in Iraq
AMERICA, do you ever seriously ask what sense it makes to preoccupy, or waste such a seriously significant portion of our troops and equipment in Iraq; and these armaments so vital to our national defense, homeland security, FEMA, or the capability of our forces to intervene in some actual, serious, or true threat to our world.
Do Americans ever seriously ask themselves what type of agenda would dictate this senseless waste of their most vital and precious resources? Meanwhile, America, your president continues borrowing from rouge nations like Red China and Saudi Arabia and spending it like a drunken sailor to finance this huge expenditure, or to pay his corporate cronies...or pave their way by doing his best to privatize for profit your government services and protections...
BUT THAT’S YOUR MONEY AMERICA, AS WELL AS THE LIVES OF YOUR KIDS, YOUR RISK, YOUR INSECURITY...YOUR MOST VITAL RESOURCES AMERICA BEING SENSELESSLY THROWN AWAY BY AN AGENDA THAT IS CLEARLY NOT YOUR OWN.
DO YOU EVER SERIOUSLY ASK YOURSELF WHY, OR WOULD YOU RATHER JUST WATCH DUMBFOUNDED AS IT SLIPS THROUGH YOUR FINGERS FOR THAT DICTATED AGENDA THAT IS CLEARLY NOT YOUR OWN AMERICA?
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Bush/Cheney administration
Whew! It’s going to take a mighty big blast of democratic fresh air to remove the stench emanating from the United States government, the purposeful byproduct of the Bush/Cheney administration. Not one institution has been untouched by its fetid Republican presence - from the military’s coverups on Tillman, Lynch, Abu Ghraib, to the Justice Department, FEMA, FBI, even down to the Surgeon General.
Every day the senses are assaulted by new emissions of corruption and politicizing that seep out through the cracks of media and citizenry indifference.
Where’s that air freshener - the one labeled IMPEACHMENT?
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Health care
The debate as to whether the United States should change to universal healthcare or socialized medicine based on the Canadian or United Kingdom models would be greatly clarified if the candidates for the presidential nomination or Congress who advocate such a change would provide a simple yes or no to the following question: “Would you also subject yourself, Congress, and all federal civil servants to the same system that would be mandatory for all other Americans?” Any response other than an unqualified “yes” would be the basis for not taking that candidate seriously when advocating such a change.
The American people need to be reminded that members of Congress and all those who are federal civil servants are exempt from paying into the social security program. Instead, only they are privileged to participate in another program that provides for private accounts, choice in investment vehicles for their defined contributions and the ability to pass along to their beneficiaries the balances in their accounts when they die. In addition, all Americans should know that this group is also the beneficiary of a healthcare system that provides the highest benefit levels and choice in their coverage and providers. Will this group also lose those benefits and choice in the event socialized medicine is forced upon all other Americans? With the possibility now gone of reforming a Depression-era retirement program that the ruling elite are not subjected to, ordinary Americans are not able to take advantage of the much better program available to the elites of providing for their retirement years. However, ordinary Americans can insist that the same loss of choice and ready access to providers and the gradual deterioration of the quality of healthcare that they will suffer as the dead hand of government creates a vast bureaucracy to necessarily ration ever lower quality of care over time will also be inflicted on their betters. By insisting upon this condition, America should be able to avoid the fate of others who have lost their freedom of choice in healthcare matters.
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Smoking ban
In response to Raoul De Chant’s letter titled “Where there’s smoke".
In short Mr. De Chant calls Colorado’s smoking ban “denormalizing smoking by condescending nanny-state health fanatics who want to control our lives and eliminate freedom of choice.”
How about the fact cigarette smoke plain stinks and I don’t want to smell it in public facilities. Like Steve Martin said, when someone asks you, “Mind if I smoke?” The simple reply is, “No, mind if I fart.
It’s one of my habits.” Inhale some of that.
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Upside down American flag
Let not the significance of a Wheat Ridge lady¹s upside-down American flag escape us, for it mirrors the present inverted operation of our federal government. Our nation is not now run with the consent of the governed, but with the consent of those who govern. The governed have been paying the freight, and the governing oilygarchs are getting the goods.
The crisis is not that we have a president, vice president, and their executive department which consistently lies to the people and to the Congress, has sold our natural heritage to the highest bidders, and which is usurping the constitutional powers of the Congress, and who many feel that ( the leaders of ) should be impeached, but that Congress - and the people who elected its members - are allowing this upside-down government to flourish.
Indeed, the Wheat Ridge patriot¹s flag mimics this administration¹s policies.
Impeachment is a prerogative - and indeed, a duty - reserved for Congress, and to be implemented when a high elected official cannot otherwise be held to perform his/ her constitutional duties with honor, honesty or effectiveness. It is a deserved action which is long overdue - for all of these reasons - for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Until this happens, our flags should be flown not only upside-down - but at half-mast as well.
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Pres. Bush and Iraq
Does anyone really believe that Nouri al-Maliki or any other Iraqi ( or group of Iraqis ) can defend Iraq and lead it into democracy? I doubt that George W. Bush believes it, but this ploy allows Mr. Bush to drag us along with him - at least until his term of office is over. Of course, we must rememberr that the Iraqis have not yet approved Mr. Bush¹s plan to hand over 70 percent of Iraqi oil to American oil companies. Could that have any bearing on his reluctance to leave Iraq...... Hmmm?
Despite the surge’s degree of ³success,² how long ( after American troops have left - if ever ) will it be before all the insurgents, and/ or al-Qaida returns, and a Shi’ite theocracy is set up? If this is what the majority of Iraqis ( who are Shi’ites ) want, why shouldn¹t they have it?
After all, George W. Bush, by dethroning the ruling Sunnis, and has given the Shi’ites their opportunity.
I have just been reading about Peter the Great - and other rulers of his time - and am struck by the similarity of attitudes between these autocrats and our president; they too, were the deciders, and once having decided, they ³stayed the course,² regardless of the consequences to their respective peoples. Despite the absurdity, impracticality, unavailability of food, arms, ammunition , or capable manpower, the amount of death or destruction, the policiies always had to be carried out to their ultimate conclusions - no matter how bad.
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Charles Krauthammer
As Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post correctly asserts, the counterinsurgency strategy is working in Iraq. Former strongholds of al-Qaida have been effectively routed in Anbar province and Ramadi. According to the New York Times’ John Burns, tribal sheiks have turned against al-Qaida in what is an “astonishing success.” Yet, why is the mainstream media virtually silent about such reports? It is because an American victory would upset the applecart for critics who have been calling for our defeat. In essence, a victory in Iraq would be disastrous for the “we can’t win” liberals, who politicize the war for their own ends.
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A server’s tip is a reward, not an entitlement
Letter writer Patti Rankin, who wants to educate readers about the hourly wage of servers and their need for a 20 percent tip (“Servers need the tips,” July 16), should see things from the customer’s point of view.
When people go out to eat, it is to have a pleasant evening and catch up on each others’ lives, not to gobble down their food and hurry up so the server can go home, so someone else can have their table, or — which has been the case many times — so the server can disappear, not to be seen again until it is time to deliver the check.
People don’t appreciate having their conversation interrupted every two minutes to be asked, “Is everything all right?”
Can’t they see that the coffee they served at the beginning should be getting cold or the tea is getting low, without constant interruption?
A tip is not an entitlement, it is a reward for good service.
Franki Rader, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (44) | TrackBackStop buying Chinese goods
Why aren’t we upset at the imports from China with chemicals that are harmful to us and are killing our animals (i.e., in toothpaste and dog food)? If it were an issue with Mexico or Mexican nationals, oh! what a tragedy it would be.
Why aren’t these same people who are so bent on immigration not standing up and fighting against all the garbage being imported from China?
Even our American flag is made in China. God has given our nation the knowledge we need to produce these various items. I think it’s time we boycott imports and stop buying goods from China.
Robert Gurrola, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (25) | TrackBackLeave Snyder be
In an online article on the Capitol shooting, it says, “About a dozen Denver police detectives searched Aaron Snyder’s home this afternoon for clues to yesterday’s shooting at the Capitol” (“Detectives remove items from home of gunman killed at Capitol,” RockyMountainNews.com, July 17).
Why?
Aaron Snyder, may he rest in peace, is dead. No one else was harmed.
Leave it be.
Steve Read, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBackIt’s interesting to note that Presidential candidate Ron Paul has received almost a million dollars more than Tom Tancredo, and yet it is Tancredo who gets all the press. Do you suppose that is because Ron Paul is so consistent, articulate and faithful to the Constitutional principles for which he has taken an oath to uphold? (He has a track record of 16 years to document his Congressional voting record)
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Tine Griego and foreclosures
Ms. Griego’s whine goes on.
She touts her good judgment writing “we decided to play it safe” and purchased a lower priced house, meaning one she could afford. Too bad many others, now being foreclosed, lack the same good judgment. Then she goes on to admit committing the typical financial suicide step of refinancing and withdrawing equity, twice (to pay for a vacation, no doubt). Now, she owes more than she paid for the house.
Financial judgment is a fundamental requirement, not a right bestowed by the government. Those that fail to employ sound financial judgment pay the penalty. That penalty is not “the grand screwing of the American worker", as Ms. Griego quotes. Rather, a reasonable law of economics.
Ms. Griego wants to yell ‘fire’. To whom? For what remedy? Having read Ms. Griego’s “save us from all harm” due to our ignorance tripe, I’m sure she wants the government to insure no one is ever foreclosed.
Be damned with the investor that provided the money, or better yet, have the government pay the mortgage payment. Such a deal.
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New Mexico College
New Mexico College opens it’s door for undocumented people. FREE education and Free books for them..It seem that New Mexico state cannot deny education to undocumented people like in Colorado. I think I will send my daughter to New Mexico for her education. Even though I my daughter and myself both have birth certificates and were born in the U.S.
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Accountability as a citizen
To begin the healing process the United States needs to go through I believe a large part of this is to hold accountability to the people who are, in part, responsible for the disgrace the United States has found itself in. V.P. Cheney is but one of the players. My accountability as a citizen of this nation is to stand up and reject the ideas that lead us with fear and bring fear and hate to others.
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Health care
The Nation’s Healthcare Re: “A flawed healthcare prescription” June 30, editorial.
Deroy Murdock argues Michael Moore’s claims in the docudrama, Sicko; particularly regarding the inaccuracies of the numbers of Americans lacking healthcare. Moore states at the outset, his primary focus is not on the problems of the 50 million Americans who can’t afford to pay, or choose not to pay for health insurance, but to examine the way the system has failed many of the 250 million who do pay for coverage. Moore argues the current medical system, run by multinational corporations with an eye on their profits, rather than on your health, is a conflict of interest, and therefore, is fatally flawed. Moore’s example of Cuba is well founded when we begin to realize that Cuba is a world leader in primary health care based on preventative medicine.
According to WHO figures, the U.S. spends approximately $6,096 per person a year on health care, compared with $296 in Cuba. I do agree with Murdock in that universal health care should not fall into the clutches of the “bleeding-heart Democrats” or the “cruel Republicans”. Our solution is to change America’s entire system; we need to redirect spending to build the health of our country. Currently, our system is focused on disease treatment, (a band aid fix masking the underlying cause of a more central issue) rather than pursuing health attainment. As our nation begins to direct spending on preventative care, the total cost of providing medical care will dramatically decline, as healthier people will require less and less medical resources.
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Upside down American flag
Mrs. Hammer should be ashamed of herself for flying our country’s flag upside-down in an attempt to protest the war. We have men and women, sons and daughters fighting for our freedom and this is the way you support them?
I am glad you don’t live next to me or even in my neighborhood. I have a son in the military and I would be disgusted if I had to drive by your house only to see a symbol of this great country displayed in such a manner. I proudly put our flag out every morning and take it down every night and thank all our troops for doing what they do. I am proud to be an American.
If you’re not, live elsewhere.
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Immigration bill
The so-called
If supporters want any sort of amnesty they’ll need to pass a strong border security bill first
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Kudos for U.S. 36 plan
It’s about time that our elected officials came together to do something about transportation. The U.S. 36 mayors deserve major kudos for their insight and leadership in trying to address the increasing traffic congestion on
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Homeowners need to practice responsibility
Tina Griego’s column on foreclosures makes some good points (“ ‘Bad here’ as homes are lost,” July 16).
However, it would be interesting to know how many of the home buyers knew right up front that they were biting off more than they could chew and either didn’t care or expected to be bailed out by someone or something.
If you buy a home and know the mortgage payment will in all likelihood jump alarmingly high, do you plan ahead for it, saving as much as possible, or try to refinance before things get out of hand?
I’m sure some do, but I’d like to know how many of those people went out and financed SUVs, big screen TVs, ballet lessons for the kids (nice but not necessary), trendy clothes, vacations, etc.
Credit is not a gift, it’s a responsibility. I suspect that not just house payments but credit card spending contributed to a great many of these foreclosures.
Personal responsibility goes along with home ownership, as everything else in life. So I’m not so sure that I see many of these people as victims.
Marjorie Hughes, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (26) | TrackBackA few notes on the CSO
As a former Denver resident looking back in, it seems to me a couple of things have been overlooked in the Boettcher Hall debate (“Decision on bond projects delayed,” June 16).
First, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra seems to think that gutting the hall and rebuilding will somehow improve the acoustics and therefore the sound of the orchestra.
Maybe. But the orchestra has done nothing to enlarge itself and further improve its overall performance standard. The orchestra is at least 15 players below strength.
No hall, no matter how fine, can change this. An underpowered ensemble in a poor hall is underpowered in a fine hall.
Second, many orchestras of greater renown have built their reputations in and are still playing in halls that leave something to be desired. Rochester, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati and Washington orchestras come to mind right off.
Third, it’s easier to have a bond issue to pay for improvements. I wonder what would happen if the CSO would raise funds and spend its money to improve itself by hiring more musicians to increase its standard and grow?
Mark McCue, La Junta
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackSex assault victims should speak up
Because victims were believed and willing to testify, the July 9 sentencing of foster parent Joe Lujan for the sexual assault of three young girls will help protect other children (“40 years for sex offender,” July 10). We should all be grateful that the courts are becoming more willing to deal with crimes against children with serious penalties for serious crimes.
Also, the conviction on July 13 by a Denver jury of former foster parent and Episcopalian ex-priest Donald Shissler of sexually assaulting three young boys will hopefully prevent another predator from harming any more children, at least until he is released from prison (“Ex-priest convicted of sex assaults,” July 14).
I hope that victims of sexual assault, particularly child sexual assault, will continue to come forward, pointing the finger at perpetrators of such crimes.
It is my hope also that state lawmakers and Gov. Bill Ritter will begin to see how important it is that we provide a civil window of justice for countless other victims of child sexual assault, currently time-barred from pressing charges by archaic statutes of limitation, to come forward and help the community identify continuing threats to our kids’ safety.
This is the only way that continuing patterns of criminal behavior by known perpetrators can be curtailed and other children protected.
Jeb Barrett, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackA few ways to encourage recycling
I wholeheartedly agree with letter writer Louana George (“Switch trash, recycling bin sizes, pickup days,” July 12).
We moved to Colorado two years ago from the Chicago area, and we were disappointed in the level of participation in recycling both in our neighborhood and at our places of work.
In Castle Rock, as in Denver, recycling pickup is only every other week, and huge bins are provided for regular garbage.
Residents in Castle Rock have to purchase their own containers if they want to recycle. Consequently, very few homes in our neighborhood put out any recycling; I would guess the participation rate is about 10 percent at best. Back in Illinois, recycling is far more accepted as part of the weekly routine. Most families would recycle at least as much volume of material as was thrown out in their garbage.
If the bin sizes and collection schedules were switched, I bet all of us would be more diligent about our recycling efforts.
Mark McCullough, Castle Rock
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackEnd ‘corporatocracy’
If Congress can afford $12 billion a month to kill people in Iraq, it surely can afford to extend Medicare to every person in the United States and to repeal Part D, the prescription drug law, which is corporate welfare for pharmaceutical companies.
We have taxation without representation in the United States and the chance to nominate or elect a president or congressmento represent us is impossible presently.
We have to admit that the system is broken before we can fix it. The American dream is a nightmare.
Ralph Nader spoke on Democracy Now! last week and told it like it is. He said we have a corporatocracy that runs our country and that owns our government lock, stock and barrel.
Albert B. Dawkins, Firestone
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBack‘Hamas’ crack awful
I cannot believe that Sheriff William Frangis of Elbert County compared the Boy Scouts target shooting to terrorist training.
In the article “Scouts’ firing range irks residents” (July 7), the sheriff stated, “It sounded like Hamas had a training camp next door.”
If this is the attitude of law enforcement in Elbert County, it’s no wonder the citizens panic when they hear gunfire. Why didn’t the sheriff say something like “It sounded like citizens enjoying their right to own firearms”?
It would appear that in Frangis’ mind we are all nothing but potential terrorists.
Ron Coleman, Colorado Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackCapitol security needs to be stepped up
The incident at the Capitol (“Tux, gun raised suspicion,” July 17) was truly tragic but seems to reflect the growing violence in this society and the vulnerability that we all face, especially those in positions of leadership.
I am baffled by the debate on whether or not security should be tightened at the Capitol. Do people lose all notion of common sense when they think they might be inconvenienced?
Times have changed and open access to the Capitol is no longer about some symbol of individual freedom. You would still be able to access the building, even though you may have to stand in line for a couple of minutes.
It is about safety and taking logical measures to provide minimal protection for our key public figures, their staffs and visitors.
If someone truly wants to do harm, they will find a way to do it.
But in making decisions about security, the governor needs to tighten things up at the Capitol.
Patrick Horton, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Asian Tropics won’t be refuge for elephants; it will be a prison
Contrary to the opinion expressed in the July 15 editorial, “An elephant refuge/Asian Tropics will be Denver’s coup,” a zoo is not a “refuge.”
Zoos exist for the entertainment of humans, not for the benefit of animals
The editorial stated, “Unless breeding techniques improve, the entire species may go extinct within the next half-century.” What is the point of “sustaining Asian elephants” to live only in confinement?
Captive breeding will not contribute to the survival of the species. Elephants breed poorly in captivity, and surviving offspring can never be released into the wild
We do not observe natural elephant behavior in zoos where elephants are robbed of their most basic needs, including social companionship, adequate space, and suitable weather conditions. Elephants travel long distances in the wild, where they live longer. Zoos keep elephants in unnaturally small groups and routinely shuffle them between facilities with a callous disregard for special bonds
Children would be better educated by teaching them that it is unacceptable to deprive these magnificent animals of everything that is vital for their welfare for the sake of our amusement.
Fifty million dollars would provide a whole lot of protection and secure habitat in elephants’ home lands — where they are meant to be — in a true refuge
Judy Reed is a resident of Centennial.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackMy husband and I both work jobs that pay us well above minimum wage and in a few days we will be welcoming our first child into our family. We are apparently living the american dream since we have access to health benefits from my husband’s employer. However, just because we have this access does not mean it is at all affordable. I was shocked to find out that in order for us to add our infant to our exsisting policy it would cost us $850.00 a month for the three of us. That is well over half of my husbands earnings a month! How is this affordable?! I also find it disturbing that if I were to quit my job we would then be eligible to at least get our child covered under the state health plan for children. Why are we being penalized for being hard working adults?! Aren’t we doing everything right in reguards to what the system directs us to do? Because of all of this my husband and I will be seeking out a health care plan for our child and the two of us will be going!
without health care until (if ever) we can find a suitable solution. I love this country but I am ashamed to be an American when this is allowed to happen by our political leaders. And I am fearful for my child whom I plan on teaching empathy, compassion and kindness, despite living in a country that seems to run on opposite morals.
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Upside down flag
Subject: in regards to flying the flag upside down This is in response to the woman flying her flag upside down.
Let me start off by saying, how dare you! You are doing nothing but disrespecting our colors, you are disrespecting those soldiers that are fighting to maintain the freedom that you enjoy. Who gives a crap about your opinion anyway. Nobody likes the war and everyone has an opinion about it. The least you could do is find another way to express your opinion. Instead of disrespecting our colors in that fashion.
It was said in the letter that you love this country and that you respect our colors. But let me just say to you and to anyone who views burning the flag or disrespecting it in any fashion other than flying it the right way is a way of expressing your freedom of speech is total crap. There are plenty of other ways to voice your opinion.
Until you put on a uniform and stand a post you simply need to keep your mouth shut and just say thank you to all those who have done and are continuing to fight for your freedom.
I to am an Army Veteran and my husband is a Army/Marine Veteran and we stand proud of what it means to represent our country by serving in the military. It is an honor. When we fly our flag it is in the deepest respect for our country and our colors.
You have no idea what those soldiers are going through or what they are doing. All you hear is the bad things. they are doing a lot of good things that nobody hears about.
All you need to do is just say thank you to all of those who are putting their lives on the line keeping the peace.
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Oil companies
Ninety five per cent of the world oil is controlled by national oil companies. China ,India , are acting in concert with the other national oil companies developing their resources. We on the other hand pursue pollyannish policies in a nasty world. When push comes to shove I guess we will fuel our industry and military with solar, wind and corn power.
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Sanitation and hygiene
Oh give me a break. Sanitation and hygiene (ED letter 7-13-07) are the big concern of the AMA? Studies show physicians don’t wash their hands as often at nurses. What is “Advanced communication to ensure patients know the qualifications of the health professional....” I keep my NP liscence in my wallet, you can find me on the State of Colorado ANP Registry.
“Patients outcomes were comparable...” according to a study published in the 5 Jan. 2000 Journal of the American Medical Association, which compared patients randomly assigned to physicans and Nurse Practitioners.
In Store Health Clinics (Editorial 7-5-07)provide for patient safety and wellbeing by allowing affordable, easy access to care by professional health care providers with solid knowledge of human disease treatment and health maintenance. Early intervention and preventive health care reduce complications, prevent illness and reduce overall cost to the community by keeping folks out of hospital emergency departments. Early detection and treatment of strept throat thus reduces the chance of complications in addition to reducing time away from school or work. Early treatment of a simple urinary tract infection reduces risk of kidney infection, a leading cause of kidney failure. The timely tetanus shot... The professionals in these clinics have access to a dedicated medical physican for consultation as needed. They send copies of records to patient’s family physician if there is one and they provide lists of community resources for care of the uninsured.
As an emerging profession Advanced Practice Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, are finding our niche in the health care system, providing quality care, which is complementary to our physican collegiages. The NURSING part of NP is the “value added” aspect of seeing a Nurse Practitioner we are dedicated to “holistic care” and education of individuals and families.
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
After watching the movie Sicko I am disgusted and outraged. H.R 676 bill needs to pass. It is embarassing enough that Americans are seeking refuge across American boarders. We need to take better care of our people.
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National health care
NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND M.A.S.H.
I have come to the realization that many of the younger Americans today embrace the idea of more government services, actually tending toward Socialists ideas as the solution for our present actual and perceived problems. I recognize that when we are young, we are more idealistic; however, the current crop of young people have had limited experience with government run programs and enterprises. They have had to deal with a county or state government to get their driver’s license and registration of their vehicle and perhaps limited experience in dealing with taxing agencies. Maybe they have had to deal with the bureaucracy in high school or college, but not much more exposure to government bureaucracy and inefficiency in matters that affect their lives.
Many of the males (and some unique females) of my generation have had the experience of serving in the armed forces during the Korean War, Cold War and/or Vietnam War and most of us greatly enjoy watching episodes of M. A. S. H. since the foul ups portrayed remind us of our own actual experiences. As veterans, we can relate experiences with other government run agencies to the gross inefficiencies and control we observed in the military.
Now, a group of politicians is promising to provide national healthcare for all Americans and they are supported by Michael Moore who claims that healthcare in Socialist and Communist countries is so much better than our free market system. If and when this group of politicians takes full control of our national and state governments, our young folks will get to experience the full impact of the government running a significant part of our lives and they can join us when we watch the M.A.S.H. reruns. It may or may not be a laughing matter.
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Tom Tancredo
Re: Rocky Mountain News, Thursday 7/12/07 “Tancredo will offer bill to replace ‘junk’”
As far as Kevin’s desire to “recall Tancredo", I would not put much stock in the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials information. With over 22 million illegals in this country, our so-called officials can’t even retain the ones caught, much less enforce court appearances for those they set free. The last bureaucratic report I read depicting haven cities for illegals, which was published in the Rocky Mountain News, claimed Denver as a “sanctuary city". What’s needed is a 50 fold increase in funding for the ICE to facilitate deportment of the millions of illegals residing and working in this country.
It is time to SEE the elephant in the room, folks! How can American citizens respect the law, when our own federal government (Bush administration) chooses to allow millions to bypass our laws? There are Hispanics who came to our country legally. There are those who waited in line to become citizens. They are not happy with illegal immigrants who bypass the system. American citizens should not have to lose their jobs because they cannot speak Spanish, especially in our school system, just because we have an influx of Hispanics.
It may seem like Tancredo “one-issue” politics, but it is an extremely important issue that needs fixing. Everyone should respect and obey the laws of our land, with NO exception. Tom Tancredo’s proposal is the fix.
He sees the elephant in the room.
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Politics
Both major parties disgust me with debate of Iraq-Afghanistan and war against Terrorism. . With 26 years 18 days of honorable Air Force Service, I know military must trust their leaders not to quit before the job is done. Trust is earned up and down the chain of command and wishy-washy mind changing places military in danger of being killed or injured. Democrats campaigned on “new direction” which caused assumption they had solutions. They would lead in gaining cooperation of both parties to bring this situation to successful conclusion. With over 600 investigations (inquisitions) since January in house and senate, just what result are hearings supposed to serve? President Bush replaced l the major cabinet officers attacked, yet democrats persist in wasting time, money, and effort, just to satisfy childish curiosity. President and Vice President will serve until January 2009, so we need to get on with the people’s business. None of this is of interest outside the Washington beltway, except talk and print media. And I include myself in the crowd who quit using crayons and chalk a long time ago (reference blog sites with graffitti writers).
Only Mitt Romney of those now campaigning may earn my vote, although I would consider Lieberman, Gingrich, or Fred Thompson, if they choose to campaign. I would also vote for Tom Tancredo is he is candidate (republican or independent). ALL the others are playing “are we there yet, Mommy?, and only offering “cut and run” which is not a solution. Their fear and lack of resolve is sensed by the terrorists (under any of the names listed for them), and we will be attacked just as under last administration and those before back to the 1960s. Do any of the candidates want to be responsible for losing citizens or cities?
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Marcela Sanchez column
After two years of total silence regarding the NAU/SPP, the RM News yesterday (7/13) ran a column by Marcella Sanchez attacking those who are attempting to bring its existence and goals to light. What M. Sanchez neglected to mention would fill a book.
1. There have been 2 secret conferences (Sonoma, CA in 2005, and Banff, Canada in 9/06), attended by a star studded cast of Cabinet Members, Diplomats, Captains of Industry, and Military (but no legislators) of all three countries, to implement the SPP.
2. Sect.431 of the recent Immigration Bill required acceleration of the SPP.
3. A special section of the Commerce Dept was created to implement the SPP.
4. Requests by Rep. Tom Tancredo and other members of Congress for information on Commerce Dept. SPP related activities have been ‘stonewalled’.
5. Previous Bush administration International Efforts (i.e. CAFTA, etc.) have contained hidden provisions totally unrelated to their title and detrimental to the interests of U.S. and its people (i.e. Supra National Tribunals, and the regulation of alternative medicines).
Traffic flow and species preservation alone do not justify the present efforts of our Government to promote the SPP. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like duck it may very well be a Secure and Prosperous duck. What M.
Shanchez is attempting to obscure is a ‘government de facto’ (Black’s Law Dictionary pg. 824)!
The very title ‘Security and Prosperity Partnership’ sounds like a 21st century version of the WWII era “Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere".
Now is the time for some good investigative reporting. Mr Editor are you up to it?
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
I would like to urge everyone to get out and view Michael Moore’s latest film, SiCKO. As I watched the film my eyes welled with tears of shame at the failure of the U.S. government to provide for those Americans in need. The central topic of the film may be lack of health care, but the larger issue is the fact that we in this country have lost our humanity. Corporate executives enjoy multi-million dollar salaries while millions in this country go without health care or retirement benefits. We express horrer at last weeks news where patrons stepped over a dying woman in a convenience store without ever calling for help. The insurance companies, health care providers and government of the U.S. commit this type of atrocity on a daily basis. We have allowed our government and corporations to subjugate our souls in the interest of money. I urge you to contact your current legislators in addition to electing politicians that support health care reform in the U.S. Providing all cit!
izens with healthcare, security and educational opportunities benefits all of us. Perhaps if we can provide for our own countrymen we can once again be a nation united instead of one that has become divided by a sea of poverty and inequity. If we can find the money to fight a war, we can surely find the funds to save the lives of our neighbors. Only a godless nation could allow it’s own to die for a lack of dollars. It is inhumane and it is time for this travesty to end.
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Rocky omits Adams’ reference to God
Allow me to make two comments on the July 4 Rocky Mountain News Commentary section:
1. In its lead editorial, “The nation’s birthday,” the Rocky quotes John Adams, but omits the sentence before the one in which Adams called for “pomp and parades” to celebrate America’s independence. In that missing sentence, Adams states that the day “ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty.” The man was by no means an orthodox Christian, but faith in God meant a lot to him. I think he would have liked that mentioned.
2. Syndicated columnist Diana West (“Imam Bush has learned nothing”) is right: President Bush should actually read the Quran, and so should others whose preachings on Islam sound too much like propaganda.
By romanticizing any religion, we undermine the forces that struggle for reform and enlightenment.
The Rev. Isaac C. Rottenberg, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (36) | TrackBackOn the other foot
How many filibusters have the conservatives in Congress used in the past six months? The party that continually bemoaned and threatened the Democrats with the “nuclear option” for even hinting at the use of the filibuster, are now using that very same “tricky obstructionist procedural technique” to hide from voting on the most important issues facing our country today.
The conservatives filibustered debate on Iraq, the Medicare prescription drug plan, the energy plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, the immigration reform package, the Employee Free Choice Act and many more.
The obstructionist conservatives are blocking Congress from doing the people’s business.
I guess they didn’t get the message this past November that the United States is looking for change, not business as usual.
James M. Gleeson, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (67) | TrackBackWrong ones in pen
Upon seeing the ugly Rocky Mountain News picture (July 16) of steers at the Cheyenne Frontier Days crammed so tightly into a pen that the poor creatures had to hold their heads straight up in their desperate struggle to breathe, one thing is clear: The wrong animals are in the pen.
Lee Vander Jagt, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Diagnosis of mental illness lacks scientific rigor
The Rocky Mountain News July 10 editorial, “The gaming addiction,” naively assumes that the so-called disorders included in the American Psychiatric Association’s billing bible, the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), are scientifically proven as real “mental illnesses.” They are not.
The so-called disorders listed in this book are merely approved for the manual by APA members at their meetings. There is no proof given or expected by this group that these “disorders” are indeed diseases. The only product that comes from the DSM is more fraudulent labels by which people can be tagged and therefore billed for “treatment,” i.e., mind-altering drugs.
That psychiatrist Jerald Block talks about the Columbine killers and their fascination with an online game in his article for the American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry does not prove anything either.
How transparent is that — psychiatrists blaming video games to divert attention from the fact that both Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris had been undergoing therapy prior to the Columbine shootings ... and that Harris was actually on the psychiatric drug Luvox.
Nor do psychiatrists want us to take a close look at the fact that patients under psychiatric treatment and drugging have been involved in other horrible acts of violence, including other school shootings.
The Food and Drug Administration, the British Medical Association and many other agencies worldwide have now begun recognizing that the drugs being used as “treatment” can cause violence.
No surprise that psychiatry is pushing for more new labels of “mental illnesses” so they can be included in the new edition of the billing bible, DSM-V, which will be thick with new ways to find “patients” and bill them for “treatment.”
Shawn May is a resident of Centennial.
If democrats haven’t yet become disappointed and disgusted with their party’s shortcomings let me enlighten them. Remember they gave us a priority list last Nov. consisting of the following: Get out of Iraq, Lower taxes, Fix social security, Pass some health care legislation and Beef up the no child left behind program, these, among other things to numerous to mention. After 6 years of planning strategy and 7 months in control of congress, the democrats are giving us a new list. IT is DESTROY BUSH, DESTROY BUSH and DESTROY BUSH.. That’s right folks, approximately the same length of time Clinton had to destroy Al Qaida and 7 months they accuse president Bush of wasting when they say he should’ve been able to learn, locate and destroy Al Qaida before 9:11. In reality, the democrats, in congress have done absolutely nothing in their 7 months of power.
I learned very early in life that patriotism and loyalty cannot be separated. But when you put politics and hate before patriotism and love of country you lose your patriotism and your hate becomes traitorous in nature.
So without an agenda, what happens in 2008 if we elect a democrat for president and keep the current congress in power? I think we’ll become a country floating in limbo with no direction for the future. Governed by a party that uses the polls to make decisions, destroys anything in the path that offers objection to their cause and wants to treat the war in Iraq as a police action, I can picture a government of confusion, indecision and disappointment.
History supports the facts that great nations and empires are usually destroyed from within. For two hundred and thirty two years we have built a free and a great nation. Our generation and many before us have died in defense of that freedom and that greatness. Think hard before you cast your vote in 2008.
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Scooter Libby
If and when Scooter Libby is called to testify before a congressional committee, he will probably again engage in the administration’s approved practice of lying and “forgetting.”
When that happens, perhaps congress should let Libby experience the administration’s approved practive of getting truth from evil doers: the water board.
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Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona
According to the Rocky Mountain News, the White House is to blame for suppressing the Surgeon General, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, during his recent term of office. Is it not the prerogative of the White House to determine the political agenda of the Surgeon General? If Dr. Carmona was not in agreement with the President’s political agenda, he was under no obligation to stay. In retrospect, his decision to resign would certainly have been preferable to his disparaging comments to the congressional committee.
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HR 811
Ban DRE voting in HR 811. We know from previous history that computer chips can be altered to change the outcome of our voting. Both General Elections of 2001 and 2005, definitely show these patterns to be clear.
This bill needs to strengthen so that voters would feel disenfranchised from the system, and end this unnecessary confusion. Congress should follow Florida’s lead and put an end to this technology flawed computer way of voting.
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State Rep. Ellen Roberts
It is no surprise that State Representative Ellen Roberts (Republican - Durango) doesn’t like the Colorado initiative process and wants to radically change it. Legislators aren’t actually supposed to like initiatives. Initiatives, term limits, referendums and recall votes were, with great wisdom, all put into Colorado’s system of state government by our state’s founders as means to guarantee open and direct grassroots political action and as checks and balances on the three branches of our state’s government. Combined, they create a de facto fourth branch in Colorado - the people.
Roberts plans to work to make the process more difficult, yet she simply fails to make a compelling case for changing anything. No one, other than legislators and lobbyists seem to be negatively affected by the initiative process. Roberts efforts to make it more difficult for ordinary Coloradans to continue to have an extraordinary direct voice, compared to other states, are based on a geographic plan to divide us along urban-rural lines and otherwise make it more difficult for people to initiate legislation. These changes could limit the process to only those who can afford to coordinate statewide signature collections.
Roberts did not explain why she thinks self-government should be more difficult and prohibitively expensive. Do we want our decisions to be made by only the rich, only the “experts,” only the powerful corporations, unions, special interest groups and their lawyers? Does Roberts not trust the people with the power to by-pass a legislature when the people think that the state government is corrupted by influence from special interest groups, when our legislature sometimes proves to be self-serving, or whenever it becomes non-responsive to changing needs or non-traditional ideas?
Each time a lawmaker whittles away at traditional Colorado populist principles, values, rights and responsibilities is he, or she, takes a bold step backwards toward a more centralized and out-of-touch state government. We should be proud to speak of Colorado’s rank in the nation as first in easy self-government.
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Real 9-11 heroes
In a new video, New York firefighters and firefighters’ families show that they are upset with former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani over Guiliani’s response to the 9-11 tragedy.
Remember when FIREFIGHTERS — not Giuliani, not Bush — were considered the heroes of 9-11? It seems so long ago now.
Did Bush or Giuliani risk their own lives to save anybody on 9-11???
Of course not. But the firefighters did — and many died doing that. Let us not forget the REAL heroes of 9-11!
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Real estate market
I don’t believe that it’s all bad news that there is a repeat of the late 1980’s real estate market in the Denver area again. It tends to “weed out”
The buying-up of foreclosed properties by investors and speculators is healthy, not some great tragedy. Home ownership is the American Dream, not the American Right and those that buy homes for buying’s sake or who are ignorant of the costs and responsibilities of home ownership are reaping what they sowed.
And finally, for Beverly Meade the real estate broker quoted in the story (or anyone else for that matter) to deny that their are cultural differences and preferences involved in real estate purchases is just plain hypocritical, ignorant, and naive. Does Beverly live in a primarily “Mexican” neighborhood? If not, does that make her a “racist?” Please.
Signs of neighborhood decay are always evident for anyone to see who have their eyes open...and no matter what ethnic group primarily comprises that neighborhood, it simply makes good business (and personal) sense to take those factors and others into consideration when buying a home.
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Racism in Aurora?
I just saw and article where the investigation into alligations of racism in Aurora could take 2 to 6 months. These are my thought concerning this subject.
My question to Sergeant Williams is, if the City of Aurora is such a racist environment, then why has he remained working there 11 years? Why did he not sue for race discrimination when they promoted him to Agent or Sergeant? The same type of testing was used for those ranks. Why did he not sue the City long before this when he was turned down for special assignments? Or, was the ball being played in his favor, so why cry racist, he was getting what he wanted. Now that he failed an oral exam and is not getting what he wants, he is suing the City for being racist. Perhaps, Williams is racist? I have to wonder if he has thought about that. If he wants to be treated differently than others in the same situation just because he is black means he wants the City of Aurora to be racist. He wants the City to treat people differently based solely on their race. Williams did not sue because the oral test was unfair to everyone; he sued because the test was not fair (in his mind) to blacks. But, Aurora has had other BLACK Lieutenants. In fact one has just been hired as a Police Chief in Texas. I guess race did not play in their promotions, or did it. I know a few of the Lieutenants who are black. They are good people and good Police Officers who were deserving of their rank and positions, not because they were black but because they were good. In closing, let the investigation continue its course and if racism is kept in check, then justice will be done. But, if Williams is promoted as a negotiation only because he is Black, then I guess Aurora is Racist.
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Terrorist plot
The world watches in horror as the media reports yet another terrorist plot in Great Britain. Questions are being asked about why these brutal acts of savagery are being waged against the West. Former President Clinton was interviewed in Sunday’s Rocky Mountain News, saying how Muslims feel out of place in the West, alluding that economic differences might be fostering the terrorist’s hatred, as displayed recently in Great Britain.
The fact that the culprits were doctors should remind us that terrorist recruits are not just poor Middle-Eastern youth. The West must face this ongoing threat realistically, not out of ignorance or denial. Their conviction challenges the relativism that permeates Western culture. Terrorists regard the West as “Dar al Harb,” the house of war. Terrorists demonstrate this truth with conviction by the extremes they go through to inflict harm at their own expense.
Yet when Muslims choose to live in the West, they are allowed to build Mosques, practice their faith, and adhere to many of their cultural preferences.
Muslims allow none of these practices by non-Muslims in their countries.
It has been overdue for moderate Muslims to speak out and take definitive action to help guard the world from being victimized by this radical ideology.
We have watched newsreel footage of British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlin, as he foolishly attempted to appease Adolph Hitler to avoid an inevitable war. Just as foolish is to believe that economic appeasement will stop the menace of terrorism. Perhaps Clinton should spend more time researching the subject of terrorism in his library before voicing solutions that are ignorant of the real causes of this worldwide menace.
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Smokers revolt
Thanks should go to Paul Campos for the column in which he points out the relatively minor threat from terrorism compared to other, more common dangers (“Nonsense about terrorism,” July 10). Richard W. Postma, Littleton At a weekend rally in Denver, filmmaker Michael Moore advocated the total government takeover of medicine with heartbreaking tales of peoples’ medical disasters (“Filmmaker Moore presides at Colorado health care rally,” June 25). Diana Hsieh, Sedalia As a fiscal conservative, one of the most difficult issues I have ever voted for was Referendum C. The voters of Colorado were promised that, if passed, one-third of the additional revenue would go to higher education to reduce steep tuition increases. I didn’t want to vote for it but did so for my kids, all three now in college. Now the University of Colorado Regents have approved an outrageous tuition increase of 14.6 percent (“Reluctant CU regents OK steep tuition hike,” June 29). While a small increase of, say, 3 percent would be reasonable, this is not. Jeff Dark, Centennial So, Sen. David Vitter is tied to a second high-priced brothel (“Louisiana senator familiar at brothel, ex-madam says,” July 11). This is either another nonstory or a one-sided, liberal Democrat story, take your pick. D.B. Coffman, Arvada With Sen. David Vitter we now have another one of the self-righteous, family-first boys caught in his own twisted conservaspeak (“Louisiana senator familiar at brothel, ex-madam says,” July 11). Chick Cavallero, Loveland We police the world. We feed hungry Third World countries. We give free medical procedures to people from afar who can’t afford the procedures. John D. Sullivan, Lakewood In 1959, Fidel Castro led a force of Cubans that overthrew a brutal, corrupt dictatorship led by a United States-backed dictator named Fulgencio Batista. John D. Sullivan, Lakewood I see where China’s top drug regulator, Zheng Xiaoyu, was sentenced to death and executed after being convicted on charges of taking bribes and dereliction of duty. Hmmm ... maybe these Chinese are into something. Chuck West, Thornton There’s a big push to make our children take more math and science courses so they’ll be more competitive in the world market, whatever exactly that means (Rocky July 12 editorial “One step backward”). The problem with this logic is that the vast majority of college students will never have any use for four years of high school math, and will probably never have much use for chemistry or physics, for that matter. This pointless emphasis on math turns the notion of a liberal education on its head — instead of a well-rounded education, we’re forcing our children to forgo some measure of literature and social sciences so they can be better versed in a subject which most people despise, and for which they will never find any use. Jeff Kocsis is a resident of Littleton. On 07/08 I experienced a very frustrating and racist occurrence! I am a 40 year old Black American, Native Coloradan. I was at a LODO lounge and was attempting to “catch” a cab for a ride to a another lounge, about a five - seven minute ride away, to meet up with some more friends for a little birthday celebration. I stepped to the curb and promptly saw three Yellow Cab’s coming down the street! I knew, I could at least have got one their attention? 1st cab: speeds by on the far side of the street. As Michael Moore stated in the documentary, Sicko ‘what have we become’ when we are able to close our eyes to the plight of so many (including those who are facing financial ruin due to our health care providers who spend billions on averting helping those who may actually need health care). Meanwhile we spend billions of dollars invading a country that posed almost no threat to us. Please Congress, represent the people that have entrusted you with the fervent hope that this country can find its conscience. Why is the illegal immigration dilemma causing so much debate? The answer is easy if we think with our heads instead of our hearts. While thinking with the heart is humane and compassionate, it has it limitations in the real world. Any concerns people might feel for the future of George W. Bush should be alleviated with the knowledge that his future with Comedy Central seems assured. Congress or should I say Democrats need to go back to school and learn about separation of powers. The president and Vice president are not answerable to congress the same goes for congress they do not answer to the president and the Supreme Court does not answer to ether that’s called separation of powers. The president does not have to report but 1 time a year and that is at the state of the union other then that the president and congress answer only to the people. Maybe that’s why the congress now days have a problem with what they have been trying to do they do not know how a true democracy works only socialism. That’s why the immigration bill failed not that we did not want something done it was the way congress was doing it. Back room I know better then you congressmen and women tried to force a bill that we did not know about down our throats without hearing from the people. And when they did hear from us they were outraged about it you know how dare us tell them what to do I mean we are only the people and they are the elite our betters. I read with interest Ethan Hemming’s letter in the 7/10/07 Rocky regarding President Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison sentence. Mr. Libby was sentenced for perjury. Since it was Richard Armitage, former Under Secretary of State, who admittedly revealed Valerie Plamm’s supposedly covert status, I expect to see Mr. Hemming demanding that Mr. Armitage be put on trial as the “criminal” who “blew the cover of a U.S. agent fighting on the front line in the war on terror", quoting Mr. President Bush is fully justified in invoking executive privilege. In view of the Congressional charade that we have witnessed recently, it is hardly any wonder that public approval of Congress has dropped to a mere 23 percent. The fact that our nation is at war is of little consequence to the Democrats, whose primary aim is to discredit the Bush administration at whatever cost to our national security. The entire episode is a case in point! It looks like Beth Hammer has beaten me to the punch. I was ecstatic when I read Bill Johnsons’ column regarding the upside down American flag. I hope that veterans and other patriots are deep enough thinkers to realize this is not a frontal assault on their service to this nation. Beth Hammers protest is entirely appropriate. The government we have now has just about turned everything else that is truly American on its head, a la, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, The Supreme Court, a just reason for war, so, why not the American flag? It makes perfect sense to use the ultimate symbol of symbolism to protest the quagmire in Iraq. The Rocky’s June 23 editorial “Bush losing stem cell clash” states that the majority of the public supports federal funding of embryonic cell research. The reason that many support this is because of the slanted articles in the press promising quick cures. I am waiting to find an unbiased article on this research, detailing which kinds of stem cells are involved, and what the results have been. Then the public may have enough information to make a rational decision about where funding should go. Marjorie Jansen is a resident of Lakewood. Vincent Carroll makes an excellent point regarding the fallacy of energy independence by noting the tradeoffs associated with that grandiose idea (?An Economy of Truth,? June 26). Energy independence sounds attractive but makes sense only if one doesn?t read into it too carefully. In fact, energy independence would force oil and gas prices (and, by extension, prices for goods that depend on transportation and energy, i.e. everything) to skyrocket and tank our economy. Sure, we?ll no longer be held in thrall to the ?oil sheikhs,? but we?ll also pay $10 a gallon at the pump. Moreover, what will fuel our military, whose budget currently exceeds the budgets of the next 19 highest-spending militaries? Ultimately, those who advocate cutting America off from the global economy through a policy of energy independence will not bring America security. They will succeed only in bringing misery and poverty. Cindy Sheehan has announced that she plans to run for Nancy Pelosi’s House seat if nothing is done to stop the war soon. To set the record straight, Cindy Sheehan has never represented the anti-war community. This letter is written in hopes that Mrs. Hammer of Wheat Ridge will read it, and reconsider her decision to fly the American flag upside down. (Woman fights for right to protest war 7/10/07) Mrs. Hammer, if you wish to protest the war in Iraq, please do so in a manor that does not disgrace a symbol that signifies the highest level of honor and commitment for those in the United States Armed Forces. I think it is a basic human right to be treated when you are sick, rich or poor, male or female, taxpayer or not. If we can afford bombs we can afford band aids. What woud Jesus do? Really, what would any person do? They would help any other person in need. What is the government for anyway? We already have socialized schools, police, and fire departments. What is wrong with socialized medicine? I am a small business owner who can’t afford health care for my sole employee much less my own family. My one employee took his wife and daughter to the hospital last week and spent more than he makes in a week in 2 hours. This is sickening. My wife has a genetic auto immune disorder called psoriasis which is pretty painful and severe. It is in her scalp, midsection, legs, and back of her arms. I would describe it as open sores all over her body. I looks and is painful and disfiguring. She was been denied service a couple weeks ago at a store because the clerk thought she had a contagious disease. Now that had to be pretty embarassing. I think if we do have the system of health care that we have, it should be up to the doctor to say what treatment we need, not the insurance company. Profit should not be the first consideration when we are talking about peoples lives and well being. We only live once. We can’t get insurance in Colorado because it is a “writer” and they don’t cover it. So she just has to live with it. The medication that works for her is called Enbrel which is a shot taken twice a week. When she did have insurance, (from her father when she was in college) the medication was $1500.00 per month. Taking it as prescribed it pretty much cleared up her psoriasis to a managable level. Sometimes I wish we never got married so she might still have this medication. It is immoral and un-American to not take care of poor, sick, and elderly, or even the able bodied. I don’t want health care for a tummy tuck or face lift, I ju! We’ve all forgotten that the Government is supposed to work for us! It’s time for people to let them know that we’re mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore. We the people deserve to be treated far better than we are. In view of the recent terrorist threats at JFK Airport, Fort Dix, London and Glasgow, the West must do whatever is necessary to defeat terrorism, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, the Denver Post is already conceding to defeat in its bleak editorial. It is, in essence, the “we can’t win” mindset that has been characteristic of the mainstream media since the beginning of the war. It is true that some Republicans have joined the “we can’t win” camp, but that is hardly an excuse for abandoning our mission in Iraq, as the Iraq Study Group would have it. A successful coach does not pull his players out in the middle of the game when the going gets tough. The enemy is not having any of this debate, but is determined to win at any cost. Should Americans be any less determined to win? It would be nice if people commenting on this case would actually know something about it. The lovely Ms. Plame had an inconsequential desk job and her occupation was written about in Vanity Fair by none other than her esteemed spouse. Richard Armitage, Colin Powell, Robert Novak, etc., etc., etc., all had discussed it, but didn’t interfere with this kangaroo court held by a way over-zealous prosecutor, who I hope some day will have his license revoked. He knew Libby didn’t do the “outing” I have to wonder if the two letter writers in the Tuesday, July 10th RMN are dumb, blind, a combination thereof or if they read, and believe, Mike Littwin’ s left wing distortions. Perhaps it’s the bottled water they consume. I refer to the letters from Ethan Hemming and Frank Ohrtman regarding the commutation of Libby’s sentence by President Bush. Hemming states "the president has commuted the sentence of a criminal who blew the cover of a U.S. agent fighting on the front line" Hardly! First of all, Valerie Plame was not a covert CIA agent. Second, the "leaker" was not Scooter Libby but Richard Armitage and Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald knew it from the get-go. If Fitzgerald was truly after someone for leaking why didn’t he prosecute the correct person? The answer lies in the political affiliation. The operation was strictly one of trying to pin something on someone and discrediting the Bush administration. “Despite a massive effort, stability in Iraq remains elusive and the situation is deteriorating.” Those words from the Hamilton- Baker co-chaired Iraq Study Group Report (published in December, 2006), are chillingly truer today. In the last few days, hundreds of Iraqi civilians died in bombings, and the American military death toll passed into the 3600’s. That’s only the number regularly published. I was listening to KHOW’s Caplis and Silverman program on Friday July 6, 2007 and was very upset by the bigoted remarks made by guest host George Brauchler about gay service members in the military. I am disappointed to hear many Americans saying that illegal immigrants are criminals. I thought Americans agreed that freedom is a universal individual right. “Illegal immigration” is a concept by and for people who don¢t believe that freedom is a birthright for every human being. So is “illegal alien.” Freedom derives from the right to life, which includes the right to choose where you live - - and no one has the right or the legitimate authority to interfere with these rights. When the subject is terrorism people like Paul Campos seem to have trouble grasping that the Jihadist threat is real. Like Neville Chamberlain with fascism they allow emotion to obscure the express actions and words of people who wish to dominate This letter has not been edited. Since the NAACP conducted a “funeral” banning the use of the “N” word, if there were an NAAWP would it perform a similar ceremony to ban the use of the “H” word...."honky, that is?” Can someone tell me when President Bush invaded Iraq. He said that the U.S. was at war with Iraq. Exactly when the the war become an occupation? We did our job when we got rid of Suddam. It is now time for the people of Iraq, regardless of what sect they come from to come together and unite their country. It is time for our troupes to spend the holidays at home and not abroad. Today’s paper, Tuesday, July 10, 2007, had some disturbing articles on both Del Mar(news pages 6 and 7)and Montbello(business page 2). My husband and I are very similar to the White’s. We have lived in our home in Montbello for over thirty years and we don’t want to move. We have tried to maintain and improve our property. In addition to the massive amount of foreclosures(900 last year) already in our neighborhood, Michael Hancock is proposing acquiring these foreclosed homes for affordable housing, i.e Section 8. For thirty years, we have fought the nickname of “Montghetto", which came from a 70’s affordable housing initiative. Now, we are facing, another wave of affordable housing which will bring low-income, umemployed, drugs, crime and property that won’t be maintained to city code. Why doesn’t the city just buy all of Montbello out, so we can get a fair price for our property before the city makes it a Ghetto? I think Del Mar and Montbello need to be added to the Denver/Aurora tourist attractions. It appears to me that the city is intent on cleaning things up before 2008(Democractic National Convention)and their solution is to move the undesirable elements away from the areas where the tourists will be visiting. If we can’t get city support to cleanup and maintain our neighborhoods, then what are we saying about our city. The Ruining of Iraq, by George Bush The Rocky Mountain News editorial is suggesting that President Bush “should heed the advice of Sens. Pete Domenici and Richard Lugar. Yet, the editorial ignores the fact that Iraq is the focal point of al Qaeda, not Afghanistan, as Ayman al Zawahiri himself confirmed last week. Such Republican retreats not only undermine the war effort in Iraq, but play into the hands of the enemy. Gen. David Petraeus’s assessment is not due until September, but that is not soon enough for the Republican senators, who appear more concerned about winning the 2008 election than winning the war. How can the Republicans justify this pardon because of what Clinton did? Does that mean Bush can have a free affair with an intern and it doesn’t count? It counts, W., no matter which president does it. I found your recent article dealing with black leadership and their fear of losing “their voice” to be remarkable on many levels. As a former school board member in Colorado Springs District I would like to encourage the black constituency out there to not worry so much about who represents you but how they represent you. Many people have made the analogy between Iraq and Vietnam, but soon there will be a more accurate analogy. There are sharp divisions between the Shiites and the Sunnis, the same as there were sharp divisions between the Tutsis and the Hutus in Rwanda. The Tutsi minority was privileged under Belgian colonialist rule, while the Hutu majority was kept oppressed. The Sunni minority was privileged under Saddam Hussein, while the Shiite majority was oppressed. When Belgium broke its colonialist ties and Rwanda finally became independent, the world witnessed what happens when such divisions are left to play themselves out. We know the devastating consequences of creating such power vacuums. George W. Bush is fully responsible for what is going to happen when US troops pull out of Iraq. So now that Andrew Speaker has found out that he has a less strain of TB that will probably not kill him. He is blaming everyone for a personal attack on him and his family. I say that if he had stayed in the U.S. like the CCD wanted him to. He would have found this out sooner. Maybe if he were not so selfish and wanting to go on his honeymoon, he would not have scared so many people. The United States sends its finest young men and women, volunteers, to Iraq to fight for democracy and freedom while our European allies including many of our Middle Eastern Countries sit at home, fat, critical and happy - living high on the tourist dollars from the U.S.A. Iraq’s war is a disgrace to all freedom loving countries that are just sitting back and with criticism of the war. Millions celebrated Live Earth over the weekend. We flocked to parks around the globe to gobble up food, grab a free high efficiency light bulb, and get sold on the newest and coolest hybrid car. I’m glad the environmental conversation has begun, but I’m perplexed that everyone is stepping around and completely ignoring the 600-pound gorilla in the middle of the room. Or is that a 1000-pound cow, a 500-pound pig or a 5-pound chicken? In high school science, I learned that the biological world was classified in the following order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. There may also be sub-species, but nowhere did I EVER see a taxonomical classification titled “race.” This is something that we human tribes have come up with to allow us to sort other human tribes as superior or inferior (depending on one’s point of observation) to allow us to politically or economically gain and advantage. Bush’s domestic wire tapping program remains shrouded in mystery after an ACLU lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality. Or perhaps the program is shrouded in myth. Rather than attempting to collect data about hundreds of millions of people, the administration might get more benefit out of making people, both inside and outside the US, believe that such a program exists. It would be highly unusual that such a top secret and extremely controversial program, if it really did exist, could become national news in the first place. It is even more remarkable that there is no proof, other than hearsay, that the program has ever existed. Nor has evidence from this program ever been used in court. Hoax or no hoax, our government is being used for deceitful purposes. Such an egregious violation of public trust shows how cowardly and desperate this administration has become. Commentators say “The war has divided our nation.” This is not really true. Do you think the Ubercons in the Executive branch realize what they are turning over the Democrats in ‘08? Who do you think will have their phones warrentlessly wiretapped when Hilary or Obama have the mantle. If the GOP doesn’t declare victory and get out of Iraq in the next 18 months, all the new powers of the Patriot Act, the House, the Senate, the Presidency and the new 4th branch of the government, the Vice Presidency, will go decidedly blue. Have they considered the consequences? As one of the firework/safety officers for the Denver Police Department this past week and making contact with over 200 individuals in a three day period who had fireworks in their possession, I would like to share some of my experiences. Fact # 1, Islam teaches hate. Fact # 2, Christianity teaches love. Result, you are what you think. Even though Police Sgt. Thomas Williams was the top scoring person in a group of four. He failed his oral exam. Was it because he is blace and the group that interviewed him was all white. I think so. I work for a company that no matter how you score in a test. It all come down to a telephone interview. So, if the people that interview you do not like you. You don’t get the job. No matter if you are the best for the job. That is their little loop hole that they can us to hire the people they want. Not the people that are best for the job. Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, reported last week that the Iranian government is using Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist group, to train Iraqi terrorists in killing American servicemen. According to the General, Iran is funding this training to the tune of $3 million a month at three camps located near Tehran where the Iraqi’s receive instruction in the use of mortars, rockets and other deadly tools of terror. The American Medical Association is committed to ensuring that all patients have access to high quality health care, which is why we support the safe and responsible operation of in-store health clinics. The AMA understands and appreciates that innovative and alternative strategies may be needed to ensure all patients get the health care services they need in a timely fashion. However, we do not agree with the Rocky’s July 5 editorial (“The cheaper option/AMA should stop looking down nose at in-store health clinics”). We do not accept that in-store health clinics should be held to a lesser standard than the local physician’s office down the street. The AMA has put forth principles these clinics should comply with to ensure patient safety, and continuity of care when necessary. Dr. Jeremy A. Lazarus of Greenwood Village is a board member of the American Medical Association. In his most recent column, Mike Rosen referred to a previous letter from a pro-union type who “seethed with resentment at ‘rich corporations’". (Rocky Mountain News, Friday, July 6, 2007, page 39) But neither Rosen, the previous letter writer, or anyone else has pointed out the obvious as to why union membership has plummeted from 20% in 1983 to 7% today: Unions are perceived as being “rich corporations” themselves — and corrupt “rich corporations” at that. I appreciated the RMN’s excellent editorial on how John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, predicted that the signing of the Declaration of Independence would be marked as a day of celebration “from this time forward forevermore.” The editorial, however, did not include the important sentence from his July 3, letter to his wife, Abigail, that preceded the quote in the editorial. The quote from his letter with that sentence included follows: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore. In his Integrate Illegal Aliens? Mich SCOOTER LIBBY IS A CANARY I call Scooter Libby a “CANARY” because? in this context? the “birds of prey” who are above Scooter Libby decided that? Libby was as far up the chain? of birds of prey that they could go in making a sacrifice in their ranks of who was loyal enough to protect them and not? give up their secrets ;but would be willing to take the hit. So Scooter Libby became the?’CANARY’ but I believe that his conditions were that this “canary” would be fed and protected and “NOT BE PUT IN THE CAGE"?.? It was necessary for? President Bush to commute Libby from serving prison time. He had to keep the?canary out of the cage to keep him from “singing".? Libby can get insiders in the administration to pay off his fines and find him employment-or his wife employment to keep him from being destitute for the rest of his life. Loss of reputation as is Libby’s plight now? would ordinarily mean loss of means of making a living. Muslim extremist started a war with us and the general consensus is that they will soon obtain nuclear weapons. When this happens, they will use this weapon to destroy New York, Washington, or some other major U.S. city. Paul Hsieh, MD At first, this administration was dying the death of a thousand cuts but with no smoking gun. Now, with the pardoning of Libby outside of DOJ guidelines and with the continued witholding of key DOJ documents on fired prosecutors, enough evidence for inquiry exists. We should all be outraged. President Bush commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence wiping away two and half years of jail time with the stroke of a pen. After the Rocky Mountain News’ July 6 endorsement of massive new electric transmission lines that pierce the long-established mountain view plane at the crest of Ruby Hill Park (“Ruby Hill standoff”), its readers deserve another perspective. Ruby Hill Park includes one of the highest points in Denver and provides stunning 360-degree views. Until Council Bill 306 was filed, these views were protected in all directions by two of Denver’s 13 view planes. Unlike other Xcel Energy transmission towers around town, the Ruby Hill park transmission lines blight the scenic crest of Ruby Hill from all directions. Civic leaders are today lamenting the city’s failure to take care of the many parks it has developed in the past few decades. Responsible husbandry of such amenities includes taking advantage of opportunities for improvement that present themselves, rather than allowing further degradation on our watch. Don’t allow City Council to subvert the view plane, at Ruby Hill or anywhere else. Kathleen MacKenzie is completing her second term on the Denver City Council representing District 7, which includes the Ruby Hill neighborhood. We need to scrap the free trade deals and reinstitute tariffs. That would have the greatest positive affect on the immigration problem as well as other problems we now face, such as our jobs going overseas and our trade deficit. Eric Hartman, Denver It is time that all citizens of this country have universal health care (not universal health insurance). Let’s acknowledge that other developed nations have already achieved this, with much better results than are produced by our private, patchwork “system.” John Broadwater, Boulder Miami is a “Third World country”? Denver and Boulder are “sanctuary cities”? These are some of the more outrageous statements by 6th District U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo. Kevin Crooks, Englewood It doesn’t make sense to me when an underfunded and overburdened judiciary honors a lawsuit filed by two Denver Democratic activists whose feelings were hurt because they were kicked out of a speech delivered by their political archenemy President Bush in March 2005. Percy Conarroe, Longmont It was Gen. Robert E. Lee who said “It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow too fond of it.” I have always had a great deal of respect for those who have, in the parlance of the soldier, “seen the elephant.” However, the Rocky’s July 4 profile of Gen. Dale Tabor (“5 who served for love of country”) brings to mind Lee’s words. Charles C. Turner, Denver People learn more from what you do than what you say. Pete Klammer, Wheat Ridge It’s interesting to read the Saturday edition of the Rocky Mountain News, which today (June 30) outlined the plight of crumbling Colorado school buildings, developmentally disabled adults on 20-year waiting lists for assistance, and the woeful tales of correctional facilities having to release inmates early because they don’t have the resources or capacity to keep criminals locked up, much less provide them any mental health care. L. Highland, Morrison In the informational box accompanying the July 5 article, “Home-upgrade plan killed,” is a recommendation that, in an effort to help combat global warming, residents should be charged extra for throwing away “a lot of trash.” Louana George, Denver The problem with this Congress on both sides of the aisle is that they suffer from APLD (Acute Party Loyalty Disorder). Those who suffer from this disorder place their party affiliation before their country and illegal aliens above American citizens. Many in the Senate promoting amnesty are afflicted with this disorder. Jan Herron, Evergreen If only we could wake up as a nation and take responsibility for freedom before we lose it completely... I cheered the City Council’s decision on motorcycle noise. Help is on the way to safeguard military forces in Iraq because the Pentagon has given the green light to purchase mine-resistant vehicles. That’s the implication of the AP clip on July 4. You might think the funding passed by Congress in May really was needed to support the troops right now. In response to the Democraticunderground.com’s Bernard Weiner and his letter proposing to impeach the President. The Bush Administration from Day One has abused and misused our Constitution. When he commuted Libby’s prison sentence, he lied a clear foundation to prove the fact the President and Vice President are in cahoots with each other and they are ‘covering up” their own lies, deceive, and premeditated obstruction of justice. Gosh, this is so disheartening!! I am a 53 year old female Hispanic American, born here in the United States, a Native Coloradan and proud of my heritage. Why don’t we just get rid of the lawyers and the whole judicial system! George W. Bush, our alleged AWOL commander-in-chief just appointed himself, anointed himself and crowned himself King George II. He seems to think he knows more than any scholarly minded person. Butch, where have you been? Illegal aliens don’t respect U.S. laws why would they respect our flag and national anthem??? And, you might as well start learning Spanish since our government does not require Spanish speaking people to learn English (mail-in election ballots are in Spanish, U.S. citizenship tests are written in Spanish, Spanish is the official language of several U.S. cities etc.,etc.). So, it looks like, we are trending (being forced to) toward a two language country. I think it is important that editors make sure that their readers know the names of the organizations who are represented in a public forum, or protest in the streets of their city. This article makes it seam like one person was responsible for putting on the street theater called “Operation First Casualty". When in fact, it was part of a national organization called Iraq Veterans Against the War and that this street theater has been going on in cities across the country. Was it the intention of the editor to make is seam like this was a isolated manifestation of war resistance by one Veteran? And putting under the tittle “Fun on the Fourth, all kinds of ways” Dose the editor not respect the sacrifice our military service members pay for the the rights of free speech and free press on the 4th of July? Dose he not know that simply putting in “Operation First Casualty” into a google search would return over 2,330,000 results? Dose the editor think by minimizing his papers story in this way, keeps his company competitive in the market of news and ideas? Dose he mean not to have his readers fully informed as to the magnitude of the story and how his community may be effected in the future by it? After all, Denver is going to host the Democratic National Convention. Dose he not want his readers to know that plans are being made by veterans organizations like Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans For Peace to be in the city and working with other peace organizations to make a much larger public statements about the war and to call on the Democrats to hold the Bush administration and themselves accountable for taking the American people into a war for lies? After all, it the 4th of July, and the press if not most of all organizations should be respectful of all of veterans and their rights to free speech and his responsibilities to keep his readers fully informed. We must stop this madness NOW! How long will this be allowed to continue? We want our country back. This is not a dictatorship, it is America! A democracy, we are losing our very country since this anti-American stole the office of President and planted his minions within it’s ranks. It has to stop. I am sitting here reading the Rocky Mountain News this beautiful July 4th here in Colorado and I can’t believe the letters that I am reading. I believe the President has the power to pardon or commute the sentences of criminals. Okay, Mr. Editor. You have covered the Clintons for 2 days now. In all fairness, which I am begining to doubt, where is the Republican side of all this publicity? I read your paper for news of the world, of which you have very little, not for gossip about the “wonderful” Clintons. With respect to recent, self congratulatory, letters by proponents and the News’ article of July 2, 2007, I would like some clarification. The afore mentioned article sites a 90% improved air quality in taverns, reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, since the ban took effect. The article also sites that 50 bars and taverns have gone under since the ban, as reported by The Coalition For Equal Rights. While I have no doubt that the ban has been responsible for business loss, I question the 90% air quality improvement. When and where was such testing done; before and after the ban? What particulate matter and chemicals were measured? What standards were used to determine the level of hazard to employee health? It is my understanding that the legislative intent for this “slap in the face of freedom” law is predicated on employee health. Matters of employee health, in Colorado, fall under the Occupational Safety And Health Administration (OSHA). Some years back OSHA attempted to establish air quality standards for second hand smoke. OSHA, not a friend of business, determined that; under normal conditions, which didn’t even include ventilation: “the components in tobacco smoke are diluted below Permissible Exposure Levels (PELS).....it would be very rare to find a workplace with so much smoking that any PEL would be exceeded.” In the twenty five years I spent in the CO Workers’ Compensation system, to include claims and safety and health, I’m personally unaware of any claims filed for exposure to second hand smoke. If the legislature is serious about our health then why not ban first hand smoke and let everyone be taxed equally. Ha Ha, fat chance! I’m afraid that this isn’t about health but about copy cat political correctness, a feeling of power for certain politicians and to render an inordinately taxed group as social outcasts. This legislation is a completely unnecessary and a waste of time and the tax payer’s money. Any real issues regarding smoking(as long as it’s legal) can be solved by allowing people choice, on their own, using common sense, an attribute sadly lacking in our current state legislature. This letter is for Mr. Andrew Speaker: Mr. Speaker, hey pal get a grip, huh? No one owes you an apology of any kind, if anything, you owe the public an apology. President Bush AGAIN asks for more patience on Iraq in a July 4th speech. First, corn gets planted using heavy machinery. Then pesticides and fertilizer are used (which enviros love). Then, using heavy machinery again, it is harvested, hauled and, using the most energy in the process, refined. That machinery is going to use a lot of ethanol. Tory Mansfield, Highlands Ranch Every paper I opened on the day it was reported had a front-page article on the Libby commutation — written in liberalspeak. Now I challenge the press to write and print in the same story in conservativespeak. David Cook, Loveland Does anyone with an IQ in double-digits doubt that notorious tuberculosis patient Andrew Speaker smells money? Now comes the book, the movie (probably directed by Michael Moore) and the mega-lawsuit. James L. Sullivan, Thornton Disappointingly, the Rocky Mountain News has joined the bulk of the media in its studied imperviousness to the realities of war. In its July 7 editorial (“Iraq, the reassessment”), the Rocky asks forgiveness “for doubting that two more months of the surge — or 10 more — will prove decisive.” This is an easy conclusion to come to when one is willfully ignorant of facts on the ground. For instance, in the month since the fifth brigade of the surge joined the fight, civilian casualties in Baghdad and in Iraq in general were both down (according to icasualties.org) over 20 percent from the previous two months. But, more important, the Rocky fails to note the enemy. The same enemy, Yon reports (with photos) that beheaded four children before leaving their bodies next to their parents’ in an unmarked grave; the same enemy that slaughtered all the livestock in one village; the same enemy that booby-traped an entire village as the American and Iraqi forces closed in; the same enemy that baked an Iraqi boy, and then served him to his family as lunch. This is the enemy that we have an obligation — a moral duty — to eradicate from the face of the Earth while we have them in our crosshairs, as we do now in Iraq. Before the Rocky gives credibility to the calculations of old men more desperate to hold on to their senatorial careers than they are for American victory, it ought to get its facts straight; or, at least, if it won’t do its own reporting, read the reporting of people who are on the ground. Michael Alcorn lives in Arvada. It is another sad day in the This letter has not been edited. Charles Buchanan of Denver writes: Your editorial "Mistake on Libby" (July 3, 2007) is a perfect example of why the establishment press and the Rocky Mountain News are becoming irrelevant. Your first sentence sums up the Bush administration's talking points quite succinctly, establishing your intention to serve as court stenographer for the King of the United States: "No one relished the prospect of Lewis "Scooter" Libby serving 30 months in prison for lying to investigators who, despite much huffing and puffing, never established any underlying crime." This letter has not been edited. The Rocky’s July 8 editorial (“The S. Platte quandary”) is dead wrong; there are breakthrough actions that can make the limited water resource go further under existing law. Second, grant the state water engineer the ability to determine augmentation plans for wells and other uses where there is administrative flexibility. Such authority was mistakenly given to the courts in 2003 where there is no room for science. Third, there is a wealth of evidence that shows that we are not depleting the ground water in the South Platte alluvium — the ground water recovery rate is swift. Wells should be permitted to operate without augmentation plans where they will not draw down the water levels in the river and interfere with senior downstream rights. This is classic engineering management. Finally, establish a Lower South Platte River Utility that can buy and lease back water to farmers using conservation-type easements to keep water on the land. This would protect land values without eroding property tax revenues and provide a single source for urban communities to “lease” water rights under rotational fallowing. Eric Eidsness is a resident of Fort Collins. Electing a United States representative to a two-year term is too short. No sooner is he elected to the House then it’s time to focus on fundraising and re-election. Electing a senator for six years is too long. He knows he can ignore the wishes of his constituents for four to five years before making new promises for re-election. Arlene Barron, Colorado Springs Last year I signed on for 100 percent wind power through Xcel Energy’s Windsource program. They said no Electric Commodity Adjustment on wind power. Jim Reid, Denver What is the measurement for victory in Iraq? What will it take to stop the occupation? Al-Qaida is not going to surrender to us. The civil war and the violence will not go away as long as we are there. John Madigan, Bellvue Now Congress is threatening legal action in response to the White House refusing to turn over documents related to the U.S. attorney firings, and several Republicans loyal to Bush have jumped on the bandwagon. Brian Quade, Denver A superficial inspection of American culture reveals that it operates within a system of practices and/or doctrines that disrespect and/or reject Christianity and presume the material world is all that exists (that mankind is the measure of all things), resulting in Christianity’s exclusion from the public square, as evidenced by the long-term successful activities of the ACLU. Larry Harrison, Lakewood Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier wants to have right-to- work legislation on November’s ballot (“Ballot proposal would put restrictions on union shops,” June 27). Right to work is not the solution for Colorado’s economy. Thaddeus “Joe” Kocol, Henderson By commuting the sentence of a convicted felon — I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby — President Bush has sent two strong messages to our country and the world. First, the rule of law on which our nation is built is without consequence if the president so decrees it. Second, and more important, the president has commuted the sentence of a criminal who blew the cover of a U.S. agent fighting on the front line in the war on terror. The message to the world is that Bush cares more for his cronies than he does about eliminating terrorism. Ethan Hemming, Denver My thanks to the Rocky Mountain News for its coverage of President Bush’s commutation of Libby’s jail sentence. Frank Ohrtman, Denver The June 21 letter by Mark Herzfeld (“Patrol’s harassment campaign in full swing”) sounds like a “sour-grapes” complaint. Dean Benjamin, Federal Heights So, the University of Colorado will have a hefty raise in tuition! (“Reluctant CU regents OK steep tuition hike,” June 29.) George Lilly, Denver Here is a very simple test to see if you have — or lack — common sense: Robert E. Forman, Lakewood One of the silliest excuses not to support Mitt Romney is that he “is too good to be true.” Here is a fact that may need to be spelled out in black and white: The so-called Christians who say they won’t vote for Romney because he is a Mormon are, in a word, bigoted. H. Murray, Aurora I’m a “lifer,” a 20-year man; spent it in the U.S. Air Force during both the Korean and Vietnam situations, seeing the world and getting an education. Richard Taylor, Littleton So Vincent Carroll thinks Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie, who never met a constituent for whom she would not fall on her sword, is bullying poor little Xcel (“No villain in sight,” On Point, June 28). B. Poole, Denver When discussing any issue, it is necessary to first understand the words and terms used. Then, such terms need to be used properly. That requires much more than dictionary definitions. It involves the study and understanding of subject matter. What disappoints this individual is the misuse of the term “conservative.” Robert I. Laitres, Delta According to a Rocky editorial of July 3, “No one relished the prospect of Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby serving 30 months in prison for lying to investigators who, despite much huffing and puffing, never established any underlying crime. Yet the fact remains that a jury concluded that Libby did lie, multiple times, including before a grand jury.” Not so fast there, guys. The investigators were “huffing and puffing” because they were climbing Mt. Lie while Scooter threw rocks down on them from the summit. No underlying crime was shown precisely because Libby lied and obstructed justice, which is what he was convicted of and sentenced for. President Bush has shown once again that the rule of law need not apply for a position in the White House. Steve Pordon is a resident of Longmont This letter has not been edited. This letter has not been edited. Ernest E. Valdez of Thornton writes: White crime at the highest levels in this country continues unpunished. Thus leaving a void in justice that no doubt damages the integrity of this country through out the world. What rings out loud and clear is that any deviations from the law while under the auspices of the Throne created by the Bush and Cheney White House can be swept under the rug for as long as possible. As a matter of fact, as in the case of "Scooter Libby," for one, deviations from the law are encouraged if the Throne stands to gains from it. This letter has not been edited. This letter has not been edited. Most of those commenting on the Rocky Mountain News’ letter to the editor Web site are nasty thugs. They seem to enjoy mocking and attacking letter writers and other bloggers. They contribute few comments that seek to improve the discussions or our government or our society. They have lost their optimism for making society better. They seem to be feral people who thrive on destruction and viciousness. Bruce Baker, Thornton I miss Rocky Mountain News TV and radio critic Dusty Saunders! I used to read his column first thing in the morning right before I’d go to the comics! The place where his column used to be reminds me of a page from the National Enquirer — bits and pieces of information with no in-depth content. Sharon Petersen, Fort Collins Considering that the last six years of supposedly conservative rule has resulted in wars we can’t afford, health care that we can’t afford, fossil fuels we not only can’t afford but that are killing us all slowly as pollution increases with no end in sight, and a president, vice president and an attorney general who apparently are above the law, we have an important question we need to ask ourselves: Tommy Holeman, Longmont The July 1 front-page Sunday Denver Post article regarding sex changes was appalling! An individual’s lifestyle is his or her choice, but my family should not be subjected to this behavior on the front page of the Sunday newspaper. J. Rheaume, Parker I’d like to thank the Rocky Mountain News for its wonderful Fourth of July cover. It’s pretty hard to beat the mix of patriotic veterans, politicians out on the stump, fireworks and great eats for the celebration of our country’s 231st birthday. Medwyn Sloane, Highlands Ranch Why is the Rocky Mountain News subscriber never provided solutions for the Saturday Jumble puzzle? The solutions are only printed in the Monday Denver Post. Maybe the solutions could be added to the same Saturday edition, as is now done for the Sunday Jumble. Roger L. Larsen, Englewood This letter has not been edited. Until I read reviews of it, I thought Michael Moore’s latest film, Sicko, was an autobiography. But then, leave it to Moore to twist the subject of his so-called documentaries to suit his own left-leaning views. John A. Mueller, Northglenn I am a 54-year-old single woman with no health-care coverage. I have seizures and had to stop taking my medicine because I couldn’t afford the $200 a month it cost me to take it. Marcia Cude, Denver I seem to be the only person who voted for Amendment 41 not just for the bribery aspect, but to make sure that our legislators have to pay for their own entertainment, meals, travel, etc. With all these freebies that lobbyists provide, they have lost touch with the actual cost of things. Jean McBirnie, Denver In expressing relief that “taxpayers can’t sue the government for spending their tax dollars in ways they don’t like,” your editorial (June 30, “Leaving the law intact”) makes it sound like robbers would clog the courts with lawsuits trying to stop spending to enforce laws against robbery. Yes, throw those out in a millisecond. But what about spending that is arguably unconstitutional? Federal officeholders swear to protect and defend the Constitution, but what if they simply ignore their oath to the detriment of taxpayers? It’s not as if this never happens — the war on drugs, unauthorized by the Constitution, costs many billions per year; the Iraq War was never declared by Congress, as mandated by the Constitution. The larger question is, does the government exist for the convenience of the governed or do the governed exist for the convenience of the government? The Rocky seems to favor the latter. If a taxpayer thinks money has been spent in violation of the stated rules — tough luck. Oh right, he has his one vote. That is what’s called accountability and popular sovereignty. The ultimate problem here is taxation. When money is given in exchange by consent, problems can be averted by written agreements or solved as a last resort by dissociation. But taxation is not based on consent. It’s based on compulsion. There is no enforceable contract. Once that is understood, the reluctance of the government to recognize legal standing for taxpayers is understandable — and revealing. John E. Cairnes is a resident of Limon. S I recently attended an air show. It was great! It didn’t start well for me, though. Butch Augustine, Arvada Did Sen. Ken Salazar get the message? Based on his latest sound bites, I don’t think he did. We elected him to do our work, not the work of the illegals. R. Johnson, Castle Rock This is about Caleb Pegues and the bomb incident (“Was explosive a kid’s prank or a felony?” June 9). K. Gorham, Douglas County I am so disappointed. The “greening” of Denver seems to have turned brown, at least in my neighborhood. Newly planted trees (many of them in front of the Denver Zoo and on the East 17th Avenue Parkway) so alive several weeks ago are now dead. More are dying. Barbara Moe, Denver George Will’s column of June 24, “Employing sensitivities to muzzle free speech,” speaks volumes. I have often said that if “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” the guardrails must surely be political correctness. Martin Palumbo, Wheat Ridge So now the Denver Public School retirement people made an $80 million mistake in the math (“DPS pension in a decade: flush to formidable debt,” June 25). I certainly hope that the math teachers in our schools teach our children the right math and not the retirement math. Leroy M. Martinez, Denver Because Christine Johnson was a DPS administrator when I served on the board of education, I have read the articles of her firing with interest (“Community college chief put on leave,” June 20, et al.). Marcia Johnson, Denver It was frightening to read about the 2-year-old being attacked and wounded by a red fox right here in the metro area (“2-year-old recovering from rare fox attack,” June 26). Thankfully her injuries are not serious and she will make a full recovery. Audie Brinkmeier, Lakewood It looks like Shirley Bowman’s neighbors are trying to portray her as a sweet little lady who was just trying to help the cats (“Woman accused of animal cruelty,” June 26). Karen Schultz, Aurora In its July 3 editorial, “Mistake on Libby,” the Rocky Mountain News says that Scooter Libby’s conviction “will damage, if not end, his career.” Yes, let’s all shed a tear for Scooter Libby who will surely join the welfare rolls as he is now unemployable. Lawrence Jones, Conifer On Page 22 of the June 30 Rocky Mountain News there was a story about an interim committee of the state legislature established to study the backlog of state services for developmentally disabled adults (“Panel to target backlog of disabled adults in need”). Thad Tecza, Denver With all the hoopla of interviews with Princess Diana’s sons and the celebration of her life with a rock concert, have we lost sight of what was the truly good and important light that was extinguished the same week as Diana? She went by the name Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Paul David Morell, Greeley Rocky Mountain News columnist Mike Littwin is outraged that President Bush commuted jail time for Scooter Libby (“Scooter to go behind bars? Sorry, Paris, but no way,” July 3). Don Ferguson, Boulder Given the draconian sentences given to those convicted of minor drug offenses or DUIs, 30 months for obstruction of justice and perjury was not an excessive sentence for Scooter Libby. Just because the perpetrator wears a business suit doesn’t mean his punishment should be any less than any other citizen’s sentence. Stephen Stanley, Aurora Dr. The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association is deeply saddened at the death of Larry Manzanares, a community leader and honored colleague. Manzanares was a guiding influence in his many years as a member of our board of directors. We respected his warm sense of humor and his humble service to the community. Awilda R. Marquez, Denver Why should Judge Larry Manzanares have been treated any differently than any other person suspected of a crime? Public figures are held to a higher standard. Police officers, judges, district attorneys and those whose business is to enforce the laws are expected to be honest and unbiased. D. Curtis, Westminster Let’s be clear about the search- and-rescue fees being charged tourists who do everything right and still get injured or lost: this is a direct result of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (“$5,000 rescue fee rekindles debate,” June 18). Dona Chilcoat, Lakewood When I read the letters sent in about how Larry Manzanares should have been held accountable, and only that, I can’t help think how we are either missing the point or are outright coldhearted. Marty DeWitt, Arvada Do Americans truly feel we are properly and honestly represented by our congressmen and political parties? Numerous polls report the president’s poor ratings and presidential candidate preferences, but opinions regarding our legislators are covered largely in syndicated news and editorial pages — not polls! Richard Doran, Parachute Thank goodness for an honest voice in the ongoing debate about the troubled Middle East. I totally agree with Victor Davis Hanson that the deep-seated problems with regard to the Palestinians are the Palestinians themselves — their adherence to tribal loyalties, their envy of Western culture, their backwardness to gender equality (“Why the Mideast is unhinged,” June 22). Jenene Stookesberry, Denver Rocky Flats workers: Get a life! Quit trying to wring compensation out of the federal government. Jim Kenfield, Elizabeth A recent letter writer from Longmont described Boulder as a “city of wackos” (“What do you expect from ‘city of wackos’?” June 25). The fellow might be interested to learn that here in the City of Wackos we refer to Longmont as “Boulder’s Affordable Housing.” Don Wrege, Boulder How transparent, the flurry of anti-Israel sentiment of recent submissions. Brad Freedberg, Denver Letter writer Steve Cummings (“Abstinence provides very happy results,”June 7) wants evidence showing how a person practicing abstinence can get pregnant or a sexually transmitted disease. That’s easy: A youth cannot decide to succeed at abstinence, only to try. Dan Lyons, Fort Collins Should we criticize the BLM for allowing drilling on the Roan Plateau? Maybe the Bush administration and its oil and gas “buddies” told them to do it. We should know by now that money means more than anything. Janice Schwener, Rifle The incredible buzz about Paris Hilton going to jail has cast an amazing light on this country’s sociological and psychological makeup. Vonda Knox, Arvada If Thomas Sowell’s description of his experiences with our national park monopolies isn’t a harbinger of what government-run health care would be like in America, I don’t know what is (“National park monopolies,” June 21). Gayle Storatz, Lakewood The private insurance companies are not only ineffective, but they waste a huge amount of money by hiring an army of people to deny the coverage you paid for. Then they add a layer of CEO salaries and perks that are outrageous. We need a system that will spend money on health care, not denial of health care. David Clark, Denver My husband and I just finished reviewing my mother’s prescription drug “benefit” statement from Humana. Anne Smith, Denver The solution to the Denver Public Schools truancy problem? Make school more interesting and challenging (“DPS attendance gets attention/Truancy could become factor in passing a grade,” June 19). Jim Leonard, Evergreen In his June 23 column “Plenty of news left in newspaper,” John Temple made the point that “newspapers remain the single largest newsgathering organizations in their communities, providing the content that is the basis for much of what you hear on the radio and see on the television.” I agree. But then he outlined examples published in the Rocky Mountain News over the past few months. One was the report “Ethanol boom: from kernel to car” saying that corn ethanol is an alternative to fossil fuels. This is a perfect example of how the public is misinformed by the media about one of the most important issues facing the world. It isn’t usually mentioned that producing corn ethanol requires massive amounts of energy provided by fossil fuels and, because of that, it often produces as much global climate change pollution as gasoline. Janet Duncan is a resident of Loveland. B
I advocate a smokers day on the steps or lawn of the Capitol building.
Yep, total civil disob
The Denver
The cost to Denver in trying to police this. .
A major class
Using Campos’ math, the war is no big deal
He writes that since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed approximately 3,000 people in New York and Washington, “A quarter-million were killed in car crashes. Around 200,000 were shot to death. Several thousand died of acute alcohol poisoning.”
This reminded me of a conversation I had a few years ago with a woman from Israel, during the peak of the intifada. When asked if she was fearful of suicide bombers, she said no because the chances of getting killed in a car accident were much greater, even in Israel, than getting killed by a terrorist bomber.
The same logic and statistics can be used to show that our involvement in the war in Iraq is no big deal. Far more people are being killed in the ways Campos mentions than in combat.
In fact, I’ll bet more young American men and women are dying in the United States than in Iraq. So, using Campos’ logic, we shouldn’t get exercised over the war. It is probably one of the cheapest wars in terms of casualties we have ever been engaged in.
Free-market medicine is the answer
He neglected to mention that “single-payer” socialized medicine makes medical disasters routine because of inevitable rationing of care.
In Canada, patients are forced to wait weeks and months for diagnostic tests, appointments with specialists, and treatment as their deadly cancer cells multiply. In Britain, most National Health Service kidney patients over the age of 55 are allowed to die rather than offered dialysis. As usual, the working poor suffer the most: They are unable to afford treatment outside the government system they’ve already bought with taxes.
The only reliable protection against medical disasters is a genuinely free market in medicine. Only when medicine is freed of burdensome government regulations, mandates and entitlements will patients be able to pay for their own routine health care and purchase affordable catastrophic insurance. That’s the reform Colorado needs.
CU tuition hike a betrayal of taxpayers
This issue, like many others, proves that most politicians and elected officials cannot be trusted. They have in fact, lied to and double-crossed the hard-working people of Colorado who make tremendous sacrifices so that their children can attend college. Instead of our Referendum C money going to higher education, it is being siphoned off to fund a variety of other “programs” passed by the legislature, and signed by Gov. Bill Ritter.
Anti-right agenda
Let’s talk about just a couple of Democratic mayors who seem to have forgotten about any wedding vows they might have taken (“Few bad vibes in L.A. love affair,” July 6).
Nope, of course we won’t. Let’s just continue to bash the Republicans. This is the natural course of events within the socialist Democratic agenda, abetted by the Democrats’ media allies.
Remember, the gate swings in both directions and you simply cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Nice try, however.
Another senator caught up in hypocrisy
Vitter, with Bob Livingston and Newt Gingrich, was part of the pack of family-values attack dogs who snarled after Bill Clinton’s extramarital indiscretions. They were so appalled by the president, yet each apparently was having his own affair, or, in Vitter’s case, his own hooker.
It’s funny how all that Republicans need to do to correct their infidelities is to make peace privately with their families and God.
Why wasn’t President Clinton allowed to do the same?
And now their hypocrisy is spreading to their wives. I remember Wendy Vitter chastising Hillary Clinton for not attacking Bill (in public) and stating she would react more like Lorena Bobbitt if her man strayed. Well, Wendy, I cannot wait for you to make good on your promise!
We need help, too
Camp LeJuene, Rocky Flats, Walter Reed. Injustice! Disgrace! Cover-ups! Denials! Congress votes their own raises and fat retirement salaries!
Our people are sick, dying and can’t get the help and compensation they deserve. These are not coincidences.
It’s time for us as a nation to step up and help our own.
Use those billions of dollars we sent overseas to help our own people for a change. Where are the protesters, the demonstrators, the celebrities with their so-called “noble causes” and charities when they should be here?
Patricia S. Smith, Thornton
Cuba conundrum
In 1959, Fidel Castro led a force of Cubans that overthrew a brutal, corrupt dictatorship led by a United States-backed dictator named Fulgencio Batista.
Since that time, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and the present President Bush have served in office.
Now we have made up with Russia, China and Vietnam, with whom we have fought both the Cold War and an actual fighting war.
Cuba sits 90 miles off of the coast of the United States of America. Yet we have been in a state of Cold War with Cuba since 1959.
My question is, “why”?
Cuba conundrum
Since that time, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and the present President Bush have served in office.
Now we have made up with Russia, China and Vietnam, with whom we have fought both the Cold War and an actual fighting war.
Cuba sits 90 miles off of the coast of the United States of America. Yet we have been in a state of Cold War with Cuba since 1959.
My question is, “why”?
Right idea in China?
A DIFFERING VIEW: Most grads won’t use high school math and science
Most college students are going to become teachers, accountants, programmers and businesspeople. The notion that we should become a nation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians is ludicrous. By forcing our teenagers to take advanced algebra, trigonometry and calculus in order to get into a college — so they can write books and articles, teach elementary school or English or history, or work as desk jockeys — all we’re doing is pushing them away from college, and possibly even pushing many otherwise good students out of high school.
I took four years of high school math, and have been working as an accountant for 30 years. I occasionally have use for my 9th grade algebra, but have never, for any reason, used plane geometry, advanced algebra or trigonometry.
So if we need more engineers and scientists, let’s encourage our kids to pursue those fields of study, but it’s absurd to force all of them into this one-size-fits-all approach to education.
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
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Illegal immigration
Here are a few ideas that are not usually talked about in debates over immigration. We have to use common sense and think with our heads for the following reasons: 1. Population - The world is reaching a critical point in regard to population. The United States is rapidly moving in that direction, also. This is why we cannot afford to give 12 million plus illegal immigrants amnesty.
2. Water - Our water supplies are becoming inadequate while population is growing. A person could blame this on drought or global warming, but the cold, hard facts point to there not being enough water on a good year. There is just so much potable water, especially in the semi-arid western states. We cannot just pull it out of our hats. When it is used up, it is gone. We should not increase our need for that water by 12 million plus people.
3. Increase of lower class - If we import a huge lower class that has a lot of offspring, it is going to take a toll on our public benefits such as hospitals, schools, etc. It may be good for business now, but it will eventually come back and bite us.
4. Split families - It is compassionate not to want to split families. Citizens in our country who break the law are sent to prison. Does anyone care if their families are split? Illegal aliens are also breaking the law.
This is not a liberal, compassionate stance, but it is necessary if we want to maintain our way of life. It would be nice if we could take in all the poor of the world, but as any thinking person can see, this just will not work if we want to maintain our way of life.
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President Bush and tax cuts
Today, Mr. Bush let go another good one liner when he assigned credit for false accounting and more service workers to the effect of tax cuts for donors making 300 to 15,000 years of prevailing wage per year. Mr. Bush assigned credit for reducing his $850 Billion a year budget deficit to roughly $300 Billion a year to tax cuts for his supporters.
Mr. Bush, taking $300 Billion Dollars a year from Social Security Surpluses, and assigning them to the General Fund; without notice that these funds are a debt to trust, and therefor part of the deficit; is duplicitous and fraudulent. More people (illegal immigrants) working for service wages and paying into retirement savings is not a check to balance your deficit. What will future administrations do when these legitimate debts are presented for payment? Will your buddies, making $10 Million to the $587 Million average for hedge fund managers a year, then give the monies back?
The $5,000 a year being placed in trust from prevailing wage earners and their employers is not to be squandered on your revenge or your gifts to your patrons.
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Congress & separation of powers
Sounds like we need to kick them out they are sounding too much like those British nobles for my liking. I say start over and this time make all would be law makers take a collage class on the constitution and they receive only room and board plus meals at a military mess, most would not want the office after that.
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Scooter Libby
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Executive privilege
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Upside down American flag
I come from a family of veterans who would find this to be ok in their book. They are not blind followers who would bow in patriotic approval to everything our current leadership would suggest. The ultimate form of patriotism is to question your government, and this is exactly what Mrs/Ms Hammer is doing. I salute her and anyone else who is brave enough and Patriotic enough to do the same.
To all Americans; Her form of protest is exactly what veterans fought to preserve. Do we want this country to go down the path of the Gulag, where people are thrown away and never seen again for this type of defiance, or do we want a country that sais yes you can do this, but allow me to use my freedom of expression to tell you I don’t like it. I choose the latter.
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Terrorist attempts
However, it should not be surprising that the terrorists come from middle and upper-middle class families, not from poor, uneducated families as is often assumed. Several major recent studies show that this is almost always the case.
A 2001 report by Nasra Hassan, a Pakistani relief worker, based on 250 interviews with aspiring Palestinian suicide bombers and their recruiters, concluded that “none were uneducated, desperately poor, simple-minded or depressed.” A 2002 study by Alan Krueger, the distinguished Princeton University economist, showed that members of the Lebanese terror group Hizballah were less likely than other Lebanese to come from poor homes and more likely to have received a secondary school education. Also, a 2004 study by Dr. Marc Sageman, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania and a former CIA case office in Afghanistan during the late 1980s, concluded that “Most Arab terrorists ... were well-educated, married men from middle-or upper-class families, in their mid-20s and psychologically stable.” When it comes to terrorism - it’s not the economy, stupid - it’s ideology.
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A DIFFERING VIEW: Coverage slants public view of stem cell research
In fact, all of the cures and health improvements due to stem cells so far are the result of adult stem cell research. Why would the Rocky encourage spending money on a wild promise rather than on proven research? On a morally questionable path rather than on one morally acceptable to all?
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Cindy Sheehan
She represents the disillusioned mothers community who jumped on the anti-war bandwagon only after they experienced personal losses. But before her son died killing innocent Iraqi civilians, she never uttered a single syllable against the war, and she didn’t care that her son was one of the perpetrators of genocide. Her son went to Iraq voluntarily; we haven’t had a draft since 1973. And now she thinks Americans will elect her to Congress and rally behind her? Ha!! Enough of these fly-by-night activists. You are either with us, or you are against us.
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American flag
I find it hard to believe that you would disgrace the flag in this manor in front of a group of D-Day veterans or in the presence of Marines who fought so valiantly on Iwo Jima. I also feel it is safe to say that you would not visit any military instillation on a day when a unit of Soldiers or Marines are returning from Iraq, and display the flag in this manor in front of all who are present to welcome them home. My question to you is why do it now, in front of your house? Do you honestly think this decision will not have any emotional effect on those who have served and those who are still in harms way?
Believe it or not, the actions of U.S. citizens have an impact on those serving a long way from homes and their loved ones. Please do not assume that your freedom of speech automatically includes everything you desire.
To do so shows arrogance, and a total lack of regard for your fellow citizens and those in the Armed Forces. I respectfully ask that you pursue other means to protest the war, and return your flag to its proper position or take it down all together. Either way, please do not use a symbol that many of us hold dear to our hearts for your own political agenda.
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Health care
st want to be able to see a doctor when I am sick. It makes sense to me to take care of the working class americans for we are the ones that keep this country running. Prevenative care is all I ask. I am fine with a tax increase if I get something for it, like my health. The tax increase can’t possibly be as much as the insurance I can’t afford that dosn’t cover what I need it to cover anyway.
Shameful.
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The government
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Terrorist’s threats
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Scooter Libby
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Scooter Libby
Libby was convicted of lying under oath by a Washington, D.C. jury (a joke in itself) after getting him on the stand and asking questions about events of several years past. The conviction had nothing to do with the supposed leak and there never was an underlying crime involved.
Ohrrtman’s comment "¦the White House will do anything to keep him quiet" reflects total ignorance. This was simply a total miscarriage of justice and President Bush was absolutely correct in rectifying it. He should and gone even further and issued a full pardon.
One has to wonder whether these two liberals were in such an uproar over Clinton’s pardon of some 150 thugs and true felons as he neared the end of his term.
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Iraq war
The occupation in Iraq (and Afghanistan) is a failed, flawed, illegal and immoral activity and it must not be allowed to continue The NY Times just wrote: “This country faces a choice. We can go on allowing Mr. Bush to drag out this war without end or purpose. Or we can insist that American troops are withdrawn as quickly and safely as we can manage — with as much effort as possible to stop the chaos from spreading” I say perpetual war cannot be accepted as a rationale for peace.
Locally, an important voice is being threatened. Carolyn Bninski, was arrested with four other people while reading the names of Iraqis and U.S. personnel killed as a result of the U.S. occupation. She goes to trial in a few weeks, facing 60 days in jail.
Call Udall’s office and ask him to drop the charges against Bninski. Also tell him that you oppose further war-funding, and the prosecution of non-violent voices against the occupation.
George Brauchler’s remarks on KHOW
He was interviewing Jason Knight who was discharged from the Navy for being gay. During his interview Mr. Brauchler made disparaging comments about gays and the United States Navy as being “light in the loafers” and gay people in the service of our country would be “like a kid in the candy store”.
I cannot understand how George Brauchler is permitted to remain on KHOW after those offensive remarks. If Don Imus can have his feet put to the fire for the hateful comments he made, why isn’t George Brauchler held to the same standard? Don Imus also shrugged off his intolerant remark of “nappy headed ho’s “(sic) as “humor” and yet when aspersions are cast against gay people on KHOW, they, and Clear Channel think it is OK. Is this the standard of KHOW? The Caplis and Silverman show is promoted as ”Not left or right, but right or wrong.” So I ask what is right about Mr. Brauchler’s degrading and demeaning comments. I truly would like to know what if anything is KHOW planning to do to hold Mr. Brauchler accountable for his vile remarks.
If you changed the issue/word of gays with Jews, women, blacks, Latinos, Asians etc, and attached similar debasing stereotypes, would that be tolerated? KHOW is seemingly treading down a shameful and intolerant path.
Furthermore, as Mr. Brauchler serves in the law firm and employ of [DAN]Caplis & Deasy it calls to question if such vitriolic assertions are condoned in the office as well.
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Illegal immigrants
Immigration and emigration are fundamental individual rights. The declaration of independence lists as one of our grievances that King George was interfering with immigration to America.
Persons born in the U.S. have no more right to live in the United States than does the poorest inhabitant of Mexico. Or of Bangladesh. Or of Haiti.
Denying the right to live in America to desperate, freedom- and opportunity-seeking persons struggling for survival in 3rd world countries is uncivilized. And unspeakably cruel.
I understand that some people find the thought of more immigrants discomfiting, that some people worry about lost jobs and burdens on public services, that some people dislike foreign cultures. But no one has the right, at anyone else¢s expense, to any job or to any service. Or to “cultural purity.” Viva liberacion!
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NAACP
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Iraq war
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Del Mar & Montbello neighborhoods
They cannot continue to put these problems where they think they are less visible. That does not fix them, it just moves them. Those of us living in those areas for over 30 years end up the real losers. I guess this is what we get for paying our taxes and maintaining our property for thirty plus years.
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Iraq war
His popularity has declined to the lowest of any President, including Carter and Nixon. Justifiably so.
According to CNN there has been over 655,000 Iraqis killed since the war began, more than the over 500,000 killed in Vietnam. There has been over 3,650 Americans killed. The last year American deaths have averaged over 3 per day.
Cal Thomas made several arguments why we shouldn’t impeach George Bush.
“What will the world think of us.†“We will appear as quitters. â€Al Qeada will surely attack Iraq at full force.†“It will be devastating.†I believe that is all nonsense. He is only saying this for political purposes, because he wants the Republicans to have a chance at the Presidency in 2008.
If we impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney the world will see that we have come to our senses and removed the main person who has turned America into a bully, an occupier, a failed leadership. Al Qeada may even believe we may now really began peace negotiations. As long as we keep George Bush in power and heaven forbid, another Republican President, Al Qeada will continue their attacks.
We need to pull our armies into Kuwait. Leave them totally alone. Hold our troops there to see what happens. Monitor all activities from reliable sources. Then if we must, send air strikes, rocket strikes from Kuwait. Make them come to us.
Can anyone out there thing of a better solution?
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Iraq war
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Scooter Libby
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Leadership in the Black community
For decades the black leadership in this country has been monolithic in its support for the Democrat Party despite that Party’s destructive track record when it comes to issues impacting the black community. In no other instance is this more the case then public education. Here the Democrat Party and their union masters’ track record is so abhorrent and undeniable that it simply begs the question: Why do you have such fidelity to such a ruinous ideology? In my school district 7% of black children are proficient in math while less than 50% graduate. Of those who do graduate most will be functionally illiterate. When myself and other reform minded members of the board, including the only black member (a Republican), tried to change the failed status quo by implementing things like rigorous curriculum, merit pay for teachers and school choice, we were viscously attacked by the teacher unions and their left-wing allies who spent millions of dollars to kill any hope for these students. Where was the “black leadership” in all of this?
They were right there to carry the union’s water for them making sure that nothing changed.
The problems facing blacks today stem from the breakdown of the family (70% of black children are born out of wedlock) and the failed K-12 public education system which is more interested in maintaining the system then it is in educating students. The problem with black leadership is not how many leaders there are at various levels of government but their unquestioning affection for a Democrat Party that has destroyed both of these institutions resulting in millions of lives being destroyed.
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Pulling out of Iraq
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Andrew Speaker
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War in Iraq and U.S. soldiers
Our goal is fighting terrorism over there so we may not have to fight them here and in other freedom loving countries. The World Trade building attacks and the recent attacks in London are just two examples of terrorism coming to us. Why are we a member of the United Nations and funding over 25% of its cost as our fellow members look down their noses and are critical of us attempting to depose of murderous ruthless tyrants, such as Iraq’s previous dictator.
No matter what, The United States is fighting to preserve our freedom and with much criticism from within our own country. We are not fighting for oil or addition living space, maybe just enough living space to bury those that will not be returning. To be critical of the war is to demean those that have given their lives, their well being and to all their relatives.
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Why are we ignoring the obvious? Study after study shows that what we eat has more of an impact than what we drive, the light bulbs we use, or the showerheads we install. The United Nations found that raising animals for food is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all vehicles in the world combined. But instead of promoting simple changes in how we feed ourselves, environmentalists tout the latest and greatest solar gadget and logo-emblazoned canvas bag.
Sign up for solar power, but keep going - recognize that one of the biggest effects you have on the planet begins on your plate.
I used to talk about saving the environment. One day my discomfort of feeling like a hypocrite rose above my resistance to personal change — I finally chose a plant-based vegan lifestyle. That simple choice shrunk my eco-footprint dramatically. A vegan lifestyle saves an acre of trees and more than 1.3 million gallons of water per year. I would have to leave my shower on 24/7 and still I couldn’t waste as much water as the typical American meat-eater. Meat is so gas/oil intensive that a vegetarian in a Hummer does more for the environment than a meat-eater behind the wheel of a hybrid.
I’m not here to tell you what to do. But I am here to point out that unless you are making food choices in line with your ethical and environmental values, you are really just wasting your time. Going vegan is a personal stand to protect the planet, people and the animals. If you truly care about the planet, go vegan and live your life consistently.
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Labeling humans
Our proper classification, according to the system above is “homo sapiens.”
“Homo” meaning human and “sapiens” meaning thinking or intelligent; therefore a more or less literal translation would be that we are classified as thinking humans.
All the rest of the hoopla about what “race” we are is all just politics and interbreeding throughout the various ages (a geologically miniscule period) that we’ve populated the planet. There have been so many wars, migrations, die-offs, extinctions and genetic alterations, that on a very basic level (such as genetic) we are really ALL the same, if we care to take a logical look and admit it. Anyone claiming to be “racially pure” had best take a look behind themselves; they are stepping on their own tail.
It is high time that we, as homo sapiens, start living up to the translation of our scientific classification, and realize that there is only one “race", and that is HUMAN. We are all in (or on) the same boat (planet) and we had better start taking care of each other and it, and do it pretty damned soon.
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Wire tapping
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Freedom and war
The Marxist Progressives and the Islamics have striven to divide our nation on purpose with years of concerted propaganda and pressure on elected officials to render “politically incorrect” the defense of our nation and the interests of its people. The Marxist Progressives and the Islamics are exploiting our tradition of “free speech” to literally destroy our 231 year experiment in freedom and prosperity! If the Marxist Progressives and Islamics are successful, we will be the first nation on earth to vote ourselves into slavery!
In thinking of Free Speech: when the American Intifada begins, and thousands are killed each year, publicity will be essential for the recruitment of suicide bombers. Like Al Jazeera, will CBS, ABC and NBC and the NY Times cooperate fully with the American Intifada by dutifully broadcasting the suicide killer’s video last will and testaments? Will they publish daily the dozens of portraits in their newspapers? This will be vital in giving these nobodies their 5 minutes of fame! Will our society have enough sense to stop such broadcasts? Will we finally shut down the most virulent Jihad websites, the worst of which are on servers in Dallas Texas? Or will the ACLU’s free speech arguments prevail over common sense? There is precedent: sporting event cameramen are instructed NOT to follow streakers who might leap onto a playing field or a basketball court. They do this to discourage copy cats! How much rather suicide killers when the lives of innocent men, women and children are at stake?
I ran across a very simple and elegant prayer today: “Graciously protect our nation from evil that it may prosper in your Shalom. Help us overcome evil today through the power of good.”
Notice the “Shalom” instead of “Peace". The Marxist Progressives and Islamics have hijacked the word Peace so thoroughly that it now means “abandoning our responsibilities, to suffer defeat, humiliation, death and destruction at the hands of our enemies!” It means literally the peace of the graveyard. Shalom is much deeper and wider! It means living securely, free of conflict, internally and externally! Without a doubt, to achieve Shalom, to overcome evil and to even survive.this nation will have to reassess and redefine its absolutist definition of “free speech” that is leaving us defenseless!
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Democrats & Republicans
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Illegal fireworks
Almost every person I contacted alleged that they did not know that it was illegal to possess and use fireworks in Denver. After interviewing them further, some of them reluctantly admitted that they knew it was illegal. Though the question on everyone’s lips was “ why can we buy them, if we cannot use them?". Myself and the Denver Firefighter that I was teamed with did our best to address this question, but this is really a question that needs to be answered by our state policy makers...like you.
We took large mortar packages from a thirteen year old that had saved his money and purchased them in the projects from a man who was kind enough to deliver them...although the juvenile could not enjoy them because the safety unit confiscated them first. We had large parties who become angry and confrontational when we had to confiscate their nights entertainment as well, where they were set up in the street or in the parking lots of private businesses.
We had to endure the angry conversations with citizens, who had enough of the noise and could not understand why we could not issue tickets to people around the block.
And we had to watch the house burn on 33rd and Quivas, after it was hit with fireworks, while five DFD pumpers worked hard to save it. It is a total loss.
This is not a Denver issue, or Arvada or Lakewood issue. This is a state issue that gets ignored because the firework business generates alot of tax revenue for the state and counties.
My question is...is the loss of one’s home with everything in it which we hold dear...is it worth the cost of a pop bottle rocket?
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Islam and Christianity
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Don’t Bury Transit
That vulnerability makes below ground populations preferred targets for those who wish us harm, whether homegrown or otherwise.
While we must never cower in the face of such threats, we musn’t make it easy for deliberate actions against us nor difficult for the transit patrons and emergency responders to reach safety. The Department of Homeland Security is seeking funding to construct a simulated transportation tunnel at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo to evaluate those very situations that could potentially cause death and serious injury on a large scale.
Which brings us to the proposal for Denver Union Station, where massive holes in the ground will house our future commuter rail and express bus services.
One might wonder why our regional planners insist on a more than $200 million excavation project, principally for a one block extension of 18th Street, that compromises expansion capacity, public convenience, and safety. Indeed.
There are better, less costly solutions for our Grand Transportation Hub and the desired development around it. More citizens need to get involved in this process and start asking the pertinent questions about our essential transportation future.
Thank you for your consideration for publication.
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Police hiring
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Iranian government
The fanatics in Tehran have concluded that they can use these proxies to kill American troops without fear of retaliation. It is time for us to restore that fear.
The fact that the Iranian government is sponsoring similar terrorist operations in Palestine, Lebanon and Afghanistan makes it obvious that pulling the troops out of Iraq is not a solution.
The objective is deterrence and the best hope is that diplomacy can achieve the goal. However, diplomacy is not like to be effective unless it is back up by a credible threat of force. Credible means two things: first, we have to mean it and second, they have to believe it.
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A DIFFERING VIEW: Health clinics need physician oversight
These principles include reasonable measures such as making sure these clinics establish appropriate sanitation and hygienic guidelines; protocols to ensure appropriate physician oversight; and advanced communication with patients to ensure patients know the qualifications of the health professional providing their care.
The AMA was founded 160 years ago to promote the highest standards of medical care in this country. History shows that patient care and medical practice have benefited from these efforts. The AMA remains committed to promoting these high standards of care whether it’s delivered at your doctor’s office or at an in-store clinic.
Gone are the days where workers at a company united in a single voluntary unit to address issues of pay, benefits and working conditions. Today a single union may represent tens of thousands of dues-paying workers at many various companies throughout the nation. And just where does all that money go?
And just as the perception exists that the only people who really get rich in class-action lawsuits filed in federal court are the lawyers, the perception exists that the only people who really get rich from the payment of union dues are those who work for the unions.
Unions today are perceived to be the very thing they claim to oppose: Top heavy and heavy handed rich corporate monstrosities that exists for the sole purpose to simply to feed itself and its rich corporate top brass at the expense of its dues paying members.
The perception is that while unions “claim” to work for better pay and benefits for its blue-collar working members, the blue-collar working class is struggling to pay bills while the president and other higher-ups of the union uses those dues to enjoy life and live the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous.
Most people are smart — and logical. They may work for and get a paycheck from one “rich corporation.” And they don’t necessarily want to join another huge “rich corporation” just because that “rich corporation” is a union — and pay dues if all those dues do is get them token raises/benefits in their low-paying jobs while the leader of the union uses those dues to live a — hypocritical? — lifestyle of the Rich and Famous most union due-paying members will never see.
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Fourth of July thoughts
The National Repertory Orchestra, at its free July 4 concert in Breckenridge, did not miss the opportunity to include the role of Providence in the birth of our country. After playing John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, it concluded the concert by leading the standing audience in the singing of God Bless America.
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Immigration
There is nothing more American than “chain migration.” My own family immigrated from Italy. My grandparents were not highly educated, they had no degrees to hang on their walls, no titles or awards with which to impress their neighbors. They simply had a desire to provide for their children and a belief in the American system. My grandparents were able to provide my parents with an opportunity. My parents took full advantage of that opportunity, graduating from college and opening their own business. As a result, my sisters and I have even greater opportunities than my parents had, and it is up to us to take full advantage—not by denying the opportunity to others but by succeeding on our own merits just as our parents and grandparents did.
Millions of Americans have a family history similar to my own. Of course people say that things are different now—the people coming today don’t want to assimilate as they have in the past. That is simply untrue. After all, my grandparents lived in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY and after thirty years in the US my grandmother barely spoke a word on English.
Obviously their children (my parents) learned English and became fully “American,”
just as the children of immigrants are doing today.
Sadly, our immigration debate has devolved to the point where catchphrases and buzzwords have taken the place of thoughtful argument. I hope that people will stop and consider their own histories before adding “chain migration” to that list of negative words.
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Immigration and integration
Recently Commerce City residents have been invited to some events designed to integrate illegal aliens into the city.
The project is called “One Community Initiative”, it is an event hosted by the Commerce City Immigrant Integration Coalition.
The event is meant to unite legal Americans with illegal aliens (This is not the politically correct way to say it). The meetings have included Spanish language translators and they translate the requests etc… from these illegal aliens.
Although this may seem a bit ridiculous, it is truly occurring in Commerce City. Believe it or not. The event was to address immigration and integration issues in a civic forum. What this actually means is that the One Community Initiative project (which got a $300,000 grant from the Colorado Trust ) is trying to integrate illegal aliens into Commerce City and trying to get the legal AMERICANS of Commerce City to buy into this type of idea, and that this organization is trying to help the city As a resident of Commerce City, I take this as an insult. Why in the world would I bend over backwards and try to suite the needs of illegal aliens? These illegal aliens take US jobs, they are a burden on healthcare and essential services. I may not be politically correct, but I am an AMERCIAN who cares. I guess being an AMERICAN and acting like a true AMERICAN is rare these days.
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Michael Moore’s “Sicko”
What Michael Moore and the media have not done is to explain how the doctors can work for free, also the nurses, janitors, clerks, etc. Now certainly we can all imagine the people who own the hospitals to be willing to ask nothing for the use of their property. The equipment manufactures will donate their equipment, and the stockholders will turn a blind eye. Of course this is not possible, so the only other alternative is for the government to take over.
Then we can have a universal Walter Reed set up. We’ve already seen what the government can do, and that was for their own employees - the military - people sacrificing limb and life for them. Nice idea, but not very practical.
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Scooter Libby
The “birds of prey” can take care of that. What they can’t provide is an alternative to prison time unless the President commutes or pardons. Bush had to do it. Bush was forced to do it to protect himself and Cheney and Rove. He had to keep the “canary from singing in the cage.”
Here it is July 4, 2007, Independence Day. We live in a great country and it shows how great it is that we can survive in spite of President Bush?and his administration.
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War
Maybe Denver. Maybe multiple cities at the same time. They will do this because they believe we will not retaliate. They truly believe they will defeat the United States and the rest of the world in their religious war.
During the cold war, the United States and Soviet Union were both ready, willing, and able to destroy each other with nuclear weapons. As crazy as it sounds, this threat of mutual destruction is what kept both countries from attacking the other. It was imperative that our plan was announced in advance - keeping our plan a secret wouldn’t have been a deterrent.
In order to save our country, the president and every presidential Candidate should tell the American People (and the rest of the world) what they will do if we are attacked by weapons of mass destruction by these religious fanatics in their attempt at world domination. If necessary, we should be prepared to destroy every city in the world that protects, supports, or harbors terrorist. I know a lot of innocent people would be killed, but how many innocent people in the United States will be killed and how many would have been killed if we would have gone to war with the Soviet Union? We must be prepared to go to war to save our country - otherwise, others will start a war and we will be defeated.
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In-store health clinics
Such in-store clinics are especially good at providing affordable quality health care to those without insurance and those with Health Savings Accounts, as noted by Grace-Marie Turner in the 5/14/2007 Wall Street Journal.
If the AMA truly wants what’s best for patients, it should support such free-market medicine, rather than oppose it.
For more information on free market medicine, go to
http://www.WeStandFIRM.org
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Scooter Libby
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Scooter Libby
President Bush ignored Libby’s felony conviction for lying to investigators, ignored the jury’s guilty verdict, and ignored the rule of law that governs our nation.
We expect more from our President. We expect honor and integrity, we expect moral leadership. We expect our President and his staff to be held to a higher standard.
But do we really? This is someone who has prisoners with no charges and no rights in Guantanamo, who listens to private calls from citizens at will. I have been criticized for comparing this administration to a Nazi state. What do you all think now?
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A DIFFERING VIEW: Ruby Hill lines should be buried
It is specious for Xcel to equate transmission towers in a park with transmission towers anywhere else.
Unfortunately, the Ruby Hill neighborhood lags behind much of the city in revitalization and redevelopment. A comprehensive study by the Denver Parks and Recreation Department showed that residents of southwest Denver have fewer parks and green spaces than any other area of the city.
So why would the city pass up this opportunity to diminish the impact of an undesirable land use ? The Denver City Council just has to keep itself from subverting the decades-old view plane no matter how loudly Xcel whines.
Toss free trade deals
Health care for all
Congress should pass HR 676 extending Medicare to all.
And voters should know the only reason elected representatives wouldn’t pass HR 676 is because the representatives are responsive to the insurance lobby rather than to the voters.
Time to recall the outrageous Tancredo
On June 15, the House of Representatives passed the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, including an amendment from Tancredo that would withhold federal emergency-services funding from “sanctuary cities,” which apparently include Denver and Boulder.
Does he honestly think that pulling government funding out of our hometowns will receive a round of applause from us? The amendment, however, did not define the term “sanctuary city,” leaving it open to Tancredo’s interpretation.
Sometime last year, Tancredo unveiled a series of billboards in Denver, calling it a sanctuary city. However, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have stated that it is not. So when Tancredo says the House is “closer to the people ... than the Senate,” he appears quite disillusioned that his constituency ever wanted him to go this far on his one-issue politics.
It is time to recall him.
ACLU should be ashamed of itself
The ACLU, which has just filed a second lawsuit tied to this “grave constitutional threat,” should be ashamed of itself for seeking court punishment for alleged political misconduct that — even if proven true — can most assuredly and appropriately be remedied at the ballot box (“Bush protesters cite manual in 2nd suit,” June 29).
The plaintiffs have this viable option, yet chose to soak the taxpayers who have to defend against their case which should have been DOA.
If insults and hurt feelings experienced in the political arena are somehow the business of the courts, then the ACLU ought to register as a partisan player in this case and file financial reports under the Fair Campaign Practices Act. My question is: Who controls the ACLU?
Fondly recalling savagery regrettable
For Tabor to pine for the Persian Gulf War because “[T]hat was the war to have been in ... [T]here were lots of targets” is unsettling. As a Vietnam veteran serving with the 1st Cavalry Division (maybe even benefiting from his air support while I was on the ground), I appreciate his service. However, the Persian Gulf War turned out to be pretty much of a one-sided slaughter of thousands.
Raining death on so many men from the air in the relatively risk-free comfort of a modern jet fighter, although perhaps at some level necessary, strikes me as something no one should remember fondly.
Iraqis learning well
We went to Iraq to teach them how our democracy works.
We blasted in with shock and awe, using force of arms to dominate opponents.
Don’t gripe about “benchmarks”; casualty counts prove they’re learning very well.
Foolish Americans’ priorities scrambled
Such was the case with Robert Amos who, despite a lengthy criminal record, was freed to allegedly kill a Colorado Geological Survey intern, apparently in cold blood. The Kansas correctional system freed him early, because it had no money and no room for him.
It’s also interesting to read about the resources, money and blood that the foolish people of America allow the criminal government in the White House to throw down the hellhole that is Iraq, killing thousands, wounding and maiming and destroying a generation of Iraqi citizens, while American contractors reap the spoils of taxpayer money.
Something is wrong with a people and a country that would stand by and aid and abet our government’s torturing, killing and blatant lying while the needs of our own people go unmet.
It is beyond shameful — it is indicative of a country in decline.
Switch trash, recycling bin sizes, pickup days
The city of Denver already has a very good curbside recycling program. Unfortunately the message to residents is that they don’t have to take this program very seriously, given that the trash bins are twice the size of the recycle bins and trash is picked up once a week while recycling is only picked up every other week.
Switching the bins and pickup days would be a nonpunitive way to help Denver residents remember to recycle and not throw away “a lot of trash.”
Party before country
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Motorcycle noise
But, the new motorcycle muffler certificate requirement is “anecdotally” working already, according to Denver Police Captain Eric Rubin, head of the Traffic Operations Bureau (RMN July 5, 2007, page 8). Ellen Dumm, spokeswoman for the city’s environmental health department said, “It’s hard for me to believe that anyone involved in motorcycling in the Denver area isn’t aware that there’s a new ordinance, although it doesn’t change much for anyone.”
These two people are in la-la land. 1) There is not a chance that it’s working already. You ought to sit on my balcony some evening and then you will see very clearly that it’s not working, yet. 2) The changes it will bring will be huge if you spend time outdoors in the city because the problem is bad, and it will change much.
Furthermore, it CAN’T work, yet. No one knows where to get the certificates or how much they cost. I don’t know. I read the paper every day.
By the way, I have owned various motorcycles since 1971. AND, I have had my bike in the shop twice since this ordinance came up, and there was no talk about it that I heard.
When the city’s enforcement arm says that the ordinance is already working, and, further, that when it works, it won’t change anything, I have to question their understanding of the problem and their commitment to solving it.
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Military funding in Iraq
The more likely scenario is that troops won’t start to see Fragmentation Kit #3 which provides armored protection around the Humvee fuel tank for at least a year.It will take 9 months tooutfit all vehicles. That’s based on the “Operation and Maintenance, Army: Justification Book, Vol. I” Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Budget Estimates. In this February 2007 document, the Army wrote that the armor for the underbelly of the Humvee, FRAG Kit #4, “is in the early design phase and any successful Proof of Principle testing will require a minimum of 180 days.” Even withan accelerated effortordered by Defense Secretary Gates that might begin installation a year earlier than anticipated, it would be January 2009 before any vehicle in theater has this protection.
Supporting the troops won’t happen by pouring more funds into contracts that won’t be fulfilled for at least 18 months after the money is allocated.
Restricting the allocation offunds in the Defense Authorization bill for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops is the way to support them. Senators Salazar and Allard and all Representatives except DeGette and Perlmutter who voted for the last round of funding need to hear that message from us.
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President Bush
He states how the president has endangered U.S. national security in a wide variety of ways, and thus has violated his oath of office to “protect & defend the Constitution of the United States.
Let me ask Mr. Weiner what should we have done to his president Slick Willie? Here’s a president that stuck his head in the ground and let the terrorist problem fester for 8 years. Let Bin Laden escape at least 3 times. How convenient these facts always seem to escape liberal memories.
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The Bush Administration
The American public must insist on a investigation on this matter, and members of Congress CAN NOT AND MUST NOT let these weasel actions slip through there judiciary system. It’s time for the Bush Administration to have its upcomings and be set squared on our Constitution.
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Illegal Immigration
Obviously, I feel badly for all people who want to live in a better place. Nothing can be better than “OUR” United States of America!!! I was touring Wash., DC a couple of weeks ago, there were 22 of us. A comment was made by another unknown person passing our group, “that we should go back to Mexico, where we belong"... Ughhhh!! I felt that discrimination was a thing of the past and now it is coming back to haunt us once again. Just because of the illegal immigration issues that now have reached record highs and someone “now” wants to do something about it!!! I, being a citizen of our free country, saw as a teenager, that this was getting out of hand and now that it has reached insurmountable proportions, do they now want to do something about it.
It should have been controlled way back in the 70’s and 80’s when our numbers were growing at a rapid speed. I also want to note that it is not only the Mexicans from Mexico, but other Latinos from Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Panama, Chile, not to mention the Vietnamese, Asian, Russian, Irish, and Polish people immigrating as well. Why highlight only the ones coming from Mexico. The United States should have devised a consistent plan from the beginning, to control the number of illegal immigrants of all races, coming to America... we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now. There are many times that I have gone to an amusement park, a hotel, a fast food restaurant, or a movie theatre and in trying to make small talk with a service employee, found that they cannot speak English and they are not “MEXICAN".....
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President Bush
As a person who has turned the whole world into a flaming caldron, he has to be required to uphold the validity and judgments of our courts. Also, he must stop any further abuse of the US citizens and people of the world.
He continues to drag us through the ugly depths of despair he created because of his unconscionable follies!
He practices a type of Christian morality of which I am not familiar.
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Illegal immigrants
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Public protests
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America
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Scooter Libby
Make no mistake about it , “Scooter” Libby is a criminal. I do not believe that the sentence was excessive. I don’t think it should have been commuted.
I can’t believe that some have become so angry over it.
The democrats always like to attack the president, but seem to forget about their favorite, President Clinton. Using numbers from the Department of Justice web site, President Clinton pardoned 396 and commuted the sentences of another 61 during his administration. Of those, 26 were convicted of charges of either perjury or obstruction. Another 75, including his brother, Roger, were convicted of drug possession, some with the intent to distribute. Not including the current President, since the DoJ web site doesn’t have those statistics as of yet.If we look at the last two democrats and last two republicans to hold the office of President, we may see a pattern. Presidents Reagan and Bush combined for 467 pardons and commuted 16 sentences. Presidents Carter and Clinton combined for 930 pardons and commuted 90 sentences. Either our justice system is so inadequate and only the Democrats can see it, or maybe someone is abusing the power of clemency. I believe that our system has its flaws but I don’t think that it is that bad.
After speaking with both democrats and republicans, I have come to the conclusion that the democrats are the party of hate. I hear many more democrats using the word “hate” than I do from republicans. They hate President Bush and if they can find anything to complain about they will.This is just another example of that.
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The Clintons
I do hope you have the ethical and moral fortitude to be equally fair on both sides of this issue.
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Smoking ban
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Andrew Speaker
Your doctors couldn’t take a chance on public safety, so that is why they did what they did. Even if your Tuberculosis turned out to be a milder form, you still had no business flying with the public knowing you had it.
If your version of tuberculosis is so mild, why was your wife wearing a mask when you were being interviewed? It’s called precaution, and it is something you should of used.
So, if you want to be angry, and demand an apology, don’t hold your breath.
T.B. would be the last of your worries pal. In other words, you should have used precaution when flying all over the world. Common sense should have told you that.
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President Bush
Bush says, “Withdrawing prematurely, based on politics ...will not be in our national interest.”
Hey, saving countless lives (on both sides) by withdrawing as soon as possible isn’t politics! ...But saving an Administration loyalist from prison, ..now THAT IS politics!
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The environmental disaster that is ethanol
After this, even a fanatic enviro would admit that the benefits are at best marginal.
Furthermore, we subsidize ethanol with our taxes.
Also, consumers (especially the poor) are burdened with rapidly rising food prices because of the increased value of corn. Most important, corn is a notoriously thirsty crop. As we all know, even enviros, water in Colorado is by far our most precious resource. So does it make sense to water corn at great expense to the consumer in a state where we have significant natural gas and oil finds?
Let’s hear other side
Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s up-front knowledge, the travesty of justice and how it was used by the left, the fact that the investigation itself should not have even taken place based on the legal facts, the subversion of the law for the left’s political gain, the criminalization of policy by abusing the legal system — all of these positions were ignored in the stories of the day.
How about it, press, are you going to tell the other side, or continue the misrepresentations?
TB patient smelling money?
The bottom line is: Would we rather the feds err on the side of public safety, or on the side of one person (especially a lawyer!)?
A DIFFERING VIEW: The ‘surge’ is making progress in Iraq
Likewise, the Rocky has completely ignored the reporting of Michael Yon, who, while embedded with the 1st Cavalry, is now reporting that the people of recently reliberated Baqubah are “jubilant” at the American presence, and that the people of Diyala province “put their trust in the Americans as arbiters of justice.” This sounds to me like progress — if not “decisive,” certainly substantial.
At the same time we must take umbrage with the overwhelmingly sympathetic outrage expressed by his peers — for the most part successful people who profit, as he did, from an unfair system that all too often victimizes so many of the poor, the uneducated and the mentally ill.
We do not have Harvard degrees, connections or even the minimal resources needed to effectively challenge an unfair system only now decried by those
The cold, hard truth is that
We inmates do pray for
Immigration
I am “remembering the Alamo".
You know, the battle cry when Texicans defeated Mexicans. The U.S. eventually added the Texas star to our flag, but Davie Crockett fought to death at the Alamo and lost that first round.
That was back when the Color-Red-River flowed clear into Mexico. Now the headwaters of the Colorado River are absorbed in the continental U.S. and we ask foreigners to pick crops here as politically-correct slaves. If Americans farmers had less water, we would grow fewer corps, and maybe the migratory-labor issues would resolve themselves.
Resolution for immigration reform: Open floodgates for water South, or field labor North.
Your choice Congress (although I hear Washington will be too busy for the next 18 months).
Either way I predict Americans will ultimately buy food just like we buy everything else, from China, Japan, or Mexico, where labor is cheap. There are ramifications. Dog food example?
Even if foreign food were safe, should we end up dependent on others like we are for oil and cars and electronic gadgets? Even if we accept the dependence, rather than independence this day, migratory wages and products purchased from others shift money out of our nation. Cash from one economy, which end up being spent in another economy, does little good to the economy from which money flows like a river.
Oh sure, business investors profit from the labor of others, but there is no Economics 101 re-investment of dollars which leave our nation. Migratory workers earn in one month here what it takes to live in their home country for a year. And you thought you had it good with one day off for Fourth Of July? Enjoy the Independence for a Day.
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Vincent Carroll and the Rocky
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Scooter Libby
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Scooter Libby
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Scooter Libby
Lastly, the final paragraph in your editorial is confusing to say the least.
Compassion, as defined by dictionary.com, means “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering". Libby was not stricken by a misfortune, he knowingly and actively committed a crime. As for suffering, Libby never suffered one day, unless you count sitting in a court room suffering... He didn’t do any hard time, his lawyer bills and court fines will all be paid for by the Libby Defense Fund (over 2.5 million dollars, at last count). You may say his reputation is tarnished, but as we have already seen this is a cause celeb for the extreme right of the GOP. He will have no problem working for the likes of the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Institute or any of the other well financed think tanks that do the GOP’s dirty work. Plus he could always get a job working for Halliburton… In the end, everyone is responsible for their own actions. If you commit a crime, you do the time. Was this same editorial page in favor of Paris Hilton getting out of jail early or even a reduced sentence? What about Martha Stewart? At Least Martha Stewart served her.
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Scooter Libby
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Elected officials
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Pageantry Coverage
I notice local and national coverage to Pageantry is given to murder, girl-kissing-girl, Trip-and-fall incidents, etc. and I don’t recall their being any genuine interest and concern over the REAL acts of good character, generosity, kindness and serious fundraising these young, talented, intelligent and beautiful women are involved with. Please do a better job of FAIR and BALANCED reporting in all areas of the news gathering, and more people will be genuinely “interested in the news.”
Amazingly, it could help improve readership and newspaper sales, which are at an all time low (I read this recently), and a great article of similar in nature to what you missed reporting on, could really propel more acts of kindness by and among the teens in the communities across this great state!
Scooter Libby
Wrong on two counts. According to a SUSA poll done immediately after the announcement that Libby would get special treatment, 60 percent of Americans familiar with the case felt Libby should have served his full sentence. Only 21 percent agreed with the President's decision. As for your "no underlying crime" obfuscation, perjury and obstruction of justice are crimes because when people lie about the facts of a case it makes prosecuting the "underlying crimes" difficult if not impossible.
That is how we guarantee truthful testimony in our system, which is a crucial element in applying justice.
Then you attempt to obscure the real villians in the case by saying: ""Libby subverted the legal process..." The truth is that Libby got his sentence commuted in exchange for being the fall guy for Dick Cheney and
Karl Rove, and it is the President himself who "subverted the legal process".
Not so long ago a case like this would have been front paged every day and a swarm of reporters would be competing for the next big scoop because not only was a cornerstone of our republic at stake- the rule of law and justice equally applied- but the self-respect and integrity of the print press as well. Today, we get your ironically titled defense of Bush, who once again proves that when you're King, there is no accountability for you or your court. Consider my subscription canceled.
Note: here is a link to the SUSA poll results:
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=4b5255b9-3878-4082-b7d0-160d8ddcd52e
Citizenship
Rocky Mountain Spotlight, page 2, 6/28/07, states under “chatter” : “Sooner or later I will become, just by default, an American citizen.” Craig Ferguson, native of Glasgow, Scotland, and host of CBS’ Late Late Show, who has received support since June 13 from five governors and 5,569 cities in the U.S. in his “honorary citizenship campaign.” Enough is enough!!
Not only do illegal/ criminal aliens besiege our cities demanding rights (which they aren’t entitled too), but now our “elected officials” pander citizenship to anyone who campaigns?!! Why not offer it to Bin Laden? He has a vested interest in our country...he’d love to destroy it!!
We’re stupidly diluting our nation, insulting it’s hard-working home-born citizens, and treasonously back-handing our military which sheds blood on our behalf. Shame and curses on all who prostitute our land, spit on our flag, ridicule our heritage, or provide aid and comfort to those bent on destroying what our forefathers fought and died for from the Revolutionary War to Iraq today!!
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Immigration
1. Build the fence.
2. Expand the border patrol
8. Create a system for temporary workers who will not displace American workers but will help where we have actually shortages.
This is not a perfect plan, but it is one that you should be able to get a majority of Americans behind.
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A DIFFERING VIEW: South Platte solutions exist
Any engineer will tell you that if you manage the hydrologic unit rather than lawyer it, you can optimize our water resources.
First, to avoid the loss of 100,000 acres of irrigated land in the Lower South Platte by 2030, urban communities must enact more restrictive ordinances limiting lawns for future growth.
These changes alone would eliminate the need for these communities to cherry- pick senior water rights from family farms.
Just who does Ken Salazar represent?
Both offices should be four-year terms. Why else would Sen. Ken Salazar act as though he were elected to represent millions of illegal aliens rather than the people of Colorado?
While making a payment at my local automobile insurance office, I overheard the insurance agent advising a customer to take the “uninsured motorist insurance” because they estimated that 40 percent of drivers on Colorado roads were illegal aliens driving without licenses or insurance or both. This insurance coverage costs our family an extra $490 per year.
I wish Salazar would tell us why it is his priority to protect millions who knowingly flout our laws instead of the law-abiding citizens of Colorado? Opening the door to millions of illegals after the last amnesty bill increased these lawbreakers fourfold, yet politicians expect us to believe that granting another amnesty will end the influx of illegal aliens.
If Salazar believes this, I have a bridge available for purchase in Brooklyn.
Xcel’s Windsource program is a scam
Now the Rocky Mountain News has reported that Xcel will not consider wind customers in ECA refunds (“Regulators back Xcel refund-exclusion plan,” Business, June 28). I have canceled my wind power because:
For the 12-month period I was on 100-percent wind, I paid $217.84 for the privilege and — contrary to what Xcel says — I paid $579.21 for the ECA. You pay this surcharge on your base bill, so even if you are on 100-percent wind you support those who are not. It should be the other way around.
If I paid this for ECA anyway, how can Xcel exclude me from the rebate? I saved the environment and supported those who did not.
Subscribe to Windsource if you think this will help, but be aware that the advertising is not all that straightforward. It is geared toward those who are gullible enough to think they are helping when in actuality it is all political correctness.
The costs of wind should be spread over all users of Xcel energy.
What does a win in Iraq look like?
Last month was one of the deadliest months for U.S. troops again. We deserve to know the final benchmark before we sacrifice any more of our troops.
I believe there is no plan to stop the occupation as long as we get oil for 25 cents on the dollar and have a foothold in the Middle East. I think the American people are getting very complacent when they should be getting very angry. Are we waiting around for the elections in 2008 to sort this out? By then we will have lost another thousand troops and destroyed thousands and thousands of lives.
As I see it, the only winners are the big oil companies and Halliburton so far. I would like to see our elected officials take a stand against this nonsense even if they can’t override a veto.
Looking busy
It is a bipartisan effort to make Congress look busy with important matters while not actually accomplishing anything at all. Lawyers on both sides, well versed in federal procedural law, can drag this out as long as it serves the needs of the two major parties.
The showdown is nothing more than a show. They are using gridlock as a stall tactic. It is no threat.
It is a fig leaf. The Republicans want to give the troop surge time to play itself out, while the Democrats want to divert attention away from their inability to deal with the problem that voters elected them to deal with.
Why our lives, society are in such chaos
Webster identifies a word that is thus defined: secularism. It is the philosophy of choice for American intellectuals and political life.
It is the initial step on the path to shamelessness — with no reference point for decency — so rampant in our culture today.
The second major detractor to our culture is its acceptance of multiculturalism, giving equal credence to all philosophies.
This issue rules out critical thinking, resulting in the loss of reason, as evidenced by intricate subjects being treated in a simplistic manner.
Again, this is standard stock for intellectuals and within the political realm.
The third major depreciator is the socially required and legally enforced separation of our private and public lives.
It mandates that issues of ultimate meaning be kept private, leaving people without meaning, lacking a reference point for life’s essence.
Need we wonder why private lives, the public marketplace, the political realm and our culture are in such a chaotic state?
Right to work is wrong
How will higher corporate earnings on the back of the working class help? If right to work passes, the working class will fail, and make Colorado’s economy worse.
Bush’s twin messages
How much more will our democracy tolerate from this man?
Keeping him quiet
Libby obviously is privy to much more damaging information, and the White House will do anything to keep him quiet.
If the 6,651 speeding tickets issued resulted in that many motorists obeying the traffic laws, then hip! hip! hooray! for the police, sheriff and highway patrol officers.
Note to motorists: Those speed limit signs are the law — not a suggestion.
CU later, cash
Why? So we can pay anti-American speakers and teachers like Kofi Annan and Ward Churchill.
Ain’t socialism grand?
Affirmative action and common sense
Which would tend to be more true?
1. The way to stop smoking is to stop smoking or the way to stop smoking is to continue to smoke?
2. The way to stop gambling is to stop gambling or the way to stop gambling is to continue to gamble?
3. The way to stop stealing, lying and cheating is to stop stealing, lying and cheating or the way to stop stealing, lying and cheating is to continue to steal, lie and cheat?
4. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race or the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to continue to discriminate on the basis of race?
By now, those with common sense see the pattern: The way to stop doing something you no longer want to do is — surprise! — to stop doing it and not — surprise! — to continue to do it.
And yet Rocky Mountain News columnist Mike Littwin feels that the very idea that “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race” is “nonsense” (“High court’s colorblind ruling can’t see the truth,” June 30).
Bigotry is behind criticism of Romney
Some of them have begun to realize this embarrassing truth, and so they have switched to say that they won’t support Romney because he has changed his positions. Ronald Reagan also changed his position on abortion, and no one seems to have a problem with that.
Romney is one of the most brilliant (Harvard Law and Harvard Business School simultaneously) and successful candidates to run for president in a very long time. He has a character of sterling integrity. It would be a sad commentary on the people of our country if they refused to consider him because of bigotry.
Veteran worries Clinton might win
We were promised repeatedly that if we stayed in harm’s way until retirement, we and our dependents would have medical care for life.
I retired in 1968. When “Slick Willie” and “Slick Hilly” Clinton took over this country, they denied us retired personnel our health care. We were told that we could go on Medicare just like the common people. That was not widely acknowledged and lasted for eight years before we got our medical care reinstated.
My concern is that if “Slick Hilly” gets any federal power, we will lose our medical care again, just like we did when she was running the country and “Slick Willie” was chasing teeny-boppers around the Oval Office.
Please say it isn’t so.
Xcel ‘ain’t no hero’
Did he know Xcel was sneaking around City Council for weeks with its proposal to bypass the Ruby Hill Park View Plane ordinance?
Does he not find the lack of public discussion and Mach-5 fast-tracking just a bit “swashbuckling”?
In fact, Xcel’s pitiful offer of $125,000 for park improvements fits the third definition in Carroll’s opinion piece: “money gotten at the expense of others’ suffering.” Xcel may not be Murder Inc., but it ain’t no hero either.
High court reactionary, not conservative
What is greatly disappointing is that many who use it, even many who label themselves and take pride in doing so, are not at all “conservatives,” but “reactionaries.” All they have done is redefine the term to suit their purposes. Redefinition does not change the substance.
As an example, some are referring to the current makeup of the United States Supreme Court as being a conservative court. Let me assure the reader that the makeup of this court is not at all conservative. It is reactionary. To keep using the term “conservative” consists of nothing more than deception, intentional or otherwise.
What worries this individual is that such distortion even occurs in the media.
One would think that those who make their living with the English language would first know the real meaning of words and the subjects, in particular when members of that group wish to opine. If they don’t, what hope is there for the general public?
A DIFFERING VIEW: Lies frustrated prosecutor’s hunt for crime
Our administration has just delivered one more slap in the face to all of us citizens who work so hard to play by the rules of our great society. This administration feels that it and all associated with them are above the law and that the rules do not apply to them. It is becoming exceeding difficult to explain to our children why these rules only apply to the ‘everyday person’ and not to those of wealth and power. I do not have an answer for the children and hold out no hope for any equity in the treatment of American citizens by our own government. Our leaders consistently smirk in the face of fairness and justice, and for some reason there are many within our country who believe that this is okay. As a country we have worked hard to become a beacon of freedom among the many injustices of the world and believe that everyone wishes their country was a great as ours; however, when we no longer hold EVERY citizen accountable for their actions we are becoming exactly the hypocr ites that our enemies despise and we must all be increasing fearful of the things to come. I am very disillusioned. I have always held out hope for some ultimate justice and for a basic sense of fair play, but today I must finally accept that I have been living in a dream world and the Republican administration has finally succeeded and destroyed my dream of our country being the land of liberty for ALL.
We must take this country back from those have no respect for the law and elect a different type of leader to help us become the great country we once were. I personally don’t know which candidate that will be, but hopefully this person will not resemble any of the leaders we have seen at our helm for the past 6 years.
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Scooter Libby
However, Libby, a Bush man, is “taken care of". Bush has shown, beyond a shadow of doubt, that his posse is above the law. The laws of this great land of ours do not apply to Bush insiders because they are busy doing the big man’s dirty work, so they will be protected.
This President continues to amaze me with his blatant disrespect for the American system and his disrespect for our rights as citizens. When will this end? Are we going to stand by as he rapes us by stripping us of our rights? Are we going to once again look the other way? I challenge all of you to make some noise. Write to your representative and let them know: THE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING! We will no longer stand by and let this President undo what our forefathers built up as the best democratic nation in the world. We deserve better and now is the time to claim our country back!
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Supreme Court
Further, the consistent line runing through the Court’s decisions on Freedom of Speech (Bong Hits For Jesus) and cases brought against corporate power shows a strict favoritism for institutional authority over the rights of the individual. The Supreme Court can no longer be looked upon to defend the powerless and underprivileged. In this, the self-proclaimed “Original Intentionist” Gang of Four plus One has conveniently overlooked the deep distrust the Founding Fathers held of the power of government (the Crown) and its exploitative corporate subsidiaries, a sentiment instrumental in the undertaking of revolution and the beginning of an independent nation. An aversion to power is as American as apple pie and is primary in the legal establishment of human rights.
None of this bodes well for the Court’s decision to hear in its next session the appeal for court rights for prisoners held a Guantanamo Bay . Will the judicial clock be set even further back to June 14, 1215, the day before habeas corpus was institutionalized in the signing of the Magna Charta? Will America turn here, 782 years later, to having a protected elite ruling, without restriction, over a New Age feudalism? or will we be governed democratically, “for the People"?
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Immigration
Today he commuted the sentence of Libby in his conviction handed down. That is one step short of a pardon. He was sentenced to jail for lying to investigators and more. He broke the law and was convicted rightly. There are two border guards in jail for upholding the law and because Bush wants to appease the Mexican government, he will let them stay in jail. Two men who should be pardoned even after evidence was shown that they were set up as scape goats and a convicted drug smuggler was let free and is trying to sue for injuries received while breaking the law and fleeing. Salazar is an elected official who wants to support law breakers in order to appease the Mexican government. He holds his office as US Representative in such low regard, he addresses it in Spanish as if he was addressing the Mexican senate.
People in the country are demanding stricter laws and enforcement in immigration with NO AMNESTY for law breakers. Bush and Salazar both have demonstrated that the rule of law is relative depending on who it applies to. All elected officials have shown that in the past and do so in greater examples with each passing day. When are the duly elected officials in this country going to stand up and tell foreign governments that “We are the people of the United States of America, We no longer care what you demand we do or not do to make you happy. We will do what is right for OUR country and all those in our country that are here by birth or in accordance to our laws.” Both sides of the divide need to realize that, Democrat, Republican, Liberal or Conservative. It doesn’t matter, your responsibility is to the United States of America and her citizens. No one else.
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Roan Plateau
Having said that i’d also like to point out 2 things: there is no such thing as greedy oil companies, if they didn’t have customers just like me and all the complainers, they wouldn’t be up there looking for product to sell to us. They’re not hoarding it or something.
Secondly, I guess it’s ok to cut down all the forests in places like Iowa and Illinois so they can grow the food we need to survive and i guess it’s ok to have dirty car factories in Detroit and St. Louis, to have the dirty factories that make all the other things that our civilization needs
Hit & run
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Immigration
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Abstinence
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Paul Krugman
Scooter Libby
Scooter Libby was allowed to run ramrod throughout the CIA almost from the beginning. During all this time he could of cared less who got hurt in the process of his wrong-full doings. He of course knew from the very beginning he would be spared from any jail time. Jails were meant for the poor and the lowly. Jail time was meant for those who have not quite reached any Throne especially like the current one in all its glory at this White House.
It is unfortunate that this Throne has not been used for worth while purposes. No wars and the sorrow it has caused immediately comes to mind.
Immigration problems galore that exist simply because humans have not yet learned to co-exist is another one. The greed and hate in this country is simply unbelievable. Mine, mine,l mine so the saying goes. There is no love, love, love your neighbor as the Holy Scriptures command. No wonder the Throne so visible to us at our White House simply isn't working. God bless us all.
Paris Hilton
Do you think, that the average person could show up late for a court date, drive with a suspended license, and then be released from custody? An average person would be immediately arrested.
I think what angers alot of Americans is that the wealthy pay few taxes, don’t do any of the dying in wartime, and get special treatment when they commit a crime.
For me the anger comes when, with all the problems going on in this dangerous world, the press seems to think that, this spoiled little rich brat deserves all this attention.
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Dealing with Islam
Three, wipe them off the face of the earth - not very friendly or practical. Can anyone offer a better solution than one of these three?
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They state, “We selected four very different plans to analyze". There are some differences. But what the commissioners dont mention is what all four plans have in common — they chose only proposals which call for a massive increase in governmment interference. None of the four plans respect the individual’s right to make his or her own health and financial decisions, despite the commissioners’ ridiculous assertion that “One emphasizes choice and the enabling of market forces".
On the 208 Commission’s chosen menu of coercive measures are forcing every individual in Colorado to buy health insurance, forcing employers to buy health insurance for employees, enormously expanding Medicaid and forcing every person in Colorado into a state-run health care system. The commissioners make their selections sound less coercive than they are, stating that one plan “imposes no coverage requirements on businesses or individuals". They dont mention that this is the plan for the enormous expansion of Medicaid.
Forcing Coloradans into a government-run medical program because some people are uninsured would be just as wrong as forcing everyone to live in a government-run housing project because some people are homeless.
To learn more about how socialized medicine wipes out your choices, and to learn about the free market remedy, visit www.WeStandFIRM.org
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PrideFest
I am not a perfect person, and I have sinned just like all others, “for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory"(Romans 3:23). I am relying on Christ’s atonement for my sin, however, and the grace extended to all people through the shedding of his blood on the cross. What I do object to is the fools who march to justify their sin and the fostering of a deviate lifestyle as a legitimate alternative by the media. Perhaps the front cover of the paper should have more appropriately read, “Portraits of Perversion”
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Salazar & immigration
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Ethanol
Colorado is slated to have six operating ethanol from corn plants. It takes three or more gallons of water to make a gallon of ethanol from corn and of course it takes water to grow corn. Where is all this water going to come from ? Perhaps Ken Salazar has a solution.
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Jeffco officials
First we had Sheriff stone (Did Dick Cheney take lessons in stonewalling from him?) then county treasurer Mark Paschall and his lost millions. Now we have Scott Storey trying to rationalize his pandering to the sensationalism started by Channel 7 getting a “scoop".
What next?
Stay tuned.
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Billing rescued hiker
Mooned on Amtrak
It was exciting to see rafters slicing through the rapids. Suddenly, we were shocked to see rafters and campers mooning our family and others that were riding the train! It was ugly! We saw men and women on the river and at camp sites pulling down their pants and bending over with their butts up. It was sick. It’s an ugly scar to beautiful Colorado. It’s also bad advertisement for the state of Colorado. It’s disgusting behavior for little children to see!
Where are the sheriff and his deputy?
A relative from Missouri suggested that the local sheriff should use a high-powered paint-ball gun and do target practice. How about the sheriff hiding in the brush and using a shotgun with buckshot? Amtrak could sell entertainment tickets and buy a new rail line so it wouldn’t waste time and money waiting on freight and coal trains.
Another suggested that a $500.00 fine should be levied on each of them for indecent exposure.
It was also suggested that NASA take pictures from outer-space and post them at every Colorado post office and on the internet, then when they have a match arrest them.
For those who think this is wholesome fun: What happens when a young child goes to school and moons classmates? What will the teachers and principal do?
Let’s keep Colorado respectable and beautiful!
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Old Ladies Home
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Nancy Pelosi & Congress
Now wonder she had to travel to Iran, she had to check up on her investments. When is the US Congress going to start representing the AMERICAN VOTERS who put them in office, instead of illegal aliens, foreign countries, TERRORISTS, corporations, PACs and anyone else who will line their pockets with money? Save the USA!!!
Impeach Congress TODAY!!!
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Immigration bill
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Supreme Court
The four far right wingers plus Kennedy will vote to uphold the administration’s right to hold them indefinitely and that will be the end of it. Another branch of our democracy will have been decapitated.
This court has proven to be just what many said it would be before the last two justices were confirmed, it goes along with the administration almost as diligently as the GOP congress did for five years, before it was voted out of office.
All three branches of our government are rapidly becoming one of far right extremism in every area, with virtually no consideration for the country as a whole.
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Rocky’s letters blog full of nasty thugs
Does it trouble the managers of the Rocky who monitor the Web site? Or is the Rocky working to eviscerate public discussion? Does the Rocky seek a society in which there is no respect for other people and their contributions to improve our political choices? Is the Rocky emulating the results of talk radio?
Raise your standards for public discourse, Rocky. Facilitate and require exchange instead of insult. Arguments on contentious issues by informed and respectful participants benefit society. Marginalize the thugs.
Saunders is missed
Saunders’ articles had substance. What’s happened to that concept?
I hope someone will soon be hired who is a real journalist and will take interest in writing detailed articles regarding the TV and radio industry.
On another note, why can’t the Sports section, on Saturday, carry the “late” scores? Or I guess the real question is, why can’t we in Fort Collins get the same issue of the Rocky that we used to get when we lived in Arvada? We aren’t that far away!
The important stuff
Is that sweet little Paris Hilton going to be OK with all the trauma she’s been through?
Blast that liberal media, anyway, for not reporting on the really important stuff.
Front page appalling
It was a poor choice, especially on a day when families sit down to read the paper together. Despicable! I will be deciding soon whether or not to renew our subscription. Increased rates and decreased morality are an equation for cancellation.
Hopefully the Sunday Denver Post will make better choices in the future or it will lose more readers at a time when it can’t afford to do so.
An unbeatable mix
Next year, the Rocky could add the portion of Scripture molded into the Liberty Bell: “ ... proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof ... ,” still the heartfelt desire of people everywhere.
‘Jumble’ grumble
Does this Bush, for whom I voted twice,
Where do I go to take back my last two votes for president?
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Headline illogic
All irony aside, the headline should probably have addressed what the real story was: that the BLM has started to emphasize energy development in the Upper Colorado Unit wildland fire safety plan. A good title would have been: “BLM emphasizes oil & gas development in fire safety plan.” But even with that, you only gave us part of the story - your article begs the unasked questions, “why now? why not before?” We needed more information than you gave us to answer those questions. It would have been nice if you’d given us more than one data point (one gas well burned last summer when a fire passed through gas fields) and more information on that one data point (how many gas fields and how many wells in each gas field were exposed to the fire) so we could have gotten a sense of how often gas well fires are likely to occur. To help readers get a better sense of the hazard, you could have included a discussion of how much added danger the fire at that single gas well added to the Red Apple fire. You could have addressed the hazards of cutting fire lines in a gas field compared with cutting fire lines within forested residential developments that have buried pipelines. You might also have discussed how risk is a combination of the likelihood of a problem (frequency) weighted with its potential impact (hazard). It also would have been good to identify whether or not the BLM had previously addressed energy development would have. These things could have helped us understand why BLM hasn’t emphasized energy development in its fire safety plan until now, and allow us to make informed judgments about whether or not the BLM action is appropriate now and/or should have been done before.
So why did you choose the headline you did?
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Larry Manzanares
This man was “Ridden” by the press so hard that it drove him to take his own life. Would any other citizen that had possibly stolen a laptop have their face smeared throughout the papers and television? How about a giant mugshot placed on the front page? I think not. This man was dragged through the mud because he was a former judge, and going after this man like a tank full of piranas on a gold fish sells papers. Due to this media pressure, Mr.
Manzanares has left behind a saddened family. How can you people sleep at night? You are a disgrace and his blood is on your hands!
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Denver Public Schools
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Denver Post & tourism
“Nothing so much resembles a swelling as a hollow,” though a somewhat less known adage from St. Beuve, seems more appropriate to the issue at hand, for where one stands on issues of public spending depends, apparently, on one’s point of view or, more accurately, one’s sense of the public good.
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PrideFest
Meanwhile, the good and decent people of Colorado, who simply want the private sin of homosexual behavior to remain private, are the ones being accused of forcing a “government in the bedroom” agenda on the public.
The tyranny comes from the left, not the right.
“The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.” (Isaiah 3:9)
Illegal immigrants
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Fairness doctrine
If they truly want balance, than let’s expand the fairness doctrine to public schools and balance out the education system. Since they claim these are public airwaves then they should have no problem with public school fairness since according to their argument they are both publicly owned.
I believe it was the Nazis who took over and controlled the press when they came into power, sound familiar? The Demostalinists sound more like Hugo Chavez than freedom loving Americans.
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Health care
Please support H.R. 676, to help us move in that direction.
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John Edwards
John Edwards and his itsy bitsy delusional fan club know that, compared to the hit-and-run tactics of their usual well-worn heroes, O’Donnell, Moore, Franken, Garaffolo and their ilk, Ann Coulter is as tame as a kitty cat, albeit a crabby one. Mrs.
Edwards’ seemingly maternal tattling to the world, as if most of it cares, is yet another boring chapter in the sad and pitiful tale of her woefully inadequate, desperate big-shot-wannabe spouse’s repeated attempts to gain power through sympathy. In other words, he’s using his terminally ill wife to get votes. Period. He’s up against Billary and Obama, people. And they’re supposed to be on the same side of his fence. Not only is he irrelevant even to his own Party, he’s practically invisible.
Mrs. Edwards is willing to participate in her husband’s tactics because loves her husband and family. What else is she going to do? Everyone knows that her hapless hubby has nothing whatsoever to bring to the table, and never has, especially after calling the very real War on Terror a bumper sticker and pretending to be a tree-hugging man of the people when he lives like a prince on, um, a whole lotta of natural gas. It’s about time he grew up, took care of his wife and kids, cracked open an accurate history book and actually became a real man. Even if the only ones noticing are his wife and kids.
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The vice presidency
What’s wrong with this argument is that there’s nothing unique about the Vice-Presidency in this respect. The President, for example, has the right to veto legislation; why doesn’t that count as his likewise exercising a legislative function? The President also appoints the members of the Supreme Court; does this mean he exercises judicial functions too? Of course the Senate can nix the President’s judicial appointments (thus likewise exercising judicial functions), as well as nixing his Cabinet appointments (thus taking over executive functions). Congress can also impeach the President (thereby intruding into both the executive and judicial spheres). The Supreme Court for its part can strike down unconstitutional legislation (thus exercising a legislative function). And so on.
If the Vice-President is not part of the executive branch, then by the same logic the President is not part of the executive, Congress is not part of the legislative, and the Supreme Court is not part of the judicial. Which seems rather a reductio ad absurdum.
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Despite Moore, United States has best health care
Exactly where does Moore think that all the life-saving medicines and great doctors are coming from? Not from Europe or other countries, but from the United States.
We lead the world in cancer and AIDS research. We have the ability to send our doctors overseas through Doctors Without Borders and the much-maligned U.S. military. What more can we as a nation do?
My beloved wife of 25 years is getting much needed medicine from a couple of major companies at no charge and I will always be beholden to them for helping her. To have Moore say that any system other than ours is better is an outright lie.
All deserve coverage
I have two sons, 34 and 30, who also both have health problems. Both work full time and can’t afford to buy any health-care coverage. When I gave birth to my sons, I never in a million years would have thought that they would grow up in America and be working full-time jobs and have no affordable health insurance even offered through their employers.
The leaders of our country have been talking about doing something about this for years and years and years! Still, nothing has been done? All American citizens, not just the rich, deserve to have health-care coverage.
Paying their own way
Before I vote to raise taxes for anything, I want these legislators to have to pay for the same things I do. Only then will they understand the people’s vote.
A DIFFERING VIEW: Taxpayers need right to sue government
The real problem is that all of the school boards in this great nation, including DPS, have been ‘democratically’ elected from people of means (capable of running campaigns), financially able and politically eager to sit without compensation to further their public images, and unknowingly many times making biased decisions about educational issues for which they have little or no direct knowlege or training. How about hiring a superintendant who has never been one before? Or....recreating an out-moded educational system (middle schools)...now proven to have been a mistake, as it thrust youngsters into associating with older students and all the social angst that goes with it....not to mention drastic reductions in staff...mostly art and music teachers...that it facilitated.
It would seem that putting an educational budget problem on the backs of retired teachers is not the answer.
I would think that you’d have a little more respect for your elders!
America’s priorities
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Kofi Annan at CU
Someone’s got to make up his lost revenue from the UN’s Oil for Food misappropriations. Maybe Ward Churchill and Coffie can open up a Starbucks with CU’s largess to lift the spirits of students facing 15%-20% increases in tuition.
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Newspapers
As a former longtime newspaper reporter, editor and publisher myself, I think Moore and Temple are doing a pretty good job in two of the toughest, most unappreciated and grossly underpaid jobs in Colorado. (And for sure, they hardly ever run their papers to suit me.) Reporter Heath Urie (in a letter, same page) blames the newspaper industry for its own downturn, but that’s not because of a lack of “quality, complete coverage each day.” If anything, newspapers have tried to be too many things to too many people, and with the exception of two, or possibly three nationally, have ended up overextended and fragmented.
One cause of their financial distress is that newspapers have quit being of service to their customers, charging way too much for ordinary classifieds (driving them to the Internet), pricing display-ad space beyond the reach of most small businesses, and charging dearly for personal items such as death notices and obituaries.
Another financial glitch is that they have never figured out a way to make those who pirate their work pay for it. Newspapers have been far too generous in allowing initially radio, then TV, and now the Internet and its bloggers to steal news that they themselves have spent a great deal of time, energy and money to report. One has to wonder what most of these “news sources” would use for material if in fact newspapers did close down.
A revised copyright law providing for the fair reimbursement of newspapers whose reports are used by secondary parties for gain, seems to me a fair arrangement. Music rights can be monitored and protected, why not newspaper reports?
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Supreme Court
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Nuclear power
Perhaps the worst part of this nightmare scenario is that most Americans seem oblivious to the real holocaust waste from nuclear power plants will cause for future generations. If anyone wanted to kill, maim and cause untold suffering for all life on Earth, they could hardly pick a better way to do it.
Consider this: plutonium has a half-life of 10,000 years. 10,000 years is longer than human civilization has existed on Earth. 10,000 years is longer than any man-made material can keep radioactive materials from escaping into the environment. Human civilization started around 5000 years ago, so the radioactive waste we store now would still be deadly for another 5000 years beyond the time life as we know it has even existed.
Now the real kicker is that after 10,000 years have passed, and if the deadly waste has been safely transferred to new containers by generations upon generations of our descendants, it would still be 50% radioactive and would remain toxic for another 10,000 years, whereupon it would still possess 25% of its original toxicity after 20,000 years had passed.
What are the people thinking who call nuclear energy the “clean” power source of the future? What are the Chinese, who are trying to control the world’s resources of U238 while they embark on a crash program to build nuclear power plants thinking? What are the people thinking who are building nuclear power generators around the world thinking at pace unseen since the 50’s? Hasn’t anyone learned anything from the reactor meltdowns in Russia and 4-Mile Island in New Jersey? Even if nuclear reactors can now be built that are purportedly safer, things still can and do go wrong with the most carefully engineered technology? Would you like to live, attempt to raise children and work near or in a nuclear power-generating facility?
We need to wake up and stop nuclear power if we want a world our children and their children and their children’s children will be able to safely inhabit for the next 30,000 years or so. We need to stop it now by voting for people in government who do not support the building of nuclear power plants before it is too late.
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Fairness doctrine
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Careless driver
When it starts getting dark out, you need to put on your headlights and you also need to stay off the cellphone.
That truck didn’t see you there until he was almost on top of you because you were almost invisible.
Unless you want to get to the hereafter in a hurry, put your lights on so other people can see that sky-grey SUV.
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Oil
It has been over twenty (20) years since a new refinery was constructed here in America. How many new communities, schools, hospitals, post offices, shopping malls and stores have been built in the past twenty (20) years? Now oil executives are saying that they will slow down and even stop some production of fuel because of the threat of competition of alternative fuels. It will be decades before alternative fuels are abundant.
United States immediately needs Congressional Oversight to stop the greed driven secret Dick Cheney Energy Task Force that is killing America.
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are more concerned about the profits of big oil than the suffering of American citizens.
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Health care
Have you heard of the little boy who desperately needed $100 so he wrote a letter to God with his request. The postal workers decided to forward the letter to the President of the USA. The President put $5 in an envelope and sent it to the boy. When the boy received it he said, “I see they sent my letter through Washington and this is what is left of my $100.” That is really the way it works.
There needs to be some other solution to our health care problems. We should not allow insurance companies to be publicly traded and cut out stock holders. Insurance companies should only be allowed to keep 15% of our premiums for administration. The remainder should by used for our health care bills. I am sure something is rotten in the insurance industry just as Moore states. I remember the days when insurance used to pay the bill and you did not have to fight with them for money. I think it changed when they allowed insurance companies to sell stock. I know of insurance executives who have million dollar homes. In the meantime people die because they are refused coverage.
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Health care
Nobody pays the true cost of their health care. If you are in a pool of some sort you are charged a lower rate. If you are an individual paying your own costs you make up the difference. For instance go to Health9 Health Fair for blood tests and then get them somewhere else but performed by the same lab and compare the costs. My experience is about a factor of 6 difference.
The same is true for hospitals and throughout the medical profession.
Discounted costs are okay; but not at the expense of the uninsured or self insured.
As for health insurance and the tax code; an individual cannot deduct the full amount of health insurance, even if he is a business; (sole proprietor). A business however gets to deduct the full amount for an employee while the employee is not taxed for a benefit.
Both of these can be fixed rather easily by legislation and while not a silver bullet would improve individual heath care costs.
Cost shifting, borders on fraud and should be illegal. The tax code needs to treat everyone equally. The easiest way, is to make the full cost of health insurance deductible for everyone. Less desirable would be to tax employee benefits as income. Thus employees might be more inclined to buy their own negating the advantage of employee furnished health care.
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The Libby case
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Making it hard to back an amnesty program
You see, they played the national anthem to start things off.
Nothing surprising there, except ... there was a group of Hispanic people just off to one side. They were talking. I never heard a word of English, and when everyone else stopped and turned toward the flag, removed hats, and stood very quietly, I thought these people would stop.
However, these folks just kept right on talking, laughing and wearing their cowboys hats.
Even if they didn’t speak our language, they could understand what was going on; the least they could do was to shut up.
You would think they would realize something was going on when everyone stopped what he or she was doing and removed cover, but not these folks!
Sure makes it hard to go along with any amnesty program.
Salazar isn’t listening
We don’t need amnesty to stop the flow of illegals from crossing the border. The people of Colorado are fed up with having one of the highest concentrations of illegals of any nonborder state. If Salazar doesn’t understand that now, then deservedly he’ll be a one-term senator.
Don’t trust the police
It’s been almost nine years since my son killed himself. Yes, he had problems. One evening those problems led him to begin lighting his clothing on fire.
Apparently a match landed in a waste container outside of a McDonald’s restaurant. The police wanted to question him about it, and we cooperated. About a year later he was charged with arson. The police stopped him, arrested him and had his car towed. The case dragged on for months. He finally escaped by killing himself.
My advice to other parents: Never ever allow the police to question your child about anything; hire a lawyer.
Denver’s trees dying
I’m not an arborist, but I know that new trees need extra water. It appears that these trees did not get any.
I have been told that Denver has only two water trucks for the whole city. The dead trees will soon be removed and more planted. I hope that before this happens the city will find more resources for watering its precious (and expensive) trees.
Suppressing speech
As for “speech suppression becoming an instrument of cultural combat,” we see it here in Denver every Columbus Day.
‘Retirement math’
Community college chief in a Catch-22?
I have not read that students were ill-served. Instead I read that challenging courses were added. I have not read that Johnson was personally enriched.
I have read that an unapproved classroom was used. I have read that a professor who recruited many students was paid from an account that pays recruiters. I acknowledge that board members of the Colorado Community College System heard more details in executive session than I am privy to. They are said to have had concerns about how the reserve funds were reported. Johnson, as CEO, relies on information from the CFO.
I wonder if members of the board believe the system is nimble enough to react to growing course offerings, class locations, ways to augment the budget for new professors. I wonder if it is oxymoronic that any executive can be both responsive in a system purported to meet changing needs of students and to be found, when audited, able to avoid all “irregularities.”
I sincerely hope that Christine Johnson wasn’t set up to fail by an overrigid system.
Feeding wildlife can mean trauma, tragedy
Unfortunately, incidents involving wildlife and humans will continue to increase. As our urban areas continue to expand, these conflicts with wild animals will inevitably lead to even more serious injuries. Most of these types of confrontations can be reduced greatly if humans would use the common sense we are supposed to possess.
This particular situation with the young girl came about because her neighbors had been feeding the fox. They were so familiar with this canine that they even named it “Foxy.” Did they not realize that feeding wildlife in this state is illegal? Providing unnatural food to these animals allows them to become habituated and this leads to them losing fear of humans, as apparently Foxy had.
Because of these unlawful handouts, not only was a young girl injured and traumatized but a beautiful fox had to be destroyed in the process. When will we ever learn?
Aurora cat owner irresponsible, cruel
If that were the case, she could have helped them years ago by having them neutered when there were a few of them. She wouldn’t even have to do it at her own expense. The Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance has a trap, neuter and release program. They will trap feral colonies, sterilize them, and return them to their territory.
It’s true that Bowman is not a cat hoarder by the usual definition because she doesn’t go around gathering up stray cats. However, the end result is the same. In fact, in this case, it’s worse because the animals are unadoptable. Look at all of the innocent little lives that have been destroyed by this “sweet person who wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Also, think of what her irresponsible actions have cost the city of Aurora in overtime paid to animal control officers, firefighters, and police just to deal with her mess.
Please.
The same Republicans who saved him from a prison term will take good care of him, have no fear. He’s a hero to the right wing in the mold of liars like Ollie North who came before him.
He might not ever again work as a lawyer, but he will be paid handsomely for his service to a corrupt regime that has no regard for the rule of law.
A flaw in the ointment
In the story, it states that, “Rep. Michael Garcia, D-Aurora, ... sponsored the resolution that created the interim committee comprised of 10 state flawmakers, five from each chamber.”
Do you think that they had a tough time finding enough flawmakers in the legislature?
A greater loss
Littwin’s outrage over Libby is a joke
Anyone who reads Littwin can see he is so biased and hypocritical as to be a joke to serious thinkers. He would rather exonerate a drunk driver who violated her prohibition from driving, even though thousands are killed and maimed each year by drunk drivers, than see Libby not serve jail time.
If perjury alone is Littwin’s beef, where was the outrage when President Clinton committed undisputed perjury and didn’t serve a jail sentence, or the lying of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who is alleged to have accepted more than $500,000 in bribes?
Maybe it is just a “lapse” of memory to fail to recall and express outrage over a sin if a Democrat is involved.
After commutation, impeachment
As to President Bush’s commutation of Libby’s sentence, he should be impeached. The Founding Fathers recommended impeachment for just this type of abuse of power — pardoning an associate to keep the heat off an official. Let Congress, including Republicans who believe the Founding Fathers infallible, now heed the Founding Fathers’ words and rid us of this pitiful excuse for an administration.
After Bush, President Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have such a bad ring to it.
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Larry Manzanares
Well, who is responsible for Judge Manzanares’ death? Could it be the Jefferson County D.A who decided that the revelation of the presence of legal pornography on his disc drive was pertinent to the larceny case, and the subsequent sensationalism fanned by the media. Should those responsible bear the legal consequences for the public humiliation, the destruction of the reputation of a fine jurist, and the terrible effects on his family? And his death. All for the alleged theft of a $500 computer.
Where has our society gone, that this public hunger for the blood of our finest public servants must be satisfied. What encouragement is there for able men and women to serve when that hunger exists and there are people paid to exploit it.
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Larry Manzanares
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Larry Manzanares
Is it a coincidence that the news have highlighted Latinos lately, i.e. Lopez, Johnson, Manzanares and others. Do you Mexiphobic people know what your doing to ALL Hispanic people? We are looked at like were all guilty of something. I have been asked for my birth certificate twice by different places. My father was Basque whose people came here in the 1600s my mother was Native American my four brothers and I served a total of 97 years in the military, what does it take to be considered American? Yes I am fortunate to have been born bilingual and bi cultural and I am very proud of it. I believe that our borders should be secured all borders not only the Mexican border. Immigration Reform is BS, politicians (all) are using this issue to get reelected. Good citizens of Colorado don’t let the Tancredo bunch drag you into their Mexiphobic cult. My family served this great nation of ours because we love our country, next time someone hears me speaking Spanish and tells me to go back where I came from. .
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Church & state
Apparently after nearly two centuries of prayer in school, the Supremes suddenly realized the dangers “moral indoctrination” which we had somehow managed to avoid over all those years. So the Ten Commandments were taken down off the walls and shortly thereafter the metal detectors went up at the doors.
The Congress manages to honor the separation of Church and State while holding fast to the connection between God and State. The public schools will be improved when they are allowed to do the same.
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The Rocky
I have loved this paper since I can remember. The format has changed and it seems like it has fewer pages every day. I will NEVER subscribe to the Denver Post, so as continue to ruin the RMN, know that I am just one of many that will never get the Post.
I am sure you could care less, it is obvious.
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Mike Littwin & Larry Manzanares
I would just like to say that, in my opinion, Mike, ALSO, found the right words — MANY of them — in his “No One Should Have Died Over This”
People may forever argue whether it was right or wrong for the RMN to print that controversial booking photo of Mr. Manzanares on the front page of its daily tabloid — but I can’t imagine anyone ever finding reason to object to Littwin’s thoughtful, rational and non-judgmental commentary— with or without a picture— being on the cover page. It should have been.
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Right to work
The same is true for the “Right To Work” (for less) law that Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier and Julian Cole, of Golden, is trying to put on the ballot. (Rocky Mountain News, “Ballot Proposal” 6/27/07) This law has nothing to do with having the right to work. Right To Work (for less) laws are about attacking Unions on behalf of Big Business, and the multi-billionaires that run them. Federal laws already exist that protect workers rights to choose not to join a Union. To win an election for a closed shop, in Colorado, it takes much more than a simple majority, it takes roughly a 75% vote in favor of the closed shop. Under Councilman Frazier and Mr. Cole’s proposed ballot initiative, Unions would still be required to represent employees whether they choose to pay Union dues or not. Colorado is still a democratic state; let’s keep it that way.
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Larry Manzanares
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PrideFest
This “lifestyle” in reality is anything but “gay,” as the practitioners of homosexuality voluntarily subject themselves to shorter life spans, greater alcohol and drug use, higher rates of “domestic” violence and exposure to an array of severe and often deadly sexually transmitted diseases.
Whether the responsible parties at the paper and the practitioners of homosexuality believe in God and His Word, the Bible, or not, all are subject to it, and so are in peril - “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness....” - Romans chapter 1, beginning at verse 18 and on to the end of the chapter, which addresses the end of all who defy God and practice immoral lifestyles.
Jesus says in John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God doesn’t wish that any should perish, but that all would turn to Him for salvation and a new life under His guidance. I pray that many will heed His call and turn from the destructive behavior of homosexuality itself and its promotion and encouragement.
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Xcel towers
This is a classic case of David vrs Goliath. The residents around Ruby Hill and their neighborhood organizations want underground cabling and an end to visual pollution at one of Denver’s great city parks. Short-sighted special interests and councilman Brown want what they want and the people be damned.
Brown ignores the potential health ramifications of doubling the amount of voltage above ground at Ruby Hill. Apart from all the anecdotal evidence of danger from proximity to high-voltage towers, how much more civilized it would be to simply bury the potential problem and improve the aesthetics of Ruby Hill.
Brown says he wants to save money for the ratepayers. Putting the lines underground would cost an extra $4.4 million. Amortize that over twenty years and by my reckoning we have an annual cost of about $220,000 plus interest. Somehow I think Xcel could shoulder that “burden"-perhaps with a loan from their overpaid CEO ($11.2 million in 2006).
I wonder sometimes if there is any developer or big-money interest in Denver for whom Charlie Brown won’t carry the water.
Citizens have an opportunity to head off this travesty at a public hearing in city council chambers on Monday, July 9. Mr. Brown, expect a good fight.
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Fireworks
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Manzanares hounded by prosecutor, press
We are appalled that this dispute involving a laptop worth $1,500 escalated into an enormous tragedy. In our view, two related developments in recent weeks deserve scrutiny.
First, Scott Storey, the special prosecutor, demonstrated a lack of judgment and thirst for publicity that appears to exceed the bounds of appropriate professional conduct.
Storey inserted into the charging affidavit details of alleged pornographic materials on the laptop that were entirely sensationalistic and irrelevant to the charges.
He read lurid details at a press conference, which served no purpose but resulted in prejudicial publicity.
Second, the press “hyped” irrelevant facts that exceeded their duty to tell the story. With more than 10 stories in one week and headlines that destroyed Manzanares’ reputation, the Rocky Mountain News demonstrated irresponsible editorial judgment harking back to the era of “yellow journalism.”
For example, when the charges were filed, the Rocky printed a “mugshot” of him on the front page — and made sure to mention in the headline the irrelevant sex videos allegedly found on the computer.
One mistake in an honorable career should not have led to this tragic ending. Manzanares regrettably made the decision to take his own life, but he was hounded by an overzealous prosecutor and press. They forgot that the Constitution’s guarantees of a fair trial apply to everyone — even former judges.
President,
Colorado Hispanic Bar Association
Late judge’s hypocrisy
A judge who may have sentenced someone to a prison term but apparently commits crimes himself is a hypocrite. All the good deeds they may have done in the past don’t make it “OK” to steal.
There will never be a court outcome in this case; but the facts as presented in the affidavit, clearly indicate a very, very strong likelihood that Manzanares did steal a computer.
That’s not the end of the world, but it is also not a reason to ignore his hypocrisy either.
A TABOR victim
Previously, there was state money available to help support these crews. Smaller government results in fewer services, even those that save lives, promote tourism and enrich our economy.
Media piled on
First, he was being held accountable. But, in cases like this, rehabilitation after accountability is always given first priority. Manzanares was a father, a husband, a colleague, a friend, and well-respected. Sounds like a person who would have responded well to rehabilitation.
But instead, the networks and the newspapers plastered his picture on the air and on their front pages to satisfy the public’s craving for pathetic tabloid sensationalism.
The moral of the story: Don’t finish a man off when he is down.
Party, Congress don’t appear to be listening
I feel strongly that there is tremendous indifference on the part of many representatives and the political parties as well. Let me explain.
Back on May 12, 2005, I responded to a solicitation from my political party’s national committee with a letter denouncing the party and requesting removal from its mailing list. After two years of “relentless bombardment” I continue to respond — recently, for the 33rd time — enclosing a copy of my original letter along with a reference note, return mailing it in their “postage paid” envelope.
Here’s a “different” example, still about “indifference.” In March of this year I sent a questioning letter of disagreement to 14 congressional members who are sponsoring a bill, not yet out of committee. I received replies from two. Each was, as expected, an ambiguous, doublespeak, verbose, meaningless “form letter” response.
Were he alive today, Abe Lincoln might have to rephrase his famous formulation: A government of our congressmen, by our congressmen and for our congressmen.
Victimhood a tough road for Palestinians
I might add that part of the problem is their insistence on blaming their “plight” on Israel and the United States. Add to this the enablers of their victimhood, like Jimmy Carter, the European community, Noam Chomsky and the Tony Kushners of the world, and it is no wonder that the Palestinians remain divided and in chaos.
As long as the Palestinians prefer being “victims,” they do not have to acknowledge responsibility for the morass in which they find themselves.
Help Flats workers? You must be kidding
I mean, don’t you realize that our government has to send billions of dollars to Africa to help people who won’t even try to stem the tide of AIDS? And of course you should realize that it has to send millions of dollars to Darfur (wherever that is).
Also, it has to send millions of dollars to Mexico to try to stop the illegal drug trade. Now that works! And besides, the citizens of America have to take care of the riffraff that Mexico sends here so that it doesn’t have to take care of them.
And don’t forget the bridge to nowhere in Alaska, a biosphere in Kansas, a swimming pool somewhere in California, and money to inner cities to study why kids fall off trikes and why they don’t drink milk.
Now tell me, is your predicament all that important when you consider the above? Stop and think of others instead of expecting benefits that should be yours automatically for doing the dangerous work of the government. After all, you all paid heavy taxes during your working years and now you want benefits? Sorry.
Why is nothing done about this? The GOP congress, in office during the larger part of the Bush administration had a policy of total hands off, in all situations and the Democratic congress now sitting, is not a lot better. They talk a lot but do very little to restore our freedoms or to put a stop to the Cheney underhanded
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Health insurance
Prescribing “single payer” is like feeding Twinkies to a patient with a heart condition. Let free-markets work by eliminating poisonous laws.
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Larry Manzanares
Rice was arrested in a state of drunken belligerence; if this is true, then she too is to blame for her demise, not those charged with protecting us from belligerent drunks. But we’re becoming a nation of people who make bad decisions, then expect to be bailed out with no cost and no consequences - think of those guys they couldn’t rescue on Mount Hood last December. Are we supposed to feel sorry for people who decide it would be great fun to climb Mount Hood in December? And we’re becoming a nation of people who like to blame anyone and everyone except the responsible parties - think of all those gullible, misguided Americans who believe President Bush blew up the World Trade Center, or those who believe some nameless cabal of white people blew up the levees in New Orleans. Have we always been this stupid? Have we always been so unwilling to accept blame for our actions?
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PrideFest
PrideFest
En garde, Longmont
Bloodlust in Gaza
And, to what events do we owe thanks for this drivel? No doubt, the bloody and deplorable carnage unveiled in Gaza. Mind you, Israel has withdrawn to its pre-1967 border in the southwest. As Fatah and Hamas fight it out, and butchering murderers reign supreme, there is only one truth that we can glean from these scenes as they unfold. Bloodlust. Plain and simple. Exhibit A to the fact that those bent on slaughter care not the creed of their victims.
The shovel has been presented, and the digging of their own graves has commenced. Unfortunately, for many so interested, the blame-Israel-first rhetoric is now truly put to the test.
Danger of abstinence
Given youthful hormones, many who try fail at abstinence; these young people may not have condoms or morning-after pills at hand. So, such would-be abstainers may be more likely to initiate a pregnancy or contract a disease.
Ruining the Roan
If you want to see the Roan Plateau while it’s still beautiful, you had better take a little trip up there very soon before the energy people make it as ugly as the stretch of highway between Rifle and Parachute. Oh, by the way, take photos of the Roan to show to future generations.
Careful what you teach
How can adults be so incredibly angry about one child’s mistakes? Traditions throughout history find the elders teaching, guiding and supporting the youth. Children learn by what they see. Unfortunately the children in this country are being taught to judge harshly, seek acts of revenge and justify hating each other for a wide array of infringements.
Perhaps the elders, the leaders and teachers might pause for a moment and look down the road a few years when the judgment, revenge and hatred they have taught so well will be enacted upon them. Very sad!
Government-run health care scary stuff
He observes that “it’s easier for government bureaucrats to deal with a monopoly than with the ever-changing array of competing enterprises, such as are common in the private economy.” Translate that dynamic to the health-care industry with features such as ever-changing medical technologies and techniques, updated treatments and evolving standards of care for patients.
Sowell couldn’t even get a monopoly- run taxi to pick him up at his room when he became ill due to the arbitrary policies of the taxi service that would only pick him up at a faraway entrance. With government-run health care, one might be in dire need of a tourniquet and all that would be available would be a Band-Aid. This horror show would be endless.
Consider also how pressure groups within the government might force the directing of taxpayer money to research favored by some powerful lobby group, while a competing research project that had more promising outcomes would be left to flounder. Very scary stuff and all too real.
Denial of health care
Republican family values at work
My 70-year-old mother lives on a fixed income, like most seniors her age.
She receives only her Social Security, and some money from her children for providing child care to her grandchildren. In total, her income is just over $17,000 per year.
Because she is a low-income senior, she qualified for a Pfizer Share Card before the Bush administration created the Medicare prescription drug “benefit.” She paid no annual fee, and all of her Pfizer medications were $15 apiece. This was a service that the rich pharmaceuticals used to provide to older Americans, before corporations took over our government.
Thanks to our esteemed president, it appears that the identical medications that used to cost my mother about $540 per year will now cost about $2,250 per year.
Another instance of Republican family values at work!
DPS truancy solution? A better environment
If course material is interesting and teachers are inspirational, the students will show up. Superintendent Michael Bennet knows that.
The punitive measures suggested by Happy Haynes again prove that serious education reform won’t happen as long as business-as-usual administrators are making decisions.
Also, if the middle school and high school students are expected to receive a globally competitive education, why is the school year only 173.5 days? I thought state law required 180 days.
To provide a globally competitive education, the school year should probably be at least 200 days.
A DIFFERING VIEW: True cost of corn ethanol needs more attention
The press has the power to inform the public about the truth and the world needs more of the truth about corn ethanol to prevent huge mistakes.
It is not impossible for the small town to enact a law that all employees be US citizens or have proper government documentation to work within the town limits. The amusement park hires properly visaed persons, however many Mexican employees are questionable as well as the restaurant. Lakeside, Colorado can be the first to pass laws stating all employees must be citizens or authorized to work inside the United States.
Lakeside, Colorado is a historic area with great potential, even thought being land locked, with no potential to grow other than within the small boundaries. The public servants are dedicated within this small community, which will celebrate 100 years as a township soon. It is the small towns and communities that will get the ball rolling so other larger entities will follow suit.
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Ethanol
The joint study further indicates that one acre of land can generate about 50 gallons of ethanol. In order to generate the 140 billion gallons of fuel used in the USA annually, we would have to plant 2.8 billion acres of land with corn compared with 70 million acres today. That is approximately 5 times all the cropland that is actually and potentially available for all crops in the USA.
Finally, the Patzek/Pimentel study maintains that one gallon of ethanol is equivalent to .65 gallons of gasoline. It notes that it takes 22,000 Btu to create a gallon of gasoline which has 120,000 Btu, whereas it takes 98,000 Btu to make a gallon of ethanol which contains 76,000 Btu.
Even if corn-based ethanol replaces only a very small percentage of gasoline, the water/land/Btu trade-offs appear very unfavorable. Hazardous toxicity is yet another issue. Taxpayers underwrite this boondoggle to the tune of $10 billion per year. Are we getting our money’s worth and have you noticed the recent surge in the food component of the Consumer Price Index?
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Racism & immigration
“Latino/Hispanic is not a race.” Again: LATINO/HISPANIC IS NOT A RACE, it’s a national culture and language.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannia and the World Book Encyclopedia – two great sources of information – leading anthropologists have identified three basic races: (1) Caucasoid, (2) Negroid, and (3) Mongoloid. The peoples generally identified as “Latino or Hispanic are those who speak the Spanish language, but are not a race. Latinos or Hispanic persons in the U.S., for the most part, are descended from Caucasoid Europeans of Hispanola/Spain combined with those native persons of North and South America and the Caribbean which anthropologists place in the category of the Mongoloid race comprising Siberic (Siberia), Sinitic (China), and western hemispheric types: Pacific Forest, Andean, Brazilian, and Patagonian. As a result, it is difficult, if not impossible, to justify ANYONE’S accusation of “racism” about the illegal intrusion of Mexican nationals into our country or that immigrants learn the language of our country, which is essentially a North American adaptation of English. It is no slur against Spanish speaking immigrants – or any other immigrant – to suggest that they learn the language of the country in which they live and work. When I worked in Switzerland a number of years ago, I discovered that the Swiss have three main languages: French, German, and Italian. But they learn and use English for international business transactions. Thank goodness I spoke English with a fair degree of proficiency, as I didn’t speak any of the other three languages very well. When a Swiss friend from Geneva chided me for not speaking French, I didn’t accuse him of racism. I found a good language school! In doing so, I learned the beauty of Italian, the expressiveness of French, the preciseness of German, the value of English, and a new appreciation of all four.
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DPS truancy
. .
In all seriousness, what does it say about the standards in DPS that we have to create a new system to hold back students who miss over a third of their classes? Shouldn’t missing a third of the knowledge supposedly taught in those classes already cause them to fail?
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