August 2007 | Main | October 2007
A bit hypocritical?
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Definition of happiness
Some things can be taught, others must be experienced. The best teacher I had in high school, Rhoda Radow, gave me the task to define happiness. As a 16 year old without life experience, I could not complete the assignment, so I turned in a paper on what happiness is not. She forgave me for that, and for a later assignment that I completely botched.
38 years later, on this Day of Atonement — Yom Kippur, I think I can now finish the assignment.
Happiness: Only do what you have to do, and what you want to do. The definitions of “have to” and “want to” are an accurate gauge of your character.
Before doing something, ask yourself will it make you happier, wealthier or wiser? If not, why are you doing it (see #1)?
Recognize your strengths and play to them. Recognize your weaknesses and avoid them.
Acknowledge both upon request.
Respect friends and strangers alike unless they have proven themselves unworthy of it.
Tolerate others that do not share your views, lifestyle or beliefs as long as they do no harm to you or the ones you care about.
Treat people fairly, and give them the opportunity to do likewise. Even if they fail to do so, continue to treat them fairly. This is for your benefit, not theirs.
Be skeptical, but open-minded.
Do not be cynical — ever. It will never bring you happiness or true satisfaction.
Mrs. Radow, wherever you are, thank you.
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Cinderella Drive-in act inappropriate
I am the mother of 3 children ages 13,10,and 9. I wanted to tell you what happened last night (9-21-07) at the Cinderella Drive in, as I am Outraged! We went to the drive in and they had advertised the “Demented Divas” a hilarious family friendly comedy group would perform on the snack bar roof. This is a group of men outrageously dressed as women and it said we would “laugh ourselves breathless.” The idea was that Cinderella would be agitated about being evicted from the Drive in so that apartments can be built there. It also said we consider this OK for kids and there is only 1 part which might be considered PG-13 and they would announce that segment in advance. It began with the Divas holding signs and chanting their views. “Save Cinderella” “Down with land developers!” They were really like the “Pied Piper” as they marched around the grounds with the kids holding the signs and chanting along. It was fun and nice to express our views of sadness at losing the old time values and memories of past good times we had at the drive in. They announced the show would begin at 7:30- then said over the speaker they said “just 5 minutes till show time!” My kids as well as many others were seated around the roof top of the snack bar. As it began poor Cinderella read a eviction notice that the Drive In would be torn down to make room for apartments. She was looking for her Fairy Godmother for help but instead Mary Poppins emerged. She began signing and I thought I was hearing wrong. The song was “Just a spoonful of cannibus helps the medicine go down, in a most delightful way.” He made mock actions of smoking a joint and words in the song included weed, reefer, marijuana and joint. The next act was a fake Madonna singing “I like to be spanked” and sexually explicit actions ensued. Thirdly, Whitney Houston started a song and I saw a empty hard liquor bottle come out of her dress. I came to my senses after the immediate shock and disbelief and took my kids and left. I never heard a parental warning suggesting caution be used when exposing children to this. It could have been announced over the speakers easily. It was (to say the least) in poor taste and offensive! The Sheridan Police, watching as well, said they couldn’t do anything . When I sat down with the police the next day they agreed it was raunchy and in poor taste.
Does freedom of speech allow this? They endorsed and embraced the use of drugs, alcohol and sex to minors. Did the management team really think this was “OK” for kids? If people were not outraged ,they were not paying attention. Without a warning, they took away my rights as a citizen and parent to make my own decisions for my children. Now I am left to do damage control. Finally, the children in the car next to mine were yelling, “Don’t you know you shouldn’t cuss in front of children?” It is interesting that in these times it is the kids who speak up— it is the kids who have the good sense that the Drive In Management did not!
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The 208 commission
Dear Editor: The back pedaling by the 208 Commission on Health Care, recently supported by the editorial staff of the Denver dailies is suspicious in that it came only days after Hillary Clinton announced her plan to reform health care. Within hours the blue ribbon commission chair pleaded for more time and a bigger budget, followed by a reduction in expectations about what is being accomplished. Now there is the suggestion that whatever the State of Colorado does will be eclipsed by the federal government anyway.
Could it be that the upcoming Democratic Convention is making the partisans uneasy?
Health care is a local market and an issue within the purvue of state’s rights and responsibilities. Federal laws including Medicare, Medicaid and ERISA were all empowering legislation and gave the states financial subsidies and enough discretion over eligibility for entitlements and the regulation of group health insurance to solve the problem of the uninsured. To now suggest that we cannot deal with this problem until the federal government acts is a cop-out. The Commissioners took on the job and knew upfront what they were getting into. They set the agenda and were in control of their own process. There are enough PhD and Masters degrees on the Commission to start a university.
I would suggest Bill Lindsey either admit his insurance broker credentials inadequately prepared him to lead the Commission and he turn command over or that he suck it up and get the job done. This is no time to make a hasty retreat. And, regards the newspapers, either have your cub reporters just report the events or get someone with real expertise to comment on the proceedings. It has been thin gruel for breakfast so far.
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An admission of being from Boulder
Grant D. Cyrus
Damn, snap, pop all of a sudden I was from BOULDER, but what did that/does that even mean? I panicked and I researched.
Hmmm, super sunny Boulder an intelligent town of 90,000 situated in an Arapaho Indian valley in the foothills of the brilliant Rocky Mountains and the third most highly educated county in the country with some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. From the laymen to the scientists, researchers, medical and other professionals I’ve been consistently impressed. And all of this within an essentially Center Leftist political framework.
Ok Ma Barker I guess I’ll take it and just try to suffer through.
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War in Iraq
B
That politicians can assemble so quickly to pass an amendment condemning an Ad(!), yet fail miserably to come together on an exit strategy for Iraq is appalling and offensive.In response to the failed efforts of democrats and republicans to come to any compromise or agreement regarding the increasingly tragic situation in Iraq and how to move forward,a jubilant and gloating senator MCcain taunted anti-war protestors with the chant of “we beat you,we beat you..” at a recent speaking engagement.
I am currently wracking my brain trying to imagine what it was he meant by that infantile refrain: who did “we” beat,what did “we” win?
For all the fuss and false outrage over an Ad that the GOp claimed was a slam against our military,they simultaneously denied the passage of a democrat proposed bill that would have insured our troops adequate leave with their families before redeployment.They voted against supporting our troops in favor of using them for political purposes.Talk about “disgusting"...
Things remain the same going into the 5th year of Bush’s Iraq war,people are attacked for their dissenting opinions about it and for daring to express them,politicians unite to denounce the exercise of free speech,and can even go so far as to produce and pass ,solely empty symbolic amendments in the hopes of intimidating the voice of the people,yet do nothing to truly represent them,ultimately support and protect our troops , this nation’s security nor the innocent Iraqui civillians Bush pledged to liberate.
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Democrat campaign finance scandals
In view of the recent Democrat campaign-finance scandals, the focus appears to be on New York businessman, Norman Hsu, and his railroad excursion to Colorado. Yet, we hear little, if anything, regarding an FBI investigation of the Democrat contributions. If it is true that campaign finance laws were broken, the American people have a right to know about it. Political candidates are not inviolable and should be held fully accountable for financial wrongdoing, especially when such candidates are running for President of the United States. We hope the Congress will demand such a probe.
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Two different forums in Greeley
Sylvia Martinez and Don Coloroso both
On Tuesday evening we had two very different public forums occurring in Greeley. One sponsored by Ken Buck on the impact of crimes committed by undocumented people on citizens in Greeley and Weld County. The other forum sponsored by Realizing Our Community, an initiative funded by the Colorado Trust involving the City and some 27 other profit and for non-profit organizations.
Some 600-700 people attended the forums. Where do we go from here? What practical solutions came from Mr. Buck presenting his inflammatory information? What additional information needs to be presented before all our community begin to work together to heal the past and current riffs among people of multicultural backgrounds.
The fact remains, we are all related. There probably doesn’t exist a recorded true lineage of any group of people. It doesn’t matter where we come from, as human beings we have a responsibility for one another. That includes protecting the most vulnerable from harm. A small percentage of people violate this ethic and perform crimes against innocent persons. We grieve for the pain these circumstances leave for the victims and their families as a result of these human indiscretions.
It was pointed out at Mr. Buck’s forum that approximately 10-11% of the crimes committed and reflected in our county jail system are committed by undocumented persons. We have to ask the question, what about the 90 percent of documented/legal citizens who perform the majority of these crimes? What forums can we have to show the pain incurred by victims of these crimes and what ‘Office’ will be sought to help assuage this problem?
Immigration is a national concern and we need fair, realistic federal reform to address this issue.
Meanwhile what can we do as a community?
Realizing Our Community is looking for ways to live, play, and work in a healthy community - one that grows and fosters improved relationships with all, not isolates an individual group and targets that group without the resources to deal with specific issues raised by that small population. Seven hundred people showing up is a good thing, however our community is much larger than that. We would encourage Mr. Buck to join ROC and look for positive solutions to community harmony and safety for all, regardless of race , color, greed, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
We commend both groups for attending either forum. As a community we need more ROC forums and ask all citizens to not be bystanders to building a better community in which we could all gain. Get involved with Realizing Our Community and help build a compassionate, creative, harmonious, and thriving community that far surpasses what we have.
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Smoking ban a good thing
Hi, Recently we received the Gilpin newsletter/coupons, and there was an article from “Big T” who mentioned how many had stopped him and said they were never coming back after the smoking ban takes effect. I did not know how to contact him, but wanted him to know for every one of these militant smokers who wish to infect others lungs with their addiction, there are many, many more (we are the majority) who will visit more often and make up for the loss of these. The reality is they will be back, after their initial backlash, and we ALL will be healthier for it. Frankly, I was disappointed that the Lodge was making a smoking area. I hope it is a “box” and the smoke can’t get out of it.
We live a considerable distance from Blackhawk and enjoy the Lodge when we come, but will enjoy it much more, now and visit much more often, because, frankly, there have been a few times we wanted to visit and decided it would not be worth it because of how we feel after breathing all that secondhand smoke. Now, we can look forward (after January 1) to visiting.
Please don’t be put off by the smokers. They are a dying breed, literally. I am a former smoker who quit with great difficulty. I am not insensitive to the fact they are addicted. I am very offended they would infect other people so freely. If they were considerate, they would not have been smoking indoors around non-smokers and there would have been no need for legislation. Unfortunately, sometimes public safety much be legislated.
Also, I know that most of the good people working in the casinos in Colorado will be happier and healthier after the ban.
We can’t wait til the smoking ban takes effect. Thanks for listening.
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Horrified by Greeley forum
I am horrified by the antics of Weld County District Attorney, Ken Buck, doing what he can to stir up reservoirs of racial prejudice so as to solidify his position as the law-and-order guy who will attract an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office to Greeley. And I’m ashamed that the DA’s blatant hate-mongering has not fallen on deaf ears, as manifest by the 500 citizens who chose to attend the September 19 meeting, called by the North Colorado Conservative Alliance (NCCA), where Mr. Buck held forth about the illegal immigrant crime menace in our community.
Bill Johnson in his “Rocky Talk” column, published on Saturday September 22, deftly skewers Mr. Buck for a total lack of data to back up his contention that illegal immigrants contribute enough to the overall crime picture to merit singling out. In that commentary Johnson describes the audience at the NCCA meeting as “\[a\] throng of mostly cowboy-hat-and-big-buckle-wearing Americans.”
Here’s where the average liberal writer would reply, “We’re not all cowboys in Weld County,” or “Not all cowboys are like that,” or “Some of my best friends are cowboys,” all true. Instead, I’d like to point out that, in his caricature of my fellow citizens, Johnson calls on a host of prejudicial mental pictures of western-style rednecks. Tarring anybody with such an unflattering stereotype is wrong, including white rural folks.
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Hats off to Sen. John Warner and the Republicans for blocking the troop measure sponsored by Democrat sponsor, James Webb! The Webb proposal was nothing less than a crafty attempt for antiwar lawmakers to castigate the Bush administration’s Iraq policy.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “the bill would micromanage the military and potentially force a withdrawal of troops from Iraq.” Now we hope that the President will square off with the Democrats to authorize the war-funding bill and update antiquated FISA statutes. The war in Iraq is really all about preserving our own national security, call it what you will.
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Immigration meeting in Greeley
Re: Hundreds pack Greeley gathering on illegal immigration and crime.
Weld County DA Ken Buck held his anti-immigrant event as “informational", although its entire focus came from statistically questionable conclusions. The public was misled twice over. First off, study after study shows that immigrants are significantly less likely than the native born to commit crimes. Even Buck himself had to admit that the undocumented compose a vast minority of those committing crimes in Weld County. Nevertheless, a few highly painful, but also numerically rare, testimonies from victims served to place blame where it is not warranted- on immigrants. Second, in his “informational”
This forum should be applauded for its efforts to combat the fear and hate that Buck’s events espoused by focusing on welcoming immigrants, doing away with damaging stereotypes and strengthening neighborly relationships.
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DPS and teachers union
Why does the Denver Public Schools and the Union always wait until school starts to negotiate union contracts. Is it for leverage?
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Columbine memorial
Brian Rohrbough has seized upon this tragedy to prozelytize rather than to commemorate. His words condemning abortion and a “Godless school system” for taking his son’s life are highly inappropriate and were rightly questioned by the committee planning the memorial.
The inscription opens with a half-real, helf-imagined question: “Why?”
I have an answer to that question: Columbine happened because people like Rohrbough tried to ram religion, school prayer and Bible reading at study halls down the throats of the public school system.
It was no mistake that the killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, made that group its first target. The school had been involved in a religious lawsuit prior to this event—-one that resulted in pupils praying and reading Bibles during their free time, prior to school and in study halls.
It was also no mistake that the library was destroyed in an attempt to remove the major scene of the crime——as if this could remove the real reasons for this massacre.
High school students mouthing the words of their over-zealous “Christian” parents, particularly those condemning homosexuality, have no place in an environment where there might be students questioning their own sexuality. It was no secret that the killers were the targets of many of these taunts. It was a fact that was played down repeatedly after the incident.
I find the whole Rohrbough inscription terribly patronizing and an insult to the whole idea of this memorial.
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Bush administration & health care for children
I rarely, if ever, watch TV anymore but I was able to catch Bush’s press conference regarding the bill expanding SCHIP and his plan to veto. Bush argued that the proposed legislation would help middle income families who currently are paying private insurance companies. I understand his desire to protect the private insurance companies who funded his campaigns. However, my family represents a middle income family. After this year my husband’s company is dropping all their private insurance carriers because costs have gotten completely out of control.
I am so discouraged by the President’s leadership. I do not understand a man who will say NO to our own children. The republican administration has become an absolute disgrace. I don’t care how you spin it, Bush and his followers have compromised the well-being of America’s children and are the cause of suffering among our little ones because they simply don’t have access to a doctor, affordable medicine, and emergency care. I am not merely writing this because our president has gone too far again.
I am writing because I have not gone far enough. We must renew our commitment to the betterment of this country and all of it’s children. I will work tirelessly so that my beloved nation never again sees the likes of leadership like this - leadership that turns it’s back on it’s own children.
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Rezoning in Lakewood
I was invited to attend a neighborhood meeting concerning a rezoning for one of our neighbors in Lakewood, and wanted to say that I am alarmed at what I witnessed as the nature of our City management in this city.
Many adjacent homeowners attended the meeting to support a fellow neighbor, who has been asking Lakewood to downzone his property to R1A farmland. He owns a 2-acre lot with an old historic farm house. The City proceeded to conduct the review for his downzoning to R1A in March.
During the last few months, City planners told him arbitrarily that now he could no longer rezone to R1A. That he would have to instead rezone to PD (Planned Development). In fact, they said, if he chose to try to downzone to R1A, they would stop him by refusing to make a recommendation, despite all of his neighbors being 100% in favor of the farmland zoning. Neighbors asked why both the property owner and the neighborhood couldn’t simply get the zoning they requested. The planners had no answer except to say that “City Hall” has some “long term plan”
The lack of representation, ethics, and honesty is a mini-reflection of the dictatorial nature of our government today, and a perfect example of why I am running for Mayor of Lakewood this year. Lakewood citizens deserve better.
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Adams County dump
Cindy Bulinski
Last Thursday I got a call from a concerned neighbor who had just learned that Adams County Commissioners had approved a permit change that would allow for a household garbage dump at 80th and Schumaker. By Saturday there were already earthmovers kicking up loads of dust onto neighboring properties. At our earliest opportunity – this past Wednesday – we attended an Adams County Commissioners meeting to ask them how they could have approved such a monster without holding any public hearings, or at least visiting with the property owners with adjacent land. The commissioners explained to us that there had been a permit in place since 1993 for a “fly ash” dump (apparently the residue from coal fire processing for power plants). Of course – there is no mechanism in place to let new buyers and builders in the area KNOW of the existence of a 14 year old permit that has never been acted upon. Apparently this permit never expires, nor does the validation of impact studies done 14 years ago. But those are other matters of policy change that need to be addressed at a later date. At any rate, apparently in 2005, an application was made to change the permit to allow household waste, and related garbage. The commissioners made what they deem a “minor” - “administrative” decision – without taking any public input to allow that change. At the meeting on Wednesday, commissioner Alice Nichol was the acting chairperson. In answer to our question of why we were not consulted, Alice stated repeatedly that the commissioners had acted “within the letter of the law”, that they had done all that they were “required” to do. While those statements are up for debate given the preliminary legal work that some of our neighbors have done, I wonder this. While they MAY have done the minimum that they were REQUIRED to do…did they do the BEST that they could have done, for our community, for the PEOPLE who ELECTED them? Would it have been outside of the letter of the law for them to take a drive out to this area, and see for themselves how many homes and people would be affected by this change? Would it have been outside the letter of the law for them to hold public hearings and ASK for public input? I sent an email to the commissioners on Thursday asking those questions, as of noon Friday, I have not heard back – if anyone else can find those answers, I think the community might be interested in the answers.
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Hiring security personnel rather than soldiers
The recent Blackwater incident highlights yet another disturbing aspect of the Iraq war. Most Americans have never heard of Blackwater; and those who have, give it little thought. Blackwater is one of several corporations which provide security personnel, AKA mercenaries, for the US government. Such personnel sign contracts to work for these companies and are paid handsome sums which significantly exceed the annual pay for our fighting men and women.
While American tax payers foot the bill for both, the mercenaries’ come with significant corporate profit margins.
Why hire mercenaries? The administration would tell you it is cost effective. In other words, the military which we train to fight and provide security can’t do the job as cheaply. Outsourcing security work saves tax payers money. Just think about that. According to this logic, if you have all the skill sets needed to build your own house, it would be cheaper for you to hire someone than to build it yourself. Balderdash!! Rather than being cost effective, it is politically effective to hire mercenaries. The administration and the Congress don’t have to institute a draft and face the public’s wrath. It’s a win/win for the government and corporations. No political heat and a gravy train for corporations. The hiring of these mercenary security companies represents the epitome of President Eisenhower’s farewell speech warning about the dangers of the military-industrial complex.
It’s unfortunate the media has not made it a priority to expose this mercenary industry. The pay scales for these mercenaries are significant multiples higher than our regular military’s pay scales. How much is this costing tax payers? How many mercenaries work for the Pentagon and other Federal departments around the world? How many are actually in Iraq and Afghanistan? Are these mercenaries subject to the same rules of engagement and the same justice system as our regular military? In a word: no. Americans need to learn these facts.
During WWII the war industry’s profits were capped. Unlike this war, everyone was called on to sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Certainly mercenaries, many of whom acquired their skills at American tax payers’ expense, should receive no more than our military would receive for doing the same job. It would be the patriotic thing to do.
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Renewable sources of energy
In response to “Guv urges renewable sources rule,” from September 21 and the ongoing debate over the viability of renewable sources of energy: While the United States has been discussing the potential merits of alternative energy projects, Scotland has been able to set and exceed benchmarks for implementation, providing a solid example of what can reasonably be expected if a nation—or a state—puts its resources toward these goals. Our government has set ambitious targets – 20 percent by 2010 and 40% by 2020 – and we are well on track to meet them. Already, Scotland derives 13 percent of its power from renewable sources.
Like the American West, including Colorado, Scotland is blessed with abundant natural resources. We are home to 25 percent of Europe’s wind energy, and 25 percent of Europe’s potential tidal output. Additionally, we have made strides to develop a world-leading International Energy Academy in efforts to nurture the evolving renewable energy market.
Although Scotland has a smaller base from which to develop its renewable energy sector than the United States, we have nevertheless built a world-class presence within the alternative energy industry from all angles—solar, wind, tidal, biomass, geothermal and hydrogen fuel cells. We look forward to sharing our experience with the United States and to working together for a more sustainable future. Most of all, we look forward to a day when the question being debated is not whether to invest in alternative energy, but how.
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RTD & diesel commuter vehicles
The concerns of those persons who object to RTD’s planned use of diesel commuter vehicles are misplaced. Diesel Multiple Unit vehicles manufactured by Colorado Railcar at its Fort Lupton plant not only exceed the performance of locomotive-hauled commuter trains but also perform well against electric-only trains.
I am not employed by or own stock in Colorado Railcar. As a railfan I happened across the demonstration vehicle at Denver Union Station Thursday and dropped by. The 1,200-horsepower DMU burns about one gallon of fuel per mile but haul up to 188 passengers at speeds up to 79-mph. It can pull a 218-seat coach with a slight reduction in mileage. This means a better-than 300-passenger miles per gallon, a very significant figure, environmentally. The Detroit Diesel power plant is proven technology.
I am not going to recite the Colorado Railcar pamphlet chapter and verse. However what I did write shows that the car can perform with the electrics without the heavy expense of overhead wiring and without extensive realigning of the BNSF’s Front Range Subdivision on which they will operate.
Yes they will pollute but electric cars also pollute. Electricity is generated at local coal and gas-fired power plants.
The advantages of these units reweigh the expense of straight-electric equipment.
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Editorial abashes, outrages CSU alum
As a graduate of Colorado State University, I am embarrassed and outraged with my alma mater’s newspaper, the Collegian, in choosing the bold headline, “Taser This ... F--- BUSH,” for their editorial.
Now liberals, like radio talk-show host Jay Marvin, are trying to control the damage by spinning the incident into a free-speech issue.
The backlash this student newspaper is drawing over its headline has to do with professionalism and decency. Nothing more. If the Rocky Mountain News or The Denver Post had spelled out the F-word in the same way, the editor responsible would have been fired immediately, as should J. David McSwane of the Collegian.
And what does George Bush have to do with the Tasering incident at a John Kerry event anyway? Apparently, every controversy reported in the news seems to tie in with the president, according to lefties like McSwane and Marvin.
I suppose if roosters stopped crowing every morning, then he would be blamed for that too!
Rich Colwell, Parker
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (93) | TrackBackPost, Rocky deteriorating
The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News just get worse and worse and seem to get smaller each day as well.
Since I enjoy the comics on Sunday every week, I have to look through all of the Post’s advertisements, none of which I ever read, in order to find the one with the small notation, “Look inside for today’s full-color comics.” If Denver Newspaper Agency executives think this gets me to look at the advertisement on that insert, they are sadly mistaken.
It is also annoying that I must peel the ridiculous sticker ads off the front page of the Rocky every day. And I’ve never seen any photograph by Rocky photographer Barry Gutierrez that he didn’t shoot from the feet up. His attempts to be “creative” are really just stupid.
Wayne R. Hardy, Englewood
Short shrift to toddler
When I opened the Rocky Mountain News on Sept. 25, I was expecting the front page to be dedicated solely to Neveah Gallegos (“Body found in search for girl,” same day), but instead just undeserving old news could be seen (re: Christine Johnson).
If Neveah had been a murdered 3-year-old Caucasian, she would have most likely made the major portion of the cover, but instead she was allotted just a small picture and a sentence at the minuscule top portion.
Many had been hoping and praying for her return, and had volunteered in the search for her. I am extremely disappointed and disgusted with the Rocky’s choice and believe that it owes Neveah and any surviving family members an apology.
Jackii Davis, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackStein tipped the balance
When I first moved here, I took (read) both Denver papers. The Rocky Mountain News won — for cartoonist Ed Stein and the other great (and frequent) political cartoonists.
Columnists Bill Johnson and Mike Littwin were icing on the cake.
No editor is perfect; and I don’t always agree with every word, but Stein deserves twice what he’s paid.
Sue Saunders, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBackComic outrageous
In the Sept. 24 edition of the Rocky Mountain News, the comic strip Cornered was outrageous. Any mention of crystal meth as a way to make money is unacceptable and just plain wrong! And to indicate that making meth is a way to fund medical or scientific research is awful.
Please watch the content of the funny pages more carefully. This is simply not funny or appropriate for a publicly circulated newspaper.
Donell Minnis, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackMagnificent photo
The photograph on the cover of the Sept. 18 editions of the Rocky Mountain News was a magnificent view of Gray’s and Torrey’s peaks (http://cfapp2.rockymountainnews.com/frontpage/index.cfm). It is a keeper.
Thank you, Rocky.
Susan Collins, Boulder
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBackDennis Reuss wrote that “Democrats and most of the American people are tired of fighting a just war.” He says we should be “staying in Iraq until everything was finished.” I wonder what is just about our invasion of Iraq which has resulted in our killing of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, destroying their infrastructure, creating millions of refugees, and our creating the circumstances for an all out civil war between various Islamic tribes and factions in Iraq? Further, I wonder what finishing up will look like? We’ve already bombed that country so much that their economy is a shambles, unemployment is running at 60% or more, and most educated Iraqis have left the country. There is no “winning” or good strategy now for US troops leaving Iraq. The horrible mistake was going there in the first place. Total American casualties are now over 60,000 people.
This war currently costs us 2 billion dollars a week. We are bankrupting our country and burdening our children with crushing deficits.
Our President lied us into this war. Honest Americans insist that we get out—now!
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The search for Steve Fossett
The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News are filled with the disappearance and search for Steve Fossett. The search has cost the United States thousands and increasing each day. Fossett was reportedly looking for dry lake beds where he could try for the land speed record - this was again for his own personal glory. So much of Steve Fossett’s adventure are just self serving and will cost the government so much in search expenses.
Steve Fossett’s disappearance and search reminds me so much of Amelia Earhart and her “Search For Modern Feminisim” when she disappeared in the late thirties in the Pacific. The search for Amelia involved the Air Force and Navy searching the vast Pacific without success. The search efforts for Amelia is estimated to have cost untold millions. Again, this adventure was for glory for her and the feminists of her time.
Why do we go spend the efforts of many and the high costs to find those that are only seeking glory and adventure for themselves. Lets require these people to sign a disclaimer for any searches should they disappear, I’m sure that they would be glad to do so.
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PERA
I’m responding to the Sunday, September 16, 2007 article in SPEAKOUT by Senators Fitz-Gerald, Gordon, McElhany and Penry.
Our state legislators are abusing their authority with repeated attempts at manipulating the investment of Colorado PERA’s defined benefit pension funds for an increasing list of divestment “imperatives.” It is the PERA members and retirees who OWN these funds, not the taxpayers at large and not the General Assembly. Our mandated contributions and those of our employers are made subject to contractual agreements and are in lieu of contributions to social security. Nowhere is it stated that legislators may usurp the purpose for which our retirement funds are invested to promote their own or other’s version of our nation’s foreign policy, their own ideology or to repay their own benefactors.
Two years ago PERA’s defined benefit plan was considered so fragile the then State Treasurer felt it imperative to propose benefit changes. Four months ago the State’s General Assembly forced divestment from companies doing business with Sudan at an estimated cost to the same defined benefit fund of up to $3,000,000. Rep.Victor Mitchell considered it imperative that PERA’s defined benefit members pay all costs of divestment out of their funds, thus bearing the total financial burden for a social statement supposedly made for all Coloradoans.
Now we have yet another “imperative” proposal known to be vigorously promoted by foreign nationals and powerful lobbies to divest from Iran. And yes, it’ll cost us.
Legislative oversight is not a mandate to pillage and plunder pension funds for ANY purpose. Remember, while members of PERA’s defined benefit plans are paying for a proliferation of divestment proposals now, ALL Colorado taxpayers will end up paying for the legislated decimation of PERA’s trust fund in the future.
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Fastracks
I have to agree with Brian Warreing that we will never ride this machine, however, the yuppies will. And our property taxes will go up WHY?
Let the people who ride this Fastrack pay for it not the old people & people that are retired.
One last thing has RTD given any thought to those people who are Handicapable? What if they don’t work in the areas provided with Fastrack?
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Storm drainage problem
SHAME ON THE DENVER, CO CITY GOVERNMENT!
I write this as an other-than-Denver citizen. I am from Des Moines, IA.
Our newspaper, the Des Moines Register, has a column called “Roses and Thistles,” in which comments are made about various news items. I am not naïve enough to ever think that this will get into print in your paper, nor do I believe that any member of your city government will see it. Perhaps if they do they will simply disregard it. I write it, admittedly, to treat myself. But it involves your citizenry, and I offer it in the name of constructive concern.
My concern is the storm sewer drainage situation in the 1300 East 17th Avenue area. There have been repeated occasions when large volume rainfall has resulted in flooding of this busy traffic area. If you will check your archives you will find photos. I have witnessed one of those occasions. Vehicles came from the west at speeds high enough to render them at least partially uncontrollable when they entered the “pond.” My daughter owned property which was damaged due to this flooding on two occasions. As a result she was forced to borrow in excess of $30,000 to cover damages and renovation plus additional monies for personal property loss. Her home was on the market for over a year and finally sold for $50,000 below assessed value due to no fault of her own. This is simply unjust. If the city is convinced that there is no other answer to this situation, perhaps this area should be a designated flood plain.
Attempts to communicate with the city council and higher officials resulted in their taking no action. There IS a problem, and it can’t be denied. This may well happen again. Perhaps it will take someone losing control of a vehicle to correct the inadequate storm sewer drainage in the area to result in action. I certainly hope that doesn’t happen.
Meanwhile some of the folks who live or have businesses in that area will continue to see their properties devalued—not because they are less valuable, but because the city officials are making a statement of irresponsibility. I doubt, however, that this will cause them to lower their property assessments and taxes.
So, in the words of my local paper, “a thistle to the Denver, Colorado city governance.”
Thank you for your time in reading this.
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Paul Campos & affirmative action
Professor Campos, I read your recent article about affirmative action and felt compelled to respond. As a Notre Dame graduate, I find it quite unfortunate that you would print an accusation by the unidentified “JJ” implying a level of racism at Notre Dame. As a law professor, I would guess you understand the value of research and logic. In order for Willingham to be fired, he had to first be hired. I doubt a racist institution would hire a black coach in the first place. In addition, Notre Dame is currently the only Div 1 program where both coordinators are black.
Again, seems like an odd thing for a racist institution to allow.
Lastly, Notre Dame has one of the highest, if not the highest, graduation rates for black athletes each year. This can be easily researched. A University of Florida Professor performs this study each year. Again, an odd fact for an institution with implied institutionalized racism.
You can argue whether Weis was deserving of his contract extension. I certainly do. However, it is a tough sell to proclaim that his past experience was mediocre. You say, “He was a risky hire to start with, a guy with a mediocre track record as a coordinator and no experience whatsoever with either being the head of an organization or with college football at all.” A 30 second fact check might have saved you from severely misspeaking. Weis’ track record as an Offensive coordinator includes 3 Super Bowl Rings....in 5 years I might add. If that is mediocre, then I think we have a difference of opinion on what constitutes mediocre. Also, he was an assistant in college football (South Carolina) before accepting a position with the NY Giants. You are correct in that he has not been the head of an organization...unless you disregard his leadership of an altruistic organization to assist kids with developmental disorders...like his daughter. “Hannah and Friends” I believe it is called.
Regarding Norv Turner....I couldn’t agree more. I am not sure why he continues to be hired by NFL franchises.
Time will tell with Charlie Weis.
Instead or crusading against an institution like Notre Dame, maybe you should attend to issues in your own backyard. How is the black graduation rate for your employer, the University of Colorado? Was a black head coach pursued after the Barnett or Neuhisal (Spelling) fiascos? Was the hiring of Jeff Bzdelick a racial reaction to the poor performance of Ricardo Patten? Those are clearly more worthy causes then taking pot shots at a fine institution.
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The Jena 6
We already acquitted O.J. once - will they not be satisfied until black criminals are given full immunity from the law?
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MoveOn.org’s ad
WHICH MOVEON MISTAKE?
MoveOn did make a very bad mistake in focusing negatively on General Petraeus. Colin Powell, a much-decorated general, re-established all too well the concept of obeying your Commander-in-Chief, in spite of that commander’s supreme mendacity, though Powell now has indicated remorse for that. It is extremely difficult for any military leader to place the U.S. Constitution and the well-being of the world above orders from above. Those are distant abstracts; military chain-of-command is not.
MoveOn made the same mistake Democrats are making, playing into Bush’s hands. Bush and Cheney are so glad that we lose focus on this. The president and Dick Cheney and their policy of pushing the fatal obsolesence of war, of “shock and awe,” bomb and kill, should be the issue. Until sanity prevails. And the concept of “progress” should have been laughed off the stage as rationale for “the surge.” We never lost a major battle in Vietnam. Khe Sanh was a stand-off and even the infamous Tet Offensive was a “victory” for us - we killed so many more of them than they killed of us or ARVN forces. In Vietnam, “progress” was our most important product, right up to the end.
Never has America, this sadly floundering republic, needed clarity so desperately. We are drowning in our excremental propaganda, and in this instance, MoveOn did not help.
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Lee Greenwood cancelling concert
I want to address those who are questioning Mr.
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Roan Plateau
1570 Oil and Gas Wells are not worth the Roan Plateau Dear Editor, Rep. Diana DeGette’s proposed wilderness protection bill is not only exciting, it is tremendously urgent. In the broad strokes gas interests in Colorado have their eye on the Roan Plateau, near Grand Junction, intending to drill there until the cows come home (drill new 1570 wells). This area of wild land is part of Colorado’s natural heritage and one of the reasons I am proud to be a resident. Speaking on behalf of the hunting and fishing community, the Roan Plateau is renowned for big game hunting and fly fishing. Colorado elected leaders, are you ready for an outcry from hunters and fishermen? If so, oppose this bill. Remember, there are 700,000 of us in the state. Specifficly, the DeGette bill would add 1.6 million acres of land designated as Wilderness to our current 3.4 million. Beyond that, rampant oil and gas development encourages the production of finite resources at the cost of destroying pristine habitat for good and all. With the growing population of the state, we need balanced energy development with wind and solar as the primary sources. With the 5th highest solar potential and the 11th highest wind potential in the country, not only do we have yet another reason to be proud to be residents, we have other options than to butcher our wild lands for the sake of BTUs and Kilo Watts. Colorado, support the DeGette bill.
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Sacrifices never put in perspective
Following Gen. David Petraeus’ evisceration by the shameless members of the Senate, it would be instructive to reflect upon what we don’t have in Iraq following our invasion.
1. We no longer have (as reported by the U.N. Human Rights Commission) a supposed 5,000 children per month starving to death as a result of our embargo on Iraq following the Gulf War.
2. We no longer have Saddam Hussein paying $25,000 to Palestinian families to encourage and reward suicide bombers in Israel.
3. We no longer have three psychopaths — Saddam, Uday, Qusay — whose level of evil was unquenchable, responsible for the deaths of approximately 300,000 to 1 million people under their rule with the likelihood of many more to follow.
4. We no longer have the Oil for Food scandal, the largest single financial scandal in world history ($21 billion) with all of our “traditional allies” dipping from the pot. So it was no wonder they were less than supportive of our going into Iraq.
Nightly, the news blares the price our nation is paying in blood, treasure and tears with a glee that is at times barely contained. But the other side of the equation is never mentioned, our sacrifices never put in perspective.
Patrick R. Ritchen, Brighton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (41) | TrackBackJust leave equipment in Iraq or sell it and get out
One other excuse offered for not beginning a troop withdrawal from Iraq is that there is so much military and support inventory it would take perhaps 18 months to return it to the United States.
Why bring it back? Some 80 percent to 90 percent of what’s there is out-of-date. After World War II, a thousand tons of military equipment was dumped in the Pacific. Flyable aircraft wound up in Arizona deserts to rust. Only aircraft got out of Vietnam — also to the Arizona desert.
Why not put the military and support equipment now in Iraq — except for special designation — up for sale? There could be interest from Turkey down the coastline to Egypt. Why not Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, perhaps even the Kurds.
Absolutely everything should not go to waste.
Hollis Bach, Castle Rock
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (30) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Automatic deductions aren’t a universal policy
The Rocky’s Sept. 20 editorial “New tactics on dues,” about the AskFirst campaign started by the Independence Institute, stated: “Attempts to end the automatic deduction of union dues from paychecks without the prior consent of individual employees have generally gone nowhere.”
That does not reflect the membership policies of the Englewood Firefighters Association. Membership is purely voluntary and dues are deducted only after the individual signs a written authorization allowing the dues to be deducted. Nonmembers pay no dues whatsoever.
Dues deductions are stopped at any time the individual decides that he or she no longer wishes to be a member of the association. The dues that are deducted are deposited into an association account at the Englewood Municipal Federal Credit Union in a single transaction.
The editorial also suggested that it would not be burdensome to expect unionized workers to “get their banks to deduct dues from their payroll checks.” That would require 42 separate deposit transactions by the Englewood Municipal Federal Credit Union every two weeks. This is an unreasonable and costly expectation for our municipal credit union.
The simple fact of the matter is that the current system has worked well in excess of 35 years and a change to the current process is unwarranted and ill-advised. One has to wonder if the true issue is not how dues are deducted but the fact that certain individuals take exception to collective bargaining and organized labor.
Bill Young is a member of the Englewood Firefighters Association.
What do you think? Go to RockyMountain
News.com/opinion to join the conversation about this issue.
The Senate will vote today to condemn Moveon.org’s ad calling General David H. Petraeus General Betray Us.
I believe this Senate will pass S.AMDT.2808 condeming “personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus” Is this the America that our forefathers created? An America where it is not OK to speak out, where putting on a military uniform automatically shields you from criticism? Or is the America Mr. Bush and the Neo-cons have dreamed about.
Even on the face of a new CBS polled that showed 68% of Americans want the troop levels decreased or pulled out completely this Senate has done nothing to help our troops, to bring the troops home or to stand up to Mr. Bush. But now they have the nerve to condemn an organization because Moveon.org had the nerve to stand up to Mr. Bush and the neo-cons.
Please remember General Petraeus was hand picked by Mr. Bush, and the general’s report to Congress was written by the White House. Remember the last general to deliver a white house written report? General Colin Powell, how much credibility does he have now?
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Grocery stores selling liquor
I personally don’t care if Colorado laws are changed to allow grocery stores to sell hard liquor or wine as is being proposed. I don’t see a difference between Groceries ( which currently sell alcohol products such as what we’ve come to know as “3.2 beer” and cigerettes ) selling wine or even hard liquor as those products can’t be sold to minors either and the Grocery stores have chosen to handle these as they see fit and in compliance with the law.
I did however find Wednesday’s speakout column by Ellen Robinson, co owner of Denver’s Argonaut liquors, to be fraught with self interest, while posturing as a concerned corporate citizen and to be nothing more than a transparent and silly plea for protection against market competition.
Most fear mongering is a ploy to conceal predictable hidden agendas, in this case protecting a closed market for liquor stores which hold an exclusive right to sell certain lawful products.
Robinson quoted (and spoke for) all the usual fear groups: Parents, church groups, Police chiefs, other law enforcement, local governments, small businesses and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (which opposes everything) et. all, as reason for all of us to continue living in the Nanny State which has become of Colorado.
I think anyone could figure out what Robinson’s real concern is, a common sentiment, the fear for the well being of one’s own wallet.
I’d have more respect for Robinson if she just came out and said her industry doesn’t want the competition and leave irrelevant issues such as the welfare of kids, mom, the flag and apple pie out of it.
And then I’d still say no. No one is entitled to a corner on any market. Sorry Ellen, nice try.
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Endorsement for Jane Fancher-Westminster City Council
Subject: FANCHER FOR WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL Do you want your voice to be heard by our Westminster City Council? Then vote for Jane Fancher. Our present City Council says “we are all ears” and for that reason Jane would be a perfect fit because she WILL listen to and SUPPORT our citizens. Jane vouches to be your voice on City Council.
I have only known Jane for about two years. In the short time I’ve learned what an honest, wise, logical, trustworthy and ethical person she is. I’ve observed that Jane has the ability to look beyond the BIG PICTURE before making any decisions. If there is any doubt she’ll ask for clarification and she brings up some very good ideas and questions for thought.
Jane has a degree in Business Administration with a strong background in finance. She is a retired accountant having worked for the Federal government for many years and she will assure you that your tax dollars will be spent wisely and she will keep everyone honest. In addition, Jane has been in management positions within many volunteer organizations. Jane has lived in Westminster for 25 years and wants to continue to keep Westminster as a great place to live.
I highly endorse Jane to represent us by nominating her for Westminster City Council. No matter where your heart lies, your vote DOES count, so please take a moment to vote in the upcoming election. Better yet, vote for JANE FANCHER.
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Hillary Clinton’s health care plan
President Clinton was in Colorado talking up his wife’s health care plan. They are offering a plan like what the congress gets. If this is such a great deal and a money saver, why have they not done this for the military first? Well as all things in DC, they feel that it would cost to much to give a plan like this to the military. If they can’t give it to 1 million people, how are they going to give it to 350 million people. When have you seen a government system work properly? and remember, nothing is free, taxes will have to go up to pay for it.
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Atheism
Re: Article in the 9/16/07 News - Page 1 - re. atheists I had to laugh (a bit condescendingly) at the logic expressed in your article Sunday, to paraphrase, “We don’t like what people do with religion, therefore there is no God.” If you’re going to be an atheist, you should at least ground your decision with something a bit more scientific, and a lot more logical. I’ve been hearing variations of this argument my whole life, and it just doesn’t hold water. It can be used to turn away from a Church or from Religion in general, but it fails to address the existence of God.
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Mobley family serving in Iraq war
Hats off to Mike and Deana Mobley and their twin sons serving in Iraq! It is a poignant illustration of true patriotism and valor. Like most Americans who sacrificed for our freedom in wartime, Matt and Ryan Mobley deserve our highest praise.
Preserving our freedom is not an option, especially in time of war!
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Iraq war about oil
No War for Oil
So when any Congressperson says we have to stay in Iraq to protect our troops or to end the violence, don’t believe it. It’s about oil. That’s why we’re there. That’s why Bush and Congress don’t want to leave. That’s why Congress is willing to vote for more money to continue this crime.
1.2 Iraqis million have died. It’s murder. It’s robbery. It’s criminal. It violates all religious and ethical norms.
It’s up to us to stop it. Please call Senators Salazar and Allard, Senatorial Candidate Mark Udall and your Congress person today (202-224-3121), and tell them “No War for Oil, stop the funding, bring the troops home now.”
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Habeas Corpus Restoration Act
The very idea of having to “Restore Habeas Corpus” is simply unbelievable. Any Senator who works to defeat this act is not a true Patriot. This is a fundamental safeguard of individual rights and has stood the test of time beyond our own history.
Passing this “Habeas Corpus Restoration Act” is an imperative. We will be watching.
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MoveOn.org’s ad
In response to Rocky Mountain News reporter Chris Barge’s story Sept. 15, ‘07, on state GOP talking points: Democrat presidential candidates Bill Richardson and Joe Biden at separate locations in the U.S. gave the identical excuse for MoveOn.org’s labeling of American general David Patraeus as “General Betray Us": (I paraphrase) “oh, these MoveOn.org folks are just really frustrated people.”
Gosh, the Democrat Party on the national level might be compiling talking points for their politicians. And you know, the Colorado Democrats might have talking points they use, too. Will reporter Barge devote equal time and effort to covering them?
(Ever?) Regardless of Republican talking points locally, I will always know that any mention of “the Colorado governor” in any event is a reference to Bill Ritter, and not Cousin It.
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VFW mission
Stand Up - Speak Out
The proud heritage of the VFW is honor, duty, sacrifice and courage.
So many times I have heard Veterans say, “Leave it to someone else to express my concerns and views to the legislatures that are responsible for guiding and taking action on Veterans issues.” That is dead wrong! It is the responsibility of each and every Veteran to express his views and opinions as to the direcrion our legislatures must conduct Veterans affairs, Veterans needs and the security of America, My fellow Veteran, you must have the courage to contact your representatives as to your concern as to the situation regarding the security and future of our nation as our children and our grandchildren’s future are in jeopardy.
Despite of all the wishes to the contrary, whatever good intentions that may remain, the incompetence and mismanagement of the lawless prosecution of the Iraq war, the loss of the precious lives of over 3,700 US Troops, the torture and rendition, the cavalier disregard for civilian causalities, collateral damage and destruction of basic civilian infrastructure, the hiring of Black Water mercenaries, the tolerance of the criminal behavior of no bid contractors, all these things and more, there is none that can compare with the betrayal of the trust of our own American citizens.
As Veterans, “Our continuing commitment to STAND UP and defend the rights and entitlements of Veterans will never waiver. To continue to SPEAK OUT in a strong voice and be heard in the halls of Congress is a solemn trust.”
“STAND UP - SPEAK OUT”
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Vouchers are a fair approach to schooling
With interest and amazement I read “Five overlooked truths about education,” Erik Palmer’s recent Speakout column in the Rocky Mountain News.
I taught for 50 years, in both public and private schools in several states. Since my experience with both types of schools differed so drastically from the account Palmer gives, I am seriously curious about the studies on which he based his sweeping generalizations. Would he please give the reader a reference on which he based such statements as:
1. “A private school could reject [handicapped children] and use the voucher money on the elite children.” Any known cases?
2. “ ... there are no mentally retarded, autistic, behavior-disordered, emotionally disturbed, or special-education kids at [private schools] ... ” What study — with an adequate sample — investigated private schools to produce such a generalization?
And in answer to his question, “ ... should exclusive [private] schools get public money?” I offer this:
The money supporting public schools is tax money paid by all, not just by those sending their children to public schools. The parents who choose private schools for their children are paying twice — for the support of public schools which their children do not attend, and the tuition they must pay in addition to a private school. The purpose of vouchers is simply to return the tax money these people have paid. It is absolutely unfair not to use vouchers.
Theresita Polzin, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (94) | TrackBackPavarotti’s legacy far greater than minister’s
Regarding George Lilly’s Sept. 15 letter concerning the unequal coverage of the deaths of Luciano Pavarotti and the Rev. D. James Kennedy: Pavarotti was immensely(!) famous. His God-given talent enriched countless lives throughout the world, regardless of nationality, race, religion, etc. That is a far greater legacy than that of Kennedy — a dance instructor cum “Christian” hatemonger known mainly in America’s Bible belt.
Kennedy — who would have looked at home at any used car lot or casino lounge — will quickly be forgotten. (Except by the members of his multimedia compound, and his family enjoying the luxuries of his ministry’s excess.) No doubt his image will continue to adorn the compound’s 50-foot video screens. Suckers and cash flow are paramount!
Legitimate Christian leaders such as Pope Benedict and Billy Graham deserve media coverage. But Kennedy was irrelevant except to a relative few right-wingers.
Lilly asks, “Which of the two will have had the most lasting impact when all is said and done?” Any sensible person knows the answer is Pavarotti.
Years from now, if religious fundamentalism hasn’t destroyed the world, civilization will still know Pavarotti. A few quacks might know who Kennedy was, but decent people won’t care.
Matthew De Nero, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (16) | TrackBackTell Congress to stop funding of Iraq war
The momentum to continue the war against Iraq is fueled by huge profits for military contractors, control of Iraq’s oil by American companies and campaign contributions by these same companies to Congress. The Democratic Congress that was elected last year to end the war instead continued to fund it in May. Unfortunately, Congress appears to be more responsive to its contributors than to the desires of the American people, 70 percent of whom want the war to end.
President Bush has asked Congress for another $192 billion to keep the war going. Congress will vote on the funding sometime soon.
Seventy courageous members of Congress, including Denver’s Rep. Diana DeGette, told the president in July that the only funds they will vote for are funds to bring the troops home.
In order to shift the momentum away from profits and corruption, the people of Colorado must speak. We must tell our representatives and senators that the war is wrong, that it has killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis and more than 3,700 U.S. troops, and that it is draining funds needed for important domestic programs.
Gregory S. Robles, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (24) | TrackBackA nightmare for taxpayers
I am outraged that our elected leaders continue to disrespect and ignore the will of the citizens by trying again to pass yet another version of an amnesty bill.
Regardless of how it’s wrapped, the DREAM Act is indeed a nightmarish amnesty loophole that not only grants a fast track to full citizenship, but it also siphons taxpayer benefits and redirects them to illegal aliens!
Current law prohibits states from giving illegal aliens in-state tuition rates unless those rates are available to other citizens. The DREAM Act would nullify current law and allow states to grant illegal aliens in-state tuition rates. Not only does this create a taxpayer-funded benefit to illegal aliens, it is a benefit not even available to U.S. citizens!
This is wrong, and I urge Rocky readers not to support any legislation that grants amnesty to illegal aliens, and uses my tax dollars to provide in-state tuition discounts to illegal aliens.
Cathi Dodson, Colorado Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackAn enormous fraud
Seems months since I have seen anything in the general media supporting the anthropogenic issues of global warming. Shy of the silly report by Newsweek, the only current news has been a steady series of scientific articles debunking the alarmist claims. What a shock that these articles have been accidentally ignored by the print and network media.
Can only assume that we are finally witnessing the rebuttal to the debate that never happened.
Try this for a real problem: How are the millions of true environmentalists going to react when they must inevitably realize that all this has been an enormous, masterfully orchestrated fraud?
Mike Durcan, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (50) | TrackBackDangerous truckers
Isn’t it time Colorado did something to crack down on careless driving by truckers?
There have been multiple accidents and traffic tie-ups caused by semis going too fast or drivers not driving safely or going to sleep, etc.
I travel Interstate 70 many times a year to Glenwood Springs and feel I am putting my life in their hands — believe me, it’s scary!
They are driving too many hours without sleeping, don’t observe speed limits and take too many risks!
Jean Powell, Commerce City
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (21) | TrackBackPetty GOP divisive
So, Republicans have a memo telling them not to mention Gov. Bill Ritter by name (“Elephants able to forget/Ritter speech led to GOP advice: Ignore his name,” Sept. 15).
Isn’t that a bit petty? How does that help their constituents? House Speaker Andrew Romanoff hit the nail on the head when he said “ ... They’re spending more time pointing fingers and picking fights than solving problems.”
Why do Republicans go out of their way to be so divisive?
Joe Felice, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackI am writing to urge the Latino community and all Coloradans to register their decision to be organ and tissue donors. Nationally, nearly 16,000 Latinos are waiting for an organ transplant. In Colorado, nearly 400 Latinos are waiting, including both my wife and me.
My wife and I have waited more than a year for kidney transplants and have been told that we may be waiting for five years. Suffering from kidney failure, we both undergo grueling dialysis treatments to stay alive.
Historically, the Latino community says yes to donation less frequently than other ethnic groups. There are several misconceptions that keep our community from donating. Myths include the belief that doctors will not work as hard to save the life of a person who has indicated he or she wishes to be a donor. This is untrue. The first priority of a medical professional is to save lives. In some cases, such as when a kidney transplant is needed, living donors are able to donate their organs. Another myth is that the donor family is charged for donating their loved one
In Colorado, 22 percent of the more than 1,700 people waiting for an organ transplant are Latino. Save a life. Talk to your family about organ and tissue donation and register your decision at www.coloradodonorregistry.org or by calling 888.256.4386. You can also register by going to the DMV when you obtain or renew your driver
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Moving toward a totalitarian government
A dangerous lack of oversight on the unchecked powers of the presidency is taking us very close to a totalitarian government. Please take your Constitutional protection responsibilities seriously and reverse any acts that allow unfettered violations of Americans constitutional rights. You can start by replacing Habeas Corpus in our society where it belongs. And please, please don’t permit “temporary” laws that plunder our rights to become permanent.
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Smoking ban
I am beginning to think there is something very wrong about the smoking ban. I am not speaking about all the arguments for and opposed, it is a much more an insidious thing. It is now a proven, by Colorado Department of Revenue statistics, that the ban has caused large losses in the bar and tavern business and, now there are plans afoot in the legislature to increase taxes on alcohol because of budget needs. I am thinking that to be adding additional injury to the already done,fatal to some, injury caused by the ban in the first place.
Therefor the question arises, is the real intent of all this to destory a lawful sector of the hospitality industry, mom and pop, neighborhood bars and taverns, in direct violation of equal protection under the law, which is a constitutional right. It would sure seem so when the taxations actions of the government are repeatedly direct at one small segment of a free market enterprise system already encumbered with egregious losses. This, if taken to it’s logical extent, smacks a little to much of the prohibition movement which Carry Nation, in her religious zealousness, started and which ultimately resulted in social chaos, the financial and power advatage of organized crime and a devestating loss of tax revenue which increased taxes on the public.
This is not a stretch in reasoning, all such detrimental actions begin with small usurptions of the freedom of choice we all take for granted. It is becoming increasingly clearer through documented proof that hugh pharmaceutical companies and the huge foundations that have a vested interest in them and which have granted hundred of millions of dollars in promoting smoking bans to insure their mercantile interests in nonsmoke delivery devices, put the lie to the idea that the primary reason behind bans health. It is plain and simply, money and power. All you have to do is ask these questions: do you really believe mega rich pharmaceutical companies care about your health? If so, explain why have they been charged so many times with putting drugs on the market that have injured, even killed thousands of people over the years? Do you really think they care more about your wellbeing than they do their profits? The smoking ban was never about health. OSHA’S seven year study, ignored by tobacco control in favor of their payed for studies, has proven the claims of harm from second hand smoke are a myth. No my friends it is not about health, it’s about the oldest of all motivations, money and power.
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Presidential candidate Ron Paul
I am responding to an omission in your September 18 edition. In an article outlining where the various presidential candidates stand on the federal role in health care, I saw no mention of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX).
Paul, 72, is a 10-term congressman. Prior to entering politics, he was an Air Force flight surgeon and an OB-GYN doctor. He is the only physician in the 2008 presidential race.
More importantly, he is the only constitutionalist. The Constitution makes no mention whatsoever of health care. The Tenth Amendment forbids federal activity in any area not mentioned elsewhere in the Constitution.
Paul correctly diagnoses the problem – too much government intrusion in the medical marketplace – which gives rise to the symptom – high medical costs. He favors massive cuts in federal taxes, regulations and mandates. All this unconstitutional federal activity in recent decades has done nothing but increase medical costs and leave millions of Americans frustrated and angry.
During his distinguished tenure in Congress, Ron Paul has earned the moniker “Dr. No”. Time and again, when Congress would vote 434-1 for unconstitutional expansions of federal power, Paul would be the lone dissenter.
Presidents swear an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Of all the candidates, Republican or Democrat, Ron Paul is the only one with an ironclad track record of adhering to the Constitution. He doesn’t just say that he favors strictly limited government, very low taxes, free markets, sound money, secure borders and the Bill of Rights. His voting record and the legislation he has introduced over the years are consistent with his words. Moreover, he opposed the Iraq War and the proposed attack on Iran long before he declared his candidacy for president.
To learn more about Ron Paul, visit his congressional site at www.house.gov/paul and his campaign site and www.ronpaul2008.com. Support liberty! Support Ron Paul for President in 2008!
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Bill Clinton
This fawning article about Billy Clinton made me ill.
Red herrings put forward - implication that the Bush administration works in isolation in foreign affairs, the supposed correlation between short-lived budget surpluses in the late 90s and the current president’s tax cuts, and that the world “...follows the wrong-headed idea that our differences are more important than our commonality.” Of course, he offers no proof for any of these statements.
The writer - “He (Mr. Clinton) never mentioned (Sen.) Clinton’s health care plan.....” Well, he only mentioned two of its features - “... preventive care as one area to ease the burden of health care expenses” and “...employing an all-electric system to reduce administrative costs....”
The writer - “The president [but he’s not any more, thank heaven!] took a few pre-screened questions....” Gee, we’ve never seen that technique from this guy before, have we?
The story concludes with Donna Acquilano emoting all over the place about what a wonder Bill is. Some people never learn.
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208 Commission’s “5” proposal
With regards to the “5th” proposal of the 208 Commission, affectionately labeled the Jim Beam Plan. Using numbers out of Bill Clinton’s mouth and printed by the Rocky, I estimate covering the uninsured in Colorado will come to $3.5 billion give or take a few million. Forget that the uninsured are younger, they also drink, smoke, don’t wear helmets and eat junk food. Even as you read this they are aging and the unfunded liabilities for subsidizing their health care is going up and up and up.
If you assume inflation for health care based on history, the proposed program will double every 7 to 10 years. What starts out as a $3.5 billion dollar program will become a $7, then $15, then $30-billion dollar program. I suggest that the 208 Commission, instead of dreaming up shock-and-awe schemes, they develop a default option for when the voters turn their thumbs down.
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Response to “Flatlanders”
Steve Grupe
She should consider:
Flip-Flop people are everywhere (they happen to be a fashion trend)
Flatlanders living in Colorado are everywhere – they far outnumber “Peaksters” (try polling your fellow residents regarding their native states)
The dollars spent by those FFP in your idyllic mountain town (indeed, throughout Colorado) allow you lower property taxes, cheaper auto registration, more public services, better highways, more restaurants and bars, and in many cases – your very “reason to be” – and they allow you to keep your rarefied nose higher in the air the rest of the year when you’re not condescending to the FFP.
Get a clue, Coloradans.
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Bush administration comments
Consider some oft repeated Bush administration spokespersons’ comments: “There is no point in going back to mistakes that were made in the beginning of this Iraq war. We must consider how to go forward from here.” “The energy crisis that we face is a present danger to our economic stability. We know we should have seen this situation coming, but now we have to deal with our need to stabilize Iraq and the Middle East to be sure that our energy needs are met.” Are our current executive branch leaders now adults whose parents never taught them that actions have consequences, or are they cynically manipulative conspirators who, I am afraid, rightly predicted that the American people would not demand their heads?
Bush and Cheney were repeatedly warned by foreign leaders, economists and Middle East experts that imperial armies in the Arab nations are doomed to fail. Economic and energy experts continually warned that we must begin, years ago, to find ways to lessen our dependence on oil, particularly, foreign oil.
I say there are no dispensations nor any form of forgiveness for the arrogant PNAC signatories and the energy companies who holed up with Cheney on an energy policy.
The American people are once again distracted by OJ and Jessica Simpson and who got treated badly on the price of an I-pod. God bless America. God help America.
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Response to Colo. Bar Assn. Pres.
This letter is in response to the 9/17/07 OP-ED piece “Founders’ genius: leave power widely dispersed,” by Colorado Bar Association President Wm.
With all due respect to Mr. Lytle, he demonstrates the same depth of understanding of the Constitution that I would expect to see in my daughter’s 6th grade Social Studies homework.
In the past 6 and ½ years President Bush has: in the case of at least one U.S. Citizen, Jose Padilla, suspended Habeas Corpus (the one individual right that was so universally agreed upon by the Founding Fathers that it was put in the body of the Constitution itself, rather than in the Bill of Rights); ordered warrantless domestic spying on U.S.
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No amnesty for illegals
Our elected officials have once again ignored the majority of American citizens in favor of illegal aliens.
We told our elected officials time and time again that we do not want amnesty, fast track to citizenship, the dream act, etc. What the legal citizens of this constitutional republic want is for the elected officials to secure the borders and enforce the laws already on the books!
We The People defeated the previous attempt to destroy this republic. Now our elected officials have attached the same amnesty travesty to a defense bill.
No means no!!!!
What do we do when the people we elect act against our wishes and the future of The United States of America? We can elect others, yet it seems no matter who gets elected, the same agenda is pursued.
There is a quote that is attributed to Joseph Stalin, “America is like a healthy body and its resistance is three-fold: Its patriotism, its morality and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.”
The left is pushing Diversity, Political Correctness and Moral Relativism.
This in reality is nothing more than Cultural Marxism. These “pillars of the left” are the tools to implement the vision of Stalin.
There are choices we as Americans have. We can vote to elect officials to represent us.
Allow the politicians to do what they want, against the collective will of the majority of legal Americans and just accept their vision of the future.
Or rebel.
We can see what the electoral process has brought us. We know what will happen if we do nothing. And everyone loses in a rebellion.
What are we to do when all available choices are unacceptable? The lesser of evils is still evil.
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Mexican consul general’s missed opportunity
How nice that the interview the Rocky conducted with Denver’s new Mexican consul general, Eduardo Arnal, was in Spanish (“5 questions for new Mexican Consul General Eduardo Arnal,” Sept. 13).
But therein lies the problem because English is our language! He mentions improving communications several times, yet he chose to ignore this opportunity to set the example by speaking in English. However, he was quick to point out that he’d make sure the illegals were aware of “their rights.”
If he really wants to help, he needs to make sure that these people learn to speak English, start the road to citizenship, stop the marches and insist that stores and businesses no longer need to kowtow by printing everything in Spanish.
This is America, not Mexico’s annex.
Ann Johnson, Arvada
Museum gifts offend
In August, I went to see the “Italians of Denver” exhibit at the Colorado History Museum with my friends. We went to the exhibit to savor our Italian heritage.
However, when we went to the gift shop, we were shocked to see T-shirts being sold that are very biased against Columbus. I thought that a museum of history should be neutral ground. The message on the shirts was “Homeland Security, Fighting Terrorism since 1492” and included pictures of Indians.
One of my friends called the gift shop to voice her opinion and the manager rudely hung up. I understand that this gift shop is leased. However, allowing the sale of an item of this nature is a poor reflection on the integrity of the museum.
Joanna Ellis, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (39) | TrackBackQuestion for the right
I have to ask conservatives — which is really more indecent: Americans who believe they are being lied to by the top U.S. general in Iraq, expressing that belief in no uncertain terms, and providing substantiation for their assertions on a Web site (MoveOn.org), or that same general sending ours kids out every day to kill and be killed, all the while uncertain whether all that killing is making America safer?
I dare say too many conservatives will have no problem with the latter, while coming apart at the seams over the former.
Peggy Proctor, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (63) | TrackBackRecently, we have come to know Cindy Baroway, Ward 2 Candidate for Lakewood City Council. In a short time, she has proven to be dedicated, responsible, and innovative. She has attended neighborhood association and business association meetings where she has offered helpful suggestions, supported local causes, and volunteered her time.
Both Mayor Steve Burkholder and Mayor Pro Tem, Bob Murphy have given Cindy their endorsement. We believe this speaks volumes for her qualifications as a city council person because we, too, want to ensure that Lakewood continues to be a wonderful place to live. Mayor Burkholder and Bob Murphy have worked diligently over the past 8 years to get us to this point. Cindy will be there to ensure the focus remains on moving the city forward. Additionally, she was a member of the Leadership Jefferson County class of 2005 and voted by her classmates to be co-valedictorian.
On a personal note, Cindy is a warm, engaging person who is intelligent and quick to grasp a situation. She has already brought herself up to speed on many items on city council’s agenda and works well with all people. We feel she would be a very positive addition to our City Council.
We endorse Cindy Baroway for City Council and encourage all Ward 2 residents to vote for Cindy in this fall’s election.
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Public streets not playgrounds
After the rash of children run over in front of their homes this year, I had to make a comment. My heart goes out to the families of these children.
However, in my neighborhood, which is full of dead end cul de sacs, we have a serious problem.
Children running amok up and down the street with virtually no supervision, leaving their bikes, trikes, toys anywhere, including in other people’s driveways. They have a portable basketball net set up at the top of the cul de sac and they refuse to move when someone drives in. They will stand in front of your car and dare you to hit them. This is their parents’ fault. Public streets are not playgrounds for children. I recall some ruckus a year or two ago down in Highlands Ranch about a couple battling a whole cul de sac over the same thing. When did the safety of children become a stranger’s problem and not a lesson in upbringing for them and their parents? When did children start running our world and every adult in it become their victims? I cannot assume this was the case in all of these situations this summer. But, when children are allowed to play in the streets unsupervised, one can expect bad drivers to hit and run and good drivers to become the villains, when they accidentally run over children, who have no fear of cars or do not understand the terrible consequences of being left to run the street like urchins.
Parents watch your children and have them play in playgrounds and their backyards - not in the streets.
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Illegal immigrants taking jobs
Yes, another letter on illegal immigration.? I am so tired of hearing that illegal immigrants are only taking the jobs that Americans do not want (or as one letter writer wrote, “the bad jobs").
Tell that to the hard working Americans who are losing their “bad jobs” to the illegal immigrants.
My husband is the sole proprietor of a drywall business and has been working in Boulder County for 30 years.? He pays his taxes, social security, medical insurance, liability insurance, unemployment tax and everything else the government can throw at us.? He is 53 years old and actually does all the work himself, and it has taken all this time to make a good living.? He is constantly being underbid by contractors who hire illegals and pay them low wages.
Tell that to the owner/operator truckers who are struggling to keep their trucks and keep their families fed.? Now the government is letting in Mexican trucks to go wherever they want.? That won’t cause too many American truckers to lose their jobs (or will it???).
Talk to any small business owner, framer, drywaller, brick mason, roofer, truck driver or landscaper and you will hear that they are all suffering.
You can be sure that if the jobs of lawyers, CEOs, computer specialists, judges, doctors or other professionals were being taken something would be done.? Laws would be passed and fines would be levied.
The next time you hire someone to work for you please look at who will be doing the job.? Yes, the price will be higher but you will be hiring a legal American.
Shame on all you contractors who are hiring illegals!!!
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Global warming
Subject: The Great Man Made Global Warming Controversy
I’ve had it. We live in a world where people are told how to think. In the greatest example of Barking Dog Syndrome, man made global warming, we are told we humans are emitting too many greenhouse gasses and that’s causing global warming. May I ask the insipid, mindless drones what is causing the warming trends on the other planets in our solar system? I imagine they blame George W Bush for that as well.
Those on the vituperative left don’t even want to debate the issue, but stifle any opposing points of view. Who are the open-minded again? Our country is falling to hate and bitterness from the fascist left. Yes, I used the term fascist to describe the socialist left.
Fascists are those who want to federalize health care, who want to seize oil profits and re-invest them into alternative technologies, who believe the government is the last, best hope of mankind. Fascists tell us what we should drive, how we should live, what we should eat, where we can smoke, “instructs” us as to what we can and cannot say. They embrace the leaders of Syria, Iran, Venezuela, appease Al Qaeda by running away from another fight. They call themselves progressives which is the biggest joke of all. They want to censor talk radio because nobody listens to their drivel, and everybody listens to conservative talk radio.
Then they try to deny that the media is biased to the whacky socialist left, but the democrats prove the point by not doing a debate on Fox News. What are they afraid of? Are they afraid of being asked challenging questions? I haven’t heard any yet. They don’t have the intellectual acuity to debate me let alone taking on the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, or any of the other republicans if truth be told...even John McCane has more common sense and decency.
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The cost of a life
I would like to ask one question of Congress. How many barrels of oil is your son worth?
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Health care
One aspect of the health care debate which doesn’t receive much ink is the fact that many uninsured people wait until they are very sick and must be admitted to hospital, or they use the E.R. as a doctor’s office for colds and flu knowing they can’t be turned away. Both scenarios cost the community a great deal.
If a non-profit single-payer system were adopted with co-pays for E.R. visits but not for Dr’s. office visits, a significant benefit would occur. The hospital staffs would be better utilized, people could be assessed and treated in the appropriate setting, and many serious illnesses could be averted or ameliorated. Individuals could stay healthier and have fewer lost work days; a plus for themselves and the community. It might even encourage more doctors to enter general practice. Maybe they’d only need one, not three office staff to deal with the paperwork. They could actually spend time with their patients rather than writing justifications to some non-medical insurance clerk for all their decisions.
I also take issue with the editorial stance regarding “rationed” and “state of the art” health care. The insurance companies already ration health care benefits, and expensive medical technology often benefits them, the lawyers and the manufacturers more than the patients. Many high-cost tests are performed routinely, not because physicians deem them necessary but because they are covering themselves and their facilities against legal repercussions. Litigation and the concept of health care as a business keep costs in the stratosphere. Our lifestyles and attitudes already restrict access to the high-tech medicine we brag about. If our “state of the art” medicine is so wonderful, why are we so far down on the list of developed countries in morbidity and mortality? I have been in health care for over forty years in Canada and the U.S. The situation is very complex and no system is perfect, but the need for reform is urgent. The only ones who believe in “every man for himself” are those who haven’t needed us yet.
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9/11
Informed people make better choices. Any conscious evolution requires awareness of the events that shape our thoughts and an awareness of our unconscious reactions.
On 9/11/01, Vice President Dick Cheney, as Director of Defense, was in command of the armed forces exercise ‘Vigilant Warrior’ in a bunker beneath the White House. He had issued a stand down directive to the Air Force.
Testifying before the 9/11 commission, Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation reported that Dick Cheney maintained that stand down order while the object that hit the Pentagon was reported to him as approaching.
Incredibly the central command post of the wealthiest, army in the world was hit by a known tracked object! The Pentagon happened to be struck in an area vacated because of a construction project. It had recently been hardened against a missile attack (AP). The object was likely a good test of the hardening. After the object hit the pentagon the stand down was likely lifted. This may explain why the 4th plane reported hijacked seemed to vaporize at the crash site.
Though the Pentagon has over 300 cameras around it and though a video camera at a gas station nearby had recorded a good view of the incident and had turned its video over to government authorities when they asked (AP), the Pentagon could only produced 4 fuzzy pictures of the event. In the days following, the Pentagon understandably became like a kicked hornets nest, eager for retaliation (AP).
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bin Laden acting like a Democrat
Samuel Crow
He appeared to be taking Botox and coloring up his beard, which reminded me of a young Al Gore or John Kerry. He even sounded like a Democrat, talking about the evil corporations killing JFK, how the evil Bush administration is responsible for global warming, that Bush began a war that is not winnable and he (Osama) could bring peace to the world. He even made complaints about neo-cons, capitalism and the US housing market, blaming it all on Bush. That would guarantee millions and millions of Democratic votes. I believe bin Laden and Obama would be the dream ticket - Obama-bin Laden. Although it could be Hillary too, especially when one considers her husband thumbed his nose at capturing bin Laden. Did he know something?
Once the campaign begins, the congressional Democrats could pass an amnesty for al-Qaida bill setting up motor voter in Iraq and registering millions by election time.
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Contradiction in RMN about homosexuality
One article rightly shames Idaho Sen. Larry Craig for his recent disgraceful and despicable behavior, which has everyone calling for his resignation from public office. Let me quote the arresting officer: “\[I\] recognized that \[action of Craig\] as a signal often used by persons communicating a desire to engage in sexual conduct.” Since this is a men’s restroom, the desire is of a homosexual nature.
The other article wrongly praises the magnanimity of two homosexual women who adopted two small children under a new law permitting adoption by homosexual couples.
Maybe the sexual activity so highly valued by those who define themselves by their lifestyle will be taught to these adopted children — soon landing them in the same predicament as Sen. Craig.
One day the American public will have to make a decision as to whether homosexual conduct is right or wrong. Meanwhile, we shall go on seeing this kind of doublespeak right before our eyes.
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Valedictorian speech
Rozmiarek says he is “all about the freedom of speech and religion, but in a tolerant society there is a time and place for it
It is Rozmiarek and the school principal who have a weird conception of tolerance and freedom
NASCAR brings in money
As a NASCAR fan who has attended NASCAR races both in
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Jeffco Schools makes nutrition progress
Thank you, Rocky Mountain News, for printing Margo Wootan and Scott Groginsky’s important article regarding junk food in schools (“Dumping the junk,” Sept. 8). As one of the co-founders of Jeffco Parents Focus on Nutrition, I am happy to say that our efforts have led to the Jefferson County School District becoming more and more deliberate about offering good food choices for our children.
As the article points out, the Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that providing healthy food does not hurt the bottom line and that participating in the federal food programs does not mean that food needs to be high-calorie/low nutrition.
That has helped us make the case that our school district does not need to serve nachos, sugary drinks and snacks or high fat/saturated fat and trans-fat products.
Instead, the district is now moving to more fresh fruits and vegetables, turkey franks, and snacks and breads with whole grains.
While there is more to do, we are very excited by the small changes an ad hoc group of almost 100 parents from across the district with support from Jeffco PTA are able to encourage. We are looking forward to even more improvements in the years to come.
Phyllis Albritton
Wilmot PTA president, Evergreen
A few statistics went unnoted by Bush
Here are a few statistics President Bush omitted from his recently televised speech (source: www.icasualties.org/oif):
From January 2007 through Sept. 10, there were 773 American fighters killed in Iraq (verified by the Department of Defense). From Jan. 11 through August 2007 there were 2,640 American fighters wounded and returned to duty. There were 2,225 American fighters wounded so seriously that they could not return to duty. The total wounded was 4,865.
These numbers are much larger than the “1,500 enemy fighters in Iraq that have been killed or captured since January” and that, according to the Rocky, so pleased local Bush supporters Mike and Deana Mobley (“Bush’s speech finds loyal listeners/Couple’s twin sons both serve in Iraq,” Sept. 14).
In addition, 16,622 Iraqi Security Forces and civilians have died since January 2007 as a result of the war. I urge anyone who is interested in what this war is costing Americans to visit the site mentioned above. Further information can be found at www.iraqbodycount.org and www.centcom.mil. Don’t just look at the picture painted by an administration that has lied to us since before the war.
Dolores Lopushansky, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (35) | TrackBackPolicy needed for cab rides for inebriated
A policy needs to be established to guarantee a cab ride when a person is trying to be responsible by not drinking and driving, regardless of the distance of the ride.
Recently, a friend of mine called both Yellow Cab and Metro Taxi for a ride home after he had several drinks at my house. He lives three miles from my house. He made several calls over the next hour and a half and, although he was assured a cab was on its way, nobody showed up. The truth came out during his last call almost two hours later. The dispatcher said nobody would take the call. By then my friend had sobered up and driven home. But what if he hadn’t waited? Something tragic may have happened.
I believe taxi companies have an ethical responsibility for serving the public when safety is at risk, even if it means a short ride. Policy dictated by the Public Utilities Commission could help keep drunk drivers off the road.
Joe Militello, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBackCSU policy flawed
In its Sept. 24 story, “Not the last word on editorial,” the Rocky Mountain News reports that it is the policy of Colorado State University’s Board of Student Communications that “Profane and vulgar words are not acceptable for opinion writing” in the various media it publishes and oversees on the CSU campus, including the Rocky Mountain Collegian.
This policy is seriously flawed.
If an individual (such as the president of the United States of America, for example) either is profane or vulgar or commits such acts, not only is it a disservice to the reader, but it is a violation of journalistic integrity to use any words but profane and vulgar ones to describe this individual or the acts committed by him.
Whitewashing is not good journalism.
Mario DeBenedittis, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackKeys to the treasury
Although unions were probably necessary 50 years ago, overreaching unions helped bring down the auto industry, steel industry and the airlines. The unions helped raise salaries in the short run, but their efforts eventually led to outsourcing and job loss when the market and competition forced change for survival.
In the public sector, there is no market-clearing price for services, and unionized employees can hold taxpayers hostage when they see fit (think France). Public employees already enjoy a retirement plan (PERA) and other benefits most in the private sector envy. It is not necessary, through collective bargaining, to give them the keys to the state treasury as well. (“Ritter backs partnership idea/But collective bargaining may be needed, he says,” Sept. 14.)
Mike Eller, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBackPerlmutter a puppet
Every time U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter opens his mouth about Iraq he sounds as if he is getting his talking points from MoveOn.org. When voters elected him did they know they were getting a representative whose views are more in tune with San Francisco than Colorado?
Please, Republicans, put up a worthy candidate so that we can send someone to Washington who is not a lackey of the political left.
John Dellinger, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (16) | TrackBackThat young lady did not proselytizing anyone by her comment relating to her faith. The assumed definition of those writing in the paper Monday expands the meaning of the word beyond any thing meaningful. By that assumed definition, someone who get dressed up for Church on Sunday morning and is seen, by chance, by the neighbor could be accused “proselytizing” that neighbor.
Tolerance is a two way street. She has every right to say that her faith is important in life. The people in attendance have every right to ignore her and to believe as they wish. That is freedom of speech and freedom to believe as you wish. How small is the mind that does not understand freedom?
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Dislike of President Bush
If I were a supporter of George W. Bush, I would probably want to sit down, joke a bit, and have a cold one with him - but I detest Mr. Bush¹s philosophy of promoting corporate control of America.
No shameful or derogatory names ( that I could call the Bush Administration ) can adequately express my disgust for its determined, purposeful and well-thought out dismantling of our democracy - by doing everything possible to destroy this nation¹s unique middle-class. One who believes that the purpose of this government should be the pursuit of power and wealth of, for and by corporations, as opposed to ³ life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness² for ordinary citizens, need read no further.
That said, I marvel at the efficiency of Mr. Bush¹s policies, and how successfully he has fooled the electorate and cowed the Congress. Karl Rove did a masterful job of teaching the president how to disguise his policies by calling them what they’re not - and to dispute or question their real purpose - well, it just doesn¹t sound right. Not only that, how can anyone who gushes patriotism and piety be questioned? Any thinking ten-year old could spot a politician who hides behind God or the flag - but unfortunately, ten year-olds can¹t vote.
As deceitful as I find this president¹s actions, I grudgingly concede that there is a consistency (staying the course, if you will, ) or common thread running through them all. Be it as diverse as the war in Iraq, energy policy, or medicines for seniors, the ultimate purpose of any Bush policy or law - despite its title - is the obscene ( not just fair or competitive ) profit or advantage for whatever group or industry is involved in the implementation of that package.
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Cancelling because of sticky ads
I’ve had it with these intrusive ad stickers the RMN insists on pasting on the cover page.
I’ve seen where readers have been complaining about these stickers for weeks. Other readers have responded that there is too much going on in the world to be concerned about ad stickers, and that we should just peel them off and “move on". Since these ads keep on coming, this apparently is the attitude adopted by the editors at the News.
I subscribe to a newspaper to read about those world events, not to have them covered every morning with such blatant in-your-face hucksterism. There are other sources of news in this community, and I have decided to find a news source that doesn’t feel it is necessary to start my day with another irritation. I just canceled my subscription to the News.
I know that one subscription means nothing when compared to the revenue these ads bring, but at least I won’t have to deal with them anymore, and can now enjoy my morning paper while catching up on the real news. I have “moved on” without the Rocky Mountain News.
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9/11
It is about time we found out what the 911 attack was all about. There are too many unexplained details, leading many citizens to speculate on all sorts of conspiracy theories, which only serve to further muddy the waters. Lets take another look, and open up the entire dialog. Let’s get to the truth and stop the speculation!
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Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Loveland
Hey Mr “Sell-Us—Out” pretend democrat and republican sheep allard. Please re-investigate all that went on around the beginning of this administration.
Only this administration has borrowed more money than all that came before them while the price of crude went from around $25.00 per barrel to $75 + per barrel. Pass legistaltion that keeps american business from moving to dubi and getting sweetheart deals paid for by the public. Also have the american people get the same health coverage that the legislators get. (By the way the public pays for yours.)
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Dialysis funding in trouble
There is a debate in Washington, D.C., that will cut future Medicare payments for these life-saving treatments. I find it alarming (as a caregiver and citizen) that our elected officials are threatening to cut this Medicare benefit for the most vulnerable of our community, especially when many policy
Clearly, our elected officials in Washington must ensure that this cut is reversed. It is necessary to ensure quality care for the citizens in our community and our country who rely on dialysis for quality of care and quality of life.
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U.S. health care falling behind
In his Sept. 3 letter to the editor, “State control stifles medical innovation,” Russell W. Shurts shows very little compassion for those 46 million Americans who have no health insurance. They are unable to afford the medications he takes daily. They are not able to have arthroscopic surgery. They are not able to have regular checkups to prevent many illnesses, illnesses that are less expensive to treat in their early stages.
Shurts also has not paid much attention to the failures of the present health-care system in the United States. Our life expectancy has fallen behind Great Britain’s with its awful universal health-care system. In the area of infant mortality, we have fallen behind — oh my gosh — a country like Cuba.
He has not paid attention to the fact that the pharmaceutical companies actually spend more money on administrative and marketing costs than they do on research and development.
All this has occurred while the United States has spent more than any other industrialized country for health care. Why? Because the money is not being spent on health care — it is being spent on administrative and marketing costs. A single-payer system would eliminate these unnecessary expenses in favor of providing much needed health care for all.
Susan A. Schiller, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (78) | TrackBackWe’re not sugar daddy for the government
Responding to letter writer Tommy Holeman’s plea to the middle class to get angry about taxes (Sept. 3), I would say he is welcome to send all his money to the government if he wishes.
And yes, I am already angry at people like Holeman who think I exist only to fund the government, angry that my Republican Party didn’t have the spine to make the tax cuts permanent, and angry that they have abandoned President Reagan’s wisdom and turned up the spending spigots!
Holeman’s halcyon days of 80 percent and 90 percent tax rates are not sane — they are slavery. Even under what Holeman calls welfare for the rich, the richest 20 percent still pay 78 percent of all federal income taxes. He obviously doesn’t understand that we the people are not here to be a collective teat that the government can latch onto and drain.
As for his Minneapolis bridge collapse example, he should follow the money spent over the years allocated for bridges and roads but instead wasted on feel-good mass-transit projects that most people refuse to use because they don’t take you where you want to go!
Jim Kiel, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (29) | TrackBackBetter maps, marking needed in forests
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in the coverage regarding the Forest Service’s plans to enforce off-highway vehicle access is the lack of consistent trail marking and numbering.
In the last couple of years I’ve had rangers give me new maps for areas, and when I try to follow the maps I find that the trails on the maps and the trails on the ground don’t match up. Intersections are not marked, there are numbered trails on the ground that aren’t on the maps, and trails on the maps that aren’t marked on the ground. This applies to all levels of off-highway vehicle trails, from good jeep roads to single-track motorcycle trails.
I appreciate the Forest Service updating the maps and making them available, and the rangers I’ve gotten them from have been friendly and helpful, but the maps and trail markers need to be brought into agreement. I’m happy to stay on designated trails when I ride; but someone needs to make an effort to make sure those trails are properly marked, and, on the other hand, to mark those that aren’t open to off-highway vehicles.
Rich Jarboe, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackNot even Dems can help you now, Osama
I was not surprised to hear Osama bin Laden plead to the Democrats to stop the war in Iraq, because that is all the Democratic candidates have chanted about. Bin Laden didn’t plead to the Republicans did he?
Since 9/11, Osama’s al-Qaida network has made several attempts to strike the United States and has been successful a few times in some other countries with U.S. ties.
After 9/11, President Bush had the wherewithal to take the fight with the terrorists to their backyard. This has obviously tied up most of al-Qaida resources and manpower. If it is stopped, the fight would surely be on U.S. soil once again. Now bin Laden is crying for help because he is pinned down and in fear of death.
Osama, you started this war and, yes, war is hell. I don’t believe even the Democrats can help you now. At any moment in the very near future some good ol’ boys from the U.S. of A. are going to kick down your front door and send you to your paradise.
K. Graves, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (46) | TrackBackWhat high-tech evils will Iraq war spawn?
Is anyone else as concerned as I am about the photo accompanying the article on Gen. David Petraeus in the Sept. 8 Rocky Mountain News? It showed an Iraqi man having his retina scanned by a U.S. soldier, a reminder that armed conflicts are testing grounds for new technologies.
Our government (partnered with private defense contractors) is testing new methods of identification and new techniques of civilian pacification on the Iraqi people. What guarantee will we have that such battle-tested (and continually improved upon) technologies and policing methods won’t be used domestically when this conflict ends?
Terrorism, we are told, is a conflict that will be fought for generations. Which technologies and authoritarian methods will “follow us home” from the battlefield to be deployed — by government and private businesses — on the home front, all in the name of keeping us “safer”?
John Wilkens, Boulder
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (25) | TrackBackPurity ball impresses
A thank-you to the Rocky Mountain News for its Sept. 15 article on the Father-Daughter Purity Ball (“Event celebrates dads’ pledge to daughters/‘Purity Ball’ seeks to honor fathers as family leaders”). What an outstanding idea and I am so impressed with the character of the individuals who attended.
Fathers do need to teach their daughters a standard for who to date and to save themselves for that special someone. I hope this type of thing spreads like wildfire. My one concern is this: What about our sons? Where is a purity event for them? Purity needs to be taught to our sons as much as our daughters.
The Rev. Bill Carmody
Respect Life director,Diocese of Colorado Springs
Aurora is Serf City
To those of you residing in cities or counties with water utilities that are customer-oriented, fair and upfront with their policies — be very thankful.
In Aurora, our feudal king and his eager-to-please water baron have managed to parlay an above-average snowpack year into a ridiculously high rate for water usage by the serfs (citizens). It appears that the serfs are expected to carry the load for water projects designed to bring yet more growth into this high plains kingdom.
The current housing slowdown might stall this incessant growth, but we serfs in Aurora will still be under the thumbs of our king and his water baron.
John Tumler, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBackLook who’s pompous
Letter writer Vince Rozmiarek states that he is “all for freedom of speech and religion, but in a tolerant society, there is a time and a place for it” (“Student among the ‘select pompous,’” Sept. 13).
His key word is “but.” What is the time and place? Who decides? Does Rozmiarek? How would he decide? If we live in a “tolerant” society, why couldn’t the class valedictorian talk about Jesus? It would seem that Rozmiarek knows best and would be joining the “select pompous” that he writes about.
Dianne Moyers, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBackSenators disappoint
I’m disappointed that both of Colorado’s senators voted against an amendment to suspend earmarks to the transportation bill until deficient bridges are repaired. These earmarks will fund such “essential” projects as a Las Vegas museum. I wonder if this museum will have a memorial to the people killed when the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed.
Scott Vickrey, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBackFools in the dark
Have the Democrats done a cost analysis on how much more we will be paying for electricity and natural gas to light and warm our homes because of their “green” policies? No? Oh, what a surprise! We are being governed by fools in the dark.
Peter Piccone, Wheat Ridge
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackA sucking chest wound: America’s Generals… How convenient it is for outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, to admit on the eve of his retirement to errors of judgment made in the Iraq war.
The fact that our Generals perpetually expressed adequate American troop levels in Iraq to Congress and the American people, when the opposite has always been the case, constitutes a dereliction of duty that continues to go unaddressed.
While leading American soldiers on patrols and trying to train Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) both in 2003 and 2005 in Al Anbar, Baghdad and Nineveh Provinces, we, and many other officers operating at the tactical and operational levels, consistently conveyed to our superior officers the need for more troops. There simply was not enough manpower to support the security, humanitarian, and nation-building efforts.
To this end, our Generals neither served their purpose nor did what they were promoted to do – take care of the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen under their charge, fight for their units and lead by example.
How is it that no senior officer has served any jail time for Abu Ghraib? Why did our senior leaders think ‘search and destroy’ was going to be any more effective in Iraq than it was in Vietnam? How is it that the officers responsible for lying about Pat Tillman’s death were only given notional reprimands? Why has no American officer been held accountable for hundreds of thousands of missing weapons and equipment in Iraq? Why is it that the only General Officers who have spoken up about failed war strategy are retired?
It is simply astonishing that through the incompetence and self-delusion of these men, who have disgraced the uniform, an insurgency and terrorists have grown stronger and that overall, our military posture is weakened.
Even now, Generals Petraeus and Odierno count their temporary successes with a miniscule force of 160,000 Soldiers and Marines, yet are as silent as church mice over the need for additional forces to make the gains more permanent.
In fact, we’re already talking about a reduction in forces, when any General who possessed the competence of say, a Captain, would be telling Congress to triple the size of the Army and Marines, or cut our losses.
Time will tell how this ugly and terrible debacle will unfold but the history of our military leaders during this era will ultimately reveal the truth and extent of their dereliction.
Jason Blindauer and Luis Carlos Montalván are former Army captains who both served in Iraq in 2003 and 2005.
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9/11 an inside job?
We all need to be courageous to look at 9/11 case again to see if it is inside job by our U.S. government to advance its agenda. We, the American people, are ready to hear the truth about our own government’s terrorist responsbility. Please remove them and protect us and you all. Thank you.
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Democrat’s comments
The recent comments by democrats finally make make it obvious that their claims of any integrity truly “...require the willing suspension of disbelief”
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Ramblings of Evangelical Christians
Normally, I simply shake my head at the irrational ramblings of evangelical Christians, feeling somewhat sympathetic to the narrow-minded, braces-on-the-brain perspective into which they have been totally exploited. But George Lilly’s letter (September 15th, Talk Back to the Media), regarding anti-religious bias by providing greater coverage to Pavarotti’s passing than to the death of a Florida evangelist, deserves a response.
Mr. Lilly’s note reveals much more than he ever intended. By attempting to submerge Luciano Pavarotti’s “newsworhyness” below that of a Bible-thumping radio evangelist, he has displayed, and blatantly, the inability of those of his persuasion to look, see, and feel the beauty beyond the Biblical blinders that men like Rev. Kennedy so surreptitiously slipped onto him.
To refer to the greatest talent that ever graced the stage of lyric opera, a man who brought such artistic joy to millions worldwide with a voice of unbelievable range and tonal purity as a “singer” is like calling Einstein a math teacher. How sad it is to let one’s religion assassinate one’s ability to recognize and appreciate talent and the arts. But as the saying goes, “Fundamentalism stops a thinking mind.”
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Rise in atheism
I read was great distress that there is a rise in athiesthism (Sunday’s article ‘Religious extremism boosts ranks of atheists’, September 16, 2007).
I’m not going to quote scripture or get preachy here, because I too am turned off by that. But why do others feel they must base their faith on the actions of others, good or bad? Where’s everyone’s sense of individuality? I consider myself a devout Catholic but I seldom go to church because my faith is in my heart and not a building and that I find most attending to be hypocrites. I know that the Catholic church has had a bloody history (i.e., the Crusades) and that pedophile priests leave little to be desired. But I’m not going to quit my faith because of the Ted Haggards and Jihadist terrorists.
They are the ones with issues, not the Catholic church or any faith for that matter.
Furthermore, how can anyone look at a sunrise or children playing and not see God’s hand in their creation somehow? Take a walk in the mountains this autumn and prove that God is not around us. Surely, there has been a time in an atheist’s life where they were confronted with a terrible crisis and they were rescued, even without prayer. God and his son is there, saving us even without beckoning or acknowledging their presence.
The Devil’s greatest accomplishment is making people believe he doesn’t exist.
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Reopen 9/11 investigation
Our democracy, constitution, rule of law and treasury have been trampled and squandered since Bush gained office in 2000. Our founding fathers envisioned a country immune from this insult through a balance of powers and oversight. Our unique system that has stood the test of 200 years has been corrupted by the current administration beginning with the stolen 2000 election and it continues to this day. This cancer must be excised to ensure the future of this country is not compromised.
Please reopen the 9/11 Investigation.
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We need the truth about 9/11
We’re footing the bill for all that has to do with 9-11 and we will be for decades to come, therefore don’t tell me that we, the taxpaying Americana citizens, don’t have the RIGHT to know and you as our elected officials have the DUTY to find the info and tell us the TRUTH and WHOLE TRUTH! Now.....get to it! It’s never too late for the truth and @ this time we need to recapture the essence of this once great democracy.
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Purity ball
Am I the only person who read the article about the “Purity Ball” and thought, “Ewwwww!"? The photograph of a dad with his heavily made up twelve year old daughter at the ball gave me the creeps. There are so many things wrong with this one-sided account of chastity that I barely know where to begin.
Is chastity only the girls’ burden to carry? Where are the purity balls for the boys? The entire tone of this article reminds me of a Stepford Wives world. The characterization of one of the girls as “stylish” and the description of a suitor as “an Air Force catch” harkens back to a time when the sheets were hung out for display after a wedding night as a sign of the bride’s virginity. I wonder if the “Air Force catch” had shared a kiss with someone prior to his marriage. Is it okay for him to have a sexual history, perhaps because of his status as a “catch?” It’s shameful what these fathers are doing to these girls under the guise of “protection.” Talk to your daughters (or better yet to your daughters and sons) about abstinence - fine. But to trot them out on display makes it seem like this is more about their dads’ egos than anything else.
Of course, the entire issue of whether or not pledges of abstinence actually work was completely avoided. Many peer reviewed studies have shown that these pledges don’t result in lower instances of STD’s. More than half who take the pledges, only one year later, deny ever having made them. Another study found that young people who take a formal pledge do not delay having sex.
As for theses fathers cherishing their daughters, how many of them cherished their wives enough to wait until they were married for their first kiss, or their first sexual encounter? Or is this something that’s only good enough for their daughters?
Lest anyone think I’m a permissive parent, that isn’t the case. I’m a Sunday School teaching wife and mother who happens to think that some things are better dealt with in a more private manner. Good morals are taught day in and day out. If these dads really want to cherish their daughters, spend time with them every day, love them, teach them to be critical thinkers, and set a good example. One doesn’t need to have an annual public event to do that.
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Pres. Bush’s speech
Editor, A short comment on the recent speech by George W. Bush.
While I must agree with our President as to the necessity of stability in the middle east, I must admit I’m rather perplexed by the course he and his administration have pursued.
The public apparently is equally confused , and “What the hell are we doing?” seems to be the only phrase that they can sum up the feeling of mainstream America.
When 9/11/2001 changed history as we know it, people worldwide were empathetic and demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
That was good.
Then, unfortunately, our President and his followers blew it and haven’t a clue how to fix it.
Take Ann Coulter (please). As I watched fox news Saturday morning at around 9:30, she made a statement that made me do a classic spit-take.
“I think it would be a lot of fun” when asked if bombing Iran would be necessary.
WHAT?
I do realize that shocking and demeaning Liberals is her whole reason for existing, but her answer falls in the same category as when her sweetie ,W Bush used the term “crusade” to describe our mission in the war on terror.
That was bad, REAL bad. Muslims remember the crusades.
There is nothing “fun” about a bomb. Either homemade or otherwise.
It’s past time we continue forgiving these clowns for dragging the name of the United States of America through the mud for a means for a profitable bottom line for their buddies.
“Personal accountability” was the battle cry of Republicans when Clinton was being vilified for things real and imagined.
It’s also past time for Americans to demand that Republicans slap some camo on sweet Ann Coulter, ship her to the front lines and see first hand what a bomb can do.
Believe me, we American Liberals who were against the war from the beginning derive no pleasure from knowing we were right .
Neither do any of the victims of Bush’s war, American or Iraqi.
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No pics of Pentagon 9/11 attack
D
i have actually never seen a single photo of an aircraft striking the pentagon-i have seen a fireball but with some 200 security cameras at the outside of the building isn’t it odd that not one picture of even a a/c. sillouhette in a low attitude has ever been produced-its hard to imagine also that at 9 o’clock in the morning of 9-11 that not one gov’t person was outside and saw a commercial aircraft flying low over D.C. while the photos from N.Y. were shot by a hundred different photogs. the official reasons smell.
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Your cover-page photo of Gen. Petraeus is an insult to a true American hero.
You intentionally tried to diminish this man with your placement of the photo, and the effectiveness of his mission for our country. It is demeaning to have to turn to pp.27 to read about 9-11.....let us Never forget. Your liberal presentation is being noted by the silent majority....less you forget us, for the few you represent.
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Pres. Bush’s address
Return on Accountability
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Who will inherit the war?
How many people have to die until President Bush can pass the failed war onto the next President, How Many? How many of or young people will be wounded until President Bush can pass the failed war onto the next President. How Many? How many civilians must die until this is passed on to the next President. President Bush dosen’t want history to show that he started a war that we shouldn’t have. Who will have the political courage to step up and stop this guy, certainly not the Republicans. Come on Democrats stop this guy in his tracks.
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Mike Rosen
I often agree with Mike Rosen on politics, but I would be to differ with his account of valedictorian, Erica Corder, and her speech at Lewis-Palmer High School. What does Rosen define as a “pitch for Jesus?” If he means that one should not preach a sermon for a graduation speech, I might well agree. If, however, she merely mentions the name of Jesus, would that be considered taboo? Rosen does not define the violation of “reasonable school policy.” In short, the episode is but another blatant attempt on the part of secular schools to eradicate Christianity from the public square. The Lewis-Palmer incident is a case in point.
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Vaughn Johnson’s death
I read the article about Vaughn Johnson’s tragic death with great dismay.
Certainly there was more to this young man’s life than the fact that he happened to play football in high school. Perhaps the News is guilty of perpetuating the stereotype that the only meaningful contribution young African American males can make somehow involves excelling in sports or entertainment. Shame on you.
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Rep. Udall’s town meeting
I went to the Rep. Mark Udall’s town meeting this week, and was discouraged to hear him confirm his support of the war in Iraq. Even though he says he is completely against it, he will support funding it, without any stipulation that the funds be used solely to bring the troops home. He seems to go along with all those who say, “Oh , what terrible things will happen if we irresponsibly leave? “ I would counter that with, “What GREAT things will happen if we responsibly leave?” Rep. Udall did not detail any plan as to how funds should be used.
If you are unwilling to AGAIN send billions of dollars to continue this war, please call all three of these officials. The vote on funding is coming up soon. Phone calls do make a difference.
Senator Allard: 202-224-5941, or in Colorado at 303-220-7414 Senator Salazar: 202-224-5852, or in Colorado at 303-455-7600 Representative Udall, who wants to run for the Senate, 202-225-2161, or in Colorado at 303-650-7820 Rep. Udall seems to be under the impression that only a small group of citizens in his congressional district want to stop funding the war, and that hundreds of thousands of other Coloradoans agree with him that we should continue funding it. Please set him straight!!! There are so many of us he hasn’t heard from! Also encourage him get in touch with his constituency by having more frequent town meetings in larger venues so that those who come can participate.
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Taxes for the rich to pay for the Iraq war
I found it interesting that you took the rather placid, spoon- fed opinion of the Petraeus & Crocker show. Yes, what they said was mildly encouraging about the state of affairs in Iraq. In fact, I have decided to take an entirely different approach on Iraq after reading your editorial. I think we should stay there. We messed it up pretty bad and I think we have an obligation to see this thing through. But the only caveat that I have in regards to this position is that Bush’s three tax cuts for the wealthy have got to go.
If this Administration wants to use the United States Military for this purpose, then so be it. But the wealthy have got to be taxed back to the level before Bush handed all of his Daddy Warbuck friends cart blanche with the American tax system. Because tax cuts mean the underfunding of the Veterans Administration, and we can’t treat our soldiers to this travesty while maintaining a policy that gets them blown up.
And on another note, I think the American people need to look closer at the Hunter Oil deal made with Kurdistan that you cited in your editorial. That particular business deal was done by a Bush friend, Ray L. Hunt, who serves on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a position that provides him with the best foreign intelligence by US spy agencies. There seems to be some kind of conflict of interest here, if a Bush crony is utilizing his position on this board to make business decisions, business decisions that seem to completely undermine the processes for reconciliation that need to occur in Iraq before American troops can come home.
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Impeach this administration
When are we AMERICANs going to wake up and IMPEACH this ADMINISTRATION! They are corrupt and have LIED about everything! What is the TRUTH OF THE BUSH AND BIN LADEN FAMILY CONNECTION? WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT 9/11?
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Workers comp doctors
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORK COMP DOCTOR AND AN NON WORK COMP DOCTOR? THE REASON BEING THAT A SOCIAL SECURITY JUDGE IN DENVER TOLD ME AND TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE? CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME? AND WHY DOES WORK COMP PAY THERE DOCTORS MORE THAN NON WORK COMP DOCTORS? AND HOW COME AFTER TALKING WITH LOTS OF LAWYERS AND DOCTORS AND ALSO SOME JUDGES THEY ALL SEEM TO AGREE THAT WORK COMP IN COLORADO IS SERIOUSLY FLAWED AND IS GEARED TOWARDS THE INSURANCE COMPANY S AND THE EMPLOYERS? SO MY QUESTION IS AFTER ALL OF THIS IS WHY DO WE NOT INVESTIGATE AND CHANGE THIS WOEFULLY FLAWED SYSTEM?
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Response to Deb Acord’s “flip flop” article
Her referral to the “flip-flop” people almost hints at characterizing a lower life-form of people who hail from the states she names (KS, IL, OK, TX). Places where she says “flip-flops make more sense.” Have you, Ms.
Where do you get off criticizing not only what they wear, but also their methods of travel, dining, or participation in tourist activities? Of course they have sunburned shoulders. The Colorado sun is among the most damaging anywhere in the U.S. Do “we” think our visitors are somehow inferior just because their skin has been assaulted by the closer proximity to those damaging effects? It almost sounds like you’re implying that these folks are just too stupid to apply sunscreen.
Of course they spent more money than they planned. Colorado is ridiculously overpriced. How sad that those who travel here are subject to the arrogant scorn of inhabitants like you.
Are they inferior because they’re not “doing Colorado right” with their sunburns and fanny packs, like you are with your biking books? Just who are your “Trails and Tips” for anyway, only the privileged Cannondale-owning millionaire with a pair of toe-clips?
I’d trade a hot summer night with my good friends in the Midwest for any “chilled air” evening sipping an overpriced microbrew at some high-brow restaurant in the mountain town you call home.
And I have news for you about those sunsets you call breathtaking....mountains just get in the way. Colorado sunsets pale (literally) in comparison to Midwest sunsets. Until you have seen that gigantic crimson orb dancing at twilight in the atmospheric waves spanning a prairie horizon, you have never witnessed a breathtaking sunset.
The next time you bite into your multi-grain bread, or sip your snobby microbrew, think about a Kansas farmer in his well-worn Justin work boots, harvesting a wheat or barley field. No flip-flops in his closet.
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Health-care commission can’t ‘solve’ crisis
A Rocky Mountain News article on Sept. 20 quoting me about the challenges facing the Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform may have created some erroneous impressions (“Health reform panel faces woes,” Sept. 20). I’d like to set the record straight.
When asked “Is the commission going to solve Colorado’s health-care crisis?” I explained that we are moving the ball forward, but that the commission itself cannot “solve” the crisis. Our charge is to develop recommendations for expanding access to coverage and decreasing costs. We are evaluating options to achieve those goals, and are confident that the report we present to legislators in January will provide the foundation for sound and effective policies.
But the health-care crisis is complex. It cannot be “solved” in a year.
After reviewing 31 reform proposals submitted to us and analyzing four of those in great detail, we are now developing a fifth proposal that will also undergo detailed analysis. And, we are about to embark on community meetings around the state to hear our fellow citizens’ views.
As I said in the article, this is the beginning of a journey. We are committed to ensuring that journey gets off to the right start.
William N. Lindsay III
Chair, Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform
Media’s rush ill-served hurt player, family
After the severe injury he suffered in the Denver Broncos’ opening game, I was very glad to hear the good news about Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills and his recovery. I feel, however, that the media’s rush to broadcast the news did an extreme injustice to both Everett and his family.
I’m an avid football fan who was very concerned and interested in any news involving Everett’s condition. But had I only been told that it was serious and that he was out of surgery and time was needed to assess his injuries, I would have been content.
Instead, various news agencies chose to air the worst-case scenarios and had everyone thinking the worst. And now, instead of admitting they jumped the gun, they want the world to believe a miracle has just happened. Maybe it did. But having the prognosis change so dramatically in little over 24 hours had to be gut wrenching for his family and friends.
Tom Smokowski, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBackUpdate SFO info
I must take issue with The Sunday Denver Post’s Weekend Flyaways column about San Francisco. The story notes it’s a “special” to The Denver Post. How many years has this article been sitting around? Or has the author not bothered to update the car rental access at San Francisco International Airport?
The story notes there is a bus to take one to the car rental facility. There have not been buses running to that facility since a light-rail train was opened several years ago that runs between terminals as well as BART and the car rental facility. Get the facts straight!
Ken Bugosh, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBackFlaxseed report totally inappropriate
The little item implicitly recommending 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed for hot flashes (Health & Fitness, Spotlight, Sept. 11) is totally inappropriate.
First, the study cited in WebMD was very small — only 29 women, eight of whom dropped out. It was an uncontrolled study and lasted for only six weeks. The value of those results is really questionable.
Worst of all, if the Rocky had known anything about ground flaxseed, it would know that if a woman starts taking 4 tablespoons of that stuff without working up from a smaller dose, she will spend the next day or two in the bathroom almost constantly as it will cause extreme gas and diarrhea.
I suggest the Rocky get someone with medical credentials to review what’s submitted for publication.
Linda Graham, RN, BSN
Centennial
Hypocritical critic
Rocky Mountain News media critic Jason Salzman exhausts half of his column scolding reporters for not meeting his standard of what constitutes the whole story when covering conservatives (“Reporters should pin ’em down,” On the Media, Sept. 15). Then, in his very next topic, “Syndicated pundits,” he fails to identify Media Matters for America as one of the most notorious anti-conservative media-review groups in America.
That this group chooses to be biased is none of my business. It is my business, as a subscriber, when a local media critic lectures a reporter for allegedly not getting the whole story, then fails to tell the whole story himself by withholding relevant information about the background of his polling sources.
Percy Conarroe, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackPut TV listings on Web
If the Rocky Mountain News won’t reinstate the daily evening TV listings, can it at least make them available on its Web site? The Rocky has devoted a lot of space on the changing times for print media. Has it given much thought to the things it does to drive readers away?
Don Mayor, Lakewood
"Is this the best that America can do?” Those are the last words of the forceful documentary “No End in Sight", spoken by a marine who fought in Iraq. The film should be mandatory viewing for anyone who considers himself a patriot. I implore you to go see it, because the consequences of our ignorance to what our own country is going will soon become impossible to ignore.
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Rep. Diana DeGette’s wilderness plan
In Reference to Bill Scanlon’s Article “DeGette Unveils Plan to Designate 1.6 Million Acres as Wilderness" Scanlon quotes Meg Collins, President of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, as saying it would be “troubling” if the wilderness that Representative Diana DeGettes’s plan would designate were to include areas “having great potential to extract oil and gas I a way that doesn’t hurt the land.” What seems more troubling to me is the prospect of continuing battles with the Oil and Gas Industry over what will or will not hurt the land. Given the Bush Administration’s constant pressure to open more and more National Parks to drilling, such battles seem likely to end in victory for Oil and Gas companies which, as usual, will probably get what they desire.
Who after all, is to decide what it means to hurt the land? If we are to judge by past experience of the Bush Administration’s attitude toward corporate regulation, we can only assume that it is the Oil and Gas companies themselves who will decide.
Coloradians will therefore be left to trust our state’s awesome and irreplaceable natural beauty to companies who can only see anything that in anyway adversely affects their bottom lines as “troubling”
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Boycott Mattel and anything from China
I read the story about Mattel CEO testifying before Congress. I remember when the U.S. had a trade ban against China, it was lifted in the early 70’s.
Has anyone checked prices on Mattel products? Does anyone think they passed their savings on to the Consumer?
I think the American people should boycott Mattel and anything from China, that includes Catfish, toothpaste or any food or drug product.
I also think they should boycoyt Walmart until they go back to carrying “made in the USA Label.”
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Children’s health
In fact, while some are sitting back in our nation’s capital simply talking about change, our industry is making it happen right now in schools in Colorado and across the country.
A little more than a year ago, our industry teamed with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, to develop national School Beverage Guidelines. These guidelines remove full-calorie sodas from all schools and provide students with a range of lower-calorie, nutritious and smaller-portion beverage options. It’s all part of a broader effort to teach children the importance of a balanced lifestyle.
Just one year into the three-year implementation process, we’ve already cut calories from all beverages in schools by more than 40 percent. And we’ve reduced full-calorie soft drinks even further. So we are ahead of pace in making meaningful change in our schools.
Furthermore, while Ms. Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Mr. Groginsky of Colorado Children’s Campaign suggest that parents are “fed up,” we have found a strong majority of parents support providing low-calorie and high nutrition choices for their kids. Our calorie-based School Beverage Guidelines give students a range of choices that help them learn how to balance calories consumed with calories burned. It’s no surprise then that our common-sense guidelines are supported by 89 percent of pediatricians and family physicians, as well as 82 percent of parents, according to a Public Opinion Strategies survey.
We encourage your community to learn more about the guidelines by going to www.schoolbeverages.com. While implementing the School Beverage Guidelines has been a challenging and costly task, our industry is committed to making it happen.
The bottom line is we’re not just talking about addressing school nutrition. Our industry is making it happen — right now and for the future.
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Cong. Udall & the war in Iraq
Dear Editor, Congressman Udall availed himself of our servicemen and women in order to justify his support for continued funding of the Iraq War at a town hall meeting held in Thornton. Udall claims that he has listened to the calls and read the many letters of anti-war protestors and peace supporters. He quoted his mom’s dictum of how he has two ears and one mouth for a reason; to listen more. However, he gave little time to hear about peoples’ concerns about the funding of the war and, at this rare appearance, stated that we can phone, fax, or write to him about our concerns. Many of us have phoned, faxed, and wrote! We have spoken only to his secretaries and office staff. Meeting face-to-face with a congressman is an opportunity to be heard directly without the filter of staff members or the second hand information from secretaries. It allows people to participate in a democracy by being directly heard by their representative.
This was a poor lead up to his U.S. Senate run and he faces a daunting task of trying to win over his anti-war/pro-peace base. Finally, I was appalled by his polling the audience with the question “How many of you are for cutting off funding of the troops?” Not the troops Conressman “Two Ears and One Mouth,” but the war. Udall must stop using the troops as an excuse to continue this illegal war. Bring our troops home now and stop funding this illegal war!
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Iraq
More time, more money, more troops, more war, more death. But most importantly - more profits for his corporate cronies and the military-industrial complex.
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Fat, dumb Americans
Mike Gravel bestowed his honesty on the American people during the online democratic forum Thursday and reminded us of statistical fact. We as Americans are fatter and dumber than at any other time in the history of our republic. I wasn’t completely behind Gravel’s assessment on what kind of government fatter and dumber Americans deserve until I read a recent Annenberg Center poll regarding Americans knowledge about the Supreme Court. And yep, fat dumb Americans deserve the kind of government that puts it all in the fine print. Most American don’t even know that Supreme Court decisions are final and that there is no appeals process! 15% of the population couldn’t name the Chief Justice (Robert Gates) while two-thirds could name an American Idol judge (pathetic).
So yeah, Mike Gravel is right. Americans deserve the government they get, especially when they are either too dumb or too preoccupied with their lives to know how their government works or what exactly their government is doing.
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War in Iraq
General Patreas and President Bush 9/14/2007 President Bush on his comments about General Patreas report claims that the surge is working and we will be able to return some troops, perhaps next summer. But we must maintain a
Pakistan is supposedly an ally. We pay them billions a month to fight Islamic extremists. yet the Taliban and Al Qeada still allude them. Osama bin Ladin is reportedly still in the northern hills of Pakistan, between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mushariff is afraid he will be overthrown if he dares attack them.
President Bush claims we are defeating Al Qeada in the middle east.
According to the FBI and CIA Al Qeada has doubled it’s troops since we began the war in Iraq.
What President Bush fails to realize is that reporters in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and in Washington can report the truth seconds after he speaks. Yet he still manages to spin his Republican constituency on his failing Iraqi policies.
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Support of the troops
Could your spin be more obvious? Currently two-thirds of Americans oppose the Iraq war in some for or another and you report on two out of two million in the Denver Metro area who support it? Of course I know several people who support the war. I also know about twice as many who oppose it, people not represented in your story. Is this an attempt at balanced journalism, offsetting the two-thirds of us who oppose Bush’s war of conquest with a story of two who support it?
Aside from that, the people you interviewed were dead wrong. Bush did not say he intended to finish the job in Iraq nor apparently does he plan to do so. He essentially said he intends to pass it off to his successor by keeping “pre-surge” levels of troops in the country through next year.
General Petraeus doesn’t even know if the war in Iraq is making America more secure - how much of a justification for risking the lives of family members is that?
In the interests of full disclosure, I’ve been against this war since the first drumbeat five years ago. I’m also a veteran, a former Air Force officer, who wants to support every troop on the ground the best way I know how, by getting them out of a futile war as safely and quickly as possible.
That is support of the troops. Keeping them involved in a war their commander doesn’t even know is keeping America safe is not.
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Funding the war is a mistake
To continue funding the war is a mistake. The morally right thing to do now is to end the occupation and seek the help of the U.N. in organizing talks with Iraq’s neighbors so that they do not take advantage of Iraq’s weakened state. We also need to protect the thousands of Iraqis who helped us.
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DPS teachers doing more for less
In response to the letter of Sept. 6, “Teacher’s demands, productivity at odds,” it is beyond belief that there is an obvious widespread opinion that lack of progress in CSAP is caused by poor teaching.
Teaching positions have been reduced, while enrollment has increased. This results in larger teacher-student ratios (my classes at East High School averaged 40 students). Shortages of textbooks and other classroom necessities add to difficulties and frustrations for the classroom teacher.
The fact that there has been improvement in CSAP scores, at all, in the past few years in Denver Public Schools is a testament to the diligent efforts of all teachers to educate our public school population.
DPS classroom teachers are educating our students for more than CSAP scores. These students are also being graded on SAT, ACT and graduation-requirement coursework.
The article also disagreed with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association’s stance on involving classroom teachers in school reform and the design of curricula, along with a much needed salary increase. Meeting the DCTA’s requests would send a strong message that the efforts to “do more with less” is valued, and greatly improve morale.
Martin Doherty, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (24) | TrackBackSurfing porn sites at library is troubling
Recently, my wife found herself in the periodicals section of the Denver Central Library at about 2:30 p.m. She was looking for a computer to do some schoolwork on, but they were all in use.
As she walked around she noticed three different men surfing pornography sites. She was a little put off, being that she really needed to use a computer, so she went to the librarian to make a complaint. The response she received was that the library is a public space and they won’t do anything about it because of freedom of speech (even though this has nothing to do with speech).
Now, I believe people have the right and freedom to view pornography. On the other hand, I am not so sure viewing pornography should be done at the public library.
If my wife could see what these men were looking at, then what stops a child from seeing the same thing? So, I wonder, how far does our public library take this stance? Do we not have laws against public indecency? Where do we draw the line?
Steven Sharp, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (79) | TrackBackPsychiatry’s dangers
Kenton Astin had six years of psychiatric treatment, yet he still was insane enough to cut the throat of a University of Colorado student (“Two close calls at CU/Student's throat slashed; no shots fired at suspect,” Aug. 28). And the psychiatrists said he was no risk.
Psychiatry cannot cure but can only attempt to suppress a malady. The drugs used to suppress the malady can and do exacerbate the original problem, including making a person homicidal when he may have only been despondent.
Yes, Astin should be removed from society, but be placed in a jail where he can hopefully recover and not be again experimented on by the modern day Dr. Frankensteins.
Chris Carberry, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackUnkind jabs
Please put me on the mailing list for Deb Acord’s next book, An Elitist’s Guide to Who Is Suited to Visit Colorado. I am sure it will be a best-seller in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Acord’s Spotlight column of Sept. 11, “So long, flatlanders in flip-flops,” was unkind and arrogant. I am sure she did not take two seconds to smile nicely at the visitors she used for fodder in that column or to offer some other suggestions of what they might enjoy during their stay. But that is probably because she already knew they could not afford the best restaurants and did not come equipped with mountain bikes.
When did Colorado become so elitist? I shudder to think how much ill will this column will cause when it leaves our state and finds its way through Google to the rest of the country.
Nice going, Ms. Acord.
Michele Carvell
Executive director, Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association
Manitou Springs
Valiant warriors
Today is National POW-MIA Day (prisoners of war or missing in action). On this day, we should all take a few moments out of our busy schedule and reflect on what it should mean to us to be living in America. How many of our POW-MIA troops are still giving and paying the price for that freedom? While in these few moments, pay tribute to and say a prayer for these valiant warriors.
Phil Williams, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBackJ
The regular price of a full price NY Times Ad is $116,000.
Move On. Org paid $65,000.
Does this not constitute an unreported $51,000 political contribution? (Yes, I realize this is not a contribution to the Democrat Party directly - but indirectly it is doing the Democrats dirty work)...Is this how illicit indirect political contributions are made now that Norman Hse is in custody?
More seriously, questions of contribution aside, is not this discount indicative of slanting of the news - now by price discrimination is ad pricing by the New York Times beyond the editorial page?
The media continually calls for investigations of politicians, where is the journalistic ethics/investigation police for newspapers?
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Thanks Colorado
Russell Smith, former outoor writer and author of The Gun That Wasn’t There, of San Angelo, Texas
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Iraq war
Iraq: What to do?
It’s a mess. Damned if we stay, damned if we go.
What ARE we going to do?
When we went in we were bound to ‘succeed’ and shame on us if we ‘fail’, whatever those may mean but it is clear to me that anybody who engages in violence, whatever the conditions may be, has failed. I was always taught “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” and “Love your enemies, bless those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you.”
No, I am not naive, I just won’t settle for anything but the greatest solutions as I know we in this great country are capable of.
I can understand the reaction to get satisfaction that comes with pride and passion. This is my country and my world, you are my brothers and sisters. I share that fire that burns in all of us. But we must direct that deep burning passion into great, utmost honorable, excellent means and ends.
We’ve got to be aware of our thinking from the pattern that we’ve been exposed to how the public relations departments of the unethical corporations, government, media has now so indelibly etched in our brains. I can understand how they come about as they are trying to serve their communities immediately surrounding them. But that short sightedness away from the larger community has demonstrated its dire tragic consequences.
Then we’ve got to do humanity proud, even more than that, life in general. We’ve got to be credit to this miraculous existence. Right?!!! Let’s rise to the occasion!
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Gen. Petraeus’ speech
Everyone is afraid to confront the 800-pound gorilla in the room. But with a report by Gen. Petraeus that everyone, including every other high-ranking military officer, knows is false, and a president with approval ratings south of 30%, the American people need change...quickly. I agree we don’t want a repeat of the exit from Saigon, but with clear goals, that won’t happen.
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Single payer system will not cut costs
In response to David Montero’s article ‘Panel: Only 1 health plan would cut costs.’ I am unsure just how much medical marijuana Mr. Montero and the editors of the Rocky have been smoking, but it must be significant. Only they could come out and say that a single payer system ‘would cut costs.’ Please help me understand how an 8.1% increase in everybody’s personal income tax cuts costs to us. That’s not from our current rate of 4.7% to 8.1%, but a whopping 12.8% income tax on everybody. That’s almost three times what we currently pay for the government to protect us form ourselves.
To compound the problem, they will additionally finance this ‘cut costs’ program by increasing the payroll taxes to 6%. Where to you think that increase in payroll taxes will come from? That’s right, from the pockets of the workers in decreased and stagnated wages and decreases in other benefits.
As we look deeper into the details as presented by The Lewin Group, the increases in both personal income tax and payroll tax will continue to rise over time and it is expected that in the next 10 years those taxes will be 16.6% and 7.8%, respectively. Personally I can’t afford the single payer program that ‘cuts costs.’ You all need to know the one glowing number all reporters are failing to bring up and that is the $26.578 Billion in new ANNUAL spending with the single payer ‘cut costs’ program. That’s billion with a capital ‘B’ that will be turned over to the state government to manage.
My message to you citizens of Colorado, please do not be fooled as there is no such thing as costs cutting in health care just like in any other product. When’s that last time the cost of a car went down? Exactly, only when you bought one with fewer options and no A/C and no power steering.
Watch your wallets people, as there is are huge costs to you and me when someone says, the ‘plan will cut costs.’
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Our water needs
The proposed Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) should be rejected by citizens as a financially irresponsible way to meet our water needs.
Funding the NISP, most notably the construction of Glade reservoir north of Fort Collins, would require a forced explosion of growth and development sufficient to seal our fate as an overcrowded urban slum, the Los Angeles of the Rockies. If the required growth fails to occur, residents of participating communities will assume the debt, as high as $15,000 per family.
Local groups, such as SaveThePoudre.Org, have shown strong evidence that conservation practices could meet the water needs of northern Colorado, with a lower impact on our wallets and way of life. Many of the communities participating in NISP have shameful civic water conservation records, and fiscally-conservative citizens should demand that their leaders reign in water usage before volunteering to carry the estimated $405 million minimum project cost.
We are a water-wasting society living in a dry environment, and there is no avoiding the eventual reckoning. Our engineers will naturally choose the path of construction and debt, but a reasoning populace recognizes when this approach is self-defeating.
Local city councils, businesses, and residents must rethink the value of water in the West before submitting to the mammoth band-aid solution represented by NISP. A bit of educated conservatism and responsibility are far preferable and will ensure our future as a livable community.
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Jessica Corder’s graduation speech
In an overly zealous approach to “free speech” people supporting Ms. Corder and her Jesus speech at graduation have missed several very important points.
This is not a matter of “free speech", it is a matter of living in a society where you respect the rights of others and live by the rules.
Ms. Corder deliberately disobeyed rules in her graduation speech, for which there should be some punishment. It has been reported that all speakers had to submit their speeches ahead of time for prior approval. She did submit a speech, got approval, then deliberately gave a very different one - a religious sermon with strong proselytizing. Had she really believed she had the right to say what she did, she should have submitted that speech and challenged any denial before hand. But she did not. Since the school year was already over, the school had no other means of applying a punishment for her disobeying rules, than to withhold her diploma and require an apology. In fact, I believe she should have been made to hold a press conference with a public apology to all who attended for kidnapping the audience . Following that, she could then hold another to give whatever sermons she wanted - that is “free speech.” Free speech merely means you can say what you want, it does not mean you can take unsuspecting people hostage and force them to listen. Everyone must accept responsibility and consequences when they disobey rules.
The people went there for a graduation ceremony, not a religious service, and she took them captive for her proselytizing. That is just wrong, and smacks of a spoiled brat who thinks she has the right to do what she wants, regardless, and that others should be forced to listen. In addition, if she understood what she was talking about, she would not have said “His name is ‘Jesus Christ’.", she would have said “He was Jesus THE Christ", since Christ means savior, it is not a last name. I wonder if people would be so quick to defend this girl if she had proselytized for Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Catharism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Johannism, Rastafrarianism, Sikhism, or even Wicca, Voodoo or Satanism. I doubt it. Maybe Ms. Corder will sit and listen while I explain any of these that she doesn’t understand.
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Mike McConnell’s testimony
I can’t think of what the world is coming to when people can expect to lie under oath, to God, and get away with it. The Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell lied to the Senate about whether new FISA anti-terrorism laws helped in stopping a terrorist cell in Germany, (they didn’t, warrants were sought in this particular case). He claimed credit for such a nab in order to drum up support for the laws extension in upcoming legislation. How underhanded! How disingenuous! How very Republican to lie about laws that take basic rights and ride rough shod over them and make it sound like it is necessary to keep us safe. I like my safety coated with a hefty dose of rights and freedoms thank you very much. I don’t think law enforcement is best done behind closed doors. The FISA courts can provide the security necessary for such sensitive issues and I don’t think it is in the best interests of the citizens to give these hucksters and flimflam men the farm.
Mike McConnell needs to officially change his testimony to the Senate.
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Winning not soldier’s responsibility
Senator McClain’s comments during Iraq testamony on Tuesday.
I strongly object to Senator McCain’s suggestion today (during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee) that our service men and women can only return home with honor if we achieve “victory” in Iraq. The only requirement for honorable service is to have carried out the lawful orders of their commanders, and not to have abused the power we entrusted them with. Winning is not their responsibility or problem. If the politicians of this country make foolish decisions, formulate bad plans to extricate themselves from their mistakes, and then are unable to muster support for the continuation of their folly, this can hardly be laid upon the conscience of America’s military service men and women. Shame upon anyone who has disrespected them.
In fact, though no one actually said so, if I read between the lines correctly, I suspect that any successes we are currently having in Iraq are probably a direct result of the character and integrity of America’s foot soldiers on the ground in Iraq. While it sounds like a wonderful idea to
It is not the fancy guns or the satellite photography, the smart weapons, or the diplomatic efforts that have changed the Iraqi landscape, but the
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Arm chair quarterbacking about the war in Iraq
This is the season of “arm-chair quarterbacks” with millions of households playing the game of second-guessing, certain that were their team to have followed their play-calling, victory instead of loss would have been assured. In a moment of candor and honesty following the loss, we have to acknowledge that professional coaching skills are not in our tool kit and our play-calling may not have brought about a victory. Did our play-calling exercise produce any harm? None if our ego is manageable. Would that the play-calling by the anti-war faction in Congress regarding Iraq were as harmless! Differing from our play-calling that realistically recognizes that we do no have the professional acumen to call plays on the field, the all-knowing empty suits in Congress wish to chart the Nation’s Iraqi military course. As if that weren’t bad enough, they have attempted to disparage/demean/besmirch the professional and personal integrity of General Petraeus! Their dishonesty and lack of integrity are beneath contempt!
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Divestment plan will hurt PERA retirees
I read with interest the Sept. 16 Speakout column, “It’s imperative that Colorado divest from Iran,” written by four esteemed Colorado legislators. The “Colorado” of the headline, in this instance, is in reference to Colorado PERA. Nowhere in this column did I find the same level of concern expressed for these same investments made by banks, brokerage and investment firms, business and labor pension funds, or even private individuals and legislators.
Why would a divestment bill only target PERA and no other such person or entity? Furthermore, divestment bills only target defined-benefit plans for divestment, not defined-contribution plans, which must only add one “clean” fund. One can only assume that as soon as these high-yield stocks are divested from PERA’s defined-benefit plan, they can and will be quickly purchased by any one person and any entity ... with the exception of Colorado’s PERA defined-benefit plan.
Since these divested stocks will continue to be listed on the stock market in this era of globalization, the only ones who will suffer are those teachers, policemen, firemen and public servants who have invested their lifelong savings in Colorado’s PERA defined-benefit plan.
Let’s trust our managers, board of trustees and shareholders/investors to make the correct financial decisions for Colorado’s PERA defined-benefit plan. That’s our responsibility! And our life savings!
Cheryl Flagg
PERA retiree
Steamboat Springs
NW Parkway deal is a raw one for the public
Way to gloss over reality, Rocky Mountain News. Your Sept. 4 editorial, “A good deal for public/ Private lease of Northwest Parkway ends debt fears,” completely obfuscated the negatives to the deal in favor of rah-rah for the misbegotten project.
Part of the agreement with Brisa/CCR is that no additional roads or public transportation infrastructure will be built in the corridor for 99 years. How does this favor a public that is supposed to be served by our governmental entities? The only people being served by this agreement are the Portuguese company that gains a stranglehold on transportation options in the corridor for 99 years and the inept members of the Northwest Parkway board, who are bailed out of an embarrassing bankruptcy.
Broomfield and the Northwest Parkway board are further being held hostage for deliverance of an unneeded tollway extension.
For a public governmental entity to sign an agreement to promote the needs and wishes of a foreign corporation over the needs and wishes of the citizens it pretends to represent is tantamount to treason.
Shame on Broomfield and the other so-called representatives of the people for selling our transportation future to corporate greed in a foreign land.
Scott Ledbetter, Golden
NW Parkway a boon
I do not understand Golden’s resistance to the Northwest Parkway. The route it would take through Golden is currently occupied by a four-lane, divided road much like the proposed highway. North of Golden the road is now two lanes, undivided.
People now travel this stretch at speeds in excess of 55 mph and, in the winter, it is particularly hazardous. There is considerable congestion during rush hour.
Any Golden resident using this road should welcome the improved safety and traffic relief a new parkway would provide.
Fred Clarke, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (21) | TrackBackFew have been tested as Mother Teresa was
With the recent revelations from some of her personal correspondence, much has been said lately about Mother Teresa’s lack of faith or wavering faith.
Perhaps few have ever been tested in matters of faith as she was. She saw the poor and destitute in the streets of India and dealt with it as best she could. How sickening and shattering that must have been to her to be unable to eradicate all the suffering once and for all. How many times did she look up at the skies and cry, “Jesus, oh Jesus, where are you? I need your help; these people need your help.” Is it any wonder then, that in deep pain and desperation she might have wondered whether Jesus was listening to her or whether he was even there?
Angels live in heaven but saints are made on Earth. Such was the case with Mother Teresa. Her tireless efforts to assist those most in need surely must have won her a trip to the pearly gates where she was warmly greeted by St. Peter. She was no doubt met by countless angels and saints, and was led straight to Jesus. “Well done my lovely, good and faithful child; enter into the kingdom of God for all eternity,” he most likely said.
Ernest E. Valdez, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (35) | TrackBackStadium district doth protest too much
That a publicly financed baseball stadium district would attempt to create an ordinance to specifically target a single property owner, and prevent that property owner from exercising the full use of his property, should make every property owner in Denver nervous, not to mention outraged (“A stadium district foul/The push to create a view plane would ruin couple’s nest egg,” Sept. 10).
Moreover, that a stadium, which occupies multiple city blocks and arguably blocks a “view plane” itself, would allege that a single potential high-rise would block the view of a few fans slurping cocktails at Club Level during a ballgame is absurd on its face.
Here’s hoping the Denver City Council, after about 30 seconds of deliberation, trash cans that proposed ordinance for the sham that it is.
J. Whitney Sibley III, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackRocky hits a homer
The recent Rocky Mountain News editorial, “A stadium district foul,” really was a home run.
Unlawful takings of property or property values like the one being considered must stop. Thanks for putting the facts on the table and standing up for the Leakes and every other land owner who lives in fear of overreaching governmental actions.
Tom Rader, Evergreen
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBackAdvice for the right
Those stranded on the far-right shores of the altercation about immigration (it is not a debate) have been dishing it out against us Latin American immigrants with reckless glee. Of late, however, they bemoan being addressed with adjectives they refer to as conversation stoppers.
I feel their pain and want to offer a bit of advice.
Please listen to the words if this Latin proverb: “If a person calls you a burro, talk to that person, if five persons call you a burro, get a saddle.”
Delio D. Tamayo, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (31) | TrackBackBeware Denver homeowners! There is a Trojan horse at your front door.
Mayor Hickenlooper’s office is paying (your tax dollars?) “consultants” to “sell voters on NINE (my emphasis) ballot measures this fall that would raise property taxes,” according to RMN writer Daniel J. Chacon. ("Panel works to sell voters on tax hike.") Sell Voters? What does that mean? To a tax payer it should mean that the consultants are going to put lipstick on a pig and while you are trying to decide if that is a pig you are looking at, there will be a tax hike tugging at your wallet.
What you won’t hear from the consultants is that your property tax is already going to increase thanks to Gov. Bill Ritter’s School Finance Act, which he insists in not a tax hike. They can call it what they want, but it is the same pig. It is money out of your pocket into the government’s dubious pocket. Remember Ref C money?
They won’t tell you that there are at least 17 proposals to increase your taxes next year; that tax money is needed to bury power lines; that insurance costs have risen 6.1%; that Denver Water is going for a rate hike; that, according to Tucker Hart Adams, “income (will be) rising more slowly than inflation; there will be no improvement in the standard of living. In fact there will be a decline.”
Is it just coincidental that we are overwhelmed with tax increases and the Democrats are in political control of Denver and Colorado? Oh well, you get what you vote for!
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Bias Clinton headline
J
The headline: Clinton Sets Bar In Returning Tainted Cash - is spin, euphemism, bias at its worst. Spinning a course of conduct of the Clintons (Buddhist Temple, Marc Rich/Denise Rich, 126 people fleeing the country, Chinese funding, Johnny whatever his name was etc) into a positive headline? This headline deserves to be on the editorial page not news...Making Clinton into a hero on campaign finance after taking $850K laundered and their past history? (Please no distancing Bill Clinton from Hillary.
Remember it was Bill Clinton who said, ‘you get two for the price of one.’) This is shameful- probably the worst bias I can remember of a News headline. This is something The Denver Post would do. Is Scripps Howard hedging it’s bets in case of a Clinton victory?
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Paul Campos
In CAMPOS’ latest column, The ‘rules’ of the game, he uses the football as a metaphor for Iraq and concludes that it’s time to fire the coaching staff.
I’d rather use a different metaphor. You find out that you have cancer and your doctor starts you on a therapy that is far flung. It involves diet, drugs, and surgery. It’s now been 6 years since you’ve had any sign of the cancer recurring and some two bit columnist is now telling you it’s time to fire the doctor. He points out that the cost is expensive and he knows someone who will do it much cheaper. He thinks the doctor is all messed up by doing the surgery part and feels you would be just as well off if you had just drank herbal tea.
Do you think you would fire your doctor? Or do you think this columnist doesn’t know what he talking about?
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Joining Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently set up shop in my son’s school cafeteria during lunchtime, hoping to recruit new members from this captive audience. I had just one question for the Scouts: “Does BSA still discriminate against gays and atheists?” To my surprise I received a sheepish nod of the head and a “Yes, but it doesn’t really come up.” These prejudices are in fact built into their own Oath and Law. The young applicant is required to acknowledge “God” and be faithful in his religious duties, and to live a “morally straight", “clean” life. Any child who rejects these requirements of conformity and obedience will not be allowed to join.
How does BSA get away with promoting their patriotic brand of ignorance and bigotry in our public schools? They are allowed to do so by school administrators. The PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) voluntarily signs their charter and in doing so agrees to operate under BSA guidelines, not school policy. Receiving no legal protection from BSA, the PTO leaders may find themselves in court when BSA inevitably commits its next violation.
PTOs that sponsor a troop are therefore encouraged to be indemnified, incorporated, fully bonded and insured.
BSA is more than just camping, folding flags and tying knots; it’s a private religious organization that bars homosexuals and atheists from joining their ranks. With the barrage of oaths, laws, secret code words, handbooks, handshakes, cult-like ceremonies, mottos, slogans, salutes, ranks, uniforms and the watered-down basic training, one might logically question if it is too much for a 7-year-old, social injustice aside. By arrogantly practicing discrimination and systematically violating the unspoken rules of human decency, any good deed BSA performs becomes null and void. It’s like the serial killer who works tirelessly in the soup kitchen. It fails to impress.
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Gen. Petraeus on the front cover of the RMN
Picture Speaks 1,000 Partisan Words
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Pulling the troops out of Iraq
I hold exception to Bush’s plan for pulling 30,000 American troops from Iraq by July 2008. It is a token and a political ploy.
All he is doing is playing for time in order to get his own party members off his back while at the same time keeping America’s Military Might acting like hired security guards for Big Oil. These guys don’t give a flip about anybody else, all they have in their sight is their own agenda. And I can tell you, it has nothing to do with spreading thick layers of democracy all over deserts filled with oil.
I call ‘Shenanigans’ on this Administration for the meager bone it is trying to throw out in order to make 51-52% of the American public happier about the war in Iraq. But I think we can safely say that most Americans, even a few who drank the conservative cool-aid, no longer believes anything this Administration says without further investigation and reflection. See, fool me once, shame on you. Fool you twice, shame on me... wait, how does that go? Anyway, this Administration doesn’t get to have a ‘do-over’ with this war. They don’t get to keep their war and send a pittance of our guys and gals back home. This war needs to end. It isn’t for anybody’s benefit at this stage, not the Iraqis and not our Armed Forces. The only winners in this situation have been Big Oil, who got to waltz off with 80% of Iraqi crude, basically all the fields that hadn’t already been tapped by the Iraqi nationalized oil system when America invaded Iraq.
30,000 troops isn’t enough to send home, Mr. President. They all need to come home. America is done with your stupid war. And we want our guys and gals home instead of dying over in those oil-drenched deserts.
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Gen. Petraeus and MoveOn.org
The day before General David Petraeus gave his report updating Congress on the Iraq status, MoveOn.Org, the Democratic activist group, produced an advertisement in the N.Y. Times accusing the General “cooking the books”
In this environment the formulation of policy is no longer a contest between different views competing freely in the marketplace of ideas. Now the opposition must not be merely wrong; it must be reduced to the status of liar. Responsible Democrats, and there must still be a few somewhere, must disavow this tactic of mocking a man who has devoted his life to service of his country and clearly would not endanger the lives of his troops for some imagined political gain. If Democrats remain silent even during this time of war, then the political rhetoric becomes cut-throat game of winner-take-all. That fact will be noticed by our enemies around the world.
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Gen. Petraeus
General David Petraeus used misleading statistics and cherry-picked intelligence to make the case for Bush’s Iraq strategy.
The general said we’re making major progress—and we have to stay the course. Sadly, independent assessments show that things in Iraq have gone from bad to worse. General Petraeus says the report was his and his alone—but his outfit has been doing daily calls with the White House political team to coordinate message strategy.
Consider the following facts: Petraeus is using “funny math.” According to the Washington Post, Petraeus and the Pentagon are using a bizarre formula for measuring violence in the country. For example, deaths by car bombs don’t count and assasinations count only if you’re shot in the back of the head—not in the front.
Iraqis believe the surge has failed. According to a massive new ABC/BBC poll, every single Iraqi polled in Baghdad, the primary target of the “surge,” said it had made security worse. Iraqis themselves overwhelmingly think the situation in Iraq is deteriorating, in terms of security, political cooperation, and the economy. Overall, 70% think the escalation worsened rather than improved security conditions.
The independent GAO report found that violence is up. A comprehensive GAO report ordered by Congress found that “average number of daily attacks against civilians have remained unchanged from February to July 2007.” In August, things got worse, with civilian casualties rising according to the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
For our troops, it’s the bloodiest summer yet. More U.S. troops died every month this year compared to the same month last year.
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The Episcopal church
Jean Torkelson’s column in the Rocky Mountain News is stirring reminder that the Episcopal Church is making little headway in averting the schisms that have devastated the denomination in recent years. The Church of the Holy Comforter in Broomfield is a case in point. The Episcopal Church, according to Torkelson, defines its mission on the basis of culture. That is true. Yet, as Fr. Chuck Reeder rightly contends, “God defines what sin is, not the culture.” Many of us remember when the church defined morality for society. Sadly, that is no longer the case. It is now the culture that dictates what is acceptable for the church. Unless the Episcopal Church reverts to its traditional teachings, it is unrealistic to believe that such schisms will not continue. As the proverb goes, “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”
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Vote for road upkeep
By being smart about how we go about maintenance and doing it in a fiscally responsible manner, we’re all better off. Issue 1A provides for this by setting up a fund for deferred maintenance instead of going to the taxpayers every time a pothole appears. I am sure Gallegos will agree, based on his letter, and join me in voting yes on 1A.
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Couple’s blind loyalty to Bush is amazing
If Mike and Deana Mobley, the subject of “Bush’s speech finds loyal listeners” (Sept. 14), had bothered to really listen to the president’s Sept. 13 nationally televised speech, they would have concluded Bush has no credibility left whatsoever.
Bush can’t tell the truth, and he does not respect the toll war takes on anyone — this is evidenced in his willingness to lie, spin and avoid facts and reality.
It appears for this couple that their blinkers are permanent additions — or are they just blind by choice? What do their sons’ sacrifices mean if the man who sent them in does not care that the war he started is based on lies, and that he has conducted the war incompetently in political terms?
The Mobleys’ sons have no choice but to follow orders, but the parents are not helping them for one second by bleating their support for an atrocious president. I just have to say, “Wow!”
Geof Erdahl, Evergreen
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (49) | TrackBackThe wrong question
The Democrats and the mainstream media keep asking, “When will the troops come home?” They push President Bush and the generals to come up with an answer.
The question should be, “When will al-Qaida and the terrorists who want to destroy America surrender?”
When this question is answered, then we will know when the troops can come home.
Darrel Richardson, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (37) | TrackBackExercise part of solution
It’s beyond me how adults could overlook the past. Elementary school lunches 22 years ago were not healthy, not by most standards, even back then. What allowed kids to stay fit was sports programs in the schools.
It’s no wonder childhood obesity is on the rise. What is wrong with putting a little of that nutritional money into a program that gets kids moving? Even as an adult, weight loss is more than healthy meals. Who has time to work out? Working 40- to 60-hour workweeks?
It should be a requirement that not just a physical education class be part of the curriculum, but activities like dodgeball, tag and Duck Duck Goose, too.
Put sports back in schools; teach teamwork and working hard. Not only will it be healthy for their bodies, but healthy for their minds.
Jennifer Reiter, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBack
More than 400,000 American children are developing high blood pressure, a chronic precursor to heart attack and stroke that has traditionally afflicted only adults. The leading cause is the childhood obesity epidemic brought on by a diet grounded in sugary foods and drinks and fat-laden meat and dairy products.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 90% of children consume excessive amounts of fat and only 15% eat the minimum daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. It’s no wonder that most children are overweight and one in six are obese. Childhood dietary habits become lifelong addictions.
Parents should insist that children consume more whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fresh fruits. They should work with their PTAs to demand healthy meals, snacks, and vending machine items in schools. Helpful resources are provided at www.choiceusa.net.
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9/11
We must never allow another vice-president to oversee so many simultaneous NORAD war games on a single day that the “amazing coincidence” of an attack that takes advantage of this situation could leave our nation’s capital, the Pentagon and the eastern seaboard apparently unprotected for hours on end.
We must never again allow an administration to use such a tragedy to ramrod hastily written, Constitution-hobbling restrictions of our freedoms, so voluminous it was unread by most legislators in advance, to be enacted into law under duress.
We must never again allow the use of a domestic attack as “justification”
for a preemptive attack against a nation that had nothing to do with the event.
There are a lot of things we must never do again, and the terrible legacy of the Bush/Cheney administration provides quite a guide. We owe them that much.
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Blue Ribbon Commission
J
Interesting as well is the part of the proposal that demands that only “legal residents” have coverage. Under this blue ribbon plan, the 230,000-300,000 illegal residents here will continue getting “free” medical care at emergency rooms. Those scofflaws who happen to be here legally, but who cannot afford medical insurance for themselves, will continue paying for this “free” healthcare for illegals on top of their fines. More, there will be a “snack and soft drink tax.” What’s that even mean? I snack on apples and nuts and my idea of “soft drink” includes tomato juice and soymilk. Moderate drinking of red wine, it’s believed, is very good for your heart. Maybe when you buy a bottle of wine at the liquor store, the clerk will ask whether you’re drinking for your health or to someone else’s, and tax you accordingly?
Even if Governor Ritter can’t find anyone but nuts to sit on his commissions, could he at least try to find nuts who aren’t also idiots?
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Hunting in Colorado
These are the thoughts of a person that lived in Colorado for 20 years and was a very serious hunter. Please except them as intended, to be constructive.
First, remember that those who live right up against federal land, in the mountains, do so knowing that hunting is happening in said Nat. Forest, or BLM lands.
The fact that Deer and Elk have become some what tam, is the doing of Man. These species are known to live around Man, like a Horse or a Cow would.
Not always a good thing.
In trying to deal with the DOW, do not let this become an anti-hunting issue and if you reread that article you will see the point about “sportsmenship” and the like. If it is about safety, keep it only about safety.
One way to make this a safety issue in the eyes of the DOW, would be to indicate that you have no problem with Bow hunting and the thinning of the Deer in that method.
Give it a try folks, what have you got to loose. And as to the “conflict zone” signs, they say what they mean. This is a way of telling hunters that if they hunt too close to homes or hunt in a dangerous manor, they will become their own worst nightmare.
Most hunters understand that they need the “good will” of people who live in a given area, to continue to have their support. But, having said that, every group has its bad apples. Please don’t judge all by the actions of a few.
Thanks for letting me vent my thoughts.
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Confused about taxes
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New drivers need more training
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Gen. Petraeus
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Gen. Petraeus
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Radical Islamic terrorists responsible for 9/11
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Chandler Gafner’s headstone
The next day I read about David Crawford who felt this little boy deserved a headstone.He took his check for $150 down to Mount Olivet Cemetary in Wheat Ridge,They refused his money.Their greed was more important than a $500 headstone?
Mount Olivet Cemetary in Wheat Ridge should be ashamed of themselves!They refused to take a man’s $150 donation, because it wasn’t enough? Then told him to go to the newspapers to solicit donations?
What kind of world do we live in when a business that makes millions of dollars a year off of dead people can’t donate a headstone that probably cost them less then what they are charging the public?
I would hope people remember this story and do business with companies that care.
Mount Olivet Cemetary in Wheat Ridge is not one of them companies. They disgust me.
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Threatening talk from some Hispanics
In his recent attack on the United States (“Mexico’s leader rips U.S. policies,” Sept. 3), Mexican President Felipe Calderon also stated that “Mexico does not end at its borders.” While this irritates many U.S. citizens, we understand that it is made primarily for home consumption to show he stands up to his northern neighbor and thus we don’t get unduly upset about it.
More unsettling are statements from longtime residents such as Ismael Medina (“Bids for citizenship on rise,” Sept. 1) who, after 20 years here, “said he is tired of the anti-immigrant rhetoric and is putting on notice lawmakers who have been vocal critics of illegal immigration.”
In the same story, Maria Pasillas says, “I don’t like the way they (immigrants) are treated. We’ve all been there. I’ll never forget that. My children will never forget.”
Hardly the talk of people who came to this country to integrate into our society because they preferred this country to their native Mexico.
Marta Moreno of El Comite de Longmont says, “people we register ... we want them to run for the school board and city council positions tomorrow.” Then in language usually used as a threat, Moreno said, “We’re going to see a whole lot of changes around here soon. Just wait and see.”
Two decades ago Zero Population Growth said that by 2025 Anglos would be a minority in this country. Moreno may be right.
Richard Ellian, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (58) | TrackBackRocky eager to soothe any of our fears
One reason I like the Rocky is that it frees me from any burden of guilt or thinking. A few weeks ago, syndicated columnist Betsy Hart informed us that since scientists had found no nutritional difference between organic and conventional food, she was going to pay less for the conventional product. Moreover, she encourages us to do the same.
Don’t worry about the degradation of the soil, polluted runoff, degradation of the water, or the health of the workers; the important thing is to be able to feed your family for less without feeling bad about it.
Now Vincent Carroll tells us that we should not worry about buying local when we shop for food (“Don’t buy ‘Buy Local,’” On Point, Sept. 5).
It’s America. We have the right — nay, the obligation — to eat whatever we want whenever we want it. Peaches in January from Chile? Go for it. How about the petroleum that is used in growing it and transporting it? Don’t fret at all. Carroll has already informed us that the market will attend to the distribution of this finite resource when it starts to run out. Go back to sleep America.
The important thing is that you feel good.
Steve Milligan, Colorado Springs
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackOther neighbors will miss the children
I find it unfortunate that one woman speaks for an entire neighborhood with regard to the use of W.H. McNichols Park (“City boots football practices after gripes from neighbors,” Sept. 6).
Dianna Janda claims the noise, traffic and trash from Falcons Youth Organization practice has become unbearable. I live directly across from the park and I couldn’t disagree more with her interpretation. It is a pleasure seeing these children using the park exactly as intended, by participating in team sports while their parents cheer them on. I find it interesting that a person who has been in the neighborhood for just three years has the power to end a 50-year-old tradition. Now that the Falcons are leaving, who will be using the park?
Transients and drug users wandering over from East Colfax? I wish the Denver Parks and Recreation Department had asked how the rest of the neighbors felt before taking action on her complaints. I have a feeling it won’t be long until we are all missing the laughter and cheers from these vibrant young athletes.
Peter Alber, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackWho’s ‘betrayed us’
I found the politicians’ reactions to MoveOn.org’s “General Petraeus or General Betray Us” ad pretty much along politically correct party lines with one exception. That being the high road Sen. John Kerry took, saying the ad “was simply over the top and inappropriate.”
Nice show of class. Especially in light of the despicable distortions leveled against Kerry by the swift boat gang and mastermind, Karl Rove.
Myself, I found the play on words darkly humorous but inaccurate. At this stage of the game I believe it is this lame duck president and cowardly Congress that has betrayed U.S.
Denis Gessing, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBackWhy tire of a just war?
When President Bush and the Senate declared war on Iraq in March 2003, the president said that it would be a long and hard war. Now, four years later, the Democrats and most of the American people are tired of fighting a just war.
To most Arabs, four years is hardly a moment in history, but to the Democrats and the American people it seems like a lifetime.
What is it about a long and hard war that the Democrats and the American people don’t understand? Once the Senate voted to approve the war they should have done it with the intention of staying in Iraq until everything was finished.
Dennis Reuss, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (52) | TrackBackGovernmental overreach in Durango
It is ironic to read in the Sept. 10 Rocky Mountain News of the resolution passed by the Durango City Council calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq (“Council seeks Iraq pullout”). Truly, the proponents of this resolution do not live in the post-9/11 world.
Bravo to Mayor Doug Lyon for his dissenting vote.
If I were a Durango resident, I would ask my City Council why it needed to indulge in this self-absorbed, misplaced exercise in governmental overreach. As a Colorado resident, it is embarrassing to read of another Colorado municipality joining Boulder in this silly, pointless, disrespectful endeavor. As an American citizen, it is disheartening to hear of more symbolism over substance in the West’s decades-long conflict with the death cult of radical Islam.
I look forward to my next visit to Durango — the city must be in great shape if the City Council has time to luxuriate in foreign policy matters.
Michael Fisher, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackShow some grit
So, in the entire history of the state Capitol, there has been one killing — of a mentally ill man with a gun — and now the governor wants to turn the people’s Capitol into a hardened site? I hope our legislators have a little more common sense, not to mention courage. I mean, really.
Jason Kolakowski, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
And what he wants to do is broden the governments ability to spy on average ordinary American citizens.
And shemefully, democrats once again caved to the administration and have taken us further away from the freedoms gauranteed by the constitution.
Is it any wonder that approval ratings for this Congress are even lower than for the President himself? Democrats have squandered thier chance to lead this country away from the failed policies of the Bush administration. It’s time to pull in the reins, but I don’t hold out much hope for this Congress.
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The cost of the Iraq war
True, we got rid of Saddam and gave Iraqi’s a shot of democracy whether they wanted it or not, but is it worth the half trillion we’ve spent on a ill begotten war few support and most don’t? I agree with the majority, the answer is no.
Most Americans supported the war when it was going good (about three weeks), but once they found out the Mission was not Accomplished and when they discovered they had been deceived of why we went to war, most Americans wised up. They wised up so much that only five percent of us believe Bush can get us out of Iraq in a responsible manner.
The monetary costs of war should always be discussed, but never more so than the human price. Lives and limbs cannot be expensed, neither can the awful experience family’s and loved ones suffer through—-grief, divorce, broken homes, kids without parents, loneliness.
This war is hell but only about one percent of us are in it. The rest of us pay fewer taxes, overjoyed that football season is here, the World Series is coming and let us all head for the mall in our financed automobiles and charge the dickens out of our credit cards.
If this war was the right thing to do, there would not be the great national debate, Bush would be riding high in the polls, the world would be backing us and the troops would all be home for Christmas. But, we are where we are. Most of you initially supported the war, backed Bush twice and hopefully now, regret it. I endure the consequences of what you have wrought, but at least I can say, I never supported Bush or his vanity war and I feel good about that. How about you?
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Gen. Petraeus
Can we all agree on those few things? Then we should also acknowledge that there may not come a time when that government is able to take charge as we would envision and staying there to further the legacy of this administration, at the expense of our forces, individually and overall, may very well prove to hold unending costs despite the valor and bravery exhibited by American and other forces.
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Hillary Clinton returning money
Initially solicited by Hsu, it is unknown whether the donors would have given to Clinton in the first place, and now she tells them how they can re-donate the money back to her. Funds just too large to be given to charity,(as she did with the first 23,000 she revealed last week that he handed her), and presented in a bundled bouquet once proudly displayed by Hsu and the Clinton campaign, will vanish into thin air, and then suddenly reassemble at the snap of her fingers.
Watch closely and don’t blink as you will miss this magical manipulation and triangulation occur under the bright lights on our political stage. Could this slight of hand be so quick and slick as to go unnoticed by the American voter? Will the this grand illusion of the Clinton slight of hand fool voters enough to nominate the Great Hillary as her party’s candidate for president? Can the Democrats be tricked into believing that this illusion is real, or will the trap door on which she is standing be released and empty the stage in a puff of political smoke? Be sure to catch the show on the road, beginning January, 2008 in Iowa and beyond.
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How Coloradans worship
Apparently on
But unless either side has ripped certain pages from the Bible, all we have to do is go back to the story of Noah and the ark and the flood to determine which viewpoint is, in fact, truthful.
In the days of Noah, what was the prevalent world-view? It apparently was a world wherein mankind and the culture of mankind, even God-believers, thought that they could define sin. There was probably thieves, adulterers, liars, homosexuals, pro-choicers, and political and religious leaders — all of whom thought that they, individually or collectively, could define what is and is not sin, and live their lives and teach others accordingly. In fact, I’ll even acknowledge the probable existence of gay priests and pro-gay political candidates living in the days of Noah, who paid hommage to God on one hand while defining what was not sin on the other hand.
But what happened to them? Where did they go?
As everyone who knows and understands story knows, God defines what sin is, not the culture.
And that leads to an interesting question. Since both sides use the same Bible, and Jesus stated that the End Times would be just as the days of Noah, should we — and today’s gay priests and today’s pro-gay political candidates — not expect the same outcome in the future?
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Be a witness for the truth
Within every event resides its cause and effect, its ‘truth’. That truth is woven into the fabric of the cosmos and as such is intuited by sentient beings. The Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
On 9/11/01 I witnessed a massively staged event. Built to withstand multiple impacts of 707s (Science News), the two asbestos sick towers of the WTC, deemed health liabilities (AP, Science News), and WTC building 7, collapsed, freefalling into their footprints in obvious controlled demolition. Larry Silverstein lessee of the WTC in a TV interview reported he received the order to ‘pull’ or blow up, building 7. In May 01 the WTC towers had passed from NYC Port Authority into Silverstein’s control and were insured against acts of terrorism by a 15 million dollar rider. A court awarded Silverstein a 7 billion dollar settlement for ‘Duel Acts’ (AP). By December the new WTC opened in Shanghai China. Its aeronautical design has a large hole in the top ¼ of its height.(Science News) Our only responsibility to life is to be a witness for the truth.
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Gen. Petraeus
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Illegal immigrants taking jobs
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Terrorist plots
Ramzi, who did the 1993 WTC bombing, was in the NY city jail in 1996. The Philippines had handed over Ramzi’s computer, already decoded, with details of the plot. His lifelong friend, Murat, already trained as a pilot 4 years in the U.S, was in the same jail. The Philippines’ Colonel Mendoza had gotten a confession from Murat.
And Gregory Scarpa, Jr., was in the cell between Ramzi and Murat: (Peter Lance, “Ibid.”). Ramzi thinks the Mafia hates the government as much as he does, so he confides in Scarpa, and asks him to pass notes to Murat.
Scarpa hears and sees scary stuff, and tells his lawyer, who tells the FBI, who give Scarpa a tiny camera. For 11 months, Scarpa passes on lots of info, including about the planes-as-missiles plot, and that 4 of Ramzi’s people are in NY.
If Scarpa’s info was a “hoax”, as Peter Fitzgerald claimed later in a letter copied in “Triple Cross”, why would the FBI set up a phony company in NYC, to allow Ramzi to telephone out? Fitzgerald requests that that info about the FBI setting up a phony company, be redacted. The planes-as-missiles plot was never mentioned at Ramzi’s trials? Colonel Mendoza was never called as a witness? And Scarpa got 40 years in Supermax.
Ed Stein’s cartoon from your newspaper was published in our Stuart News yesterday. Thank you, and I will try to google him, too.
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Family newspaper?
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Alleged rape victims merit day in court
The day that Lisa Simpson and her co-plaintiff have their day in court will be a great day for justice (“CU football rape case revived,” Sept. 7). The Colorado Court of Appeals has done the right thing in reinstating their case against the University of Colorado and making a trial possible. The plaintiffs in this case deserve it.
What the plaintiffs did not deserve was the abandonment and hostility they received from their own university. From Day One, the University of Colorado, the administration and its Board of Regents refused to take any responsibility. They turned a blind eye to the actions and attitudes in the CU Athletic Department that fostered an environment where the abuse of women, including staff and students, was tolerated.
And worse, CU intentionally heaped one abuse upon another on the women, their own students, who were simply seeking justice for an outrageous wrong. The university used every dirty trick in the book and a few that frankly were quite off the charts. How can we ever forget President Betsy Hoffman’s outlandish defense of the use of the C-word? And coach Gary Barnett’s verbal attack on Katie Hnida?
We are looking forward to a trial where the brave young women who have persevered through unimaginable abuse will get the justice they so deserve.
Regina Cowles
Boulder National Organization
for Women
Salazar should back accomplished jurist
Judge Leslie Southwick’s overwhelming qualifications and record are interestingly absent in Pamela Elsner’s letter on his pending nomination to the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals (“No on judge, senator,” Sept. 4).
Southwick has received widespread acclaim for his outstanding judicial excellence. Having earned the American Bar Association’s highest rating of “Well Qualified,” he is one of the best nominees President Bush could offer to the federal bench. His record is so uncontroversial that, last fall, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved him for a District Court judgeship.
Despite this accomplished record, Sen. Ken Salazar is “still weighing the appointment” of Southwick and is “disinclined” to reconstitute the centrist “Gang of 14.” While Salazar and his fellow Democrats in Washington continue to delay and obstruct the Southwick nomination, a nonpartisan government agency has declared the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals a “judicial emergency.”
Southwick’s unblemished record proves he will uphold the law regardless of personal views. It’s time for Salazar to put politics aside and support this accomplished jurist.
Ryan R. Call, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackLet Idahoans decide Craig’s fate
Neither my wife nor I are gay. But we love and respect our friends, whether gay or straight. We even support gay marriage. But I draw the line at creeps prowling bathroom stalls looking for a “date.” Nevertheless, I believe the voters of Idaho should have the final say in whether or not Sen. Larry Craig’s behavior warrants being turned out of office.
The speed with which Craig’s party dumped him for essentially a morals parking ticket (which, dear readers, is not to be confused with the moral equivalent of a parking ticket) speaks more to the sorry state of the Republican Party than anything else. The timbers from which the party was built have slowly rotted to the point where one woodpecker seems close to bringing it down to the foundation.
As a lifelong Democrat, I take no joy in that. Heaven knows we Democrats need a worthy opponent to challenge us to do our best, not our worst.
I ask my Republican friends to think long and hard about how and why they arrived at this point. Our country needs a vibrant two-party system if our democracy is to survive.
Harry Doby, Denver
Unlikely Stein will ever give Bush credit
Regarding Ed Stein’s cartoon of Sept. 8, in which a visitor to a graveyard of soldiers killed in Iraq wonders about how difficult it is to focus on 9/11 as the anniversary approaches:
The obvious implication is that since the total number of deaths of our troops in Iraq now exceeds the number killed on 9/11, that many people now have difficulty remembering the emotion associated with the anniversary. He could be right about that, but maybe it’s hard for people to remember because we haven’t had another major terrorist attack in this country.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for Stein to give any credit to the Bush administration. Also, I’m not buying that Stein cares one whit for the people in the military. I’ve seen nothing but snide, mean-spirited and derisive portrayals from him, week after week, year after year.
Bob Javorcic, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (26) | TrackBackDrivers are swell
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the drivers today. You hear of road rage, and yet I was stopped — right in the left-turn lane, right at high traffic hours, awaiting an arrow, when my car died and refused to start. Lots of smoke and steam!
A very charming young couple pulled over and parked nearby and came over to help. Said they would stay until I was helped. (I had a 55-minute wait for AAA when I finally got them!)
The people lined up behind me, instead of honking and shouting, put down their windows as they went around me, asking if they could help. Others turned back around and made sure I was OK before they went on.
It makes you realize what people are really like.
Elaine Bennion,
Greenwood Village
Honor jurist Lindsey
We are looking for a name for the new Denver justice center.
It could only be named for county Judge Benjamin B. Lindsey (1869-1943), the only local jurist or law enforcement officer to gain international renown — and for good reason. He pioneered separate juvenile courts, focusing on prevention, rehabilitation and outreach. He fought successfully for playgrounds and recreation centers. He fought corporate and government corruption, particularly through his widely read book The Beast and the Jungle.
Kirk Peffers, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
They’ll spend $10,000 on an animal vet bill to save a dog, spend tens of thousands of dollars on dog parks, and have endless fund raisers for pets.
Conversely, these same people vote against bonds for schools, have no great concern about deficient funding for playgrounds and child development programs, and get less excited about substandard healthcare for children. If anyone is to wonder why it appears that more citizens of Colorado know more about and are concerned with dogs than the war in Iraq, they need only read the local papers.
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Misleading, dishonest headlines
Agreed, we should all read the whole article and not rely soley on the headline. Can we also agree that the headline should bear some resemblance to the facts and not just a sentence or phrase that suits the fancy of some flunky assigned to the task as part of an on the job training program? Do they even read the whole thing?
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Starving dogs
I would even suggest a permanent restraining order preventing that person from ever owning animals again, in addition to whatever criminal punishment is appropriate.
Today, though, I am writing in regard to a different aspect of this. I noted in the story that the vet said the medical bills for this dog could go to $10,000 before they’re done. Now, where is this dog supposed to come up with that kind of money? That’s like, $70,000 in doggy money! And there is nothing in the article suggesting that this dog has any skills that would help him find employment. He’s a city dog, so even if he knows how to herd sheep, those jobs are not readily available. And with global warming going on, sled dogs are not likely to be in high demand either. We have to do better than this.
I call on Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, et al, to promise comprehensive veterinary care for all animals. It can be paid for by taxing dog-food companies $1.00 for each can of dog-food they produce. After all, these companies are getting rich on the backs of hungry dogs all over the world.
It’s high time they pay their fair share. Don’t bother me with the notion that they will just raise their prices to the consumer. I think we will all be happy to pitch in knowing that all animals will get the healthcare they deserve.
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Sen. Larry Craig and STDs
How can these wives and children stand behind them, don’t they know they were betrayed in the most humilating way?
My guess is that the wives knew about this but made a pact to stick by them for the children’s sake and for the finiancal support. They probably weren’t having sex so they weren’t worried about diease.
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Bush’s hypocrisy
K
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9/11 theory
Some people believe, and the number seems to be growing, that the towers were caused to fall by a planned conspiracy.
Up till now, I have tended to resist accepting this idea although there are many strange circumstances that have not been explained satisfactorily by either the major media channels or officialdom.
One item, though, is fairly clear and that is that our Air Defenses were penetrated on 9/11 and this is really disturbing. Boy – were they penetrated.
Over the last six decades we (taxpayers) have poured billions, even hundreds of billions of our dollars into the defenses that were supposed to shield us from the bad guys. This, on Sept. 11, 2001, was painfully obvious with the pathetic response to the attack.
In a normal capitalistic system, when we do not get what we paid for, we generally work our way back through the muck until we find the culprits, fire them and expect to get our money back.
So now – I want my money back for all those years we were taxed.
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Hunter’s side of story
This man, who has over 30 years experience hunting, was part of a group of four hunters who went to Park County along with the teenage daughters of two of his fellow hunters. They were camped legally, and licensed to hunt. To read Bea Bartle’s account, one would come away with the impression that these four hunters were poaching on her land. In fact, it was unchallenged that one of the hunters shot a bull elk on public property, but only wounded it. The entire party immediately went to look for the elk, which had by that time jumped a fence and wound up on Ms. Bartle’s property. Nowhere in Mr. Johnson’s article does he inform his readers that Colorado wildlife law requires that a hunter immediately pursue a wounded animal. This is exactly what the hunting party did. And while the law also requires that they inform a private landowner of their presence on the landowner’s property, in this case Ms. Bartle arrived so quickly there was no time to comply with that requirement. Ms. Bartle tells Mr. Johnson that her gun was unloaded, but the hunters and the teenage girls did not know this. The girls were terrified until my client persuaded Ms. Bartle to put away her gun.
Most galling, Ms. Bartle claims my client “Got off on a technicality” when he went to trial. She apparently failed to inform Mr. Johnson that my client did not shoot the elk, and in fact never even had his gun out of its case when the incident occurred.
From my first day on this case, I was puzzled why my client, who never fired a shot and only tried to follow the law, was being prosecuted. The prosecution’s case was so weak, in fact, that it was dismissed by the court before we even had to put on any defense.
My client did not get off on a technicality: He was innocent.
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Americans left out
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Government ethics committee
Somehow I think the deck is stacked against justice, in favor of ignoring ethical misbehavior. In any case, it is bad form at the very least, to have the inmates run the assylum. The public is by and large uninterested in the inside, routine dealings of political types but, when a politician apparently sides with those who have the money and some of it winds up in his/her pockets as a result of favoring the mercantile interests or political agendas of big money special interests, to the detriment of the publics best interests, the public will want, even demand, the heads of those involved, including those in charge of enforcing ethical behavior.
Better if Ritter had seen the potential pitfalls inherent in his choices before filling the committee with political foxes to guard the ethics hen house.
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No more money for Iraq
Approximately 51% of our tax dollars will go to the military in FY 2008, including the regular baseline military budget of $482 billion plus the $192 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan.
The $450 billion spent so far for the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan could have paid for 7,795,651 additional public school teachers or health insurance for 269,360,832 children for one year, or provided 21,806,898 students four-year scholarships at public universities.
The human costs are also staggering. Approximately 1.2 million Iraqis and 3760 U.S. military personnel have died. Many more have been wounded and maimed for life.
Despite the fact that about 70% of the American people want the war to end, the Democratic Party-controlled Congress, which won in November because they promised to end the war, continued to fund it for $100 billion this May.
Without public pressure, Congress will continue to fund the war. Millions of voices are needed to stop it, including yours. Please call your Congress people (more info at www.congress.org) at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote against the funding and bring the troops home now.
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Madonna-Britney kiss photo unnecessary
It was apparently not enough to subject your subscribers to a photo of Madonna kissing Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards right after it happened. This lame grab for attention by the “artists” and MTV was plenty offensive the first time back in 2003. Flash forward to Mark Brown’s actually quite correct critique (“Outrageous or outdated?” Sept. 8) of the Video Music Awards’ downward spiral into insignificance, and we have to endure it yet again.
This time the photo was published on the front page of the Spotlight section, and in even larger, full-color glory. Couldn’t the point of the article have been made that Britney is a hopeless has-been without the picture? I don’t need another reason to hide the family’s daily newspaper from my kids’ questioning eyes, and I would like to think the kitchen table is a safe place to leave my newspaper.
When some tragedy happens, or a complicated situation makes the news, then yes, it is my job as a parent to explain things to my children as they learn how to understand and deal with the world. However, envelope-pushing attempts to shock and titillate by the music video industry are not news, and not something I want to have to explain.
Keri Brehm, Castle Rock
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackDouble-standard
I read with interest the article on Douglas County prosecutor Laurie A. Hurst (formerly Laurie A. Steinman) who was fired in December 2006 after admitting to an affair with former Douglas County Judge Grafton M. Biddle, who has since resigned, pending possible disbarment (“Suspension urged for prosecutor,” Sept. 8).
Why was this five-sentence brief relegated to Page 13, with no pictures? Was it of less public interest than the half-page article, accompanied by a very large picture, about someone discovering old temporary grave markers in their backyard (“Backyard project paves way to grave discovery”)?
I would like to read the same kind of article about former prosecutor Hurst and former Judge Biddle (along with photos) as the one that ran in the Rocky Mountain News on June 15 about the late Judge Larry Manzanares (“Black cloud will linger for judge”).
The same news coverage given to a disgraced Denver Democratic judge should be accorded disgraced Douglas County Republican officials.
Kathy Sincere, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackRivers enjoyable
In contrast to letter writer Joe Lucero’s derisive comments about Reggie Rivers that appeared in the Sept. 8 Rocky Mountain News (“Rivers a shameful hire,” Talk Back to the Media), I find Rivers to be a brilliant, positive-minded person, with high integrity and strong humanitarian values. I’ve enjoyed listening to him over the years, and have never heard him make a derogatory statement about our servicemen and servicewomen.
Being a critical thinker, Rivers has found a great deal of fault and hypocrisy with our leadership, and rightly defines these problems, and brings them out into the open so that they can be exposed and, I hope, one day remedied.
Brian Boyarko, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (22) | TrackBackAnti-religious bias
Luciano Pavarotti, a singer, died. Several pages of newspaper coverage was dedicated to him — in color, no less.
The Rev. D. James Kennedy, an evangelical conservative minister and broadcaster, also died. Two hundred words and a small black-and-white picture were dedicated to him.
Certainly the bias of the media was exhibited by that approach, but let’s consider something else: Which of the two will have had the most lasting impact when all is said and done?
George Lilly, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (79) | TrackBackRocky unbelievable
Unbelievable! The Germans defuse a major terrorist threat and the Rocky carries it on Page 38 and did not even mention it on the front page. Instead the Rocky has the more important stuff on the front page: the Broncos. We haven’t even started the season yet!
I am sick and tired of the Rocky’s constant Broncos drivel. There are a lot more important issues out there that should be covered, like defeating the people who want to kill us.
Rick Piggott, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (45) | TrackBackIntrusive and tacky
Please, please get rid of the “Post-It note ads” on the cover of the Rocky. These have been bothering me for weeks but today (Sept. 3) was the worst.
Here is a poignant photo of an young injured Marine vet holding a cane. A portrait that could portray so many realities of war. Instead, the readers’ attention is drawn to the “Labor Day Blowout” sale at Carpet Mill. These ads are intrusive and tacky. Please stop.
Christina Howery, Littleton
Peel it off, move on
There’s a war raging in Iraq, young soldiers are being killed or wounded, global warming is invading our planet and Sen. Larry Craig is hanging out in restrooms. Yet some readers are stressing out over an easy-peel sticker. Just peel it off, wad it up and throw it away. There are more worthy causes in life than an easy-peel sticker!
Shirley Terry, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
I am at the point of cancelling my subscription and I have talked to many people who feel the same. We subscribed to get the news and we’re not getting it!!!
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Review the war in Iraq
The main enemy are Islamic Jihadists like al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. They weren’t there when we invaded in 2003. They mostly come from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt, who are our allies.
Our best allies are the Sunni tribesmen, who used to be the main supporters of Saddam Hussein, the bad guy we invaded to depose, because he had WMDs, which he didn’t have.
The central government in Iraq are not very good allies. They got elected, because we like to spread democracy. They are mostly shiites, and are friendly with Iran and Syria, who we don’t like. The shiites have a lot of militias, who are Islamic extremists too, but a different brand than our main enemy, al Qeada in Mesopotamia.
Then there are the Kurds, who are doing great. They kicked Saddam Hussein out of their region even before we invaded, but they want us to stay to protect them from the Turks, who are our allies.
President Bush wants us to stay in Iraq “as long as it takesâ€, but we are running out of soldiers.
We have just enough soldiers to last until President Bush retires to his ranch though. He will enjoy that.
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Teaching
What these Teachers’ must go through to reach a level of pay less then worthy of a Janitor, is insulting at best ! This guy never even mentions what a posative effect on CSAP results might occur, should the parents of their children spend more time aiding in the educational process. Have you ever taken the time to equate that $200 dollars a day ,divided by 8 hours a day, divided by 25 kids, equals $1 per kid an hour. Too bad we can’t get that rate on friday nights ! And as corporate executives issue themselves one hundred million dollars annually, and athletes,and actors earn the equivelent. You may want to take a moment to right your priorities with this. Even if you’re just a college grad with a BA in liberal arts, and you’re making 100K. Then you’re earning two times that of a 20 year Teacher, whose probibly within 3 credits of a Doctorate, and you only have to deal with your kid maybe twice a day !
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Falcons Football should stay
Since when are children a neighborhood nuisance? Falcon Football a tradition at Michnols Park for almost 50 years. Falcon Football a way for youth to get up off the couch, stop playing video games and learn what being part of a team is. Falcoln Football now being under scrutiny due to neighborhood compliants that consist of “I am sick of the noise", “ All you hear is go Falcons". For the last couple of weeks children have been practicing to the presence of uniformed and ununiformed police and park rangers. Strange enough this team is supported by the Police Athletic league. Children who do not want anything but to play an old fashion game of football. Childrens families who are supporting the children( also should I add picking up trash left by other people not affiliated with the Falcons to assist with the issue). Children who are being blamed not for doing anything wrong but for participating in the good old american sport football. No criminal act here unless being part of a family is illegal and to this day I know of no law. The Falcons are a family and yes they are growing. Why because the Falcons are supported by positive and supportive leaders that teach our children the concept of teamwork, family and the impact of doing your best. Moving to a different park is not that big of deal. At this point who wants thier child to feel like they are on probation for playing a game.
The way it is being conveyed, completely wrong. These children are not criminals, nor are the parents. The City of Denver states it is a Safety Issue. Since when is a park full of kids and parents a safety violation. The City of Denver is taking the easy way out of dealing with this issue and ignorant adults instead of supporting our children. Jada, are children really a nuiance? Why did you move across from a park then?
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9/11 anniversary
Sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies reported in September 2006 that the U.S.
It’s clear that war is not the answer. As the 110th Congress returns to work, its focus should be on funding the tools to peacefully resolve and prevent conflicts, and on building international understanding through people to people exchanges, public information and education, the United Nations, diplomacy, and economic development.
We should honor the victims of September 11 by doing everything we can to prevent new attacks and preserve a plural, democratic, and open society in the United States, instead of removing Citizens God Given rights stated in the US Constitution. To do this we must reorient our priorities and our government spending from war to international cooperation and peace.
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Terrorist plots still a possibility
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Teachers don’t deserve pay raise
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Democrat’s deals
Thanks for reading.
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Consuming local vs. global food
• Local food supporters are not necessarily anti-globalization. Different industries need different standards. For example, if Malaysia makes better computers for a lower cost than Colorado, consumers should buy Malaysian computers. Computers can be shipped across the globe in bulk by the cheapest, most convenient method possible. Malaysian fruit, on the other hand, must be packaged carefully to prevent bruising and spoilage, refrigerated and transported by air. Each of these steps incurs additional energy costs not borne by the computer distributor.
• We purchase more food by volume than computers or any other consumer product, so the food industry’s transport system has a mammoth energy “footprint.”
• A complex food subsidy system and federally subsidized transportation mean the true costs of food are not reflected at the supermarket.
• Local food tastes better. Though flavor is a subjective measure, I believe produce picked at peak ripeness and driven to the farmers market the following day tastes better than produce picked early and sold many days later.
Carroll argues shoppers should get all kinds of food from all corners of the globe simply because they can. I believe consumers should buy the freshest food with the lowest environmental impact, and at a cost that actually reflects the energy inputs.
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Columbine memorial
Thus the atheists do what atheists do best: The atheists must offend others so that they don’t get their feelings hurt by listening to a few songs at a Memorial they don’t have to attend.
If atheists are so offended by “Christians” singing a few “Christian” songs, then, in the long run, they have absolutely nothing to worry about. If Christians and God are that offensive to atheists, I can virtually guarantee them that, once their time on earth is over, they will see God only briefly — and then they will never, ever have to worry about being bothered by seeing the sight of Him ever again.
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In the end, replacing bridge would save hikers, money
It was an unfortunate story that unfolded with the disorientated hikers along the Poudre River’s Big South Trail (“Couple's signal fire brings happy ending to trip that went awry,” Sept. 7). All of this could have been avoided if the bridge that washed out near Peterson Lake in the 1970s had been rebuilt. The hikers would have had an easy time following the path — as I did in 1975 — if this bridge had been replaced.
To hike the entire trail’s length now requires one to wade across the often fast-moving and dangerous water.
Improvements are made in wilderness areas to protect its resources. In this case, a safer infrastructure that was once in place would have kept hikers from wandering off-trail, helicopters from flying overhead and search parties from combing the woods.
The Forest Service should consider replacement of this historic bridge. It could be built with minimal impact, save thousands of dollars in search-and-rescue missions and create a safer trek on one of the most beautiful rivers on the Front Range.
Dennis Sovick, Fort Collins
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackFossett’s phony flight
News stories of Steve Fossett’s missing plane repeat the myth of his “round-the- world” flight in a balloon in 2002.
Steve Fossett did not fly around the world in a balloon! At best, he flew around Antarctica in a balloon. By his own calculations, Fossett’s balloon trip covered 19,000 miles. The circumference of the Earth is 25,000 miles. He took a shortcut.
If a “round-the-world” trip can cover less than 25,000 miles, I am announcing my plans to set a record by walking around the world ... in less than a minute.
I will go to the North Pole, walk south 10 yards, and walk around the pole. By Fossett standards, that’s “around the world.”
Tom Gibson, Golden
Mr. Bush, get a clue
President Bush’s criticism of Myanmar’s human rights abuses (“‘Keep terrorists on run,’ president urges summit,” Sept. 7) is hysterically funny — this coming from a man who maintains secret prisons, supports torture, suspends Geneva Conventions in treatment of prisoners, etc.
Mr. Bush, get a clue. The whole world is laughing at you.
Larry Walsh, Conifer
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (68) | TrackBackAfter looking at the sticky-ad letter in the paper, I made it a point to look carefully at the front page news section of the Rocky Mountain News. The first 24 pages of the news section had less than 4 actual pages of news. The rest was ads. Is it any wonder that Americans cannot adequately have informed opinions on governments and foreign affairs, let alone budgets, local policy and so on when the main news section of the paper has all of four pages of news content?
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Iraq and US benchmarks
Is it any surprise that the Iraqi government has not met the benchmarks set by the US government? How often does the United States government strive to meet benchmarks set by some other government? Perhaps the Iraqi government doesn’t really care about US benchmarks.
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Bill Johnson defending hit & run driver
OK Mr. Bill Johnson, writer for the Rocky Mountain News. I think that it is nice of you to defend a 15yo accused of hit and run. But I wonder if you would defend him if he ran over your two children and killing one of them?
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How psychiatry works
This is done through the cleverly brutal but
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“War” in Iraq
It’s very tiresome to keep hearing reference to the so-called “war in Iraq", when there isn’t an actual war in Iraq.
Instead, following the illegal invasion of that ruined, but still sovereign country, for more than four years U.S. soldiers have been clumsily trying to enforce a foreign military occupation upon Iraq, unable yet to quell the resultant patriotic armed resistance. The ensuing chaos has prompted the deaths of near a million Iraqis, while creating a desperate flight to refuge by millions more now forced to huddle in neighboring countries to escape the carnage.
Our national discourse is highly confused, as politicians debate ghosts and illusions cynically created by our leaders’ dishonest, inaccurate rhetoric.
The lazy, lapdog media only amplify this unceasing fog of dangerous misinformation.
Meanwhile, we have lost many of our liberties and even some of our Constitutional rights due to a willfully hyped concern over “national security", a hoary justification all tyrants employ while driving to undermine freedom. And our armed forces have been hijacked for essentially partisan purposes, even as they are eviscerated by the President’s craven quest for some elusive “victory".
In reality, our troops have been ordered to fight and die in order to assuage Bush’s neurotic vanity and to enable America’s debilitating addiction to Middle East oil.
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When is enough, enough in Iraq?
We’re told that the Iraq security forces aren’t ready to take over, but not what the criteria is for when they are. When is enough, enough?
There is no way to tell when they will be ready to do ANYTHING. That can only be found out under actual police situations, under their OWN command, not ours, and even with that, we still can’t be sure what they’ll do the next time.
So when enough, is enough, can NEVER realistically be determined.
The point is that you can never be sure of ANYTHING and you can’t make things happen beyond your control by just hoping and wishing.
I’ll say it again... YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE OF ANYTHING...
This isn’t rocket science.
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Republican vs. Democrat scandals
The Denver Post obsession with Republican “scandals” is hardly anything new. Why is it that we seldom hear anything about Democrat scandals? The recent scam regarding the Hillary Clinton campaign is a case in point. As the Wall Street Journal reported last week, the Clinton campaign has received enormous donations from New York businessman, Norman Hsu. Now Hsu and his associates are under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible violation of campaign-finance law. Yet, where is the outrage? One would be hard pressed to find any coverage of the scam in the mainstream press. And that is only one of many Democrat scandals in recent months. In essence, the Denver Post editorial is a classic illustration of where its priorities really are!
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Sen. Larry Craig
In the case of Senator Larry Graig, I understand why there is a double standard in the media and why they hold Republicans to a higher standard
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Teaching in DPS
As a teacher for Denver Public Schools, I know the issues first-hand and I am insulted once again by the arrogance and the assumptions made by the *RMN* editorial board. My colleagues and I want nothing more than to see this district turn around.
Many of us are here because we know that in our system of school choice, there are students who have no advocates or no way to choose a “better”
They lead through control and coercion. Collectively, this approach has caused a lack of respect and trust between the teachers and administrators in Denver. When administrators are blaming the teachers (consistently and, often, solely) for the system’s woes, how can we not feel pitted against them? When we see our paychecks go down while neighboring districts’ pay goes up, how much longer can we stand to stay here while raising our families and living our lives?
In another year, *The Rocky Mountain News* will no doubt be unveiling a new series, “Leaving to Teach.” That is what is happening and will continue to happen to Denver’s teachers. Already, teachers who would otherwise be advocates for the kids who need them most are leaving DPS to teach in JeffCo, Cherry Creek, Adams 50, Douglas, and the list goes on and on.
Denver will always be able to attract some brand new teachers because of the high turnover, but the district has a reputation now for breaking them through stress and overwork. We are lucky if they don’t leave the profession entirely. Within a couple of years, they will be gaining and sharing their expertise in another district. Is that what Denver wants for its students?
I find the *RMN *editorial board’s practices to be unethical at best. These hateful articles are always anonymously written and representative of an entire newspaper organization. To use anonymity and false authority to lie is hardly journalism.
Congratulations. You made a teacher feel degraded and insulted today.
Still, some of us are not afraid to sign our names.
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CSAP in COLO.
Reading Mr. Leininger’s letter I can understand where he’s coming from because he uses industrial and business terms. Education isn’t manufacturing, I’ve done both. In manufacturing, quality of raw materials can be specified, no teacher can write specs for quality or numbers for the incoming class of students.
CSAP does not measure teachers’ “productivity,” and it is not designed to do so. Under CSAP, a fifth grade student could arrive from a rural Appalachian school reading at third grade level and the teacher who coached and guided him to read at fourth grade level by the time CSAP is administered, and up to fifth grade by the end of the year would be extremely “productive,” but a failure under CSAP.
CSAP is like industrial inspection except schools and teachers are judged by what students do. If you want to judge teachers, judge them by what they do.
Students are not rewarded for excelling on CSAP or penalized for failing CSAP. They can actually sandbag a school or teacher by deliberately failing.
Mrs. Jones demands discipline? Kids flunk the test. She’s punished, not they.
CSAP may actually not do it’s job, judging from Colorado’s statistics.
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Too few asked to carry post-9/11 burden
Watching the twin towers burning on MSNBC’s rebroadcast of 9/11 coverage is like visiting a graveyard. The people in those windows were doomed and what horror they must have felt trapped so far above the street.
The power of those images is undiminished. Some people refuse to watch anything about 9/11 and they can hardly be blamed. Why invite the pain back? But maybe we should.
Six years have passed and what price have we paid? My daughter flew through DIA the other day and had a brief layover. In the pre-9/11 days I would have met her at the gate and walked with her to her connecting flight. It would have been a nice interlude for both of us, but it never happened. Thanks to 9/11 I was prohibited from going to the gate and she would have had to leave the secured area to see me (and go through security again to catch her flight).
How else are we touched? There’s the real possibility that your phone conversations and e-mail messages are being “read” by a computer at the National Security Agency. On the other hand, we haven’t been asked to spend an extra penny in taxes for the war or to treat the wounded. There have been no scrap metal drives or even buy bond drives. Ninety-nine percent of our population has only been slightly inconvenienced since 9/11 while the remaining 1 percent is carrying the whole burden.
That’s the legacy and it seems so un-American somehow.
Harry Puncec, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (81) | TrackBackRocky itself out of line on vehicles in forests
What’s the point of putting out maps, ride guides and brochures when, according to the Denver newspapers, off-highway vehicles can go “almost anywhere” (“Off road and out of line,” Sept. 2).
Colorado’s national forests have restricted OHV travel to signed trails for decades. In Colorado, off-road clubs and the U.S. Forest Service have long worked together marking and maintaining official trail systems. It’s insulting to everyone involved to constantly brainwash the public into believing OHVs have free rein in the state’s forests.
For years you’ve been able to go into any sporting goods store and buy beautiful National Geographic or Forest Service maps clearly showing the trail systems and what is open to ATVs, dirtbikes/bicycles or hiking.
And let’s not forget the big lie: “In some areas it’s hard to hear anything but these conveyances.” Excuse me? Nearly a fourth of Colorado’s national forests are wilderness, wilderness study areas or similar designations where you can’t take any conveyance, not even a bicycle. Yes, in some areas I can ride my dirt bike, in some areas I can’t. It seems to me there should be some responsibility placed on nonmotorized users to obtain and read a map, not just the motorized folks. But again — the Denver dailies don’t report facts, they just pass on the propaganda that OHVs are everywhere and there’s no place to get away.
Steven Jones, Louisville
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackSupport curbs on ATVs, other vehicles
If you close your eyes and imagine “Colorado,” you probably think of an alpine meadow full of columbine, with a Fourteener in the background. A soundtrack might be a rushing stream, a breeze or perhaps some birdsong in the aspens.
That’s the image. But today the reality is different. The wildflower meadow may be rutted with tire tracks. The sounds of nature drowned out by the sound of machines.
ATVs are popular with many folks in Colorado and there is a place for them on our national forests. But we cannot allow them to go every place, all the time. If we do, we will lose the very things that make Colorado special.
So let’s support the Forest Service (and Bureau of Land Management) as they set some reasonable limits on ATVs and other off-road vehicles.
Most visitors to our national forests are like me — they hike, ride a bicycle or a horse. They are looking for some peace and quiet, not an outdoor racetrack.
Bryan Martin
Colorado Mountain Club
Golden
Ex-student should hold fast to her cause
Upon my initial reading of the story on the reprimand of Erica Corder for “talking up Jesus” during her commencement (“Reprimanded for invoking God in ’06, valedictorian sues,” Aug. 31), I thought, “What a duplicitous young lady!” I mean, hiding Jesus until she actually ascended the podium.
But when I thought about the response of the principal — withholding a rightfully earned diploma — it seemed to me that he more than justified her fear that she would not be allowed to speak about what is most important to her, namely, Christ.
In our effort to not offend anyone, we trample on the liberty of students who deviate from the secular script. This is wrapped up in pious talk about “separation of church and state,” but it is really a way of saying, “If God is central to your life, you are a freak.”
Corder was correct when she opined that “expressing our own beliefs” is central to the whole educational enterprise. It is downright pathetic and immoral that the adults resorted to intimidation tactics in order to get Corder to recant and apologize for seeing the world the way she does. Hold fast, Ms. Corder!
Matt McGuiness, Fort Lupton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (50) | TrackBackStudent among the ‘select pompous’
It’s great that Erica Corder has such strong convictions about Jesus Christ and feels empowered enough to rise above the rules to spread her message (“Reprimanded for invoking God in ’06, valedictorian sues,” Aug. 31). I wonder how many people in the crowd had other beliefs, or no beliefs.
As much as I love my Christian family and friends, I’m sick of the select pompous among us who “know” their faith is above other ways of thinking, and take every opportunity to share that message. She did nothing more than give a pep rally to her fellow Christians in the crowd, and anger the rest who didn’t show up to find Jesus, but celebrate graduation.
I’d bet everyone in the crowd is already well aware of Jesus. The reality is that this world will never unite under one belief system.
I’m all for freedom of speech and religion, but in a tolerant society, there is a time and a place for it.
Vince Rozmiarek, Indian Hills
The Speakout Column of 9/3 by Erik Palmer cannot go unchallenged.
Specifically, one of his points, is that any teacher with five years or more experience knows more about children and teaching than any columnist, radio talk show host, parents, etc.
It is exactly that type of arrogance by far too many (not all) in the public schools that perpetuates the mediocre to poor results in public education today. If Mr. Palmer’s assertion was accurate, then the scores on CSAP’s, SAT’s, ACT’s, Iowa Skills tests, graduation rates, etc should be markedly improving. But actual results show that they are not.
Our two children were pulled out of a local area public school district years ago exactly because of that type of arrogance. At that time my wife and I were told by teachers and administrators that they knew better when it came to implementing ideas such as outcome based education, whole language, inventive spelling, no grammar instruction, no grades, no homework.
And while my wallet became lighter in providing parochial education for my two children, they are better off today as a result. But we were fortunate, we had the financial means. I am concerned about the parents who do not and thus they have no choice if they have the same frustrations with the public schools that I did.
And as long as the pubic schools can avoid the ultimate accountability that the private schools have, they can afford to show the arrogance of ‘we know better’ and disregard legitimate calls for reform.
The articles we see today about results in public education are really no different than they were 10 years ago and i am sorry to say they will not be much different 10 years from now.
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Health care and health insurance
Where does Dorsey Hudson (Letters, 9/04) think illegal aliens go for their “free” healthcare? Why the same place President Bush brilliantly suggests anyone without insurance should: the emergency room! Our silver-spoon president (I stupidly voted twice for him) whose healthcare is guaranteed and fully-paid for life, is too distant from everyday folks’ to be bothered with how Americans meet our healthcare needs. Hence, his suggestion that we use ERs as doctor’s offices. And why not? Working Americans are, to this man, of less importance than the illegals he’s thrown our borders open to. We aren’t the stuffed Ralph Loren button-down shirts who’ll soon be forking over $3000 a plate to hear him speak, after all.
Lots of Americans can’t afford medical insurance, but since they are here legally, will not be treated for “free” at an emergency room. So, many put off medical care until a condition really —is — an emergency. By then, the condition costs far more to treat, and since hospitals and clinics cannot get paid by the illegal aliens they treat, they eagerly hound ill, but legal American patients into bankruptcy to collect on high and rising medical bills they simply can’t pay.
And why —should — Bush care? His bills are paid, and so are those of the illegals he wants to see flooding this country—paid by the same people who can’t afford medical care themselves.
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Democratic funding scandal
One would be hard pressed to find any coverage in the mainstream press about the Democratic scandal under investigation by the Department of Justice. Last week the Wall Street Journal reported possible campaign-finance law violations by New York businessman, Norman Hsu. According to the report, Hsu, the William Paws, and other associates “have collectively donated nearly $1 million to an array of candidates the past few years, including the Presidential campaign of Mrs. Clinton.” Yet, where is the outrage? In view of mainstream media’s obsession with the Republican ”scandals” in recent months, the possible campaign-finance law violations do not seem to matter. It is a classic illustration of where its priorities really are.
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Illegal immigrants
The American people and their representatives in Congress are the sole arbiter of how many immigrants can come to this country.? And we are very generous with this. A million or two are allowed every year legally.? You have? La Raza, the largest lobbyist firm for illegal immigrants,?and Calderon, the President of Mexico, with the audacity of thinking they are the arbiter of how many illegal citizens can come into this country.? THEY ARE NOT!? Calderon now has the?audacity to say “where there is a Mexican there is Mexico."? With 12 million illegal immigrants in ?the United States, it?would be Mexico.? We have to?close our borders and?our ability to limit the amount of legal immigrants.? There should be no illegal immigrants., Calderon and La Raza think it is perfectly alright to send 12 million to 20 million of their unemployed to this country.?Among those 12 million are more than 200,000 in our prisons costing the tax payers billions of dollars ?plus ICE is hunting for 500,000 illegal felons who are presently in this country.?? Immigration is when we have regulated the amount of?people who come here - our country’s immigration?policy allow people to come from 50 or more countries on the lottery system.? By regulating the flow these immigrants assimilate into the country - but not so with illegal immigrants.? They are coming across the border by the thousands every month and are becoming the majority in many of our states..They are arrogantly circumventing our immigration laws.?
Why don’t LaRaza and Calderon understand the word “illegal."?? No nation on earth can assimilate this many people or allow millions to ignore our immigration law.
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War in Iraq
George is at it again—his never ending PR campaign on the Iraq war went into full swing yesterday, in preparation for the report due next week, which, if honest is going to have to say that most areas have made only modest progress. It matters not what the situation really is on the ground (chaos, more and more refugees, no progress on oil output or electricity availability) or what the Iraqi government is failing to do (very little based on the published goals status), the only thing important to him is that his war keep going.
I’m not aware of any serious research or analysis that has been done by the administration as to what the best course really would be for our troops and for the long term improvement of the middle east. There is only one course for Bush—don’t stop or slow down for any reason, at least not until the election is over.
We must put someone in office that has some sense of objectivity and is willing to listen to experts on the issue. Our country is fast becoming subservient to this war and it’s huge costs—in tax money (now at over 469 billion dollars and growing daily) and lives, (nearly four thousand Americans and many, many thousands of Iraqis).And now Bush is asking for yet another 50 billion dollars in supplemental budgeting this year and still has no idea where he is going to get the troops to keep the war going after this fall when many troops will be past their time to come home.
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No more tag at school
I just finished reading an artical that says the ever popular game of tag has been removed from a school in the springs. My commit is “What are they thinking.” I’m a 35 year old parent of three, a 9yr. girl, 10yr, boy , and a 13 yr girl. All of which play the game of tag. Sure there is some contact, Sure there is a fast one then a slow one, but, thats life. My comment is what was the teacher doing during the time that the other children felt they were being treated unfairly. Where was the supervision to step in and say “if you don’t want to play ,here is another activity. “ Our children spend the majority of their day with the school officials.
What are they teaching? If i whine enough i don’t have to participate. Or is it, I don’t like the way they are treating me so lets penalize the entire school district. What ever happen to learning coping skills. Whatever hap pened to kids learning life lessons. “Life is not always fair.” Why do you think so many children a re becoming reclusive? Why do you think there are so many gunman coming up in high schools now? My explanation is that they are being pampered so much in elementary school by school officials and over protective parents, that by the time they reach high school its too late to “reach out” and help. The damage is already done. The game of tag is gone at this school, whats next; hide and go seek, or will it be hopscotch because it involves tossing a rock. Or will all sports be eliminated because “lil Miss Susie” can’t keep up and got cut from the track team. (Poor Miss Susie) Or Lil Johnny just isn’t tall enough to make the basketball team.
Parents, try and remember how we were raised. A little game of tag can’t be that harmful.
Especially when supervised. Teachers “DO YOUR JOB” And quit taking the easy way out.
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Lewis-Palmer valedictorian controversy
I was rather amazed to read that a lawsuit is being brought on behalf of one of the valedictorians at the Lewis-Palmer High School graduation ceremony last spring; Miss Erica Corder who invoked the name of God and (her) Lord Jesus Christ in her address to the graduating class.? On the basis of the facts as presented in the article, I would like to recommend that the faculty and staff of the school be seriously reprimanded and disciplined...not for their response to Miss Corder’s actions, but rather because of their failure to provide her with the education she should have received that would have helped her know, appreciate and understand that her actions, and her words, were inappropriate and, in fact, unconstitutional under current law, policy, and practice?in this country.
Miss Corder should have known that the Founding Fathers and authors of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights anticipated such attempts by individuals such as her to try to impose, in some form or fashion, their narrow beliefs on others...in the name of God,?Jesus Christ,?and other deities.? They (the Founding Fathers) took rather specific steps to separate?church and state, promoting and ensuring the political instituion of democracy not theocracy.
While Miss Corder defended her actions by saying she didn’t have a choice, “I really felt God calling to me to do this,” and, “My top priority is obeying God,” then using her line of thinking, I wonder if she would?have been?willing to allow one of her fellow valedictorians to also invoke the name of God as defined by Muslims, Jews, Hindus, or any other group of orthodox believers.? I recommend that Miss Corder read Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris to help her remediate the education she obviously did not receive which attending Lewis-Palmer High School.
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Ending the war in Iraq
As we are swiftly approaching the supposely September 15th deadline for General Petraus and Ambassor Dave Crocker report back to Congress, the Bush Administration yesterday thought it was taking a bold step forward by promoting the supposely “successes”
President George W. Bush is still singing his favorite Texan swan song — THE SURGE IS WORKING —- WE MUST STAY THE COURSE —- and Congress cannot change your stubborn thinking — and that YOU are the ultimate decider for the Iraq War.
Dear Mr. President; May I remind you that Congress does have the power to correct your misjudgements. Its’ written in our Constitution, and if you think that you can attack Iran (in the foreseeable future) with their permission, you have forgotten your early childhood history lessons. That’s why the checks and balances are in place —- We have to BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW, DEFUND THE WAR, and END THIS MADNESS CALLED TERRORISM
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Speaking out against war in Iraq
“With the report coming in about the “Surge", Bush is campaining for his failed strategy in Iraq. What makes me most angry is when I hear Bush saying that we have to listen to the commanders on the ground, not the politicians looking at the polls".
Of course the commanders are gonna say it is working. They have to follow orders and are not allowed to speak out against their commander in chief. I remember when a few years back some soldiers speaking out against the war and specificially Rumsfeld, and guess what happened, they prosecuted him. So, the Commanders know this and will only speak in favor of the Commander in Charge. But what about the retired Generals? They can speak out against this war and surge and often do. Here are a list of just a few of them, with some of them who served in Iraq:
Teacher’s compensation
Erik Palmer’s SPEAKOUT piece of 9/3/07 is:
If teachers aren’t as concerned about compensation as they are about education, why do teachers’ unions exist? A real truth is that real professionals never unionize. A teacher with five years’ experience knows more about children and teaching than do parents? Preposterous. Extremely qualified teachers aren’t “lined up” to replace the many mediocrities now teaching because, like that “dead weight” they went to teachers’ colleges, don’t know very much, and had lower undergrad GPA’s than their peers who majored in more demanding disciplines.
There is a simple solution to our public education woes, but as von Clausewitz wrote about his profession, “In war everything is simple, but often even the simplest things are very difficult.” Vouchers, competition, and school choice—along with the abolition of teachers’ unions—are the simple, but nonetheless difficult, solutuions. Schools will never be “able to do as much” as parents would like as long as teachers like Palmer continue to whine incessantly and work diligently to avoid any semblance of reponsibility and accountability.
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Union member outraged by inference
I am a proud member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Our union’s membership is diverse regarding race, religion and political affiliation. (Yes Virginia, there are Republican union members.)
My fellow union members and I are the workers who clean the buildings, take care of the sick and elderly, plow the roads, guard the prisoners, etc. We advocate for decent wages, affordable health care and safe working conditions.
I am outraged at the insinuation that dirty, underhanded and strongarm tactics are involved in our attempts to achieve these ends! (“GOP points finger at union revelations,” Sept. 5.) We work hard and take pride in our jobs.
My concern is not that there will be a union raid on the state budget — as Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, fears — but that the budget will continue to be balanced on the back of the workers.
Vicky Hardy, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (23) | TrackBackFor state’s unions, it’s payback time
There’s only one thing worse than government bureaucrats and that is unionized government bureaucrats. If you think the bureaucrats are unresponsive now, wait until the big labor bosses start pulling their strings.
Union lackey Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald gives off the most telling signs of what to expect when the union bosses control your government with her gobbledygook doublespeak phrases such as “empowerment package” (meaning, we’ll shut the state down if you don’t give us what we want) and “more ownership over their jobs” (meaning, you can’t fire us no matter how badly we perform).
All you independents and Republicans who voted for Ritter and allowed the Statehouse to be taken over by the Democrats will now get to pay the price, as it’s payback time from the union lackeys to the union bosses.
Don Fredriky, Wheat Ridge
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackAurora’s top cop brave
I must commend Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates for his bravery in committing one-half of his manpower to the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008 (“More cops sought to help out at DNC”). I am sure that Denver and the Democrats are very proud of him for his dedication to their cause. I hope the remaining officers are up to the 12-hour days with no days off and no sick time or vacation time allowed due to Oates’ bravery.
I do not know of any bank in the world that would advertise in the newspaper that their bank vault door was broken and would remain unlocked and open for seven days with just a skeleton crew to guard it.
Cooties — huh, kudos — to Oates for his support of a non-Aurora event.
Mark A. Golden, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBackKids need fed help, too
Recently, Gov. Bill Ritter signed SB 211, a law that will make it easier to enroll low-income kids in the Child Health Plan Plus, the state-federal health insurance plan for kids whose families make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance.
This is a good development for Colorado children. However, our state’s children need federal funding as well. Without additional federal money, Colorado will face shortfalls in just a few years. Our children, our health providers and our communities will feel the gaps in coverage in numerous, costly ways.
I write to request that Colorado’s citizens advocate for children with legislators at the federal level to expand the S-CHIP program.
Molly Cannon Stevenson, Greenwood Village
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackRe: Paul Campos column in the September 4th Rocky Mountain News.
Always interesting to scout the philosophy of the political left. Hard for me to tolerate, however, that I must to respond to left-columnist Paul Campos through his e-mail address at a public-funded educational institution, the University of Colorado.
Campos tried in vain to bait Giuliani Republicans with comparisons of Republican abandonment of Senator Craig. There is no way to compare legal heterosexual choices with illegal homosexual solicitation.
Is Campos also against cowboys being “entrapped” by Denver police-women decoying as street hookers during the National Western Stock Show? Should Denver police masquerade homosexual impersonators on the public sidewalk near gay bars to entrap fun-seeking delegates attending the 2008 Democratic convention? I understand there will be a large contingency of bisexuals and homosexuals among those delegates.
Sorry Campos, all you did is reveal the impossible arguments by the left for government interference in freedom of association based on behavior. Call it “orientation” if you will, but your ultimate philosophy is flawed unless you truly believe bisexuals should all pick a side and make an appointment with the transgendered Trinidad surgeon who specializes in physical reorientation.
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LifeBridge controversy
Re: Let annexation for church stand (9/2/07) There is a fine line between the “free exercise of religion” and government facilitation of religion. Scott Weiser in his essay on Speakout has crossed it.
Government is under no constitutional obligation to subsidize a specific religion. The LifeBridge effort to annex it’s property to Longmont is asking for just such subsidies.
Weiser’s argument says religion trumps all other concerns. There is no right in the U.S. Constitution that is absolute. Weiser’s premise is the foundation of a movement by Dominionists, a branch of “Christianity” that claims the Bible gives it the right — indeed the duty — to take “dominion” over all social and political activity to further its interpretation of the Bible and facilitate the “literal” truth of the Bible.
He rests his argument on legislation passed by a religiously “conservative” Congress in 2000 and very unfortunately signed by President Clinton, The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Promoted as a means to guarantee primarily prisoners the right to exercise their religion, the real purpose of this act largely flew in under the radar. The law was conceived to facilitate the supremacy of religion. It has not yet withstood a constitutional test. But the lower courts have found it necessary to allow virtually tax-free and unrestricted activity of all projects engaged in by a church, simply because it is a church.
If this isn’t the “establishment of a state-sponsored religion", then God help us, I don’t know what is.
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Thanks for article on teaching
Thanks to the News for publishing an article by someone who knows something about education ( Erik Palmer,
How is it that those who know the least about education ( in the public schools ) spout off the most about it? Oh, I forgot! I once saw Mr. R. ( on the telly ) in front of a classroom at George Washington High School; I must admit that he did a good job of keeping the students¹ attention - with the principal, governor, and several state patrol members in the room.
That situation would not have hurt my class control one bit, but unfortunately, I didn
In his article, Mike
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Disgusted with front page stickies
I am totally disgusted with the advertising stickers on the front page of Rocky Mountain News. Today’s issue September 3rd was the last straw. Marine Sgt. Brad Adams deserves more respect than to have a “LABOR DAY BLOWOUT Carpet Mill outlet stores”
sticker slapped on his face. The front page should tell an important story and should not be used for advertising. Put the advertising stickers on the back page. The Rocky Mountain News owes this brave young man Sergeant Adams an apology. As a native to Colorado the Rocky Mountain News has always been in my home as a child and as an adult. If advertising stickers continue to be on the front page I will no longer maintain a subscription.
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Iraq war
The Random House Dictionary defines “quagmire” as “a situation from which extrication is very difficult.” The definition of “folly” includes the phrases “lack of understanding or sense", “absurdity", and “a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure". From these we can construct a simple sentence: The extent of the folly of our attempted occupation of Iraq is reflected in the depth of the quagmire we now find ourselves in. It is the dilemma of a man who suddenly realizes that he is riding on a tiger’s back. He can’t stay there forever and he cannot get off.
One wishes the Neocons had read Robert Ardrey’s The Territorial Imperative, a behavioral science treatise written in the shadow of Viet Nam, or that the President had been a native (rather than transplanted) Texan with enough practical sense to know that stirring up a fire ant colony has painful consequences or that maintaining a beehive requires a degree of real expertise. As it stands, what was apparently seen as a honey trove has turned instead into a monstrous tar baby. The question which should be asked of all presidential candidates is, “If elected, what would be the first steps you would take to resolving our dilemma in Iraq?”
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Paying for the war in Iraq
With the Iraq war cost at $567 billion and U. S. employment at 153 million, the simplest way to pay for the cost of the Iraq war is to have each jobholder send a check to the U. S. Treasury in the amount of $3,700.00.
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Teachers and compensation
I found Erik Palmer’s article interesting. As a great man once wrote, “Methinks He Doth Protest Too Much". First, he used simplistic absolutes that are absurd on the face of it.
Teachers are in it for the money, otherwise the “associations"(euphemism for the teacher’s unions) wouldn’t fight tooth and nail for more cash for their members. It isn’t a sin to want to be well compensated, but we as taxpayers want value for our money.
Some teachers, not all, are not only concerned about compensation but also accountbility. This is why the CSAPs are fought so furiously. Heaven forbid we find out that Johnny STILL can’t read.
Qualified teachers aren’t lining up because teaching by its very nature attracts deadwood. Those who can’t do, teach (Those who can’t do or teach consult, but that’s a different issue). We are seeing the logical conclusion to this with, as Mr. Palmer states, few of our best and brightest becoming teachers. As a result, we now see in the workforce and college admissions twentysomethings who cannot read, write or do simple arithmetic. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Special ed kids are in private schools, and many are home schooled. Public schools drop the ball here as well as almost every other area. They should be ashamed of their performance on every level. Mr. Palmer is right about his last point, that schools can’t do as much as we think. Right now their level of dysfunction is unprecedented and most of us have very low expectations for our public schools.
This is why even low income folks are making great sacrifices to keep their kids out of failed public schools all over the country. Help them out with vouchers, they aren’t coming back anyway as long as the staus quo continues.
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Rep. Tom Tancredo
As his constituent I wrote to Representative Thomas Tancredo, who is currently running for US President, to voice my objections to the renewal and authorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act program, wherein international communications of US citizens can be monitored without warrant. Knowing that Rep. Tancredo supports all measures that bolster the War on Terrorism, I expected his response to reaffirm his commitment to renewal of said program.
What I did not realize, however, is how far afield of the US Constitution that Tancredo has ranged in his thinking.
The following quote from his letter of response, dated August 28, 2007, provides a glimpse into his thought pattern — and it is highly disturbing.
“More than a half-century ago at the outset of the Cold War, Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson famously wrote in a civil rights case dissent that, ‘.
. . If [WE]do not temper [OUR]doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, [WE]will convert the Bill of Rights into a suicide pact,’ and his observation rings as true today as it was when he first made it.”
Statements like these indicate an ongoing defilement of our most precious governmental document, which we need to counteract.
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Reporting on Iraq
I
I read reports coming out of Iraq everyday and they do not even come close to what we see in the papers or television news reports.
It maybe be because it is not coming from ones on the front line with the troops ,instead its coming from the green zone hotels.
Reports from embeds with our troops are telling of major gains in getting control of the area of trouble in Iraq and views that the troop sure is working . But where do we find this in our mainstream media?
Is it because the mainstream media has a agenda that do not fit the truth on the ground?
I think it is because it would not fit the political arena in D.C. This is a shame and a crime for our troops that are doing the job.
I see reports from the belt way that are divided and can tell it is a political game to those in charge.
The troops deserve better from our elected officials. They are doing the job that they are trained to do and are doing it well.
When was the last attack on our troops in Ramadi , Iraq wrote about? Is it because the attacks have not been happening and that good news might hurt the agenda of certain politico’s ?
Everyone needs to think out what would happen if we leave Iraq to soon and they can not sustain a free country.
Will those politico’s be willing to admit to a wrong if it blows up into a full scale conflict in the area and millions die.
I doubt it that they would because they do not have the spine to win in Iraq .
If this sounds hash it is because I have a son doing the job over there and he needs to hear it from the one’s here at home not the political games that are being played here it the States.
One final note the Surge is working to get a stable situation in place and then the political one in Iraq can begin.
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CO health care plans
Colorado Health Care Plans are Sickening According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 45 million are uninsured. Of those, 37% earn $50,000 a year, 19% make more than $75,000 a year, 20% are not citizens and 33% do not enroll in government health care programs which they are eligible for. Many of those people not insured are insured in less than a year. Colorado is reported to have 770,000 people without health insurance. I would guess Colorado’s census figures are proportional to the U.S. census figures. So, why would Coloradans want to pay to have all 770,000 uninsured, insured? The Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care Reform thinks we should.
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Proposed bond issues unaffordable
When I received my property tax valuation this year, my valuation had increased. I live in the Ruby Hill neighborhood, where overall values have decreased. Although I maintain my home, I haven’t added big improvements.
I protested my valuation and have just received notice that my protest was denied and the valuation stands. I’m sure I could not sell my home for the valuation the assessor’s office insists is correct. I am now invited to appeal that decision by going to the Board of Equalization.
I think it will be easier to just vote against all of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s requests for funding this year. I like the mayor and I can see the needs. I was going to vote for most of the requests; but I can’t afford both.
Carole Newman, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBackFor shame, Mr. Bush
While reading the two-years-after-Katrina stories I also saw an article stating that we now are throwing $3 billion a week into Iraq.
Where are our priorities? What could New Orleans do with a couple months of Iraq funding? Perhaps downsize the city to make it safer? New levees? Rebuild hospitals, schools and homes?
Nope, not President Bush and the neo-cons. I’m truly amazed Bush could even show his face in New Orleans. Shame!
Mike Archer, Golden
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (43) | TrackBackA right to litter
After observing more than 100 people smoking cigarettes while driving in their vehicles, I have come to the conclusion that cigarette smokers feel they have a right to throw their cigarette butts out the window, i.e., litter.
These are probably all good people who would never do that in any other situation.
Dennis Markman, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (40) | TrackBackAurora officer shows strength, fortitude
I’d like to thank the Rocky Mountain News for printing the story about transgendered Aurora policewoman Renee Grahn (“Undercover in all ways,” Sept. 1). She shows amazing strength of character and intestinal fortitude. It’s important to educate the public about gender identity disorder and make it clear that it has nothing to do with having sex and everything to do with identifying with a gender.
Even if we don’t believe in someone taking the surgical steps to alter their body to match their mind, we must at least tolerate it because we are a civilized society. And our society’s evolving. Just in the last six months there have been a handful of personal transgender stories covered by national journalists.
We are intelligent enough to see that transgendered people aren’t going to go away. How we deal with this emerging (but not new) issue now will leave our mark in history. Each single person who opens their heart to an individual afflicted with gender identity disorder engages another cog on the gears that are social change and advancement.
Those of us who are enlightened must keep our bond strong in order to carry some of the less-than-willing over the river of fear and misunderstanding to the land of loving acceptance and spiritual advancement.
Diana Woods, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackTransgendered cop gets undue attention
The way the Rocky Mountain News promoted Renee Grahn, the transgendered Aurora police officer (“Undercover in all ways,” Sept. 1), makes me wonder whether my “tomboy” daughter ought to explore the differences and perhaps become a “boy.”
All I hear about anymore are what homosexuals are doing — adopting kids, getting married, becoming deacons of their churches, the list goes on.
And now, three or four full-page descriptions on how well this transgendered person is getting along and how painful it was while “he” waited to get the operation to make “him” a girl. Give me a break.
I really don’t care what certain individuals do to their bodies, but for the Rocky to make it a headline story amazes me.
What’s next in your progressive reporting? How about, “How I used to dress up like a woman at home, but now I go out in public and feel good about myself,” or, “I was afraid people wouldn’t understand that I liked the company of small children, but now with greater ‘freedoms’ I’m hanging out with my pre-teen buddies.”
It all smacks of progressive (wacko) thinking.
Terry Bellomo, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (44) | TrackBackKarl Rove’s two acts of ‘treason’
My fellow Republicans who are trying to create a new history for Karl Rove are forgetting that his actions to out Valerie Plame were Rove’s second act of treason. Rove’s first act of treason was dedicating the last seven years to changing Lincoln’s, “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people” to a government of the Republicans, by the Republicans and for the Republicans. In doing so, Rove betrayed the more than 70 percent (and growing) of the population who are not Republicans.
The percentage of those betrayed by Rove’s first act of treason is actually higher, because Rove tried to achieve a government of, by and for only Bush/ Cheney/Rove Republicans. In addition to the Democrats, independents, Libertarians and Green Party Americans, Rove also betrayed those of us who are Eisenhower Republicans, Goldwater Republicans and any thinking, nonhating Republicans.
Michael O’Brien O’Connell, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (23) | TrackBackNW Parkway assumptions off base
The Rocky editorial on the Northwest Parkway lease (“A good deal for public,” Sept. 4) mistakenly assumes that the destination of the majority of commuters using E-470 and the parkway is the north end of C-470 and Interstate 70. This is not true, as shown by the Northwest Quadrant Feasibility Study and the Northwest Corridor Environmental Impact Statement.
The Rocky makes the same mistakes as its competitor did in its own editorial on this topic. They both state that the beltway completion is for commuters, not for residents in northern Jefferson County whose quality of life would be adversely affected by the new superhighway. They both also omit any reference to the noncompete arrangement in the lease agreement.
This egregious restriction is a repeat of the Tower Road/E-470 agreement, where restrictions on improving Tower Road would cause increased congestion (and it has) and motivate drivers to use the parallel toll highway.
Dick Sugg, Golden
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackAugust 8th, 2007 High Income Families Benefit, Study Finds. By Joyzelle Davis
Both my wife and I work, the HSA is one of the few tax deductions that we have. The program has been very beneficial for us. It has allowed us the opportunity to spend money on prevention, hopefully keeping our future medical expenses down.
My did you try and connect those that have no insurance to the Health Savings Accounts. What is the connection? I am tried about hearing about those that do not have insurance As a Firefighter/EMT I care for many injured people. Several weeks ago, a man riding a new Harley crashes his bike, he elected to buy a motorcycle and not purchase insurance. A 49 yr old female, lives in a $600,000 house, two cars, several TVs, cell phones, satellite TV, but elected not to purchase insurance. A member of my own family, retired pretty good retirement, just built a vacation home, yet they elected not to purchase even thou it was available and they had the money. Many of those currently without insurance do have the ability to obtain health insurance.
You should have written, many American benefit from HSAs.
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Media anti-Republican?
Elaine Neades is right on track in referring to the bias against anything favorable toward Republicans. The News is replete with anti-Republican articles.
Likewise, she expressed exactly my feelings toward the news media in general.
On Friday, my husband encountered a News representative wanting us to change from a four-day cycle to an all-week delivery. The representative said that because subscriptions had declined the News was making a special offer. My husband declined the offer. Indeed, I expressed to my husband on Thursday that when our subscription expires that we should strongly consider not renewing it. Apparently, others have or are considering the same. Newspapers should print the news and not be propaganda machines.
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Presidential library
I was a bit surprised to read that our ersatz commander in chief has hired a New York architectural firm to design his presidential library. Who would have thought that he would wish to chronicle and memorialize eight years of blunders?
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Republicans & Democrats
I just read Elaine Neade’s letter, and think she is like most Republican’s “ They think the public has short memories, when thay are the ones who do".
#2 What about the “American Spectator’s Arkansas Project", a 2.4 million dirt-digging operation funded by right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife.
Read “Blinded by the Right “ by David Brock, who was hired by Scaife.
The only thing Clinton was found guilty of was “lying to the Grand Jury about having improper relations with Monica Lewinsky", yet the Republican’s continue to bring these things up as though it was a proven fact i.e. Whitewater, killing Vince Foster etc.
By the way, he was aquitted in his Impeachment Trial.
#3 The good Republican’s allowed themselves to be taken over by the Christian Coalition, Religious Right, Christian Conservatives and whatever else they call themselves. They then set the themselves up as the only Party with Christian and Family values
Now, he is determined to go to War in Iran if our elected offricials don’t do something to stop him.
Newsweek printed an article on Mike Huckabee, Arkansas Governor, running for President in which he says: REPUBLICANS HAVEN’T GOTTEN IT RIGHT ALL THE TIME AND DEMOCRATS HAVEN’T GOTTEN IT WRONG ALL THE TIME.
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Sen. Larry Craig
As Senator Larry Craig (Republican) performed homosexual acts, why didn’t the Democrats rally to his cause as they support everything else homosexual?
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Iraq war
It seems that we have been there forever. It appears that we will there for a while yet. The talk is that even if the Democrats take over in 2009 and the insurgency moves out there will be some fixing to do. A hornets nest in the corner of your house can
Unfortunatelly, Mr. Bush must not have read up on Middle East history. Mr.
Bush wiped out the solution, now the situation is worse, and it keep getting worse day by day. Hundred of thousands of Iraqis have left to nearby countries and will continue to move out.. They have to, the chaos is over whelming. Day to day living is worse than it ever was and with no solution in sight. The Associated Press says over 1800 Iraqi citizens were killed last month. No doubt, many more then that were wounded. The Iraqi people will suffer for years and years because of this stupid war. All of them will blame us. Our military establishment in Iraq may say our so called surge has improved things. How long can the surge last? With as much destruction as we have done in Iraq, the insurgents multiply every day. We now have the whole Middle East against us.
We need to leave Iraq and leave right now. Because we started this last mess in Iraq, we could assist them wilth funds for every day living matters. The problem is that Haliburton can’t be trusted even with costs for every day living matters. On the brighter side when we look at our own current plight in this country on matters such as health, poverty, education and infrastructure, we can rest assured that Mr. Bush will not go over board on spending for those purposes in Iraq.
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Spanish vs. other languages
RE: “Spanish class session turns ugly,” —News —, 8/31: My daughter is taking German language class in high school this year. She tells me that the teacher admitted that this class last year had only seven students, compared to an opening day roster this year of twenty-seven. During the “get to know one another” part of the class at least ten students had an admission to make about their taking up German: they were tired of Spanish. These kids (and others, perhaps) are tired of hearing Spanish everywhere they go and tired of being told by everyone from well-meaning teachers and parents to others—perhaps not so well meaning—in and through the media, that Spanish is the only important language.
The unfortunate event at Holy Family High School is what’s called “cultural blowback,” and it often starts among the young, who aren’t politically correct enough to keep their mouths shut. As ill-targeted as was the ire expressed in this Spanish language class and as ignorant as the young people shouting “White Power!” may be of the baggage that phrase carries, it nevertheless demonstrates that some of the frogs being slowly boiled in our “salad bowl” are becoming aware of the heat.
Now, rather than shrieking “racism!”, bringing Jesse Jackson and La Raza in and demanding that these kids—and their teacher—attend “sensitivity” classes (can someone tell me when language became a “race”?), perhaps someone should instead take an honest look at these kids’ emotions and address honestly what the adults in power are allowing to happen to the culture these young adults are about to inherit.
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Communism
Reader Fox ("Gasp! Jesus even had capitalists as friends", 8/31) corrects one part of the fallacy believed by Pamela Blome (""CCU students misled", 8/27): some Christian religious orders might have practiced commonality of ownership here and there but that has never been accepted practice among Christians as a whole. Blome also thinks the communist slogan “to each according to his needs, from each according to his abilities” demonstrates a kinship between communism and Christianity.
What her claim clearly demonstrates is that she may have “studied communism” under some brainwashed leftist professor but never lived under that system for a day. (Neither did the pinko academic peddling it.) Having lived under a mild developing form of communism for three years and the open, full-blown form for a year and a half (many of my friends and relatives were stuck under it for decades), I must pity the delusion under which ignorant Western admirers of that malignancy put themselves.
What the shell artists they trust failed to tell them: “To each according to his needs” sounds good. Until you find out that in the communist system, it is solely the ruling terrorists - not the unfortunate peons - who determine what everybody’s needs are: the rulers’ needs are fabulously lavish, and the peons are reluctantly given the crumbs. The ruling terrorists also determine everybody’s ability to contribute: besides a stream of orders, nothing is required from them except thick skin, a talent for demagogy, and the ability to survive the schemes of his colleagues. From the subjects, as much as the state can squeeze out of them (they are prevented from leaving by electrified barbed wires, mine fields, and swarms of privileged trigger-happy guards watching each other at the border).
You want to compare the communists to Christ, Ms. Blome? A better comparison would be the communists v. the nazis (Adolf Hitler comes out of that as, relatively, the altar boy.)
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Alberto Gonzales
I found your editorial of August 31, admonishing Democrats for continuing to go after Gonzalez even after he resigned, to be extremely misleading.
The Dems are NOT pursuing Gonzalez because of the firing of the attorneys, as you mislead your readers to believe— they are pursuing charges against Gonzalez for LYING TO CONGRESS. The Democrats have stated this fact in several press releases, but the Rocky has chosen to look the other way, trying to lessen the criminality of Gonzalez—putting lipstick on a pig, no less.
Gonzalez, sworn to uphold the law, has lied continually and has put his party and Bush before his country. He has condoned and facilitated torture in the name of the United States of America. He should be put on trial and not given a pass. If we do not punish violators of the rule of law, then the Rocky might as well advocate that all prisoners be let free, no questions asked.
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Making it easy for illegals
Night after night we watch the TV news and night after night it’s another Mexican killing or robbing, or hit and run, etc. Yet no media person will address the problem that Mexicans are out of control, not only here but nationwide. Even in our small town of Estes Park no one will address it. A few weeks ago we had a local teenager who was coming out of McDonalds’ beaten up by a Mexican. Come to find out, it was an initiation into a Mexican gang here yet no media reported this. When an illegal commits a crime, there should be no bail set period. But Colorado sets bail when they go to court, they then return to Mexico, Colorado then drops the court case and the illegal returns here to commit more crimes. Doesn’t make any sense but our legislators have made it easy for them! It is bad enough we have to put up with illegals, now we Americans have to conform to them? Press 1 for English, etc. We even print our election ballots in Spanish for them. They are the only nation that our dumb legislators make us conform to them and their language!! We will not vote for any legislator that will not enforce our illegal immigration laws! Quit making it easy for illegals here. Quit passing the buck to the Federal Government!
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Cut-and-runners
I have a short response to Kerry Neuville’s letter to the editor of Aug. 22, “Conservatives set to blame war on libs,” in which he assures us of the conservatives’ coming attempt to blame liberals for being cut-and-runners who will lose the war in Iraq: Too late! We have already said it because it’s true. If the yellow streak fits, wear it!
Stephen Maio, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (66) | TrackBackRepressive attitudes
There can no longer be any doubt that repressive, conservative Republican attitudes about sex create creeps like Rep. Mark Foley, the Rev. Ted Haggard and Sen. Larry Craig. These poor, miserable men could otherwise be happy and, frankly, gay.
Chris Shonka, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (30) | TrackBackTired of campaign
I am bored by the 2008 presidential election, and it is only September 2007! There should be a constitutional amendment that limits the campaign for any election to six months.
I am tired of hearing about the “uninsured” from politicians raking in millions for their campaigns. I am tired of hearing how they will do everything better.
I have listened to all the promises since Truman; I would like to see some positive action!
Pat Allen, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackTime to buckle down
Two years later, we are crying over New Orleans again. Yes, the government dropped the ball at the beginning. Yes, people suffered. Now, two years later, we still have people marching in the streets saying, “Where is my money?”
Why aren’t these people out there cleaning up the piles of rubble still there after two years? Why don’t they have jobs and are rebuilding their lives and homes? Why are they still waiting for someone to “give” them money, houses, “their” city back?
Why are all the volunteers working to make things better from somewhere else — and mostly white? Why did they re-elect a mayor who did nothing but ask for more and more from others, but asked nothing from himself or his “chocolate city”?
Why are there still Katrina refugees here in Colorado and many other states, and why are they getting government funds for support after two years? Why don’t these people try to help themselves?
Carol Ann Brown, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (15) | TrackBackMany abuse the flag
Come on, Mr. Finley, many people in this country disrespect the flag (“Disrespect for flag in comic strip outrages,” Talk Back to the Media, Aug. 25).
Most of this is unintentional, but it is still disrespectful.
How many cars have you seen with a flag on the antenna that’s dirty and shredded? Did you know that when you display the flag at night you are supposed to shine a light on it or take it down? Also, when you do take it down, it isn’t supposed to be laid on the ground or touch the ground in any way.
A tattered or worn flag is respectfully burned, not tossed in the trash. I know these are mainly innocent mistakes, but this is the norm for flag policy.
Michael Franzen, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackToo little done for devastated coast
I wore a wristband the other night, Aug. 29 to be exact. You know, like the one by Lance Armstrong that says “Live Strong.” I don’t usually wear these wristbands. The one I wore is in the Mardi Gras colors of green, purple and yellow. It says “Renew – Rebuild – Reunite.” Some people asked what it was, most didn’t. That’s OK.
What isn’t OK is the way our current president continues to use New Orleans and the affected area of the Gulf Coast as a backdrop for photographic opportunities. Most recently, the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
I have relatives in Louisiana and Mississippi. Some were displaced by this natural disaster and some lost their homes. Little has been done for much of the affected area. So much chest-beating by this president with not a lot to show! Perhaps he should wear a red wristband to signify the embarrassment of this administration for poor action before, during and since the hurricane that simply says “Shame – Shame – Shame.”
R. Ferguson, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Beltway is a boondoggle
The Rocky has editorialized (“A good deal for the public,” Sept. 4) in favor of a transportation project that would do little to improve congestion and would negatively affect local communities.
We all want long-term transportation solutions that protect the quality of life in Colorado. However, the proposed Northwest Parkway sale is a misguided mistake all around.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is considering a proposal to expand the toll road through the C-470/E-470 beltway around Denver with a western piece connecting Broomfield and Golden.
Recently, Broomfield agreed to work with Brisa/CCR, a consortium of foreign companies, which has offered to bail out the failed Northwest Parkway authority and put another $60 million on the table to extend the toll road south to C-470. It sweetened the deal with a $40 million commission to Broomfield if officials there convince other communities to allow the extension.
As a state representative, I am committed to spending our precious transportation budget on projects that solve transportation problems and ease congestion, not the other way around.
I have heard the mantra of economic development over and over at the planning meetings for this beltway. When companies move into a community and bring jobs and increase municipal revenues and improve the quality of life — as in Belmar or downtown Golden — that’s economic development.
But a billion-dollar boondoggle that hurts consumers, does nothing for commuters, and helps only developers and foreign companies is not economic development. It’s nothing more than a vanity project that will destroy lovely parks and towns in the process of padding developers’ pockets.
Gwyn Green, a Democrat from Golden, represents House District 23 in the Colorado General Assembly.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBackKid Nation is to debut Sept. 19 on CBS. This new reality series features 40 children, average age 11, who were taken out of school for 40 days recently and left with limited supervision in a ghost town in New Mexico and videotaped by film crews.
This production may have violated state labor laws in New Mexico. The kids were reportedly worked 14 hours a day as they struggled to begin an economy and town council. The unscripted kids’ tears and fears are captured.
Let’s not kid ourselves: This is not a social experiment — it’s about dollars and ratings.
CBS verified that four children required medical attention after accidentally drinking bleach from an unmarked pop bottle. A little girl had a grease burn while cooking. This child exploitation borders on abuse and neglect.
We hear pediatricians and child psychologists were standing by. Oh? Just standing?
No doubt this will prompt public debate and buzz. But to me, it’s a new low for CBS.
Jeffrey I. Dolgan,
Senior psychologist,
The Children’s Hospital
Denver
Rivers a shameful hire
It seems CBS 4 is scraping the bottom of the barrel in hiring Reggie Rivers, the military-hating former Denver Broncos running back to be a commentator for the station’s Broncos games.
How can CBS 4 hire him after what he has said about the men and women — both past and present — of our armed forces? He has said that we are all a bunch of paid slaves.
CBS 4 should check on whom they hire before hiring them. This is as sorry an employee as I have ever seen. Besides, he was a sorry running back and he is a very poor commentator. Come on, CBS 4, can’t you do better?
Joe Lucero, Wheat Ridge
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (37) | TrackBackToo little news
I just finished the Saturday, Sept. 1 Rocky Mountain News.
The first section was 24 pages long. Pages 3, 5 and 7 were full-page ads. Of the final 13 pages,12 were full-page ads. The 13th page was nothing but ads save for a small, single 2-inch column. That makes for 15 out of 24 pages dedicated to nothing but full-page ads.
The front page, Page 4 and Page 6 were dedicated to “news” without ads. The remaining pages were primarily 75 percent to 90 percent ads with some news fillers that might contain a true two pages of news at best.
And this is just the first section.
Enough already. I get fewer ads and pop-ups from the Internet.
Ron Jacobs, Broomfield
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (22) | TrackBack‘Diesel’ fumes
When I recently returned from an out-of-state vacation, I was disappointed to discover that the daily comic strip, Diesel Sweeties, had been removed from the Rocky’s funny pages.
Perhaps the comics editor concluded that the strip’s target audience — sharp, hip and young — have long since abandoned newspapers. Clearly, its presence offered stark contrast to the tedious “one-joke” banality evident in other comics.
And speaking of those other strips, here are some unsolicited suggestions for further deletions from the comics section: prune Rose is Rose, throw Over the Hedge under the bus, euthanize Garfield, put the Pajama Diaries to bed, and send the hoary Hagar the Horrible back to the Dark Ages.
Karl B. Dworak, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackUnlocalized story a disservice to readers
The unlocalized publishing of an Associated Press article with a headline about housing prices being in free fall (“Home prices in free fall,” Business, Aug. 29) did Denver homebuyers a great disservice.
Denver was not even a subject of the article, yet it left the impression that Denver is experiencing a major decline in home values.
That is clearly not the case.
As a Denver builder and real estate broker for more than 30 years, I can clearly demonstrate that the vast majority of the metropolitan area is experiencing the same steady (but never spectacular) appreciation in values it always has.
Certainly there are areas of significant deterioration which have already been covered, but if the Rocky were to give some balanced attention to the many stable and desirable neighborhoods, I believe it would find steady and, in some areas, dramatic appreciation of home values.
Stephen Holben, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackI read with interest Roger Faber’s Aug. 29 letter, “Choir ban offensive,” in which he calls the decision to ban the gospel choir at the Columbine Memorial “offensive” and “insensitive.”
I would like to have a predominantly homosexual, devil-worshipping, communist choir sing at the event instead. I wonder if Faber would agree that keeping them from performing would be as “offensive” as excluding the gospel choir.
I can hear Faber out there asking the question, “Are there people who are as offended by Christian music as I am by homosexuality, communism and devil worshipping?” Honestly? Yes. Christians are so accustomed to walking all over everybody else that not having Christian music gets them all riled up.
If Faber finds not hearing Christian music so offensive, he is welcome to hum it to himself, which he probably has to do ’round the clock, since even the thought of a moment without it sends him into a tizzy.
Greg Palmer, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (199) | TrackBackDarling of the left
It is sadly humorous to watch paranoid nitwits like Cindy Sheehan, Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover screech about the erosion of civil rights in this country and the “despotism” of George W. Bush while they wholeheartedly support an actual dictator who is in the process of consolidating his power and crushing the opposition in his own country.
On Jan. 20, 2009, George W. Bush will no longer be the president of the United States. In Caracas, Venezuela, however, Hugo Chavez, socialist fanatic, supporter of Saddam Hussein, admirer of Fidel Castro and darling of the American left, will still be in office, beginning his 11th year of running Venezuela into the ground with no end in sight.
Mark Proper, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (119) | TrackBackSolutions too costly
I have been following with great interest the stories in the Rocky Mountain News about all of the plans to solve Colorado’s health-care problems.
How is it that all of the plans cost more money to fix the problems than they are costing now? All these appear to be part of the Colorado Health-care Providers Income Guarantee Program.
None of these so-called plans will fix anything, but will just fleece the people who have the “income” to be taxed!
L. Allison, Elbert
As Navy Captain Paul Serbo rightly contends, it is not the troops on the field who are losing the war, but the “back-seat drivers” at home. The mainstream media is partly to blame for projecting its daily “doom and gloom” message to the American people. But that is not all. The Congress bears much of the responsibility for the despair that prevails in America today. Liberals in Congress seem more concerned about ending the war than winning it. Like Sir Douglas Haig, British Commander in WWI, the Democrats prefer to embrace their ivory-tower opinions than face the facts. We hope the President will square off with the Congress when it returns next month. In time of war, back-seat driving is not an option!
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Health care for children
SIPping at the Federal/State Trough
Currently approximately half of the children enrolled in CHIP are from single parent families. With relaxed eligibility, this ratio will certainly increase.
Enabling parents of children born out of wedlock to acquire a basic family responsibility for their children does not strengthen the the fundamental need for encouraging two parent families. Quite obviously, it does the opposite. The missing -in-action father will probably rest more easily knowing that his child’s health needs will be taken care of by someone else, but what of all the other aspects of raising a child?. Do we as a society really want to systematically undermine the basic family institution known to produce superior results in terms of child development? Certainly we cannot turn back the clock. Single parent ( and grandparent ) “families” exist, and need help. But a multi billion dollar program enabling dysfunctional families and irresponsible parents is insane! Let’s change the incentives
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Energy con game
Radical environmentalists and their political allies in Washington are currently doing America an almost unbelievable disservice: They want the average citizen to believe that our economy will soon run on windmills, solar cells and inefficient corn alcohol.
Sadly, most folks haven’t taken time to examine the hard truth that our interstate commerce, air transportation and the U.S. military are almost totally dependant upon diesel and jet fuels — “Green” alternatives simply don’t work in jet planes or 18-wheelers! In the increasingly likely event of an extended Iranian shutdown of the Straits of Hormuz, America’s domestic economy would grind to a halt within weeks, despite our highly limited reserve supplies.
What’s the only alternative? Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama recently proposed using our vast coal resources — which are sufficient to supply America’s energy needs for at least three hundred years — to manufacture cheap and clean diesel and jet fuel with presently available technology, but his party’s enviro-activist wing shut him up very quickly. America’s totalitarian enemies are rightly laughing themselves hoarse at our ridiculous spectacle of a supposedly mature country sacrificing its future self-sufficiency and personal freedoms on a questionable altar of this new but quite obviously flawed version of political correctness. How sad for our future generations.
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Mental illness
George DelGrosso, Executive Director Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council; Jeanne M. Rohner, President and CEO Mental Health America of Colorado; Lacey Berumen, Executive Director National Alliance for Mental Illness; Amy Smith, Director WE CAN! of Colorado and Karen Wojdyla, Executive Director Colorado Psychological Association
Most importantly, the hearts of everyone involved with Coloradoís mental health community go out to those who have been impacted by this event. We hope for a speedy recovery for Mr. Knorps, Mr. Astin, and those who witnessed the tragic episode.
We urge our neighbors to take this opportunity to learn more about mental health for themselves and others. Greater awareness and understanding can lead to a stronger community support system, which will benefit all of us in many ways.
Mental illness impacts about one out of every four families at any given time and it impacts almost half of us during our lifetimes. It is more common than cancer and many other major diseases combined. The good news is that research has shown that community treatment, including employment, is the most effective road to recovery. These programs are extremely safe and extremely positive for everyone.
We hope that this weekís incident will not cause anyone with a mental illness to lose a job or to experience discrimination in any way. Such acts would be extreme and unjust.
We hope that the University of Colorado and other employers across the state will work with the mental health community to strengthen the system and create even more opportunities for recovery. These employers are truly heroes who are working miracles in the communities across our state.
The community mental health system works very well, but it requires community involvement to realize its full potential. We urge all stakeholders to join us in our constant quest to strengthen the community mental health system across the state and nation.
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Voting machine problems
Your editorial is misleading and ignores the fact that many of the voting problems experienced in the November 2006 election were caused by electronic voting machines that performed poorly. There were problems with these machines in at least Douglas and Montrose Counties. In Douglas County, problems with the the functioning of these machines caused on vote center to be temporarily shut down. Paper ballots with precinct level scanners are the most reliable use of technology currently available. A limited emergency use of DRE’s could be made available at each polling place for voteres with disabilities. Given the problems with DRE’s on a functional level and the fact that they have been decertified in California because of gross security flaws does not bode well for Colorado’s continuing to use them. The security seals that are mandated by the the Colorado Department of State were shown in California testing to be easily by-passed with a screw driver. DRE’s were recertified for limited use in California for persons with disabilities and for early voting with the stipulation that 100% of the paper rolls would have to be counted.
Advocating for the wholesale recertification of DRE’s in Colorado is editorially irresponsible.
As the chief researcher in Conroy v. Dennis, the lawsuit that caused the voting systems to be retested, I understand the problems the wholesale use of these insecure, unreliable DRE’s can cause.
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Parental involvement good for Hispanic students
It is tragic to suggest that simple proximity to white people is critical to their education.
Other researchers, John McWhorter sites them in his book “Loosing the Race” note that a child’s and their parent’s attitude towards learning has much greater impact on their academic achievement than does the social economic background of their schoolmates.
It has taken a great deal of time and energy for middle and upper class white people to “resegregate” the schools. They pale a high value on education and take an ACTIVE role in the process by volunteering at school, meeting with the teachers, and reading to their children when they are young. Like middle and upper class parents of all races, they hard at their children’s education.
Instead of a social engineering project transplanting students, resources should be spent to educate the parents of these Hispanic children to take responsibility for their child’s education. Help them to understand the need to place the same value on education and work just as hard at their child’s education as do the upper and middle class white children the bureaucrats seek to lure with the magnet schools. Is it not better to attack the problem at the source and give these children a foundation for future successes? Upper and middle class whites send their children to the best school possible. If these Hispanic children in minority schools can DEMONSTRE their ability to enhance these white kids education opportunity, integration takes care of itself.
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The Republican administration
Re: “Time for Congress to call off the dogs”, 31 Aug 2007 Editorial You write, “It’s hard to see what more can be gained by continuing to go after the U.S. attorney firings” now that Alberto Gonzales has finally slinked away into the night. It’s really not that hard to understand. It’s called truth. It’s called justice. And it’s sad that you don’t care about either.
This Republican administration fired attorneys who dared investigate Republicans and others who failed to press bogus charges against Democrats.
Alberto Gonzales lied to Congress and the American people repeatedly and pathetically. That the Republican shills at the Rocky Mountain News don’t get it is hardly surprising. But there are plenty of us out here who are tired of the lies and corruption that the Republicans have brought us. If you lack the common sense and integrity to be outraged by the crooks and liars in this Republican administration I am, quite frankly, embarrassed for you.
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DPS teachers
A. Cloyes
DCTA president, and DPS teachers have their heads in the sand. They ought to concentrate on bringing student achievement up to par before even thinking about asking for a raise.
Have they forgotten that less than two years ago Denver taxpayers approved a $25 million tax increase to fund teacher pay? They don’t need to fight the district to get a pay raise—the ProComp Trust Fund has been set up for that. As a result of this new system, some teachers have realized salary increases of 10%-20% in the last year and a half! ProComp is missing a key component in that it does not hold teachers accountable for student achievement. If you tell a lie long enough and effectively enough, you can get the masses to believe it. They should be bragging about how easily they fooled the public.
Kim whined that the district imposed a paltry benefits increase of 3.6%. Guess what—that was an across the board increase for everybody, including custodians, food service workers and other employees. Many DPS employees are not even eligible for the district’s health insurance plans and couldn’t afford it if they were. Many live in subsidized housing and receive food stamps. They are the ones who need big raises. Instead, the district robs them of needed pay increases to bend to the teachers’ greed.
Don’t be fooled. Teachers make a very good living and they only work August through May with plenty of vacation in between. You can be sure that they don’t need second jobs during the summer to put food on the table. Any teacher who tells you they don’t make a living wage probably has a new car in the garage.
If you believe Kim and DCTA and their lies, your head is in the sand too.
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15 illegals stopped by CSP
The Colorado State Patrol stopped a van with 15 people in it for a traffic issue. Then found out that they were in the U.S. illegally. When the ICE did not come to pick them up, they were released because the CSP stated that they had not done anything illegal. Then why were they stopped in the first place and I though that being in the U.S. illegal was against the law. Hummmm?
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Ed Stein’s cartoons
Your latest malicious, unamerican “cartoon” by Ed Stein is so mendacious and untrue that it almost spurred me to come down and picket your liberal, bleeding heart newspaper, along with many friends who agree with me. You can only print what you consider is good, and refuse to print differing opinions. You are a liberal rag that is the voice of unamerican, constitutional hating, Bush hating idiots. I grant you that Bush has made mistakes, but to protray him as standing by a racking machine is pure, vile garbage. The only reason you can print these things is because hundreds of thousands of patriotic americans have died for your right to do so. To say I am angry, furious and would like to see you go out of business is the mildest thing I can say, because my freedom of speech is call either racist, politically incorrect or some other euphenism you don’t like. Do you know that hundreds of thousands of Americans agree with me? Or don’t you even care because we don’t have a choice here in Denver of reading either your two liberal rags or have no newspaper at all! Well, let me be racist and politcally incorrect for a moment. Your paper is peopled with mostly liberal, anti-american, anti-constitution idiots who can’t do anything but whine and pule about anything and everything they don’t like or approve of. In a letter a week ago I warned your readers that Barack Obama was raised, brainwashed and is a Muslim! His hatreds, prejudices, and opinions were formed in childhood and anyone who has studied history knows that this lasts a lifetime. He will change this country and you and your cohorts, such as Ed Stein will applaud.
Congratulations on becoming a malicious, vicious, and vile voice for the cowards and aliens in this country who want to tear down our democracy that is bobbing in the blood of brave Americans who believe in their country. You are right——-with you pushing them down as they come up for breath, you are destroying our freedoms. Congratulations!
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It’s student, family who are owed apology
Officials at Monument’s Lewis-Palmer High School and members of the Lewis-Palmer School District 38 School Board are lucky (“Reprimanded for invoking God in ’06, valedictorian sues,” Aug. 31). If that were my child, I would have encouraged her to not apologize. This is nothing more than blackmail on the part of the public school system, and exhibits a flagrant disregard for freedom of speech!
But this isn’t the first time we as a society, here in one of the supposedly freest countries on Earth, have been around this bush. I think it’s amazing how many of these stories make it into the Rocky Mountain News but no follow-up is ever done. Why is that? Do the students often win and we, as a society, can’t know that because, God forbid, other students would find out they too can do the same thing?
I think the student and parents need to apologize for apologizing and the public school system needs to publish in all local and state papers an apology to this family for trampling this student’s rights.
Last-minute speech changes, intentional or not, are common. I can pretty much bet that if she included some school pride thing at the end of her speech she would not have been penalized for changing her speech.
Harry Keith, Golden
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (64) | TrackBackTeachers’ demands, productivity at odds
It is interesting that the teachers are wanting a pay raise (“Teachers turn up negotiating heat,” Aug. 27) even though their productivity, as measured by CSAP scores, is stagnant at best. Teaching is a profession where the rewards for accomplishment should be highly correlated to results produced.
To simply reward poor teachers with a pay raise of any significance is counterproductive. Situations where the CSAP scores are stagnant call for a stagnant salary or, in many cases, a severe reduction in salary.
In many professions, workers are “at will” employees who either produce according to specifications and expectations or they are properly disciplined, reduced in stature and salary or removed from service. It is time to rethink the concept that salaries can only increase.
An increase in employee involvement is the remedy.
The teachers union and DCTA seem to think that the best defense is to go on the offensive and demand higher teacher salaries, more teacher involvement in curricula design and more say in school reforms. This defense has more holes in it than the Denver Broncos’.
Gary Leininger, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (64) | TrackBackWhy should manager get a raise, mayor?
Apparently in the Hickenlooper administration not only does Parks and Recreation Manager Kim Bailey not have to show up for work, but she’s rewarded with a raise (“Hick’s pay hike plan backed,” Aug. 29).
Of course, this is taxpayer money, not coming directly out of the Denver mayor’s pocket.
When he was in the restaurant business, I wonder whether he would have allowed a manager to sneak away from work for 13.4 weeks for personal reasons and not fire the manager? Certainly, giving the manager a raise would be ridiculous.
Bailey did sneak away — she did not tell her boss the mayor that she was off on her personal educational adventure.
Meanwhile, the condition of Denver parks is poor, generally dirty and poorly maintained. Go to Englewood or even New York City and compare.
So we have incompetence, too. Forget the raise; Bailey should be fired.
Michael Burke, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBackLottery the solution
Reading the recent Rocky Mountain News editorial “Pay to fix parks with GOCO ‘timeout’” made me think of another way to fund the maintenance of our state’s parks.
Since the lottery in a way has caused this problem, why not use the lottery to solve the problem? Colorado could have a special lottery where all the revenue goes to fund the maintenance of the parks. This is not a new idea — the Republic of Ireland has a national sweepstakes that provides funds for its public hospitals.
Michael P. Lantz, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBackMake better choices
The folks profiled in the Aug. 29 Rocky Mountain News article on Colorado poverty (“Poverty rate in Colorado rises to 10.6 percent; U.S. figure dips”) have one thing in common: no men. Where are the husbands?
Heaven forbid we bring it up, but these women and girls are short-circuiting their futures by getting pregnant out of wedlock. The best anti-poverty program ever conceived is marriage. Not only that, committed relationships like marriage don’t cost the taxpayers anything.
Folks need to make better choices. No one should get pregnant unless they are over 21, married and already have a good job. Anything else is unfair to themselves, their children and the taxpayers. Birth control is out there — use it, people!
Pat Desrosiers, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (68) | TrackBackPut cons in the fields
Here’s a better idea than some silly employment office in Mexico (“Major hurdles stand in way of guest worker proposal,” Aug. 23).
If our farmers need help, they should take a page from our Southern compatriots and put the state’s prisoners to work in their fields. These convicts owe society for their crimes. It might even make them “productive” citizens, unless, of course, they are illegal aliens. If they are, drop them off at the nearest ICE office. Meanwhile, we have how many people in prison in our state? Sounds like enough to get in the crop.
David T. Wright, Lakewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackTroops are targets
The Republican administration would like our troops to remain as targets in Iraq. So far we have lost more than 3,700 U.S. troops in Iraq. Are the Republicans waiting for the “killed in action” tally to reach 58,000 as in Vietnam before deciding that Iraq is a lost cause?
Where were Bush, Cheney, Rove, O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh and Beck during the Vietnam War? Where are the militarily qualified Republican family members now? Why do the Bush girls and the Romney boys refuse to enlist?
Leon Rodriguez, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (40) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: DPS contract doesn’t treat teachers as professionals
As a proud teacher in Denver Public Schools, I’d like to take issue with the Rocky Mountain News editorial “Overheated tactics/Denver teachers union bent on discrediting reform efforts” (Aug. 29).
First, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association has supporteed the reforms that Superintendent Michael Bennet has implemented. Reforms take time and money and asking teachers to work more will require more money. DCTA proposed adding days to our contract; DPS doesn’t want to fund those days.
Yes, overall the increase the district is offering is 6.2 percent, with 3.6 percent of that a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). And yes, that 6.2 percent includes career “steps” for teachers who are on the traditional salary schedule. However, the total package does not cover the increase in our benefit costs, which would mean many teachers would be bringing home less money this year than next year! I am in that category.
Moreover, those “steps” are only for teachers on the traditional salary schedule. If you have taught for more than 13 years you have exhausted your steps and those “step raises” don’t happen.
Under the proposed contract, most teachers would get a 3.6 percent COLA, pay more for benefits, and end up taking home less.
Other districts are giving anywhere from 3.6 percent to nearly 5.0 percent COLAs; plus they are increasing benefit allowances so teachers don’t have to pay out of pocket for insurance. The other districts are truly giving teachers a raise.
Many veteran DPS teachers would make more money in any other Denver metro area school district. We, as teachers, do realize things need to change in Denver. We are behind reform and we do support Bennet’s Denver Plan. However, we are professionals and need time and money to be professionals!
Jenny Price is a resident of Broomfield.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackK
Mike Littwin:
He has plans for Health Care, retreat from Iraq, & improving quality of life for Americans. oh, did I mention he has Mexican genes? Yes, Bill Richardson is truely the Man for these Times when the world hates us & we need a diplomat for President, not a rogue.
Please acknowledge Bill Richardson’s achievements in an article of equal space as you’ve given Clinton & Obama. thanks!
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Barack Obama
Goodbye America as we know it if he should be elected.
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Immigration numbers
Irwin MacLeod
When Clinton ran for President he said it was "the economy, stupid",now I am saying to the open border people It is the numbers, stupid. In 1986 we gave green cards to 4 million illegal immigrants, which was amnesty,now there is 12 to 20 million there now. The people with green cards got 1 million one hundred Mexican immigrants in to this country last year , Now these 12 million immigrants want to bring their families with them to the United State we are now allowing approximately 2 million legal immigrants into this country, and now they want to bring their families, If they were to bring a wife and two children that would make it 5 million a year, which would bring it to 100 million legal immigrants in 20 years and there are hundreds of thousands coming here with visas and not going home. With the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants already here, with their birth rate would add millions more in 20 years, so I say to you -" It's the numbers, stupid." As you can see, the numbers grow, and will most likely hit 120 million in the next 25 years, with all the Western states short on water. These states will have to share this water with millions more people. Imagine another 120 million more people flushing their toilets? And with that many more new people it would need another 30 to 40 million new cars added to the roads, we cannot repair our infra-structure as it is. How are going to build another infra-structure to accommodate those additional cars, and trucks. There are six billion people on this earth, and half of them are dirt poor, so we would like to help but no nation on earth can assimilate this many people like we are doing now. So I say to you again - "it's the numbers, stupid". Unless we address this immigration problem - legal and illegal - we are going to have a disaster on our hands.
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Tax hikes
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Abu Ghraib prison
Steve Olson
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Health coverage
Of the 250 million Americans with insurance 80 million of them receive it from “government functionaries” now. Over one-third of Americans enjoying government sponsored so-called “rationed care” include: government employees, military, Medicaid, Medicare and Native Americans.
This week the number of uninsured just rose to over 47 million. The highest increase was among the middle class-Americans earning over $50,000 per year.
If every other industrialized country in the world has as found a way to protect its citizens from bankruptcy due to sickness or worse death due to untreated illnesses, why can’t we? Instead of paying huge insurance premiums and out of pocket co-pays I would love to pay a 4.63 state income tax increase and see every citizen of Colorado enjoying access to health care.
The Senator calls a viable alternative to our current broken system a “fool’s bargain” the Senator fails to offer his own solution. Over 15,000 medical professionals have joined Physician for a National Health Program who support a single-payer national health insurance. It’s time to put health care back into the hands of doctors and health care providers not insurance companies who profit from denying care. What does the Senator propose for the family whose insurance company has denied paying claims for a variety of reasons including preexisting conditions? What does the Senator propose for the hardworking family who has lost their employer sponsored insurance coverage?
Its time to demand that our politicians offer plans to solve the health care crises. If the Senator found a way to fund a war in Iraq that according to the Congressional Budget Office has already been allocated over 500 billion dollars as of June 2007 (and is estimated to cost over one trillion dollars) surely he can find a way to spend the 7.4 billion in his letter to insure the citizens of Colorado.
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Pres. Bush on Iraq & Katrina
Now I suddenly realize both how bad things really must be in Iraq, and also why things are still so bad in the wake of Katrina.
Any more of Bush’s brand of “progress” and we’ll all be moving back into caves.
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Travis Henry
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Hillary Clinton’s campaign
Yet, Howard Wolfson, campaign spokesman, claims that “there has been no questions about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question.” We hope the Congress will conduct a full investigation of possible violations of campaign finance law. The facts demand nothing less.
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Too much spending on the Iraq war
It is not that I do not support our troops. It is that unless Congress and the people put some controls on this never ending war, the country will be bankrupted. The reductions could easily be made without harming direct support for the troops. all that is required is for the administration to, at long last, begin to actually manage the war and all the contractors and other wasters in Iraq.
It is always unpopular to even suggest that we cut spending during a war, but the huge amounts that have gone for nothing in Iraq have not helped the troops—or anyone else.
In my judgment, the only way this will ever happen is if the Congress gets serious about control of the war and puts the necessary control mechanisms in place to assure all future moneys for Iraq are usefully and properly spent and a complete accounting is kept of these expenditures.
There will be a cry from some in the public and from the administration of unpatriotic actions and lack of troop support, but if it were to be done right there would be no harm to the troops or the war effort—and the money saved could far more usefully be utilized.
It is time to stop adding to our ever growing debt/deficit, not by cutting more programs at home, but by using some sound financial management of the money already appropriated in Iraq.
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Basic literacy no longer enough
A teenager overcome by nerves is no reason for concern - the statistic is.
American youth lack the knowledge about world geography and international affairs that will keep them competitive in the global marketplace. Despite constant news coverage of the Iraq war starting in 2003, the most recent National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs survey showed 60% of young Americans could not locate Iraq on a world map; three-quarters did not know Mandarin is the most widely-spoken language; and 48% thought the largest exporter of goods and services was China - it’s the United States. An annual survey on public knowledge of current affairs from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found forty-one percent of college graduates could not name our Secretary of State or the Russian president.
Basic literacy is no longer enough, freshman starting school this week will soon be competing for jobs against scores of Indians, Chinese, Germans, and Brazilians; American educators must meet the challenge of preparing students for this global environment.
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Craig can’t be honest about his failings
Please believe Sen. Larry Craig when he says he’s “not gay” and never has been gay. Assuming that the Minneapolis Airport police can be trusted, he’s just another sexual deviant in a position of trust who, for the life of him, cannot be honest about his failings.
I, however, am gay. I’m one of the millions of citizens who have embraced our natural disposition and have chosen to live healthy lives, either dating (outside of bathrooms, of course) or settled and married to our same-sex partners (well, not “married” as much as simply having children, raising a family and supporting each other for a lifetime — that sort of thing).
Unlike Craig, we gays avoid the kind of sexual depravity that he seems to have regularly engaged in and instead focus on honoring and supporting our families and community. In the debate of gay rights and sexual morality, this is an important distinction.
Andrew Nicholas, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (85) | TrackBackHaggard arrogant
I was relieved to read the Aug. 30 Rocky Mountain News article announcing that the Rev. Ted Haggard will not be counseling anybody any time soon, and affirming that his cry for financial assistance was inappropriate (“Haggard told to get a job”).
I’m not the only one who thought it was outrageous for him to expect money from the public. I’d like to set up my own assistance fund for my two college kids, and one for myself so I can get an advanced degree.
What arrogance he has! Someone in his shoes should be incredibly humbled by his past actions, and embarrassed by his pompous appeal.
Gail Kirkegaard, Lakewood
Stifling competition
In its Aug. 22 editorial, “Beer without pretzels,” the Rocky Mountain News correctly observes that the current law prohibiting chain supermarkets from selling booze is an anachronism that hurts consumers. It may also be hindering competition.
For example, the discount grocer Trader Joe’s has stores throughout the West. While this chain would surely find its niche in the Colorado grocery scene, its business model includes a wine department. It appears that this same law is discouraging Trader Joe’s and possibly others from expanding to our market.
Walt Stinson, Englewood
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (18) | TrackBackA DIFFERING VIEW: Forest Service plan cause for concern
In response to the Sept. 2 editorial “Off road and out of line”: Beware of what you ask for with the Forest Service’s Travel Management Planning initiative.
This regulation was announced in 2005 and only this year was there any public involvement in our community of Lake County concerning the policy. This rule not only impacts where you can play and where you can camp but could have major impacts on economies across the state that are dependent on tourism.
Our community is proactive. The board of county commissioners, recognizing the danger of this regulation, has formed a public lands panel committee, which in turn is working closely with the District Ranger and the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition to protect our roads from closure and at the same time protect the environment.
We in Lake County feel education is the key to protecting the environment and the policy is simple: “Take care of it or lose it.”
The Travel Management Planning policy will not only impact off-highway vehicle users but all citizens. To have all of the users of the national forests herded up together in designated areas would be a sad commentary, but at least the thumb of government could keep us all in check.
Perhaps the Travel Management Planning policy should have been called the Human Management policy.
Brad Littlepage, chairman of Lake County’s public lands panel, is a resident of Leadville.
Posted by denver-admin at 12:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBackJames R. Aubrey o
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Travis Henry
It was interesting to read the three columns about Travis Henry’s fatherhood of 9 children by 9 different women (August 28).
When my children were in elementary school, then Governor Roy Romer brought several Broncos players to their school. They were presented as role models to persuade students to remain in school and stay away from drugs. One was a well-known spouse abuser.
When I complained to the principal that these players were not good role models for my two daughters, she protested and said I should appreciate their willingness to “give back to the community”.
Several of the writers of these articles ask, “Is this any of our business?”
For me it is not if he just plays football; it is if some idiot decides to invite him to a school or youth program as a role model.
And I am betting they will!
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President Bush and war
When will Bush learn that he has bitten off more than he can chew of the pretzel when the US pre-emptively attacked Iraq?
Choking? No problem. He’ll just wash it down with even larger bites of the pretzel.
And while he’s at it, why doesn’t he attack IRAN too? Yeah, our military is spent, and kind of busy right now. And, yeah, a pre-emptive attack on Iran would alienate every sane nation on earth (and a few insane nations as well). And, yeah, hitting Iran would most probably encourage a terror attack or two against the US homeland. And never mind that hitting Iranian nuclear facilities would likely spread radioactive fallout over populated areas.
Never mind all of that. Bush and his buddies, most notably Cheney, would likely have the US pre-emptively attack Iran anyway, even while our ground troops are still weighed down in Iraq.
Attacking Iraq. Attacking Iran.
Two wrongs may not make a right, but they certainly make official US foreign policy.
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False tax increases
Question? When is the Democratic controlled Colorado State Legislature going to stop trying to pass tax increases under false titles like the “Property Tax Freeze” bill that they want to introduce in the next session. This makes this bill sound like a tax freeze to the public and not the tax increase that it really is. The reason that the legislature wants to do this is to help pay for Amendment 23 that now limits their spending on other items in the general budget.
In 1992 the people passed the Bruce Amendment calling for a vote of the people on all tax increases that exceed certain requirements of the bill. This tax limitation has kept property taxes relatively constant by requiring the mill levies to go down when the property values went up over the years.
Now the legislature wants to pass, without a vote of the people, a bill freezing the mill levies at current levels, thus increasing these taxes for everyone in the state. Their reasoning for passing this legislatively, and not by the people’s vote, is that most of the school districts have de-Bruced anyway, so a vote is not needed.
It is true that most districts have de-Bruced, but not for the reason that the legislature is trying to make you think. The have done this so that they can keep athletic fees, band fees and other incidental fees.
It is time for the people to contact their representatives and stop this type of legislation from being enacted.
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Thankful Alberto Gonzales resigned
We can all be thankful that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has finally decided to resign, but if my true feelings were known I wish everyone in the Senior Administration of Bush Administration were also gone today.
Vice President Dick Cheney has always touted as pushed the neo-con agenda for President Bush. We will only be safe as a Nation when he is gone.
Even if there are 511 days left in this Administration, they can still do too much damage in the MidEast and elsewhere. Personally, sometime I worry that they will still attack Iran?? We don’t need any fear in the homeland — that’s exactly what they want to see happen to supposely ensure the White House in 2008 elections. Vice President Dick Cheney would be blowing his horn the loudest for attack on Iran — we cannot take that chance of escalating the mideast any more —-
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Sedan buyers: Try American first
According to “Automakers’ latest focus: sedans” (Business, Aug. 22), industry observers say U.S. carmakers will have a tough time making inroads in the sedan market dominated by foreign makers.
Before purchasing a new car in the midsize sedan market, purchasers should test drive a vehicle made by Ford, GM or Chrysler. First, they will be surprised at the quality of the vehicles. Plus, their purchase, if they decide to buy, will help assure hundreds of thousands of retired American vehicle workers that they will continue to have health coverage and other benefits that they earned from their American automobile employers.
Granted, many of us always felt that the unions were out of hand in their demands, but these employees earned it through bargaining and stand to lose most of these benefits if the American manufacturers are forced into bankruptcy.
Having driven both foreign and American through the rental market, I do not think that foreign vehicles are any better than current American offerings.
I have always purchased American and my experience for the past several years has been that they are reliable and trouble-free and generally cost less.
David W. Salter, Lone Tree
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBackSorry, Mr. Bush, ERs not for ‘health care’
For his recent colonoscopy President Bush summoned five doctors (it only takes one) and a truckload of equipment to Camp David.
In a speech before a typically hand-picked audience in Ohio, Bush proclaimed: “ ... people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.”
He can’t be serious, you say? Or is it just his chronic truth deficiency syndrome acting up again?
Health care in the emergency room? I don’t think so, unless he’s come up with a new definition of “emergency” and/or “health care.”
Health care includes more than treating broken arms and heart attacks.
Could one schedule a colonoscopy in an ER? How about management of chronic diseases, like hepatitis C or diabetes? Or prenatal health care? Can you get periodic cholesterol blood tests in an ER? Regular pediatric checkups for infants, or even regular physical exams for children and adults? How about chemotherapy and radiation for cancer sufferers?
No, Mr. President, you cannot get health care in an emergency room: you get emergency care in an emergency room. Somebody tell him.
Dorsey Hudson, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBackManual arts for U.S. kids? Try mall arts
What on earth does letter writer Dee Bauer-DeVries think “undocumented workers” are for? (“Prepare students for manual arts, too,” Aug. 27.) And does she really believe it’s a coincidence that these people — most of whom work in the trades — have a growing presence here at the same time vocational training in the public schools has all but disappeared?
American students who do not go to college are the mall cell- phone-and-sunglass-kiosk clerks of the future! Somebody has to do these jobs, since the “undocumented workers” are all here for the jobs “Americans won’t do,” such as those in the trades.
This is a win-win for everyone. Employers no longer need to bother training 19-year-old American kids to be framers or roofers when they can just hire some 30-year-old “undocumented worker” who's been working that job for 15 years. And those mall kiosks will never go without clerks!
I can’t see a thing wrong with this arrangement.
J.M. Schell, Arvada
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBackDire consequences foreseen in pullout
Recently, my cousins Richard and Bob and I were having a little chitchat.
“What do you think about the war in Iraq, Rich?”
“Bring the troops home and the sooner the better!”
“Well, Rich,” I replied, “I saw a general on TV a few days ago and he said that if we pull out now, the limited and fragile stability we provide might corrode and then there would be a conflagration. Saudi Arabia might jump in and then Syria and Jordan and Lebanon and Kuwait. Then, of course, there’s Iran. And Afghanistan. And Pakistan. And God knows how many other Muslim-populated countries.”
“What if they started blowing up each other’s oil wells and fields?” my cousin Bob countered.
Bob looked at Richard. Richard looked at Bob. Then they both looked at me.
“If that happens,” I interjected, “We’re all in trouble ... deep trouble.”
My cousins and I are not intellectuals or military strategists or politicians. We’re just ordinary citizens. But we wonder how many other people are thinking along these lines?
Dianne G. Norris, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (28) | TrackBackNo on judge, Senator
I recently read in The Politico that Sen. Ken Salazar has expressed some reservations about his vote in favor of Chief Justice John Roberts’ appointment to the Supreme Court.
Salazar has a record of voting, not only in favor of Roberts, but also in favor of many of President Bush’s judicial nominees whose records reveal a disturbing hostility for environmental protections, consumers and individual rights.
It is time for Salazar to stand up for a fair and independent judiciary. He should oppose the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the 5th Circuit.
Pamela Elsner, Leadville
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackZoo crew for Vick
Michael Vick doesn’t need to go to prison — at least not for very long. Instead, his punishment for his dogfighting role should be that he must work in a zoo cleaning up after the animals for a couple of years. Also, his fine should be substantial enough that it could be distributed to nonprofit animal shelters! Now that punishment would mean something!
Mimi Dick, Northglenn
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackIn the past five years I have had arthroscopic surgery on my shoulder and been put on Lipitor to lower my cholesterol and Celebrex to allow me to play tennis and golf pain-free. Why is this relevant? Because if certain people have their way, medical miracles such as these will be a thing of the past.
The reason innovations like these will be a thing of the past is because the essential ingredient necessary to the creation of such marvels is being threatened by legislation which will put much of the medical profession under government control.
The essential ingredient I am speaking of is the free human mind to explore, invent and create. A mind under compulsion does not and cannot innovate because it is not free to pursue the avenues it thinks will be most productive.
And it is for precisely this reason that socialism has been such a dismal failure in every venue it has been tried. A person beholden to the collective and the collective’s bureaucratic representatives is not following the path of his own mind, but the dictates of someone who has neither the training, the experience nor the inclination to pursue said person’s interests, skills or passions.
I am 53 years old and what happens to the health-care profession in the years I have left is of critical importance to me. I suspect it is to many Rocky Mountain News readers as well.
Russell W. Shurts, Centennial
Middle class needs to get angry
In the aftermath of the collapsed bridge over the Mississippi, perhaps it’s time we took some time to reflect just how our infrastructure got in the shape it’s in — and it’s not in good shape, as we all can see in our crumbling roads, public facilities, schools, parks, etc.
The bottom line is taxes.
We need to repeal the tax cuts begun by the Reaganistas, and recently cut even further by the Bush 43 elite administration.
The vanishing middle class is vanishing due in part to shifting the tax burden from the “haves and have mores” to what remains of the middle class.
Welfare for the rich has to cease and desist.
The sooner the better.
If our wealthy friends feel a need to whine about a return to sane fiscal policies, we may need to remind them that we could revisit the halcyon days of the ’50s and ’60s when corporate and some individual tax rates were 80 percent and 90 percent.
We in the middle have the numbers, and we need to get angry enough to change the status quo.
It’s up to us, or, I fear, there won’t be an “us.” Or in a larger sense, a U.S.
The rich need “us” more than they care to admit.
Tommy Holeman, Longmont
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (60) | TrackBackMoore overlooked shooting in Canada
This is in response to Jerry Jones’ online comment, published Aug. 14 in the Rocky Mountain News, that filmmaker Michael Moore will pay $10,000 to anyone who can prove him wrong.
After Bowling for Columbine came out, I was researching the Columbine tragedy. In the film, Moore was singing Canada’s praises, saying how crime- and poverty-free that nation seemed to be, and how extremely few murders by guns there were. I remember myself even saying, “I live in the wrong country.”
I found out by accident that Moore left out the W.R. Myers High School shooting in Taber, Alberta, that occurred April 28, 1999. One student was murdered and another injured. It was the first school shooting after Columbine.
They found a note in the shooter’s room mentioning he was inspired by the Columbine shootings. Since then, Michael Moore’s credibility has been nonexistent to me.
I don’t care if he’s liberal or not, just that he gets his facts straight.
So, where’s my $10,000, Mr. Moore?
Todd Ponton, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (26) | TrackBackWould pay more if workers treated fairly
With regard to the frequent statement “work American citizens won’t do,” I recently returned from a trip to Michigan. I stayed in eight motels and ate at a number of restaurants. I did not encounter any apparent illegal workers. I did speak to one maid who had recently escaped from Iraq and entered legally.
My question is how do the above-mentioned motels and restaurants stay in business without employing illegal workers? The big difference is the ability to intimidate illegal workers to work under conditions we would not accept.
Why else would many employers prefer illegal workers to immigrant workers with green cards? In agriculture we are told that crops are rotting in the fields but see no examples. We are also told that food prices would skyrocket if illegal workers were not employed. I doubt that there would be a substantial increase, and I would pay more for food and other products if I was sure the workers were paid and treated fairly.
Tom Melrose, Highlands Ranch
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBackRapper is no ‘healer’
Virginia Tech has put together a “healing” concert Thursday for its students who have returned after last school year’s massacre there. The Dave Matthews Band will be performing, along with a rapper called Nas.
If the Virginia Tech administration had done some background checking on Nas, they would have found a gun conviction. Had they listened to his music, they would hear the lyrics about shooting people, killing people, and the lyrics “Kill! Kill! Kill!” and the audience responds “Murder! Murder! Murder!”
Someone tell me what is wrong with this picture?
Tracey L. Fanning, Thornton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBackBruce’s pig in a poke
The Rocky’s recent editorial , “Pay to fix parks with GOCO ‘timeout,’” points out once again no one thoroughly thought through the consequences of the many amendments to Colorado’s Constitution which have gone into effect.
Doug Bruce’s pig in a poke was given a timeout, but even that hasn’t worked well enough to repair the damage it did.
What are the chances Colorado will wise up and just eliminate the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights?
Larry McLaughlin, Aurora
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackVick sorry? Bull!
Did Michael Vick plead guilty because he was sorry for his actions? Bull! The only thing he is sorry about is getting getting caught. Period!
Don Whitledge, Penrose
In his Talk Back to the Media letter of Aug. 25, “Sportscaster mangles, jumbles team names,” Wayne Bailey complains about the way local sportscaster Drew Soicher refers to Denver’s sports teams. Bailey feels that Soicher does not “honor” and “respect” the teams by having fun mispronouncing their names. Sorry, Mr. Bailey, but honor and respect are not terms that should be used for sports teams.
Sports teams are entertainment at best; nothing more. With all of the continuing scandals in professional sports, at least Soicher can, and should, poke fun at them. I am always amazed by the way many Denverites worship their beloved teams and pay little attention to the rest of the world around them.
In the same letters column, Joe Schallmoser wrote that the Rocky Mountain News had not made mention of the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley.
Guess what — he’s still dead.
Get over it. Good for the Rocky to ignore it. We have enough other schlock that gets reported on, we don’t need to be reminded that Elvis is still dead.
Dave Peregoy, Conifer
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBackPhoto of knifing victim discomfiting
I am writing to comment on the Rocky’s Aug. 28 front-page picture of CU knifing victim Michael Knorps as he is being tended to by paramedics (“Man knifes CU student”). My initial and subsequent reaction to the image is that it was too personal. I wasn’t comfortable viewing it.
As a parent, I would not take too kindly to the public display of my child’s struggle to cope in this emergency. I’m sure the Rocky thinks it’s a great picture because of its urgency and that a photographer from the Rocky’s sister paper, the Daily Camera, was “lucky” enough to be there at the worst and most emotional point in the story. However, it should be the perpetrator who loses his privacy, not the victim.
Catherine Dockery, Littleton
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBackA cheap shot
When I opened my Rocky Mountain News on the morning of Aug. 28 and was blasted with the enormous picture of the poor, young student receiving care after being knifed in the throat, I was appalled.
It was sensational, in bad taste and what if that young man had died? If young children saw this picture, how would the parents explain? And it could cause children to be afraid to go to school. It was literally a cheap shot to sell papers.
Also, did this young man give his permission to have his privacy invaded in such a blatant way?
Janice Volz Schefcik, Centennial
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBackNo balance in Rocky
Reading this liberal Rocky Mountain News on a daily basis is becoming a frustrating experience. The columnists use allegations and try to make them appear to be facts. That’s not their job. The Rocky is supposed to reach out to all citizens. I am so tired of the daily “warm fuzzies” you give to the Democratic Party.
Between anti-Bush cartoons and anti-Republican articles, I’m at the point of giving up on this newspaper. You cannot tell me that with a party as dirty as the Democratic Party there are not columns that can be written to balance the information the Rocky puts out every day.
I believe in free speech and sharing opinions, but when it comes to a newspaper, good journalists will look at both sides, not just what they believe. Good journalists, where are you? I just pray people who read only the Rocky’s opinions don’t believe everything your paper puts out.
Elaine Neade, Aurora
Thanks for ‘Opus’
Thank you so much, Rocky Mountain News, for publishing the recent — and faux controversial — Opus cartoon dealing with “radical Islam” (Aug. 26). I appreciate an honest, open printing of “offensive” satire and humor — even if not all readers understand it or find it funny.
Our rights were not written to protect the “feelings” of citizens; they support the free exchange of ideas and hopes between free people.
Brad Pierson, Westminster
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackMight I suggest a variation on the Rocky’s new policy of pasting advertising over the front page of the paper? Why not just make the front page an ad and paste the news over it on an annoying sticker?
Dan Danbom, Denver
Posted by denver-admin at 12:01 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack