Email letters, Aug. 14, 2012

By Staff
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Let’s not make the same mistake

Four years ago America stood before a desert facing the unknown. Ever optimistic and hopeful, we embraced change, believed the “political speak” and elected a man who said he could get us across. We were “war weary,” barely employed and a nation heavily in debt. He promised he could make all those things better. You’d think after decades of unfulfilled campaign promises we’d know not to trust all “political speak.”

So, here we are again, in the middle of the desert, no clear way out, still “war weary,” out of work, more heavily in debt than ever, only with millions more on government welfare. Makes you wonder if we made a bad mistake.

America has made mistakes in the past and no doubt will again. What’s done is done and we may as well put it behind us. But remember this, only fools make the same mistake twice in the same century.

AL CARLEY
Grand Junction

Mesa County GOP Chairman gets it wrong

Mesa County GOP Chairman Ryan Call did what is expected of a loyal party member in laying a good part of District 54 House of Representatives Candidate Jared Wright financial problems at President Barack Obama’s feet. Call’s comments centered on the “Obama economy” instead of calling a spade a spade. What else was Call going to do, as he was one of the people responsible for vetting the candidate?

In reviewing Wright’s financial problems, none of his financial debacle was the fault of the current administration or anyone else. The facts point out that Wright’s financial woes were totally his responsibility, and nothing to do with anyone else. The conservative candidate for the House was anything but conservative in his financial dealings and should stand up and take responsibility for his own greed in what he calls “putting together the American Dream.”

I call this simply a person living in the moment and attempting to satisfy his need for immediate gratification. Come on now, how many of you at the age of 29 felt you had to have a new home, a $26,000 ‘67 Camaro, a 2004 Mini Cooper, a 2007 Toyota Prius and a one-year membership in a tanning salon? I certainly didn’t.

Again, I emphasize that no part of this can be laid at the feet of the current administration, so let’s remove that from the equation and let Wright take total ownership of the problem.

I would also point out the reason for ever letting this man become a candidate of the Republican party to begin with lies at the feet of the Mesa County Republican Party, for not properly vetting its candidate.

With a little encouragement from the party they could have had Laura Bradford, a much stronger candidate.

REESE “SKIP” HUGHES
Grand Junction

Ohio voters’ rights misconceptions should be cleared up

In response to Juanita Williams’ letter to the editor, regarding military voting rights, I would like to present some facts she must not be aware of. With friends living in Ohio, family in the military, and concern about the rumors, I had checked in to Ohio’s military voters’ rights.

Ohio’s Legislature, similar to, but not as off track as Wisconsin’s, this year stopped early voting in Ohio for everyone. President Obama’s administration, in an effort to preserve voter’s rights, filed suit to reinstate early voting for military personnel.

The part of the law that was referred to as “arbitrary” with “no discernible rational basis,” was the part by Ohio’s Legislature that originally outlawed early voting in Ohio for the military. Ohio had practiced early voting for years.

Unfortunately, the administration couldn’t file suit on behalf of all people excluded in Ohio, so each county elections board in Ohio has to vote to allow early voting to resume. With county election boards in Ohio comprised of three Republicans and three Democrats each, they inevitably tie. Ohio’s secretary of state can cast a deciding vote and he is, practicing in Republican counties voting FOR early voting, and in Democratic counties, voting AGAINST early voting.

Reminds me of the voting integrity Rick Wagner claims our Secretary of State, Scott Gessler has and is willing to fight for. Gessler attempted to stop sending ballots to military personnel and many other Coloradans to curb what he called “massive fraud.” He also just had campaign rules struck down for exceeding the authority of his office. He’s in the wrong office to make rules or rescind publicly voted in constitutional amendment initiatives.

I hope this helps Williams, and I hope she find more reliable, accurate, and informative news sources.

RALPH HICKS
Clifton

Bennet’s proposed legislation on oil, gas leasing is troublesome

Sen. Michael Bennet is displaying an alarming lack of judgment in proposing legislation that permanently prohibits oil and gas leasing on nearly 200,000 acres, and withdrawing, again permanently, currently held leases on that land once they are “voluntarily” given up by the rightful owners.

This idea is troubling in a number of respects, starting with its arrogant disregard for property rights; is anyone really so naive as to think that this proposed legislation will not result in some level of federal arm-twisting to get those legitimate lease-holders to “volunteer” up their property? The stated aim of the environmentalist groups that Bennet is kowtowing to is to prevent any drilling, ever, in that area. That is the intent of the legislation as well, and it would be foolish to believe that Bennet and company will be willing to stop at asking the leaseholders nicely to turn over their investments.

Aside from the disturbing lack of respect for property rights represented by this bill, is the fact that permanently shutting down such a huge swath of land from energy development makes so little sense from an economic perspective. With thousands still out of work, why would Sen. Bennet devote his time to drafting a bill that would actively prevent job creation? He is saying, in essence, that certain jobs are not welcome.

As a longtime Western Slope resident, I can tell you that those jobs are welcome, and that most people in this part of the state not only embrace the economic opportunity that energy development presents, but are proud to produce such a vital national commodity. It is disturbing that Sen. Bennet would be willing to sell out his constituents, and risk the economic future of Western Colorado, in favor of pandering to the handful of Luddite extremists.

JAMES “JJ” FLETCHER
Palisade

Proposed asphalt crushing operation unfair to adjacent organic farm

“Interest in local food production in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys has never been higher; sustainable farms are long-term development opportunities that benefit the community’s economy, jobs, health, self-sufficiency and environment,” shares Amelia Potvin of CORE, and the Roaring Fork Food Policy Council.

Eagle Springs Organic Farm is one of those sustainable, long-term economic development opportunities, employing more than 50 locals in an enterprise that is expanding. Eagle Springs will soon open a USDA meat processing facility on their property that will handle everything from buffalo to chickens – as long as Bedrock Asphalt is not allowed to generate toxic dust next to the farm.

As we consider economic development opportunities in the region that are in line with the ecological realities of our time, we must look to our local farms – because we can’t do without them. As climate crises continue to threaten food sources that we have come to count on, we must build a local food system that can support at least a significant amount of our food needs.

Please join the Roaring Fork Food Policy Council in communicating to the Garfield County commissioners your value of local farms and farmers. They will vote on Sept. 4 whether or not to allow an asphalt crushing operation to set up directly adjacent to Eagle Springs Farm. The toxic dust from this operation will threaten the ability of the farm to remain in business. That risk is too high, for all of us and for our future.

GWEN GARCELON
Carbondale

Vote for the future: Romney/Ryan

A nation’s economy is actually an ecosystem of millions of human beings; all doing their best to support themselves within the confines of established government rules. Unfortunately, there exist human characteristics that drive some people to strive to control the lives of their fellow citizens, and many more who desire that government care for their needs.

This sets up the certainty that all governments become, over time, increasingly powerful and tyrannical, continually reducing and impinging on the rights and liberties of their people. Understanding this concept, Ben Franklin wrote,” They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty of security.” This aptly describes our national economic and moral attitude today, and is the essence of our current national political discord.

In order to get elected and exercise power over us, most politicians have promised and legislated benefits to our citizens far in excess of what is economically possible. Ignoring or ignorance of economic laws by our politicians and citizens over the past five decades has brought us to the brink of economic disaster. Political compromise is not the answer, but rather defeat at the polls of those who continue to believe that a nation can survive when it borrows 40% of what it spends each day. We are increasing our national debt at the astounding rate of a billion dollars every 6 hours.

Reality is that government must spend less, a lot less, which will cause significant and broad economic pain in the short run. But, failure to do so will surely cause a total national economic collapse in the near future. Regardless of their political leanings, it is time that responsible citizens voted for their children’s future, not for continuing their bloated government benefits.

Romney/Ryan is the ticket!

HANS CROEBER
Montrose

Republicans don’t worry about deficits when in power

Tonight I heard John Sununu tell Wolf Blitzer that “gas prices went up after Obama came in” and “gas prices went down under President Bush.”  I remember July 2008 when gas reached more than $4 per gallon and suddenly everyone was getting laid off and everything crashed. Gas prices went down only the last four months of the Bush presidency.  Maybe Sununu never visits a gas station but virtually nothing went down in price under President Bush. I haven’t purchased a nice steak since 2006. And yes, gas prices rose after hiring began and people began buying again.

Also, people keep complaining about high taxes -— the Bush taxes. The only way anyone is paying more taxes is that they’re earning more. I’d be happy with that. We’re still living with President Reagan’s trickle down dream. Briefly, it did kind of work during the Clinton years and we got a surplus, but think about this.  What made it work?  The dot com bubble paid the bills and then in early 2001 the bubble burst.  People were being laid off before 9-11, which made that recession worse.

Ever since this Reagan economic policy became the Republican Bible we have had recession after recession -— 1983, 1991, 2001, and the biggie in 2007. 

And whenever the Republicans are in power, they claim deficits are “no problem,” to quote Dick Cheney.  They are only a problem when Republicans are not in power. Oh, yeah, they want to pay that bill with the money that goes into Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

EILEEN O’TOOLE
Grand Junction

Obama incorrectly slammed for having ‘blood on his hands’

While the Sentinel’s editorial (“Romney chose well”, Aug. 14, 2012) suggests that the Obama-Biden campaign is “defending its accomplishments” with “juvenile attack ads,”the Sentinel’s editors conveniently failed to note that – according to every independent fact-checker – the Romney (and now Ryan) campaign is relying on outright falsehoods.

Thus, on “Meet the Press” Sunday, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus – perhaps the most juvenile of Romney-Ryan apologists – falsely accused President Obama of having “blood on his hands” for cutting Medicare by $700 billion.

According to Priebus (and later Romney himself), President Obama “stole $700 billion from Medicare to fund Obamacare.  He’s the one who is destroying Medicare.” Those lies were so preposterous that not even Rachel Maddow could effectively respond.
In 2003, as part of Republicans’ unfunded (and thus multi-trillion dollar contribution to the national debt) prescription drug benefit, commercial health insurers received generous financial incentives to offer Medicare Advantage plans (which proved wildly popular).  The Affordable Care Act ended those now-unnecessary subsidies and utilizes that savings to fund, inter alia, more preventive care services – especially for women.

The ACA also saved further billions by ending direct reimbursements to hospitals for rendering indigent care – because 30 million more Americans would be covered by some form of health insurance.  That’s why the American Hospital Association filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ACA’s Medicare provisions.
Over ten years, these – and other—savings will exceed $700 billion.  Yet, in “Republican speak,” President Obama’s deficit-reducing “savings” become blood-dripping “cuts” – even though the ACA prohibits any reduction in Medicare benefits to realize them.

Moreover, Medicare’s trustees recently reported that the ACA “significantly improved” its long-term financial outlook.  That’s why the Ryan Budget itself recognizes that same $700 billion savings—but utilizes it to eventually replace Medicare with vouchers.

BILL HUGENBERG
Grand Junction

Sentinel’s reporting on Wright wrong

The Daily Sentinel’s reporting of the Jared Wright issue is appalling. Jared was 18 minutes late for work, and this was because he was testifying in court about a police matter. Jared thoroughly explained this with a press conference, and the Sentinel just reported on things such as the Brady law that made Jared look guilty.

The Sentinel had a write-up on Jared’s financial matters, such as his car and house being repossessed and his filing for bankruptcy. This is no different than my situation or dozens of others who have fallen on hard times.

I don’t understand this character assassination of Jared by the Sentinel. It seems all throughout our country newspapers sensationalize to sell their papers. In my opinion this reporting by the Sentinel is some of the worst journalism I have ever read.

ALAN R. STORY
Fruita