Email letters, June 27, 2012

By Staff
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Use firework money to fund troops, families, firefighting

I find it hard to believe that city officials would think twice about canceling fireworks this year. We are in severe drought conditions, and much of our state is on fire with hundreds of people displaced from their homes.

Here is a novel idea: Let’s take all the funds that are spent on public fireworks displays and donate to a fund that supports our troops who give us the freedom to celebrate Independence Day, helps displaced families and finances the firefighting yet to come.

How difficult is it to sacrifice one year of fireworks for the good of the community?

JULIE BUTHERUS
Grand Junction

St. John’s parents defend school against accusations

As parents of a former St. John’s Military School cadet and a member of the board of trustees of the school for the past six years, we would like to set the record straight.

St. John’s is one of the finest schools a young man could ever hope to attend. My husband and I will be forever grateful to the people and institution that helped form our son into the fine young man he is today.

The school is the focus of legal action by young men who claim abuse by other students. These claims are patently false, and St. Johns will vigorously defend itself in court.

Many of the former cadets whose families have filed suit were dismissed or withdrawn in lieu of dismissal because the boys failed to follow the rules for cadet conduct.

Unfortunately, plaintiffs have insisted on grossly exaggerating and fabricating this matter sensationally in an attempt to disparage St. Johns and apply public pressure through their lies.

Given the amount of inaccurate information contained in the allegations and widely shared as fact in the news media, we feel compelled to share our own, very positive experience.

JANET L. TERRY and DAVID W. TERRY
Grand Junction

Spehar’s columns destroy his credibility

“Jim, it tells me that my community is very tolerant of intolerant people like you,” was my response to Jim Spehar as quoted at the end of his latest Sentinel column. True to form, Spehar still doesn’t get it.

In his latest article he took the time to cite some quotes from emails he had received in response to his irresponsible depiction of an event he didn’t attend. He also quoted from a conversation I had with him which ended with me saying, “Jim, the saddest part of all this is my disappointment in you.”

So let me tell you why I’m disappointed in Spehar and why he still doesn’t seem to get it. The Western Slope Conservative Alliance’s Sheriffs Forum was attended by a spectrum of people that included the leader of Occupy Grand Junction and some of his friends, Conservatives, pro-2nd Amendment activists and at least one Democrat spy.

The attendees, except for perhaps the Democrat spy, were ordinary citizens who have a genuine concern about the future of their country. My request for a retraction of Spehar’s inaccurate remarks was actually an opportunity for Spehar to redeem himself from the embarrassing journalistic blunder of writing an opinion piece about an event of which he had no personal knowledge.

Spehar editorialized about this event, from which he was absent, and he based his comments on hearsay. My request for an apology was an opportunity for Spehar to retract his insults aimed at of everyone who attended the Sheriffs Forum, which, I will again reiterate, included Occupy Grand Junction, four Western Colorado sheriffs, conservative organizations and ordinary concerned citizens.

Spehar seems to be proud of the fact that, regarding my requests for a retraction and an apology, “She got neither.” This is where he really doesn’t get it.

His days of sitting on a happy cloud where he writes reckless commentaries with impunity are over. His arrogance will surely sink him. The fact that he thinks his columns reflect the majority opinion in Western Colorado will doom him. And his continued portrayals of conservatives, citizens, patriots, and concerned Americans as kooks, have already destroyed his credibility.

MARJORIE HAUN
Grand Junction

Health Department, HHS praised for professionalism

Most of us are fortunate enough not to require the services that are provided by Mesa County Department of Human Services and Mesa County Health Department. Those who do require the services are fortunate that they exist.

The economy has stressed everyone’s finances, and there is a growing number of county residents requesting and applying for the assistance that is provided at the county offices. The increasing number of people needing assistance strains the county’s budget, time and manpower. The county employees are trying to keep pace.

The Mesa County Department of Human Services and Mesa County Health Department employees that I have met are professional, helpful and caring individuals who work hard and take their jobs seriously. They are doing their best to assist with the needs of every person walking through that front door.

Public employees may be easy targets; however, they work hard to provide value to our tax dollars.

DIANA ADKINS
Grand Junction

Rose, even by another name, merits support

Rose by any other name would still have earned my support. I don’t care where somebody came from—if they are here and want to do the work, as she seems capable and willing to do —- then I will embrace her.

Her campaign was kept positive even when her opponent seemed to have his head up his orchard and was stuck on stupid, whining about her being an outsider and a lawyer, everything except what he had done or wanted to do for the community. Rose has earned my support.

ROBERT JAMES BURKHOLDER
Fruita

Ask candidates to pledge to minimize negative ads

Elections belong to all of us —“We, the People”—and we should control how they’re conducted. Third-party political advertising by unknown supporters is increasing, and it’s overwhelmingly negative. People of all political views are rightfully concerned about the ability of mystery individuals, corporations and unions to buy our elections. But can we do anything about it?

In Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren have signed an agreement they call the “People’s Pledge.” If either candidate benefits from a third-party ad, that candidate must pay a penalty to a charity chosen by his or her opponent. This is an agreement between the candidates, not a law or regulation. The result has been a tremendous decline in outside negative advertising.

It’s pretty certain that the U.S. House race between Rep. Scott Tipton and Colorado Rep. Sal Pace will see negative outside ads -— in fact, they’ve already started.

You can help by signing an online petition at change.com, asking the candidates to create a similar agreement for their race. The Tipton/Pace petition is at http://tinyurl.com/839j53f. Sign and then call and email the campaign offices and ask that they help reverse the decline of civility and fair play in our political campaigns.

GARY SKIBA
Durango

Bureaucracy puts kibosh on building of $500,000 facility

I’ve been trying to build a 10,000-square-feet building next to the Family Dollar store in Fruita for the past four months. The permits and regulation were horrendous. I said I wouldn’t do it.

Then I found out that professionals would do the permit work. This cost a lot of extra money. I went along with that for a month, even having it done. The paperwork and regulation as the owner are too much for me. I’m pulling out of my half-million-dollar building.

Thanks, bureaucrats.

ALAN R. STORY
Fruita