Printed letters, June 27, 2012

By Staff
Tuesday, June 26, 2012

From the look of the parking lots and camping areas, another successful Country Jam has concluded. While I applaud the efforts of law enforcement to keep impaired drivers off the road, I question the zeal with which they conduct traffic stops for residents in the Fruita, Loma and Mack areas.

As a resident of this area, I have been pulled over each of the last two years for the silliest of reasons.

Last year I was pulled over for a “questionable turn” on a deserted road observed from a quarter mile away. I was given a roadside sobriety test after admitting the consumption of one beer with dinner four hours prior to the stop. A female passenger who desperately needed a restroom was told to urinate in a farmer’s field if she couldn’t wait.

After going through the antics of the roadside test, I was finally offered a breathalyzer test, which I willingly took. The breathalyzer resulted in a 0.0 alcohol level.

This year, I was stopped because I had a small tree-shaped air freshener hanging from my rearview mirror. I was informed that I was being stopped because of the officer’s concern that the air freshener might obstruct my view of the road. The absurdity of this “justification,” I think, goes without saying, and it was embarrassing in front of my out-of-town visitors. On both occasions the officers demanded to know where I was going, which is not their concern.

In summary, I am completely in favor of keeping impaired drivers off the road, but I am not in favor of police stopping otherwise law-abiding citizens willy-nilly and interfering with their personal business absent just cause.

WILLIAM P. CHESTER

Loma

Marcus failed to mention Soros’ money for Democrats

It would have been a far more fair and informative column had Ruth Marcus mentioned the more-than $450 million annually that George Soros contributes to Democratic causes such as Acorn, MoveOn.org, the American Civil Liberties Union and other far-left and radical groups.

Harping over someone contributing a mere $10 million to Romney’s campaign doesn’t even compare. It points out The Daily Sentinel’s new liberal agenda.

R.M.SHERMAN

Grand Junction

PACs should have the same political clout as newspapers

On June 21, Ruth Marcus bemoaned a $10 million contribution to a pro-Romney PAC. She also said. “The money that poured into Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, in limited donations, reflected his immense popular support.”

I don’t think she’s deliberately lying. I think she’s just so face down in liberal ideology she can’t see guys such as Bill Gates, George Soros and numerous Hollywood fat cats who are pouring millions into liberal campaigns.

My favorite is something Eli Pariser of MoveOn.org, a wholly owned subsidiary of Soros.gov, said about the Democratic Party in 2004: “Now it’s our party. We bought it, we own it and we’re going to take it back.”

Here’s my solution: Congress should stop messing around and pass a law requiring all PACs to incorporate as newspapers. Then, like The Daily Sentinel or The Washington Post, they could spend unlimited corporate funds pushing the candidate of their choice.

PAUL KELLY

Delta

 

Court’s Obamacare ruling may affect many other laws

The Supreme Court will set a precedent, no matter what side it takes in the Obamacare mandate. If it rules “No,” all other forced laws such as income tax, Social Security, state taxes and automobile insurance will be revisited.

Allowing workers to opt out of Social Security would be a boon to the Republicans. They have been advocating choice for years. Car insurance is the only mandatory law that will survive — the ABA has strong lobbyists.

RICHARD L. STOVER

Grand Junction

 

Federal workers due thanks for contributions to America

As a former federal employee with 32 years of government service, I consider the Fourth of July an important day. Since the dawn of our nation, federal workers have played a significant role in America’s achievements.

Contributions of federal workers will be much in evidence this week, as Americans prepare to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Millions of Americans will check a weather report prepared by the National Weather Service, grill meat inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and fly in skies kept safe by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.

Others will enjoy time outdoors in our national parks, travel with children protected by car seats inspected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and visit post offices to mail items to loved ones in the military.

My fellow federal workers and I are proud of the jobs we’ve done for America for the last 236 years. We wish you, and the nation we love, a happy Independence Day.

THOMAS HALL

Parachute