Anderson right on healthcare needs
Bravo!! You have clearly presented the essence of America’s health reformneeds and options (Re: Universal health care for Colorado, Aug. 27).
Barry Karlin, Doctor of Public Health/Lafayette
Comic generalized women
Reading Tom Tomorrow’s strip about the Republican party’s appeal to women (Re: Tom Tomorrow, Aug. 20). This post, aside from the typically trite, liberal narrow mindedness, displays a gross generalization of women in this country. Do you truly believe that all women embrace the murder-funded, depravity of Planned Parenthood and the like? Obviously you don’t. Your publication is disturbingly void of fair, thoughtful journalistic integrity. Have the courage to at least consider other viewpoints.
Luke Hansen/Internet
Bikes should follow the law
Manfred Schwoch has a few points to make (Re: letters, August 27) about the way cyclists are treated on the roads. I am not opposed to sharing the highway, though I believe that in the face of never-ending sprawl, bicycles are less practical (and I’ve lived in Europe). Moreover, for sport riding — hopefully away from cities — more danger must sadly be accepted owing to narrower roadways.
First, what makes Mr. Schwoch think drivers of autos treat only bicycles poorly? If I had a dime for every stop sign run or cell phone detachment, I could talk ship to shore.
Second, it is possible some motorists have a low opinion of cyclists for some valid reasons. A better relationship could be cultivated if bicycle riders scrupulously followed a few simple practices: (1) ALWAYS obey ALL road rules, especially stop signs; (2) WALK your bike across EVERY roadway, no matter what (it’s the rule!); and (3) NEVER, EVER ride elbow to elbow; tandem or single file is also the rule. Look them up. And if those are a burden, then you know there are alternative modes of travel. And entertainment.
Gregory Iwan/Longmont
A good competition
I was very excited to read the article by Paul Brown (Re: “The US and India compete to have the largest solar power field in the world,” Aug. 27). It’s great when we hear that nations are competing for something that will benefit the whole planet.
The time has passed when we can delude ourselves into believing that climate change isn’t real. So it is very reassuring when we hear of massive efforts to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The problem that still exists is that we are continuing to extract fossil fuels from the earth’s core. We are being warned by scientists that if we continue to dump CO2 into the environment at the current rate, even with solar power taking its place front and center on the energy stage, we are headed into unknown territory with the warming of the environment.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national organization which is trying to get legislators in Washington, DC to introduce a Carbon Fee and Dividend Bill which would tax carbon at its source (well, mine, port of entry), and then return all the tax revenues back to the American households. Yes, it is true that if we put a fee on carbon than the cost of fuels would go up, but we know how human psychology works. If things cost too much, we use less of them or seek alternatives. And with the extra money coming back to the households, people could chose to spend that revenue how they wanted. Maybe they’d start to drive less and then could afford to upgrade their home appliances to make them more energy efficient. All of this leading to less CO2 being put into the environment.
If you are interested in learning more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby and a study they commissioned to see what effects there would be on the economy and the health of the environment go to https://citizensclimatelobby.org/.
Another great thing you can do is write Senators Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet and Representative Jared Polis and let them know that you want them to support a carbon fee and dividend.
Cleaning up our environment will take a multi-pronged approach. Continue adding more solar power fields AND put a fee on carbon. We are entering an exciting time as we let the market move us forward and the American people speak up and let Congress know what we want.
Roberta Benson/Boulder
Colorado against Obama
It was disappointing but not surprising to read that, without a consensus from the people, Cynthia Coffman has decided to pit Colorado against Obama’s plan to reduce carbon emissions 32 percent by 2030. Garnering praise from the Coal Industry Association, Coffmann cited job loss, increased cost of goods and services and an unreliable grid system as the reasons we should ignore the increasing hazards of an abnormally warming planet.
Firstly, yes there will be job loss in the coal industry but significant job growth in the industry of renewable energy systems. Secondly, solar and wind energy are already cost effective compared to coal fired electrical production so we should actually see a decline in the cost of goods and services. Lastly, we already have an unreliable grid system and see blackouts on a regular basis. The smart grid of the future will allow for multiple sources, including community and individual energy systems of all kinds and of course, coal and gas, to chime in automatically from local and remote areas when needed.
It is not Colorado against Obama nor coal versus renewables, nor us verses them. It is about how mankind can steer away from self destruction by accepting the realities it has engendered.
Tom Lopez/Longmont
Civility by proxy
This has been a difficult month for Tea Party types and others whose irreverence, intractability and even incontinence confront, dismay, and embarrass us all. Worst, those politicians-for-sale (or rent) who want to pander to these ugly strains in order to gain power now may have fewer clear avenues to the bottom.
First we have the new Encyclical from Pope Francis. Can you imagine? Trying to do something about imminent climate change is a moral issue?
Aren’t these self-righteous charlatans the same people who thump the Bible at every turn, telling us where we’re all wrong? Biblical interpretation is not the same, alas, as revealed truth.
Then we had the sad incident (is this the 10th or the 11th mass shooting in the USA this decade?) Never mind gun control. Isn’t it odd that bias and hatred based on economic position and human rights abuses took precedence here and grew into some kind of political conundrum? Who knows; perhaps the far right planted that dispute after the church shooting.
Then the Supreme Court got into the act. Could we expect the ultraconservative element to actually respect the Constitution they so often lean on, as they march in front of it? If these rubes won’t at least acknowledge the Pontiff, the Supreme Court, the Constitution of the United States, and 150 years of jurisprudence and civil law, to what under the sun will they bow?
I earnestly hope the rational part of the electorate will realize just what we have running things today. And understand why nothing goes anywhere inside the Beltway. The GOP is so busy scratching for incrimination about Benghazi or clawing to overturn Obamacare that crumbling highways, second-class education, and so many other needs are ignored. For variety they try to cram fracking or some other devilish scheme down our throats.
Too many of these whitewashed characters, like their owners, pay little or nothing in taxes. Hence, they have no skin in the game. Small wonder, then, that the rest of us suffer. We must ask ourselves: when was the last time the GOP did ANYTHING positive to advance the well-being of the common person? I’ll wait.
There may yet be time to save this republic and our society. But it is very short.
Gregory Iwan/Longmont
What would it take, Congressman?
Now that Congressman Polis has voted to give the President fast track authority to ramrod the massive Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) through Congress without amendments and with minimal debate I wonder what it would take for Mr. Polis to reject the agreement dubbed “NAFTA on steroids.”
For Mr. Polis it wasn’t enough that fast track undermines congressional authority to oversee international commerce. It wasn’t enough that the TPP had been negotiated in secret under the auspices of nearly 600 corporate advisers with virtually no members of the public or their representatives in attendance.
It wasn’t enough that according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier agreements such as NAFTA, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and NAFTA expansion deals had led to the offshoring of 57,000 American manufacturing facilities and the loss of nearly five million American manufacturing jobs.
Apparently, it wasn’t enough that NAFTA fostered wage stagnation in the U.S., stimulated mass immigration, accelerated the erosion of the American middle class, and gave rise to environmental cesspools on the other side of our southern border.
So what would it take for Mr. Polis to reject the TPP? Would it be enough knowing that several parties to the agreement have abysmal human rights records, shelter slave traffickers and harbor criminal gangs that murder hapless migrants then bury their remains in mass graves?
TPP will add 9,000 potential corporate litigants from Japan, amd other developed countries to those who could sue the U.S. over laws protecting public health, consumers, workers and the environment. Would that be enough to convince Mr. Polis to vote no? Might the prospect of tens of millions losing access to affordable life-saving drugs to profit big Pharma be sufficient for Mr. Polis to nix the TPP?
Please call Mr. Polis and ask him what it would take.
Ken Bonetti/Boulder
I’m confused by Barack
I love ‘ol Barack Obama, our President both in reality and for the obvious symbolism and imagery he strikes home with around the world. The sense of possibility he represents. But not one of my friends who are as Cobalt Blue as I can explain something to me. Why in the world, after attempting (win, lose or draw) to bring healthcare to millions, would he turn around and try to drive through an agenda with overwhelming corporate interests that will further distress the very people he’s just helped? To give with one hand and taketh away with the other seems to add up to nothing to me. I’m confused.
Grant D. Cyrus/Boulder
