Why we must get involved in politics
I’m writing to say thank you for the excellent work that Joel Dyer did to produce the Special Investigation article “Behind the curtain” [Re: Sept. 17].
It is shocking to begin to see the lengths to which some will go to achieve their domination over America’s working class citizens. This article requires further investigation on the part of each of us in order to understand the urgent need to be involved in our politics.
Most Americans are content to live our lives working, taking care of our families, and enjoying our friends and neighbors. The people that this article begins to expose are apparently contented only by manipulating us to further enrich themselves even if it destroys the planet that we all live on.
The most shocking thing about these people is the arrogant, selfabsorbed, anti-social, ruthless motivation that must drive them. They must think of me and all the truly productive Americans as their little play things that they get to move around for self-satisfaction. We must be like rodents to them who are annoyingly necessary, but must be controlled and manipulated because we just don’t have the benefit of their insights.
I believe that this article points directly to Americas biggest problem and suggests a level of greed that would horrify most of us. A “black hole” where a normal person would have a soul and the motivation to acquire endless sums of money is not a justification for having control over America’s hard working, compassionate citizens.
This life-lesson, unfortunately, needs to be taught in every high school and college in the country and should be the headline for any meaningful news outlet.
Thank you for this bold and enlightening work.
Rob Call/Westminster
Firefighters support Cliff Willmeng
On October 8th, Boulder Weekly presented their endorsements for election to the Lafayette City Council. They noted that Cliff Willmeng is “a fine fit for Lafayette City Council”; however, they failed to endorse Mr. Willmeng because his mother is currently a member of the Council. We believe that Mr. Willmeng is an INDEPENDENT voice whose talent, commitment, and passion would benefit the community. His professional service to the people of Lafayette as a registered nurse, his support of firefighters and labor and his involvement in “grass roots activism” make him uniquely qualified to represent the interests of the citizens of Lafayette. Please vote to elect Mr. Willmeng to the Lafayette City Council.
Doug Hurst,Lafayette Professional Firefighters,Presidnet IAFF L4620/ Lafayette
Re-Elect Shelly Benford
As a current director of the Board of Education, I have seen the hard work and dedication to serving our community exhibited by Shelly Benford. She is an extremely valuable asset to the BVSD school board and has faithfully served the BVSD community for the past four years. As an elected official in a volunteer position, she gives countless hours reviewing and researching critical school documents, data and community inquiries. She is a team player but also a person of the utmost integrity. She has the ability to ask the difficult questions and bring issues otherwise unknown to the general public to the forefront for action. The community should acknowledge her dedication and hard work improving our schools and re-elect her to the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education. She has faithfully supported your schools voluntarily and is willing to do so again. Vote for Shelly Benford for school board. She is for students getting the best, teachers getting the best, and the community getting the best.
Tom Miers, Director, Board of Education Boulder Valley School District/ Boulder
Dennis Maloney for Louisville City Council – Ward III
At first glance, all three Ward III candidates may appear very similar in their stated values and goals for our city, HOWEVER, the person most qualified for Louisville City Council Ward III is Dennis Maloney.
Here’s why… It’s his EXPERIENCE and DEMEANOR that are key here…. recently retired as Chief Technology Officer at CU, Dennis has proven to be effective and cooperative while working with a variety of people, budget challenges and deadlines to accomplish set goals. He doesn’t just talk the talk but actually has a proven work history that speaks loudly. As a retiree, Dennis’ time and talents are not overcommitted. His energy, competency and calm, grounded personality are key ingredients needed to address the opportunities and challenges facing the City of Louisville now and in the coming years.
Whether it be finding solutions to Old Town Louisville’s downtown activities that, at times, overwhelm area residents, the much needed revitalization of the old Sam’s Club/McCaslin business district or addressing needed improvements to the City’s 25 year old Recreation Center, Dennis will ask questions and then listen for ideas and possible solutions. He will diligently weigh and measure real costs with real results and benefits for the residents and businesses of our city. He will apply fiscal responsibility while addressing the growing needs of our wonderful community. Go ahead! Meet Dennis! Talk with him! And you will come away saying… “Yes, EXPERIENCE and DEMEANOR…” Vote Dennis Maloney for City of Louisville Council Ward III.
Cathy Zabel/Louisville
Unfair wages
Each day, when cleaning various buildings of CU Boulder, I see plaques with the Colorado Creed plastered all over campus, the third and final tenet of which says “Contribute to the greater good of this community.” Each day, I feel that the University is far from living the creed, because more than 500 of CU Boulder’s workers are paid wages we can’t survive on.
When I’m working I try to keep my campus beautiful. I’m on the team that responds to emergencies, so when you have a leak or someone throws up in class, I’m the person who’s coming to fix what’s wrong. I take pride in knowing that I’m making classrooms a good environment for learning and the grounds a beautiful place to walk through. But when I think about whether my daughter could attend this school, I know that as a single mom I can’t afford it.
When you’re making about $11/ hour and get paid once a month, your paycheck doesn’t last long. After paying rent and bills I’m usually broke by the 3rd of the month. I’ve had to use shortterm payday loans to get money for gas and use food pantries to feed my family. I don’t want to depend on others to support myself, but I just can’t get ahead.
I’ve worked full time at CU Boulder for about eight years, but recently I was accepted into a poverty alleviation program called Uprising. This program is trying to help me move into the middle class. I’m also in another program for home ownership, where my rent is locked in for five years. I’m uprising with the help of strangers. CU Boulder has not and will not promote me, so I’m moving forward and going back to school.
This struggle needs to end.
Contributing to the greater good of this community means paying workers a living wage. I believe that CU Boulder cares about its students, faculty, staff and neighbors, as the Colorado Creed says. To me, that means valuing and investing in your workers so they can fully participate in the Boulder community, instead of worrying where their next meal is coming from.
Laurel Loesser, Custodian CU boulder/ Boulder
Negligent gun owners
Several days ago, in a very small town in the beautiful and gently rolling hills of east Tennessee, an angry 11-year-old boy took his father’s shotgun from an unlocked closet, intentionally aimed it out of his bedroom window at an 8-year-old neighbor girl playing outside with some friends, pulled the trigger and shot the little girl in the chest killing her. According to witnessing neighbors, he did this because she wouldn’t show him her puppy.
My head is churning with incomprehensibility and outrage over this nonsensical and easily preventable tragedy.
The county sheriff who investigated this murder stated, “We hope this don’t ever happen again.”
We hope this don’t ever happen again? Why didn’t he truthfully say: “The killing of this little girl is a result of grossly negligent parents who failed to store their shotgun in their home with their six children in a manner ensuring that none of those kids could access or use it.”
He could also have said, “We have legal requirements to have smoke detectors in our homes, but no legal requirements in Tennessee that all firearms in a home be stored in a place or manner where kids can not get access to or use them.”
I have absolutely no understanding of how it comes to be that a fifth-grader intentionally shoots a 12-guage shotgun shell into the chest a third-grader. I do know, though, that the presence of unsecured firearms in a home unquestionably increases the risk of both intentional and unintentional home-related gun injuries and deaths.
Mindful parents and guardians leave no stone unturned to protect their children from harm — like keeping unused electrical outlets covered and water heaters not turned up too hot. As a society, though, it seems to me that we have failed to do all that’s reasonable and needed to prevent American kids from senselessly being maimed and slaughtered by gun fire.
Walter “Ski” Szymanski/Broomfield
The great tax awakening
Nations are experiencing a tax awakening. Just as socialism cannot compete with capitalism in a free country, an income tax cannot compete with a consumption tax like the “Fair Tax,” which encourages saving and investment.
Competition between nations is forcing governments to carefully consider tax increases, but this is nothing compared to the coming tax revolution. In the United States, more robust growth in states with a sales tax vs. states with an income tax is already apparent.
Just as the states are laboratories for change in the U.S., nations are laboratories for the world, and they are grappling with their tax problems. For example, there is confusion between a simple point-of-sale consumption tax, and a VAT, or value-added-tax. A VAT is easily concealed in the manufacturing process, but it has been increasingly exposed as a hidden “consumption tax” used by manipulative European politicians.
In another case, a VAT essentially stopped consumption in favor of saving, resulting in revenue funding concerns in Japan, with its older population of dedicated savers.
These problems will be worked out, and when they are, the first country to get a consumption tax right will drive spectacular improvement in our world.
Arnold P. Milton/Houston
