Would someone please answer this woman’s
question?
Hello Crestone Peaks,
Since October we have been renting out our farm to a small family, and are currently leasing out a house in Southwest Longmont.
Our family was unable to tolerate not knowing when the drilling rigs were going to drive up the road and ruin our way of life. As well, for our family it would be completely impossible to live on a farm, in our home, where there were 12 wells being drilled and a major industrial site being put up in direct line of our view of the mountains. Since November of 2014 I have made it perfectly clear to all parties involved and to the press, that the Rasmussen Site is a completely unacceptable site for a number of reasons including but not limited to: The number of wells makes it a large industrial site, it threatens our health from VOC’s, it’s dangerous due to risks of explosions, leaks, etc., it’s very unsafe due to the use of our driveway and narrow County Road 1 for your operations and would ruin our bucolic country way of life with the immense and continuous truck traffic and the industrialization of our rural neighborhood.
Because of your potential violations and to the intensity of the risks involved with putting a fracking site so close to our home, we became fracking refugees. We know that you and the COGCC decided that your statutory rights superseded our constitutional rights, but this is not the reality. You chose to regulate rather than protect us. By law the COGCC was supposed to choose a balanced approach but they did not and therefore you are responsible for our flight from our property. Â
Due to air pollution, the sound pollution, the ruination of our small 1/2 mile driveway and the fact that you did not and do not respect, acknowledge or otherwise believe (even though I sent numerous health study articles to the COGCC and Encana) that our health safety and welfare are threatened by your operations so we were forced to rent our home out until we could further evaluate what to do with our lives.
We are currently renting a home in Longmont during this transition. Since the time it will take to go to court for this fundamental problem between the citizens of Colorado and the COGCC will take many years too long to protect our farm, not only will we have had to move away from our farm investment/property, but we are now going to be forced to sell our property investment. We are being forced out of our property because you did not consider our constitutional rights and truly balance them with our fundamental rights to health, safety and welfare.
To be clear, our fundamental constitutional rights will indeed be violated when you begin your operations 1,200 feet from our home, and since you will not retract the permits for the 12 wells thus we are going to have to sell our property.
We will be beginning this process soon. If your corporation decides to begin preparing for and drilling the wells anytime before October you will prevent us from getting current full market value for our home which is at approximately $479,000.
Currently we are getting $2,300/month for rent because it is a beautiful rural farm property in the countryside and near Boulder and Longmont. We are very concerned about the disclosure of the 12 wells to any potential buyers and we may have great difficulty selling this property at it’s full market value.
If your site begins to be developed while we are trying to sell the property it will immediately be impossible to sell during the nightmare of your operations. We will also not be able to rent for the $2,300 that we are able to get now because of it’s idyllic location.
We have already made huge life adjustments because of this violation of our fundamental constitutional rights to true health safety and welfare. You did not answer me in my first request. So, I ask again; how do you plan to compensate us?
Amanda Harper/a stones throw from County Line Rd.
Hit pause at PUC: Consider Xcel proposal
As a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, I have been studying this renewable energy debate with interest. It seems that a lot of time and money over the years has been spent fighting Xcel.
Energy and not actually putting renewable energy on the grid. Many students agree that we should start real carbon reduction now rather than continually losing every legal and regulatory fight. It doesn’t take much to understand that the City of Boulder’s position at the public utilities commission is abysmal. The PUC has rejected the city of boulder time and time again. Our best hope to start real carbon reduction now is to let citizens vote on the issue in November.
Matthew H. Smith
Bankrolling the president
The right wing propaganda machine that is AM talk radio is currently all over the imminent perils of illegal immigrants and radical Islamist terrorism and the president admittedly wants Obamacare reform because he needs the money saved by denying medical care to those who cannot afford it for his tax cuts, his border wall and increased military spending.
Meanwhile his generals have staged an impressive fireworks show of American machismo by firing 59 Tomahawk missiles, not all of which hit their target, at an air force base in Syria and dropped a 21,000 pound mega-bomb on a mountain in Afghanistan, killing, all in all, maybe 100 ISIS fighters at a cost of 79 million dollars.
Added to this, American taxpayers are footing the bill for security on his weekend jaunts to his compound in Palm Springs as well as that for his children’s business trips promoting the Trump logo all over the world. Manipulative hyperbole may work in contract negotiation, but how well it translates into governance and foreign relations remains to be seen.
There have been bankruptcies, both financial and moral, in his business operations.
Robert Porath/Boulder
Flat tax time
As we file our income tax returns, we are all reminded that our income tax system needs to be simple, understandable and fair. The current complex system requires many Americans to hire tax preparers while giving an advantage to those wealthy enough to hire the most skilled and knowledgeable ones.
America needs a flat rate income tax, eliminating most current deductions. Such a fair and simple tax would free up the time and money now spent filling out a stack of complicated forms, and would ensure that everyone paid his fair share. These resources could be used by taxpayers for economically sound investments, especially since the tax code would no longer provide incentives for less productive investments.
Congress is now about to begin considering tax reform. Their goal should not be modest reform, but a bold change to scrap the current system and replace it with a flat tax.
Peter J. Thomas, Americans for Constitutional Liberty
Open Letter to NOAA and EPA Scientists
We would like to recognize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for what they do for Colorado and the nation. These two federal agencies are being considered for big cuts to their jobs, grants and services in the current budget cycle. The scientists of these two branches of government contribute greatly to our public health, economy, and environment.
Now is a good time to call a Member of Congress to request full funding for these critical agencies. Attending the March for Science on April 22 (Earth Day) and the national People’s Climate March on April 29 are additional ways to appreciate and express solidarity with N.O.A.A. and E.P.A. as well as all of the nations’ scientists.
Janice Lynn/Fort Collins
Dear NOAA and EPA Scientists,
We wish to thank you for work you do in providing:
-Satellite data for National Weather Service forecasts of blizzards, severe thunderstorms, high winds, heat waves, cold fronts, hurricanes, and tornadoes
-Air quality monitoring of ozone levels for public health
-Monitoring of industry compliance with pollution regulations for the environment and public health
-Consultation to clean up Colorado’s toxic sites
-Data on pollution to Colorado’s lakes and streams, to preserve sport fishing and recreation
-Water quality data for clean public drinking and irrigation water for ranching and farming
-Alerts of high seasonal temperatures, which can lead to wildfires and floods
-Notice of increasing accumulation of atmospheric carbon emissions, to rouse action for a livable climate
-We appreciate and value the work you do for the people of Colorado and the nation.
With Gratitude,
Fort Collins Sustainability Group
Citizens Climate Lobby — Colorado
Community for Sustainable Energy
350 Colorado
Weld Air and Water
Fort Collins for Progress
San Louis Valley Ecosystem Council
Re: Flat Tax. I agree that a flat tax would simplify things greatly. However, I still think, and have for a very long time, that a national sales tax could replace individual income taxes. More than likely a sales tax would be fairer to all since those who have more tend to spend more. Corporations could remain on the current tax system, but even that needs a lot of tweaking in the name of fairness. I recall that years ago a national sales tax was being discussed….