Letters

Better off?

Regarding Vi June’s “Out with the old” column on December 29, 2011: Vi wouldn’t understand and recognize common sense if it were right in front of her face. Her party of Democrats think that, even though America is broke, we can spend even more to fix everything. Thank God the Republicans are showing fiscal restraint. Ask yourself this question, Vi, “Are you and America better off than you were four years ago?”

Big government evil

Left-wing politicians from both parties are great media favorites. President Obama explicitly calls our Constitution: a list of “negative liberties,” but the GOP establishment favoring Romney are Big-Government-oriented, too. Political necessity demands lefties hide who they truly are, what they truly believe, what they truly want to do to America. They believe American history is criminal more than inspirational (We stole all we have!). Targeting the 52 percent whose work pays taxes and the 6 percent who create our jobs – will destroy us.

Good SELF-GOVERNMENT is crucial. Big government is evil – holding seeds of deep, deep corruption. That was the main message from Ex-FDR Democrat, ex-Screen Actors Guild union president, self-evolved conservative, and our 40th president: Ronald Reagan. Reagan instituted hands-off policies creating more than 20 million jobs in eight years. This prosperity helped America bankrupt communism; abolish the USSR; and topple the Berlin Wall. While those results might have been considered “predictable” for rare 2,000 percent true-believers in Reagan’s free market message that “Government is NOT the solution; government is the problem,” 99 percent of Americans were surprised, even shocked, when these events unfolded in the ’90s. Perhaps folks are starting to see things Reagan’s way again: according to Rasmussen Reports polling last week: 60 percent of Americans today agree with Reagan’s nine-word assessment while 29 percent disagree and 11 percent are not sure.

From 1776 to 1791 those famous natural-law advocates, the American Founding Fathers, unveiled the Declaration of Independence, our American Constitution, and its Bill of Rights seeking to create a “Republic of Merit.” Their rules for self-government created an exceptionally magnetic and vibrant American nation highly attractive among the dreary freedom-denied and impoverished nations. Smaller-government, common-sense, fiscal responsibility, and renewed Constitutional adherence can and will re-ignite freedom’s torch and prosperity, if we make it happen again.

Rivers need protection

When I took my shower this morning, I hardly stopped to think about where this fresh, clean water came from or who made sure that it was safe for me to use. I am quickly reminded, though, when I go rafting or fishing on our beautiful, pristine rivers and creeks. The raging waters of the Colorado, Arkansas and South Platte rivers are our source of life, prosperity and endless summertime memories, but they are incredibly fragile and jeopardized by dangerous contamination.

That’s why it’s so important that the Obama administration act immediately to restore protections that safeguard the Colorado, Arkansas and South Platte rivers from unlimited pollution.

Lawsuits brought before the Supreme Court by big polluters ended three decades of Clean Water Act protections for thousands of streams and millions of acres of wetlands nationwide. Here in Colorado, the small streams and creeks that feed and replenish our treasured rivers are at risk of losing their protections. Nearly 3.7 million Coloradans get their drinking water from public supplies fed by streams currently threatened by polluters running amok. In 2007, industrial facilities dumped 3.35 million pounds of toxic chemicals with reckless abandon into Colorado waterways.

We can stop this. President Obama and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have the chance to stand up for the Colorado, Arkansas and South Platte rivers by restoring the Clean Water Act. I urge the Obama administration to see this essential effort through, bringing us closer to the day when the Colorado, Arkansas and South Platte rivers and all our waters are safe for swimming, fishing and drinking.

100% truth leads to fallacy

Truth’s a tool of logic, NEVER its replacement. Solid argument uses relevant, verifiable, evidence and builds step-by-logical-step upon it. TRUTH is never enough. Recently a letter to the editor stated:

“Voices criticizing the best democracy money can buy are suppressed. Money corrupts democracy; it’s time to push money’s corrupting influence out on its ear. We need public financing of elections on all levels of government.”

The paragraph’s only partially true: Money often influences politics; sometimes corrupting. But its conclusion’s Illogical and UNconnected, a “non sequitur.”

Most likely, total public financing of elections would corrupt the system worse because government fails at most endeavors. Here’s a better, tighter example of fallacious argumentation based this time upon 100 percent truth:

A. Young Barack attended Indonesian Muslim school.

B. Shia-Sunni animosity goes back 1,480 years.

C. The martyred founder of Shia Islam was named “Hussein” … Obama’s and his father’s middle name.

D. The Shia doctrine “Taqiyya” allows Barack to profess Christianity if “Islam’s greater glory” results.

E. Obama’s mother’s two marriages to Muslims were “Nikah Mu’tah” doctrine allowing men to marry infidels temporarily.

F. Obama called Iraq the “bad war;” Afghanistan “the right war.” He’s authorized countless drone attacks on the Taliban. Iraq has a heavy Shia Muslim majority while both Afghanistan and Pakistan have large Sunni majorities and Sunni Taliban targets.

G. Obama, last week, completed full U.S. pull-out from Iraq leaving next-door neighbor Iran an open door into Iraq. Iran has a large Shia majority.

H. Obama misspoke about campaigning in “all 57 states,” the number of Islamic states of the OIC in the United Nations.

This impressive string of 100 percent facts proves … NOTHING … IF you said: “Obviously President Obama’s a Shia Muslim” that’s a non sequitur and both your motives and logic deserve questioning.

Regulation consternation

How badly does the federal government handicap the nation with over-regulation, high taxes and foolishness like the EPA shutting down irrigation in Central California and closing coal mines? How badly do state and local governments threaten the Golden Geese (our free markets) as well?

Just the federal government’s micro-management via business regulations costs the nation nearly $2 trillion every year or 13 percent of the economy up in smoke with ZERO benefit to anyone. That’s before we mention facing the highest business taxes in the world.

Under President Barack Obama the federal government added more than 200,000 pages worth of new federal silliness in three years. Surely average-Jane and -Joe business owners must violate half a hundred rules every day without suspecting. And you, all of you, holier-than-thou Republicans, pull your heads out. Yes, yes, yes, you are definitely correct. The Democratic Party has cost us horrifically, but in the last quarter century the GOP has also shown a lesser but fearsome tendency for controlling us, taxing us and denying us free market benefits.

The $1.75 trillion yearly cost we face is actually pretty small compared to the proposed cap and trade bill’s $11 trillion yearly price tag with again, ZERO to show for a monstrous drain on the economy. Even without cap and trade, how many million jobs are sacrificed to government stupidity every year? God willing, let’s get government out of our economy’s way in 2012 and beyond.

Family law

I have recently become very aware of family law issues in Arapahoe, Larimer and Jefferson counties.

Unfortunately, to my amazement, in all three counties, the interest of the children’s health and safety has not been on the front burner, and frankly, do not make it onto the stove.

Observations: Child Family Investigator, (CFI’s) are appointed in order to determine the safest and most stable environment that children should be placed in. CFI’s are degreed, learned folks. They do however choose to make their determinations with little or no input from the affected children.

The fears, the emotions, the need for a secure home in which to grow and mature is ignored. Parental love as God intended it is also not an issue.

My conclusion: Multi-million government grants, with no accountability perpetuates this wrecking ball system.

In response

In responses to last week’s letter from Linda Pelon, tax dollars do not pay for teacher unions. Teachers fund the union out of their pockets, and we are proud to have this constitutional right to organize.

Until the community steps up and shows concern for the future of the educational system, we have to rely on the union to stand up for education.

At this point, the teacher’s union is the only one looking out for kids. If you want your tax dollars used for students, vote to raise taxes to pay for schools.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone that contributed to the 2,254 pounds of food we collected at our food drive benefiting the Arvada Food Bank serving north Jeffco families last month, and to everyone that contributed toward the carload of toys at our toy collection benefiting our at-risk kids through the AWRSAY Santa House this last weekend.

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our community! A special thanks to the Arvada Fire Department No. 5, Safeway and Al Parker with Remax.

In support of negotiations

The Golden Good Government League (3GL) announces its support for the Golden City Council negotiations on the Northwest Parkway. 3GL appreciates the “good government” exhibited by Golden City Council members in dealing with the “Beltway” issues.

Over the past year, their willingness to design multiple ways to ensure citizen input, apply reasoned judgment, and then negotiate for Golden’s best interests is much appreciated. 3GL also commends the diligent and informed efforts put forth by the city’s experienced staff.

In general, 3GL agrees with the positions taken in the draft agreement for the following reasons: 3GL believes it provides the best chance we’ll have to keep a “high-speed” tollway out of Golden and we should act now; it provides significantly favorable terms and benefits to Golden; given the economic times, 3GL believes it is unlikely Golden will be able to get the original Muller Plan fully funded anytime in the near, or even distant, future. Therefore, securing part of the funds ($57 million) needed from a revised Muller Plan is a good benefit; it avoids complicating the agreement by involving issues that are not pertinent to Golden.

However, 3GL does believe that City Council’s approval of the final agreement language should be contingent on assuring that many details are examined closely and concluded without detriment to Golden. Some of these details are:

1) The final Intergovernmental Agreement must be enforceable.

2) Responsibility for likely cost overruns must be assigned.

3) The allocated funds must be independent of funding that would otherwise be allocated to future Golden area Highway 6 and Highway 93 improvements.

4) A strategy needs to be considered for addressing future traffic mitigation needed at the intersection of Highway 6 and Heritage Road.

The Trustees of the Golden Good Government League

Bill Robie, Vicki Wagner, Marv Kay, Jean Garrabrant, Ray Goodhart, Mary Ceynowa, Meg VanNess, Greg Holden, Marv DeSelm, Gene Child, Warren Spaulding, Tim Pasquarelli, Barb Greenhagen and Casey Brown

Books in hand

It has been decades since I attended elementary school, but one of the primary things I remember is at the beginning of the school year, I was given a textbook for every subject.

In those days, teachers used textbooks supplied by the school district and augmented the information with lectures and class participation to teach the subject content.

I do not claim to be an expert in the field of education, but I understand there have been a number of attempts to improve access to education materials.

Some educational institutions have gravitated toward using informational technology, which as I understand, has successfully enabled teachers and students to access a vast amount of learning materials.

A small problem with this revolutionary approach is that students need access to these materials not only during the school day, but also at home.

In essence, every student needs some type of computer and Internet access.

Has Jefferson County Public Schools replaced textbooks with computers? To my knowledge, this has not been done as a replacement for old-fashioned textbooks and printed learning materials.

I suggest that — instead of focusing on how many ways the district can shift its responsibilities to teachers, cut their pay, increase classroom size, supply only one copy of a workbook for an entire school — the district align its focus to the primary responsibility of education our children.

If the district is unable to financially step up to the next generation of education learning resources, it should step back and focus on providing textbooks and written learning materials versus its current position of not supplying the most basic resource required to teach.