Plan to develop village on Wolf Creek Pass
Re: “Wolf Creek braces for battle,” May 2 business news story.
The efforts by businessman Red McCombs to build a “city-sized village” atop Wolf Creek Pass boggles the mind of all Coloradans who love their state’s mountainous beauty. Wolf Creek Pass is one of the few areas that has not yet been invaded by the money-grubbing land developers who would love to plaster every Colorado skyline with their trash. Why have the governor, the senators and the representatives not stopped this absurd violation of the state’s vanishing heritage? Why is it that every time a Texas billionaire wants to destroy another area of Colorado we are told it is all for the good of the people and that we must never stop development? McCombs gets the money and we get the eternal, wretched eyesore he leaves behind as well as the costs of the roads, social services and schools. The forest damage that occurs will remain forever. Our civil servants are allowing this unholy desecration of the beauty of Colorado for a few pieces of silver that they will not even get. It is time for Coloradans to rise up in anger against this injustice to the environment and the citizens of the state.
Luther Davidson, Lakewood
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Coping with the U.S. prison population
Re: “In U.S., 1 of every 138 in jail,” April 25 news story.
With all the talk of overcrowded prisons and bills being introduced to build new prisons or additions, I have a suggestion: Let’s start thinking about contracting out prisoner responsibilities to other countries. Mexico, Colombia and Cuba would be a good start. A large savings would be realized due to much lower salaries and construction costs and, at the same time, it would be a boost to their economy.
The “no frills” approach of foreign countries would normally not include television, weight rooms, air conditioning, etc., and would be a deterrent to a criminal’s return.
As the current administration is in the “contracting out” mood, I’m surprised it hasn’t made a move in this direction with federal prisons. Leading the way would set the example for state governments to do the same.
David D. Masson, Castle Rock
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Re: “U.S. jails, prisons overflowing,” May 3 editorial.
Primarily because of our drug-war policies, the United States has been transformed into the most incarcerated nation in the history of human civilization. Even though we in the U.S. have less than 5 percent of the world’s population, we have more than 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. This deserves our shame and outrage.
Our friends and foes around the world alike now know that the U.S. leads the world in the number of prisoners and the percentage of our citizens who are locked up. What message does this send to the rest of the world?
Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz.
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Two years since “Mission Accomplished”
The second anniversary of President Bush’s stirring strut on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln has quietly passed with nary a nod from the media or the Republican Party. Recall May 1, 2003, when our gallant commander-in-chief marched under a huge banner proclaiming “Mission Accomplished,” came to a halt and declared that major combat operations in Iraq were over.
But, after self-admitted “miscalculations” in postwar Iraq by Bush, leading to 14,000 GI casualties and tens of thousands of dead and wounded Iraqis, Saddam Hussein is in jail and Iraq has the beginnings of a government.
Was it worth it? Not for me, but since we’re there, we gotta make it work or else declare victory and get out. The pity of all this is that the war was unnecessary, but once the Bush warlords decided to go for it, their planning, prewar and postwar, was atrocious and lethal for thousands of Americans and Iraqis.
No one has been fired for the dishonest way we went to war, no one has paid for the inept planning, and, in fact, many of the culprits have been rewarded – including Bush, who got re-elected. Doesn’t make sense to me, but America got what it asked for.
Phil Kenny, Colorado Springs
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3rd-grade CSAP scores
Re: “3rd-graders’ reading scores decline slightly in Colorado,” April 29 news story.
What does the drop in raw third-grade CSAP reading scores mean? Imagine a skilled teacher bringing a child, new to Colorado, from reading grade 1 to reading grade 2.5 in seven months this year. That’s real progress, but the Colorado Student Assessment Program calls it failure if the child is in third grade, potentially punishing a Colorado school for what another state’s school system didn’t do.
The governor has been quoted as saying the results show “the need for testing.” How does he know that? The data have not been interpreted. Let’s have an objective, professional assessment of the CSAP’s validity, including the basic assumptions. Then we’ll know if the CSAP is worth the money. Our high school dropout rates and college completion statistics will show if Colorado is developing scholars.
Teaching CSAP reading and math may bring “good” scores, but real reading and math education develop lifelong readers and scholars, mathematicians, engineers, physicists, etc. Testing can’t replace hiring the best teachers available, assigned to appropriately sized classes. Nor will it replace well-equipped schools, emphasizing education and organizing every school day around scholarship. Teaching CSAP consumes massive amounts of time. The mistake is to think that it is education.
Robert Gunnett, Morrison
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Questioning our leaders
I had a wonderful opportunity recently to see democracy in action. As I flipped through the channels, I came upon the town hall- type meeting set up for the candidates in the British election. Tony Blair was last to be grilled by the audience, and grill him they did. How refreshing to see the prime minister of England being questioned by the general public in a no-holds-barred kind of forum. The most interesting thing was that he truly seemed to enjoy the give and take.
It made me think of the Denver Three, who were thrown out of President Bush’s “town hall” Social Security meeting recently. I can’t imagine Bush allowing himself to be put in the hot seat as Blair had done. One question from an audience member similar to the questions Blair was handling, and Bush would likely have had the questioner arrested. Where is democracy going in America?
Ken Crost, Littleton
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Re: “Dobson decried for focus on gays,” May 2 news story.
The Post’s story on the Soulforce march at the Focus on the Family campus on Sunday misfires on both the tenor of the protest and the message. The attitude of those who were there was not one of “contempt” for Dr. James Dobson’s views on homosexuality. As Soulforce clearly states both in the training sessions and pledges of nonviolence offered to all participants, Dobson is not the enemy. Misinformation is the enemy.
Dobson’s misguided notions that homosexuality is a disorder that can be cured, that the gay agenda includes redefining marriage, corrupting “wide-eyed boys,” and destroying the family cannot help but confound young gay men and women struggling to reach peace with their most powerful inner feelings. Such words can drive an ancient and crusty wedge between parent and child, wrecking families and sometimes driving youths unable to reconcile their sexuality and spirituality to end their lives.
The message on Sunday was about reconciliation, hope and saving lives.
Lewis Thompson, Denver
