Fallacies of the immigration debate
Re: “Immigration excuses need some work,” May 23 David Harsanyi column.
As a registered Democrat, I am in total agreement with David Harsanyi’s column exposing the biggest fallacy regarding illegal immigration: that illegal immigrants take jobs no one else will. As Harsanyi correctly points out, all the illegal immigrants do is lower wages and create an economy of low-paying jobs. This is hardly the stuff that great nations are made of. Add to this the security concerns created by illegal immigration, and the costs clearly outweigh the supposed benefits of this cheap labor.
While I sincerely desire that immigrants, illegal or legal, not be mistreated or taken advantage of, this illegal source of “cheap labor” must be shut off. I fear the consequences if it is not. Wake up, America – we’re well on our way to Third World status.
Peter Lyon, Broomfield
Rights of rafters vs. property owners
Re: “Rafts adrift in murky law,” May 24 news story.
While the state laws regarding the “right to float” may be murky, federal law is clear and is among the earliest established laws to protect commerce in the new nation.
“Rivers that are navigable have a right to be floated,” says lawyer John Hill, who then incorrectly argues that states have a right to define navigability. Since this law has its foundation in the riverboat trade that provided the primary transportation for goods in the era before railroads, the law has a precise, literal meaning.
I disagree that this is a “New West” issue. Clearly the right to navigate rivers (and airspace, for that matter) is protected and has been so for more than 200 years. Property owners who strive to prevent commercial rafting are violating the letter and spirit of a federal law. This is clearly interstate commerce and a realm of federal laws, not state.
People who own land on rivers face the same problems that folks who own lakeside and oceanfront property must cope with. For the few weeks of the year when boaters pass through their land, they need to deal with it. Boaters can certainly be good neighbors by keeping off private land and respecting property rights as they pass through the property. However, my right to navigate a waterway is one of my inalienable rights.
Alfred J. Kreinberg, Grand Junction
The writer has been a commercial raft guide since 1973.
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The proper resolution to this so-called “battle” between rafters and land owners is really quite obvious to me. Under the public trust doctrine, which applies to all 50 states, all navigable waters are considered public highways, regardless of the status of private land ownership on either side or of the streambed. Navigable waters include almost any creek large enough to float a small kayak down during spring runoff. As long as the public accesses these streams from publicly owned points (i.e., bridge crossings), its use of these waterways is perfectly legal. The water in our rivers and creeks is a public resource.
I fail to understand why this issue is still up for debate in Colorado when other states such as California and Wisconsin settled this matter long ago.
Rob Carnachan, Denver
Threatened payback for filibuster agreement
Re: “Religious right vows payback for brokers of filibuster pact,” May 25 news story.
James Dobson purports to be a Christian leader of a Christian organization, Focus on the Family.
I was raised in a Christian tradition, yet my tradition did not teach principles that Dobson wants to call Christian. I was taught that compromise was a good thing, since both sides gained something while agreeing to give up something.
Such a compromise was reached Monday when 14 bipartisan senators avoided a Senate meltdown that could have had a negative effect on legislation and thus all Americans. On Tuesday, Dobson called this “a bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans.” Dobson espouses a get-even approach when these 14 wise senators come up for re-election. “Getting even” was not a part of my Christian teaching. This brings home to me the importance of compromise and fair play taught to me by a little Benedictine nun in the 1950s.
Gerald J. Higgins, Denver
Student loan costs
Re: “Starting July 1, borrowing for college will cost a lot more,” May 24 news story.
As The Post pointed out in its article, today’s college students can expect to pay much higher interest rates after July 1. On top of that, the cost of a college education has gone up 38 percent over the past decade (adjusted for inflation).
These two factors alone emphasize why it’s so important for students not to drag a four-year degree out over five or even six years. Each addition year adds another 25 percent to the cost of education.
Those in their late teens, 20s and early 30s are not getting enough experiential knowledge of the careers that they devote tens of thousands of dollars and years studying. Instead, too much emphasis is being placed on academic knowledge.
If you are a student who wants to save money at college, spend time working and/or volunteering within the career you are interested in pursuing. Weekends or a summer break spent immersed within a particular career will give you insight whether it is the right career for you. A few days and weeks now may save you from spending thousands of dollars and investing years of study into a career that is truly not a good fit.
Jason C. Steinle, Evergreen
Federal energy policy
Re: “Senate should craft a saner energy bill,” May 19 editorial.
The Post was right to criticize the recently passed House energy bill. By allowing oil and gas companies to sidestep laws that protect drinking water and provide for government and citizen oversight, the bill would give energy interests even more control over our public lands.
A recent analysis of federal data found that energy and metal mining interests currently control land inside or within 5 miles of more than two-thirds of national parks, forests and other natural treasures.
Since 1982, the government has given oil and gas interests access to 229 million acres of Western public land. Yet from 1989 to 2003, all Western federal lands produced only 53 days’ worth of U.S. oil consumption and 221 days of natural gas.
Rather than reducing safeguards for clean water and treasured places, energy policy should make investments in efficiency and renewable energy.
Bill Walker, Oakland, Calif.
The writer is vice president of Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy group.
Rep. Beauprez’s vote on wild-horses bill
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I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez voted against House Resolution 297, which would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros. I had contacted him earlier this month, urging him to vote in favor of the amendment.
In his response to me by letter, he said, “I believe these animals represent an important part of western American culture, as well as a valuable component of the eco-systems in which they exist. Since 1971 the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act protected these animals. Unfortunately, a Senate amendment to last year’s appropriations Act eliminated those protections without so much as a single hearing. H.R. 297 will restore these protections and once again prevent the senseless commercial sale and slaughter of these wild animals. If this legislation reaches the floor, I will keep your comments in mind when deciding how to vote.”
Wouldn’t that statement lead one to believe his intentions on the vote were clear?
Thankfully, H.R. 297 passed in spite of Beauprez’s vote. I believe he has some explaining to do to his Colorado constituents in particular, and to humanitarians in general.
Andrea J. Gurner, Aurora
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