Response to beetles infesting Colo. trees
Re: “Tiny beetles killing millions of pines,” Sept. 13 news story.
The Post’s article describing the current mountain pine beetle outbreak in Colorado seems intended to put pressure on managers to “fight a battle” against current and future outbreaks. Apparently, scientists are losing their own battle: educating the public and media about disturbances in forests.
Bark beetles are native and always present in low numbers within conifer forests of Colorado. Outbreaks are probably caused by a specific combination of climate factors that allow insect populations to explode. Although entire mountainsides appear affected, it is rare for an outbreak to kill all trees in a forest, and beetles therefore naturally “thin out” forests. Like wildfires, beetle outbreaks are a natural part of Western forests and have occurred periodically for centuries.
Why, then, do we continue to treat natural disturbances as if they require a military-like response? It is unfortunate for landowners that trees are dying, but these disturbances are critical to the land they call home. They should protect their homes by reducing fuel loads, but they should also understand that beetle outbreaks – and constant change in forests – are within the natural way of things. We cannot prevent forests from changing, nor can we eliminate disturbances from them without undesirable consequences.
Dan Kashian and Bill Romme, Fort Collins
The writers are faculty members in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship at Colorado State University.
Suspension of prevailing-wages law in Gulf
Re: “Bush suspends labor rules,” Sept. 11 news brief.
Ravaged by catastrophic losses of unimaginable proportions, the poor people of Louisiana have been struck another blow below the belt by our so-called compassionate president. He has suspended the Davis-Bacon Act, which guarantees fair, competitive wages for workers of companies under contract with the federal government.
This means that federally contracted companies involved in rebuilding the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are not obligated to pay decent wages to those who actually perform the labor. They can set whatever wage standard they want. Bush says the lower wages will save taxpayers money. He is completely overlooking historical precedence that standard wages translate into higher quality and lower costs down the road. What he’s proposing will result in exactly the opposite: poor quality and short-term cost savings that convert into long-term costs.
The people of Louisiana have a chance to start rebuilding their lives, to contribute in a direct way to re-establishing their community and to earn a decent living at it. But thanks to Bush, they will do the work yet remain at the lower end of the food chain.
Packard N. Brown, Centennial
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Re: “A double blow for Gulf Coast workers,” Sept. 19 editorial.
It’s very generous of The Post to demand the prevailing wage for the unfortunate victims of Hurricane Katrina. Whatever it takes from American taxpayers to rebuild, regardless of cost. In addition to paying for shelter, transportation, medical care, and safety for the workers, The Post demands that we pay a certain wage to the displaced while they rebuild their free homes. Is this a rich country or what?
Larry Detrich, Denver
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At first I wasn’t sure, but now I am convinced – George W. Bush does understand the depth of despair and loss suffered by the victims of Hurricane Katrina. But rather than seeing this as a time for compassion, he is seizing it as an opportunity to further exploit the poverty-stricken victims. Bush’s proclamation on Sept. 8 suspending wage protections in Hurricane-battered states is not a just slap in the face to these people, it is a kick in the face with a steel-toed boot.
Complying with the request of 35 Republican representatives, including Marilyn Musgrave and Tom Tancedo, Bush suspended the Davis-Bacon law, which guarantees wages commensurate with the prevailing wages in the area during the reconstruction. Now all that is guaranteed is that an underpaid and underprivileged class will continue to get poorer, and that the corporate executives at companies like Halliburton, with their no-bid government contracts, will continue to get richer.
Kim Stevens, Lakewood
Race and the response to Hurricane Katrina
Re: “Indifference to Africa,” Sept. 15 Pius Kamau column.
Pius Kamau contends that “our delayed response to New Orleans’ victims was racial.” Like others of this opinion, he does not support his argument with persuasive facts. Apparently the fact that the response was slow and most of the victims were black Americans is proof enough.
Perhaps Kamau feels he is helping “my people in Africa” by accusing and convicting our government of racial bias in its support of people in need. After all, many people will believe a claim if it is made often enough.
Helping those in need is a worthy goal, and perhaps Kamau feels he is serving that goal by making such claims without substantiation. In other words, he feels the end justifies the means. However, he is doing us all a disservice by failing to achieve a much higher objective: adherence to the truth in making one’s arguments. We all know that the search for “the truth” is a difficult one, but we won’t find it with the kind of effort that Kamau put forth.
Shakespeare said it well: “Truth is truth, to the end of reckoning.”
Tom Hughes, Golden
Pro-C and D tactics
Re: “Pig portrayal raises stink at dueling C, D rallies,” Sept. 16 news story.
It has been almost nine years since my brother David lost his lifelong battle to muscular dystrophy and 12 years since my cousin Chance lost his battle to cerebral palsy. I can empathize with the emotional and financial burden placed upon those families who must raise kids with special needs.
What I cannot understand is the latest tactics by proponents of Referendums C and D. I could not in my own mind justify blatant exploitation of several mentally and physically handicapped children at a Capitol rally.
I will not hide my opposition to Referendums C and D. I believe that giving money back to hard- working Colorado families is a noble cause and I’m proud to stand behind it. I would never, however, exploit the most vulnerable among us in an attempt for political gain.
At last Thursday’s rally, severely disabled people were being paraded in front of the cameras like some horrendous sideshow.
If you support the referendums, then fine, this is America and we can have that debate. But please, let’s avoid the despicable actions that took place last Thursday. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Jon Reynolds, Greeley
Newest U.S. citizens
Re: “‘Proud to be an American now,”‘ Sept. 15 news story.
For the past nine years, the American Jewish Committee – along with the Agency for Human Rights and Community Relations of the city and county of Denver and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – has made it possible for more than 600 individuals to become new American citizens. These three agencies work very hard to produce Colorado’s largest naturalization ceremony, held every year at Civic Center park’s Greek Amphitheatre in Denver, in commemoration of Citizenship Day.
The purpose of this event is to demonstrate that Colorado welcomes these newest citizens and honors them for their hard work and commitment.
I appreciate the pictures you print every year, along with a brief story about this event. Yet, every year, you fail to give credit to the three organizations without whom this ceremony would not take place. I would like to recognize their efforts now.
Anita Fricklas, Centennial
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