Wheat Ridge ballot issue on notification
Wheat Ridge residents should not be fooled into voting for ballot issue 2A, or they may never know what’s going on in the city again. The charter change repeals the current mandate to publish special meetings and ordinances in a newspaper, but voters would never figure that out just by reading the words on the ballot.
The ordinance the council passed is also open-ended about how it would be required to notify the public about meetings and ordinances (including zoning issues) in the future. The ballot title says the council can notify the public in one of four ways: through a newspaper, the Internet, the city’s website or a posting. (It doesn’t say where, or how often, or when).
Worst, and most unfairly, the ballot leaves out a fifth alternative in the actual ordinance, which will go into effect if it passes: “Or in any other manner determined by the council to adequately advise the public.” A big omission, don’t you think?
I don’t believe the city council and clerk are trying to hide information from the public. They’ve just written a careless ordinance, which would allow a future council to forget how important it is that the public be informed.
Vote “no” on Wheat Ridge ballot issue 2A.
Nancy R. Snow, Wheat Ridge
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Referendums C and D on November ballot
Does anti-tax zealot Grover Norquist really believe that conservative Republican Gov. Bill Owens is “planning to loot Colorado citizens”? Is he so rabidly ideologically motivated that reason has left him altogether? What does he think Owens is going to do with the money he “loots” from Colorado citizens: buy himself a stable of racehorses? Maybe take a couple of weeks in Scotland to play golf? Or could it possibly be that as governor, he actually cares about the quality of life of all the citizens of Colorado as well as the future vibrancy of the state?
Obviously there are those, like Jon Caldara and John Andrews, who share Norquist’s contempt for government. I suggest they check out places like, say, Mexico, where the lack of public services and well-maintained infrastructure is evident, where the wealthy simply wall themselves off from the masses. Is that the example we should aspire to?
Jeannie Dunham, Denver
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It would be nice to vote “yes” on Referendums C and D. However, I do not trust our elected officials enough to do so. If they had proposed a 2-year limit on the referendum, I might vote “yes.” We have elections every year; we should vote on this every 2 years, just so they won’t go overboard. It’s hard to remember back to a time when our bridges weren’t falling down, our schools weren’t in disrepair, our roads weren’t full of potholes, and our teachers, policemen and firefighters didn’t need a raise.
I do hope everyone will think twice before they give 5 years of revenue to our state legislature. Just remember, it all boils down to how much we can trust politicans.
Judy Rooks, Aurora
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Maybe we should consider the worst for a moment if Referendums C and D don’t pass. According to supporters, Colorado will be in serious financial trouble. That translates into a lot of suffering for many good people. On the other hand, if the opponents get their way, we all will walk around with a little more cash in our pockets (less than $2 a week, to be more precise). Which do you prefer?
Chris Sandoval, Arvada
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Faith and environment
Re: “Sierra Club looks to pews to bolster faithful members,” Oct. 17 Denver & The West.
For too long, Christians have been identified with issues that embrace only the political right. We are not all ready to surrender our environment or the responsibility to maintain it to the interests of exploitation. Many of us enjoy the wilderness, untrammeled by those who would scar the land for profit. We have many examples of God’s desire for us to be in symbiotic relationships with the natural world.
Daughenbaugh represents more than the Sierra Club when he brings a message of the need for stewardship of public lands: He also represents those of us who serve God with a desire to preserve the gifts and responsibilities He has given us.
Dudley Cable, Lakewood
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Cuts in services
As Congress moves into the budget reconciliation process this month, it appears there are more “cuts” on the way: tax cuts and budget cuts. What seems to be missing is cuts in pork barrel spending. This administration and Congress are looking to extend and enact new tax cuts, 97 percent of which will go to the 4 percent of families who earn over $200,000 a year.
Budget cuts on the table will reduce services to the most needy in our society, mostly Medicaid and the food stamp program. These safety nets are important for heading off greater costs to our society.
One place, however, where we fail to see cuts is in rewards to special interests, which have risen to an all- time high. Contact your representatives and ask them to come back to fiscal and social responsibility.
Scott Semple, Boulder
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Helping Katrina victims
It is a shame that Katrina refugees cannot be plugged into existing empty houses available across our country instead of spending billions of taxpayer dollars to rebuild in a flood-prone, hurricane-prone area along the Gulf where the jobs have now disappeared.
There are thousands of HUD houses in many states where jobs would be available now. Six months’ free rent with the potential to buy at zero down would go a long way toward settling refugees now and helping them get on with their lives. Shouldn’t our legislators try using the existing resources for at least temporary solutions?
Paula Rhoads Hook, Denver
