Encouraging breastfeeding in the workplace
As a breastfeeding and pump- at-work mother, I would like to make people aware of Senate Bill 167, currently in the legislature. It should be important to everyone for employers to provide pumping mothers with time and accommodations to express breast milk. Not only are we providing the “perfect food” for our babies, we are also creating healthier children, happier mothers and satisfied employers, because it is a fact that children who are breastfed for at least the first six months of life are healthier. Therefore, mothers who pump do not have to take sick time as often to take care of them.
I work for a company that is more than generous. They provide me with an empty office with a lock on the door. They allow me to take breaks as needed to express breast milk. I have been successfully pumping for four months. All pumping mothers should have the same generosity and respect that I receive from my employer. Pumping at work should be praised and encouraged. Please support this bill. It means everything to me, because it affects my son – my everything.
C. Gargano, Thornton
Bush’s push for renewable energy research
Once again President Bush is getting bad intelligence. Bush recently said the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would “startle” most Americans and that would help wean the country off foreign oil. Actually, Mr. President, there have already been startling breakthroughs that could make cars run much further on a gallon of gasoline and dramatically break America’s dependence on oil.
According to the National Academy of the Sciences, technology already exists to make current automobiles get 40 miles per gallon; it is just up to our elected officials to implement this solution and not talk about waiting for the future. By raising the gas mileage standard to 40 mpg, we would save more oil than what we import from the Persian Gulf and what we expect to get from the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge combined. Not to mention the money that the average consumer would save over the lifetime of their car on gasoline costs. And from an environmental point of view, we could reduce global warming pollutants by 20 percent.
Chip Sherman, Denver
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I helped start the ethanol fuels industry in this country almost 30 years ago. We in the agricultural sector also began to research the potential for biomass conversion into ethanol (corn stalks, wheat straw, etc.) back then. Then, in 1980, Ronald Reagan and the Republican oil lobby killed the funding and research for every aspect of alternative energy research and development. We had a lot of alternative fuel research in place 25-30 years ago. I just hope that George W. Bush is serious about following through with his alternative energy initiative and supporting the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Randy Fricke, Basalt
Do gifts to legislators help buy votes?
Re: “Capitol freebies could continue; Measure to ban cash, in-kind donations fails to include event tickets,” Feb. 20 news story.
I am amazed that state Sen. Peter Groff feels that being elected to the Colorado Senate automatically grants him entitlement to whatever freebies come his way from willing lobbyists. I agree with the senator, who said he’d be “stunned” if a legislator voted against their philosophy, district or principals over being offered a free ticket. But how quickly could Groff’s philosophy, district or principles be compromised by $2,180 worth of tickets, plus free golf and ski fees? I am sure that many Coloradans have worked many years without being offered more than $2,000 worth of tickets. Therefore, why does the senator feel he and other legislators are entitled? It is about time for legislators to vote for reform that outlaws all freebies for publicly elected officials.
Bill Wall, Denver
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Can a lawmaker receive gifts of golf outings and tickets to our state’s pro and college sports teams without also receiving a “you owe me” from the team owners? No way. Why would a team give lawmakers free tickets to events? I can find no other answer other than getting votes. Let us cut the manure from the reality. I say no more gifts of any kind to lawmakers be allowed in this state.
Manuel Levine, Golden
Control of U.S. ports
Re: “Dems urge halt to Arab firm’s takeover of port operations,” Feb. 21 news story.
Enough is enough! First the overwhelming lack of interest by the Bush administration to secure our borders, and now the outrageous proposal to permit the United Arab Emirates, a country that has had ties to terrorists, to control six of our ports. In this global society, when will this government quit putting profit before principles and realize that if we should err, it should always be on the side of caution? It’s time to storm the Bastille. Allons enfants de la Patrie.
Maryann Lowe, Wheat Ridge
Racial mix at CU
Re: “CU not alone in scarcity of color,” Feb. 21 news story.
If black or Hispanic students decide they do not want to go to the University of Colorado, then so be it. Why do we constantly think we have to equalize race to fit demographics? How does all this clamoring about diversity help educate our young adults? Stop wasting our tax dollars funding silly studies about diversity and just be thankful they choose to go to college no matter where it is, or how diverse it is. As Morgan Freeman once said about how to get rid of racism, “Stop talking about it.” Enough said.
Will Volskis, Aurora
Seat-belt laws
Re: “51 reasons for seat-belt law revision,” Feb. 16 guest commentary.
Why is there any debate? This is a no-brainer. For the two years following my daughter’s 1988 graduation from Evergreen High School, eight of Evergreen’s teenagers were killed in car accidents. The common factor in all of these deaths was not drinking or reckless driving. The one common factor was that each of the victims was not wearing a seat belt. Why has it taken so long to make driving without a seat belt a primary offense?
I don’t understand why so many teenagers do not automatically buckle up when they get into the car. I know that they were safely snugged into a car seat when they were very young. I can’t imagine parents letting them ride without a seat belt as they got older. In high school they had the opportunity to see an actual smashed car in which the driver survived because of a seat belt. The safety of seat belts is drilled into their heads when they are learning how to drive. Still, we hear of so many injuries and deaths because people, and not just teenagers, neglect to do such a simple thing – fasten that seat belt.
Linda Wells Ringrose, Evergreen
Another place to ban smoking: the car
I have a suggestion which will save lives and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars: Ban smoking in personal vehicles. Inconsiderate people throwing lit cigarette butts out of their windows while driving have caused many forest fires, burned homes and have even killed people. The practice is dangerous to fellow motorists, especially motorcyclists.
My wife and I were driving around Carter Lake just a few hours before the big fire last month and saw several motorists throwing cigarette butts out of their vehicles. While it was apparently started near a telephone pole, it wouldn’t have surprised me to discover that a cigarette butt, blown in the high winds into the grass, had started the fire.
While driving my motorcycle once, someone threw a cigarette butt out of their window and hit my face shield. The resultant explosion of sparks blinded me briefly, which could have caused an accident.
I can’t understand why a smoker is incapable of using the ashtray that comes with their vehicle.
Carl Schelin, Broomfield
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