What drives price of gas?
So I see that gas prices are starting to come down and some experts are predicting the price will drop to around $2 a gallon. I’ve been predicting this decline for about two months now – I call it the Republican Voter Appeasement discount. Since the oil executives certainly don’t want their Republican buddies thrown out of office, they’ve decided to give us an election-term break on the price of gas. I’m sure they know that after filling up with gas at $3 a gallon, the electorate might be a bit testy. I’m also predicting that around Nov. 8, the day after the election, the oil companies will start increasing the price, so that around the first of the year, gas prices will be back to their pre-election levels. Am I just being a bit cynical here? No, I don’t think so.
Ken Crost, Littleton
Death of Crocodile Hunter
Re: “Crocodile tears for Steve Irwin,” Sept. 8 Debra Saunders column.
Never mind the inconsistency of printing an editorial cartoon bemoaning the untimely death of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin directly above Debra Saunders’ insensitive and moronic column. Never mind the fact that, according to Web bios of Saunders, she’s completely unqualified to discuss anything remotely related to either professional animal interaction or conservation. Never mind that Saunders seems to revel in an immature game of “I told you so” with regards to Irwin’s death. The real problem with her column is that it totally ignores not only Steve-O’s immense contribution to animal and environmental awareness, but also has the audacity to end suggesting that if a member of the Irwin family had to die, it’s better that Steve dies than his daughter Bindi. As someone who watched Steve’s show and saw his family grow on air, I’m outraged that Saunders would be so tactless, and even more upset that The Denver Post would print her drivel.
Dan Clanton, Englewood
Higher tax for diesel fuel
Re: “Clean diesel a promising fuel,” Sept. 5 editorial.
Despite the excellent reasons presented in your editorial advocating the use of clean diesel, it is doubtful that the benefits of this technology will be realized as long as the federal tax on diesel is higher than on gasoline. With all the Bush administration’s talk about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, their actions speak louder than their words.
Ray Nelson, Denver
Denver preschool tax
In her Sept. 4 letter to the editor about the Denver preschool tax proposal, City Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz asked, “Why expand the city’s role?” The answer is simple:
Investing in our children is the greatest investment we can make in Denver’s future. The strength of a city is measured by the achievements and character of its people, not by its physical structures. Denver is a great place to live because of the wonderful communities within it.
We need to invest in our children today to ensure a bright future for Denver. As the father of two young daughters, I know that preschool is the best way to do that. Years of research prove that making high-quality early-childhood experiences available to kids is the most cost-effective way to ensure their success in school and later in life.
The preschool program is good for Denver’s kids and families, but it is also vitally important to Denver’s future as a great city.
Tom Downey, Denver
The writer is executive director of the Children’s Museum of Denver.
Politics of the day: fear
It is no mystery why so many Americans hesitate to vote. The negativity used by the politicians leave many would-be voters thinking that none of the candidates is worthy of their vote. The F-word in today’s politics is “fear.”
The late American editor Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1955) described politics as follows: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”
Billy Robinson, Denver
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