One solution to immigrant issue: Help Mexico
During the Reagan administration, Americans were jubilant about the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was considered one of the great accomplishments of the Reagan era. Now, America wants to build a 700-mile wall on our border with Mexico.
Mexican President Vicente Fox and President-elect Felipe Calderon oppose the fence. Every American should oppose it. If illegal immigration is such an important topic, why not invest the money that we would spend on the fence into the Mexican economy? If there were more jobs and less poverty in Mexico, much of the immigration “problem” would certainly be stemmed.
Curtis F. Smith, Colorado Springs
Immigration laws penalize, separate families
Re:… “Children brave dangers to join families in the U.S.,” Oct. 24 news story.
Thank you for your thoughtful coverage of children who cross the border to join their families. Many of these children are the minor children of legal residents, who must wait eight years or longer to legally join their families after their parents submit a petition to lawfully bring them to the United States. The backlog of family-based immigration petitions is out of control.
Minor children of legal residents have been waiting since 1999 to have their petitions processed. Adult children of U.S. citizens have been waiting since 1991 or 1993 and some siblings of U.S. citizens have been waiting since 1984 to legally enter the U.S.
Critics of those who unlawfully cross the border argue that people should “get in line and wait their turn.” Many of those who cross the border without authorization are already in line and waiting their turn. But eight years is too long for a child to wait to be reunited with a parent.
Our immigration laws need comprehensive reform that supports family unity. Until that happens, we will continue to have children, and others, crossing our borders unlawfully to be with family.
Kimberly Salinas, Fort Collins
Retention of state Judge Jose D.L. Marquez
Re:… “Opposition to Colo. Court of Appeals judge,” Oct. 27 Open Forum.
It was interesting to read the letters in The Post defending the retention of Court of Appeals Judge Jose D.L. Marquez. Although the defenders of Judge Marquez criticized the evidence justifying his rejection for retention as “scant,” they offered no rebuttal evidence of their own but instead related what a good person the judge is. I have no doubt that Judge Marquez is a fine and decent person, but any judge who rules that a specific, enumerated individual right guaranteed in both the U.S. and Colorado constitutions is not fundamental is unfit for any bench, especially one as important as the Colorado Court of Appeals.
Anthony J. Fabian, President, Colorado State Shooting Association, Aurora
Editor’s note: Judge Marquez ruled in 2002 that the right to bear arms is not absolute and a city like Denver may regulate the right to bear arms. The decision was appealed but not overturned.
…
We are a bipartisan group of election-law attorneys who write to express our strong support for the retention of the Honorable Judge Jose D.L. Marquez. We specialize in the practice of election law, and we know well the judicial system and the judges within it. Some of us typically represent Republican-oriented causes and candidates, while others of us often represent Democratic-oriented causes and candidates. Thus, we rarely see eye-to-eye on most matters. We do, however, agree on two very important things: Judge Marquez deserves to be retained. Forcing a judge to campaign for retention in the 11th hour before an election is unfair to the voters and the system of judicial retention.
Judge Marquez is up for a retention vote on Nov. 7, and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Performance has recommended that voters retain him. This recommendation was based on an objective, anonymous survey of all Colorado judges and of the attorneys who have appeared before Judge Marquez. Ninety-nine percent of all judges recommended that Judge Marquez be retained, and 95 percent of the attorneys who appeared before him recommended that he be retained.
These excellent reviews are consistent with our high esteem for the judge. He is unfailingly fair-minded, hard-working and thoughtful.
John Zakhem, Richard Kaufman, Mark Grueskin, Richard Westfall, Trey Rogers and David Fine, Denver
The need for democracy in Darfur region
Our nation has attacked an Islamic country in order to create a new democracy there. If that truly is the reason we took over Iraq, why are we allowing Islamic terrorists to commit an atrocious holocaust in Darfur? This paper reported that the slaughtering and raping forces are now approaching Ethiopia. How long can Americans stand by and tolerate this heinous daily trampling of humanity? If America is truly the shining beacon of freedom to the world, we need to act now and send our troops to Darfur to protect the innocents from further harm. What’s good for Iraq should be good for every country, no matter how few their resources.
Nancy Nixon, Aurora
Amendment 42: state minimum wage issue
Re:… “Hike is the right thing morally, economically,” Oct. 22 guest commentary.
Jann Halloran and Wade Buchanan make a strong argument for raising the minimum wage in Colorado, but not once do they address the ramifications of making it a constitutional amendment.
The constitution should not – must not – be used for locking our state government into restrictive, inflexible spending requirements such as Amendment 42. I am becoming increasingly more fearful that there will soon be so many spending and taxing amendments to our state constitution that the government will be unable to function effectively.
I urge citizens to put themselves and their personal budgets in the position of the government and ask themselves if they would want to or could function with such restrictions as Amendment 42 demands.
David Acheson, Arvada
How to become a local
Re:… “When do we become locals?” Oct. 22 Writers on the Range column.
Having lived in Dillon for 14 years, I found Cathy Houdek’s article interesting. I moved to Dillon in 1989 and, after two years, I, too, felt that I was not a local. My employment required regular trips to Denver and the airport.
That all changed when I decided to get involved in the community and was appointed to the Dillon Planning and Zoning Commission (with no prior experience). This new role got me more interested in the town and as a result I ran for town council and served six years as a Dillon councilmember.
This led to my being elected mayor, where I served a four-year term before deciding to get out of the long cold winters.
Did I become a local? You bet I did!
Since Cathy ended her column saying, “I’d like to become a local,” I have a suggestion: Get involved in your community. If you’re not interested in politics, there are numerous non-profit and civic organizations in the county looking for volunteers.
So get involved, and I assure you that you will “feel like a local.”
Roger Pelot, Aurora
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