Arapahoe jail plans
Re: “Arapahoe eyes new jail,” Aug. 7 news story.
A “recent study” found that Arapahoe County will need to build a new jail and courthouse to meet future demand. The criminal justice officials of Arapahoe County owe it to the citizens to justify why future demand on its jail is projected to outpace population growth by four-fold in the next five years, and three-fold in the next nine years. The Colorado Demographer’s Office projects the population of Arapahoe County will grow by 9 percent between now and 2012, or 17 percent between now and 2016. Meanwhile, the jail population is projected to increase by 35 percent and 46 percent, respectively. I suggest Arapahoe County citizens start asking some hard questions. To start with, who’s making the projections? That “recent study” was conducted by the DLR Group. Guess what they do? They design courthouses and jails!
Sue Ferrere, Evergreen
…
Spending $288 million to build a new jail for Arapahoe County is merely treating the symptoms. The money would be better spent treating the root cause. The current philosophy of warehousing inmates neither reforms them nor prepares them for life on the outside. Conditions in our prisons merely harden inmates, train them in more sophisticated methods of committing crime and significantly increase the likelihood of recidivism after release.
Crime is a moral problem, and a moral problem requires a moral solution. The most effective restraint on crime is the internal guidance of one’s conscience – a conscience informed by transcendent moral principles. Ultimately, the answer to crime depends on the nurturing of conscience. Unless we cultivate conscience, we will never build enough prisons or employ enough police. We must do more to strengthen the family. We should require schools to teach basic moral precepts.
James Haw, Littleton
CSAP doesn’t hold students, parents accountable
With the recent release of the CSAP scores, it is clear that the state needs to adjust its current testing policy. School districts and individual schools are held accountable and sometimes punished for CSAP scores while students and their parents are not. Parents are allowed to opt their student out of testing and that school gets a zero score. The parents should get a zero for parenting.
What I suggest is that the state use whatever standardized test it chooses. It could be CSAP, ACT or SAT. The test would be taken by every high school student in the state: public, private, religious, charter, and home schooled. No opting out on this one. The experts, whoever they are, would determine base-line proficiency scores. Once you tie these scores to getting a diploma, you have both the students’ and parents’ interest. This is adjunct to the current no-fault student/parent rules. While there is nothing at stake for the students, the scores are meaningless.
Level the testing playing field. This current testing plan is idiocy.
Tom Johnson, Littleton
Not much evidence of immigrant labor crackdown
Re: “Border-hoppers staying put,” Aug. 12 news story.
Your article contained an exaggerated statement for which the writer gave no supporting evidence. The writer stated that “fields are empty at harvest time as workplace raids become common.” However, the opposite is true – crops are being harvested and workplace raids are not common, though American workers would benefit if they were. In addition, despite the dire predictions of crops rotting in the fields due to lack of farm labor, even the U.S. Department of Agriculture can’t point to any confirmed reports of such crop losses.
There are more than 7 million illegal immigrants working in the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency responsible for investigating businesses that hire illegal labor, fined only four employers for hiring illegal immigrants in 2005 (the last year for which figures are available). If workplace raids were “common,” as the author suggests, the number of fines would be much higher.
With respect to the implied labor shortage, there is no lack of farm labor that a decent wage, the use of legal temporary workers and mechanization of harvesting crops won’t cure.
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, San Antonio, Texas
Making care for Alzheimer’s patients a little easier
Re: “Study points to relief for families,” Aug. 13 news story.
The heavy toll on the caregiver of someone with Alzheimer’s disease is fast becoming one of the more tragic casualties in this ongoing nightmare. The dilemma is in trying to make the caregivers aware of the many programs and assistance available to them while they are totally consumed in their 24-hour-a-day caregiving duties.
While not specifically mentioned in the article, Coloradans should be aware of Project Lifesaver, a tracking-system program that helps locate those with illnesses where they are prone to wander and become lost. To date, those enrolled nationwide in Project Lifesaver who have wandered and become lost have been found safe and uninjured in less than 30 minutes.
Project Lifesaver was introduced in Colorado in 2004 and is now in seven counties. Caregivers need only contact their local sheriff’s office or police department for information as to how to enroll their loved one in this program. There is no cost to participate in this program, which consists of an ankle or wrist bracelet that transmits a silent individualized tracking signal.
Earlier this year, state Rep. Victor Mitchell successfully fought to have legislation passed that would provide start-up funds to every county in Colorado that wished to participate in Project Lifesaver. As these funds become available, the Colorado Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will provide free training to these law enforcement agencies to better assist those participating in the program.
It is estimated that 79,000 people in Colorado have diseases that can cause wandering, which, by 2025, will rise to 140,000.
More resources are fortunately becoming available to caregivers, and this program is but one that will provide much-needed peace of mind to those caring for someone prone to wander and, most importantly, save lives in the process.
Maureen A. Shul, Castle Rock
The writer is a coordinator for Douglas County’s Project Lifesaver.
More sides to Mitt Romney
More sides to Mitt Romney Re: “Romney stock includes oil company in Sudan,” Aug. 14 news story.
How refreshing (if indeed it wasn’t just an oversight) to read an article about presidential hopeful Mitt Romney that didn’t mention his religious affiliation. It was especially appreciated since I’ve never noticed any of the other candidate’s spiritual/religious inclinations so prominently mentioned. Thank you for sticking to pertinent facts.
Gregg Palmer, Montrose
Whole Foods’ planned acquisition of Wild Oats
Re: “Let shoppers pay if they’re willing,” Aug. 13 Al Lewis column.
The government should not interfere with Whole Foods’ proposed acquisition of Wild Oats.
Whole Foods, just like any other business, has a moral right to expand its activities and run its operations as it sees fit. And the shareholders of Wild Oats should be free to sell their shares to Whole Foods if they think it is a good deal.
Whole Foods violates no one’s rights by buying shares from willing sellers in a trade for mutual benefit. The government, on the other hand, by interfering in a voluntary trade between two parties, violates the rights of both.
If the merger ends up resulting in higher prices and reduced quality at Whole Foods and Wild Oats, as the Federal Trade Commission dubiously claims, these stores will lose many of their customers to other supermarket chains that offer lower prices and better quality. As long as consumers are free to shop where they want, stores should be free to merge as they please.
David Holcberg, Irvine, Calif.
The writer is a researcher at the Ayn Rand Institute.
Online extras
For more letters to the editor, go to
To send a letter
E-mail: openforum@denverpost.com (only straight text, not attachments)
Mail: The Open Forum, The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, 80202
Fax: 303-954-1502
Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 200 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.
To reach us by phone: 303-954-1331
