Immigration: tuition rates, labor issues, language
Re: “Tuition tussle takes shape; Change in law urged after state AG weighs in,”
Aug. 15 news story.
Like many Coloradans, I am extremely concerned about the inundation of illegal
immigrants and its effect on the public coffers. However, unlike state Sen. David
Schultheis, I amunwilling to scrap the United States Constitution just to punish
the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens. The Constitution expressly forbids bills of
attainder and corruption of blood, which, put into biblical parlance, means you
can’t punish a child for the sins of the fathers. You’d think a conservative Republican
from Colorado Springs would know that – unless he’s a “cafeteria constitutionalist.”
Peter G. Chronis, Denver
Press independence, advertising and taxation
Re: “Journalism’s new economics,” Aug. 15 guest commentary.
Guest opinion writer Julian Friedland has some startling views concerning the future of American journalism. One of his more outrageous suggestions is that U.S. taxpayers should be responsible for funding the news. By some miracle a free press remains free only if taxpayers foot the bill. Hogwash!
He says our democracy demands an educated and informed citizenry and then discounts the current system because it is “funded by advertising.” The implication is that the two are incompatible, which is patently false.
He is apparently upset that Rupert Murdoch was successful in buying The Wall Street Journal and then conveniently ignores criticism of family trusts like those that own The New York Times and Washington Post. Both are icons of a left-leaning press, although Friedland believes only Murdoch would succumb to the mixing of news and opinion.
Suggesting that press independence can only be achieved using “European” models is entirely ridiculous. He proposes U.S. taxpayers open their pocketbooks in order to support an already left-leaning Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio. Friedland’s socialist opinions are myopic, biased, or just plain wrong.
Bob Greenlee, Lafayette
Hillary Clinton’s acceptance of lobbyist donations
I see that two Democratic presidential candidates, perhaps trying to gain ground on the apparent frontrunner, have criticized Hillary Clinton for accepting money from lobbyists and her statement that “A lot of these lobbyists, whether you like it or not, represent real Americans. They actually do.”
The fact of the matter is that in this particular instance, she is absolutely correct. Do you belong to the AARP? You have lobbyists. Do you belong to the NRA? You have lobbyists. Do you belong to the AFL-CIO? You have lobbyists. Do you belong to the Chamber of Commerce? You have lobbyists. How about the NAACP? You have lobbyists. This is also true if you are a doctor, an attorney, a teacher, a veteran, a Catholic, Hispanic, a woman, or even a child.
Pro- or anti-abortion rights, environmentalist or polluter, there are people in Washington and all the state capitols working for your interests and representing you. If a particular organization doesn’t represent you, you can just drop out of it.
Richard P. DeTar, Denver
Immigration: tuition rates, labor issues, language
Re: “Tuition tussle takes shape; Change in law urged after state AG weighs in,” Aug. 15 news story.
Like many Coloradans, I am extremely concerned about the inundation of illegal immigrants and its effect on the public coffers. However, unlike state Sen. David Schultheis, I am unwilling to scrap the United States Constitution just to punish the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens. The Constitution expressly forbids bills of attainder and corruption of blood, which, put into biblical parlance, means you can’t punish a child for the sins of the fathers. You’d think a conservative Republican from Colorado Springs would know that – unless he’s a “cafeteria constitutionalist.”
Peter G. Chronis, Denver
…
Re: “Enforcement alone won’t solve immigration issues,” Aug. 14 editorial.
The Denver Post got it right. Enforcement alone will not fix our broken immigration system. It will, however, break the Colorado economy. But while immigrants are essential to the economic health of the state and nation, they are more than just workers. They are people with families, communities and lives. Enforcement-only policies and the racial profiling that accompanies them are negatively impacting all of us – citizens, residents and our undocumented brothers and sisters.
We need a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that is not based on fear-mongering but on real and just solutions. Our country needs immigrants, and immigrants deserve basic rights and recognition for all that they give to America. Our federal policymakers must have the courage and integrity to acknowledge this before it is too late.
Chandra Russo, Denver
…
“We’re in transition.” That’s what the gentleman said when the only brochure I could locate on the product I wanted was written entirely in Spanish. This was Mexico, right? No, it was in Northglenn, at the local Home Depot.
So, is Home Depot indoctrinating its employees to transition from English to Spanish? Are they getting them ready for the new country that is about to evolve? What is wrong with this picture?
I thought I was born in America. English is what the school teachers taught me, and Latin, French and Spanish were electives. All of the advertising, signage and directional information were in English. When I called someone on the phone, I heard only English. What happened to America, my culture and my heritage? Did I miss something along the way from 0 to 68? I don’t remember an edict from my government saying my country was in transition. Did you?
Maybe Home Depot has been bought out by a new owner from south of the border and they are transitioning from Spanish to English. Maybe that’s it and somehow I missed it.
Doug Dorsey, Brighton
CU prof Ward Churchill
Re: “Ward Churchill is out, but left still rules CU,” Aug. 5 John Andrews column.
John Andrews’ commentary on the firing of Ward Churchill is right on target. Any and all arguments for the freedom of speech are barking up the wrong tree. Truth is, Mr. Churchill was fired for plagiarism and false claims of Indian heritage. Tenure should not protect a “professor” who cheats and lies. Freedom of speech has nothing to do with it.
Irvin Delmar, Lakewood
In defense of Seedco deal
Re: “Auditor right to question city deal,” Aug. 9 editorial.
The Denver Post rightly states that the integrity of the process is crucial to maintaining the community’s trust in publicly supported initiatives. Seedco Financial agrees. As a nonprofit, U.S. Treasury Department-certified Community Development Financial Institution that supports neighborhood revitalization, public trust has been crucial to our ability to maintain successful partnerships with local organizations, foundations, banks, and government for more than two decades. This has resulted in millions of dollars being poured into disadvantaged communities, thus enabling small businesses to access capital, commercial development to be financed, and affordable housing to be built.
Denver’s city auditor and the Post editorial raised concerns about the process leading to the selection of Peter Chapman as director of our Denver program. That process comprised establishing a local search committee, a comprehensive national search, the review of more than 100 applications, telephone interviews of 20 candidates, and in-person interviews of six semi-finalists. Finally, I interviewed three individuals the committee recommended, of whom Chapman was one.
When Chapman announced his interest in the position, we knew he would be a strong candidate. On the advice of counsel, I told him he needed an opinion from the city’s ethics board before being considered. He complied and their opinion was reviewed by the search committee in making their recommendation to me.
Chapman’s qualifications included knowledge of the community, intelligence, commitment to community betterment, and the ability to hit the ground running. In short, I heartily endorse the ethics board’s decision that releasing him from the six-month waiting requirement for city employees was in the best interests of the city and its taxpayers.
Under Chapman’s leadership, we will approve six deals by end of August, totaling $3.6 million. These deals are funded with the city’s $3 million in pass-through resources, which came from federal funds, not city general- fund dollars, and our dollar-for-dollar match. I believe that our efforts are already paying off for taxpayers.
William J. Grinker, President, Seedco Financial, New York
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