The wrong message
The salutation proclaims in part: “Give me your tired, your poor … Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me …”
And now, our president says “I’m sending in the Army to keep these people out of the United States.”
I’m embarrassed at the message the U.S. is sending our still-remaining allies and the world.
Martin J. Allen, Centennial
Get the postage right
If you are mailing in your ballot versus dropping it off at a ballot dropoff location, please be careful to provide the correct amount of postage.
We just completed our Jefferson County ballots.
The completed ballot envelope weighs in at 1.2 ounces and requires $.71 in postage, meaning just one stamp ($.50) is insufficient.
Michael Porter, Golden
“Yes” on 300 to fund college scholarships
By Wellington Webb and Federico Peña
My Turn
Re: “Reject tax hikes for pet projects …,” Oct. 20 editorial
The rule of thumb for new parents in 2018 is to save at least $250 per month for an in-state public 4-year college, $450 per month for an out-of-state public 4-year college and $550 per month for a private non-profit 4-year college, from birth to college enrollment in order to pay for college. How is this realistic for most parents, especially in Denver where housing costs are growing every year?
As former mayors who began programs and policies to spur economic growth in the Mile High City, we understand that investing in our youth by funding higher education will always result in a positive outcome for our dynamic city.
Education is the passport to the future; and we must continue to support future generations of Denver students.
This November, Denver voters can give thousands of Denver residents the ability to attain a quality education after high school by voting yes on the 300 ballot measure. For far too many of our bright young students, the door to higher education has remained closed, not because of academic ability, but because they lack the financial resources to keep pace with the rising costs of a higher education.
Denver residents understand that providing the opportunity for deserving students to continue their education is a shared responsibility, which will produce lasting benefits not just for students but
also to the city as a whole for decades.
This is a minor investment with a major impact.
Voting “yes” on 300 will create a dedicated funding stream through a 0.08 percent Denver sales tax with a 12-year sunset (amounting to less than a penny on a $10 purchase). A qualified advisory board of citizens will ensure the accountability of funds and will be responsible for overseeing the direction of scholarships for our students. The new funding will underwrite scholarships, based on a sliding income scale, for eligible Denver residents between the ages of 18 and 25 who have lived in Denver for at least 36 months. Students with a high school diploma or GED may attend a Colorado-accredited public or nonprofit two- or four-year college, university, community college or technical college. Prosperity Denver funds the full range of higher-education opportunities available to Denver’s students.
We must enable Denver students the ability to perform on a global level with students worldwide. We want to ensure that the future of our dynamic workforce gives Denver students the chance to compete and give back to our city. Voting Yes on 300 will help give our students the leg up by alleviating financial strains of a higher education.
Wellington Webb was Denver’s mayor from 1991 to 2003. Federico Peña was Denver’s mayor from 1983 to 1991.
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