WASHINGTON — President is of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans — including a Denver man — convicted of nonviolent crimes.

It¶¶Òőap the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.

The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press.

Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” . “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.”

The clemency follows a , who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. He’s also weighing whether to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office.

Those pardoned Thursday had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran.

Also among those pardoned: Johnnie Earl Williams, 58, of Denver, who had been convicted of an unspecified non-violent offense. He has worked as a criminal justice specialist and gives back to his community through volunteering and serving in his church, according to the White House.

The president had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. He’s also broadly possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron.

Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners. His attorney general, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions. Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty but he never did, and now, with Trump coming back into office, it¶¶Òőap likely executions will resume. During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions,

More pardons are coming before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but it¶¶Òőap not clear whether he’ll take action to guard against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of the power. The president has been taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months — before the presidential election — but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions.

But those who received the pardons would have to accept them. who was the chairman of the congressional committee that investigated the violent Jan. 6 insurrection, said such a pardon from Biden would be “unnecessary,” and that the president shouldn’t be spending his waning days in office worrying about this.

A president has the power to both pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesn’t exonerate the wrongdoing. It¶¶Òőap customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms.

Before pardoning his son, Biden had repeatedly pledged not to do so. He said in a statement explaining his reversal that the prosecution had been poisoned by politics. The decision prompted criminal justice advocates and lawmakers to put additional public pressure on the administration to use that same power for everyday Americans. ; only about 2 in 10 Americans approved of his decision, according to a poll from .

It was April 2022, weeks after Russia had invaded Ukraine and touched off an international crisis, and two Republican lawmakers had rushed to be the first to travel to the besieged country. Now Pelosi wanted to quickly arrange her own visit — and she wanted Crow, whose national security background distinguished him in his party, to come with her.

A late-night phone call from Pelosi to Crow would have been improbable when he first came to Congress in 2019. Hailing from a competitive district in Colorado, he had run as a centrist and avowed detractor of the liberal Pelosi, and after he knocked off a Republican incumbent he pledged that he would not vote for her for speaker.

But since then, his credentials — including three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and a Bronze Star, as well as a law degree and a background in private-sector investigations — have made Crow a go-to lawmaker for Democratic leaders on difficult national security issues.

Pelosi tapped him in 2019 to manage the first impeachment of President Donald Trump. He was part of the whip operation to rally support for legislation to send tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine. He was selected as the top Democrat on a subcommittee investigating the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

And last month, he was named the senior Democrat on a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“Political violence is intolerable, and we have to set a tone that it¶¶Òőap not appropriate for our nation,” Crow said of the assignment.

In his new role, Crow will work with Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., the chair of the task force, to get to the bottom of the law enforcement failures that preceded the shooting last month.

The two are racing to hire staff members and lawyers who can carry out the inquiry. They have a Dec. 13 deadline to finish the investigation and write a bipartisan report.

“It¶¶Òőap going to be a hell of a quick burn,” Crow said.

Creating the committee was a bit of an internal struggle. Many Republicans clamored for seats, eager to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump, and there is much anger on the right from lawmakers who were not selected.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida recently claimed that Speaker Mike Johnson had passed over two former military snipers — Reps. Eli Crane of Arizona and Cory Mills of Florida — for “disgustingly political” reasons related to their opposition to government spending. (The two were also among the Republicans who embraced conspiracy theories about the assassination attempt, baselessly suggesting that Trump’s political opponents had sought to kill him.)

Democrats were equally concerned about Republicans who were named to the task force, including Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana, who has also hinted that the left had a hand in the Trump shooting and has long trafficked in conspiracy theories about the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.

But Crow said he had confidence that Democrats and Republicans could come together to run a serious investigation. He pointed to the participation of several conservatives with military backgrounds.

“These are all serious people,” he said in an interview. “They’re conservative, of course, but I’ve worked a lot with them. They’re veterans, and they’re going to want this to be successful.”

On the Democratic side, there are two lawmakers who have been impeachment managers prosecuting Trump: Crow and Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania. Now they are investigating how the Secret Service might have failed the man they once tried to remove from office.

Crow’s relationship with his party’s leaders started off rocky. After vowing not to vote for Pelosi, he encountered an unusually aggressive lobbying effort by fellow Democrats — and even his neighbors — to persuade him to change his mind.

Crow refused, but he was upfront with Pelosi and kept her in the loop about what he was doing in Congress. If he had an appearance in the news media and mentioned her, he had his staff send it to her.

Then at the end of 2019, Pelosi surprised Crow by summoning him to her office and asking him to be a manager in Trump’s impeachment trial. The president was charged with abuse of power for his efforts to persuade Ukraine to investigate and discredit his Democratic political rival, Joe Biden, and for obstructing a congressional investigation into his actions.

During the Senate trial, Crow became close with another member of the impeachment team: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., now the minority leader. While Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., spoke the most during the proceedings, Jeffries and Crow were the next most featured.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

On the walls of his office, Crow has framed the impeachment articles above a photograph of the managers.

After war broke out in Ukraine, Crow angled to take a group of lawmakers into the country, but the Defense Department pulled its support for the trip.

From the martini bar in Bucharest, Crow texted Pelosi a news article about two Republican lawmakers who had just managed to make it in for a visit. That prompted her to snap into action and organize her own trip, including Crow among the senior lawmakers accompanying her.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Jeffries has also frequently turned to Crow. The Democratic leader temporarily reassigned Crow from the Armed Services Committee to a foreign affairs subcommittee to be the top Democrat on a panel created by Republicans to investigate the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Jeffries also asked Crow to be part of the whip operation to persuade Republicans and Democrats to back a huge aid package for Ukraine.

And when top Democrats were looking for someone to privately convey to Biden the seriousness of the party’s concerns about the national security implications of his age, that task, too, fell to Crow. In a private video call last month with members of the centrist New Democrat Coalition, Crow told the president that “many voters are losing confidence you can do this in a second term.” He asked what major change Biden could make to his campaign to turn things around.

The question elicited an angry response from Biden but had its intended effect, making clear that House Democrats felt they needed a new candidate to take on Trump after the president¶¶Òőap debate performance in June.

That evening, an assailant fired at Trump.

Days after that, Jeffries called Crow and quickly got to the point: Hey, I need you again. This time, it was to serve on the task force investigating the assassination attempt.

Crow has been getting to know Kelly as the two begin their work. He said he was promising to keep politics out of the effort and avoid hearings filled with grandstanding and name-calling, a break with recent proceedings in the polarized House.

“We want this to be less theatrical,” Crow said.

This article originally appeared in .

Media reports Tuesday and Wednesday confirmed details of the dialog, which included the president at one point invoking his deceased son’s Bronze Star in a comment to Crow, a veteran who also has been awarded the same medal. The call occurred before the Colorado congressman on Sunday warned publicly of a “high risk” the president would lose the upcoming election.

Crow, an Aurora Democrat, was part of the Saturday Zoom call with Biden and fellow moderate Democrats when the argument happened, according to the , which described Biden as “chastising” Crow in a recording of the video call. It took place about an hour before a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, an event that has dominated the news since then.

In the Zoom call, Crow, a former Army Ranger who won a Bronze Star for actions during combat in the Iraq War, asked Biden about voters’ national security concerns.

Biden called him “dead wrong on national security” and cited accomplishments that included bolstering alliances in the Pacific and the European defense compact NATO.

“Tell me who did something that you’ve never done with your Bronze Star like my son — and I’m proud of your leadership, but guess what, what¶¶Òőap happening, we’ve got Korea and Japan working together, I put (the trilateral Pacific security pact)  together, anyway! 
 Things are in chaos, and I’m bringing some order to it. And again, find me a world leader who’s an ally of ours who doesn’t think I’m the most respected person they’ve ever –”

Crow interjected: “It¶¶Òőap not breaking through, Mr. President,” he said, “to our voters.”

Biden’s eldest son, Beau Biden, also served in the Army and won a Bronze Star during the Iraq War. He died in 2016 of brain cancer, which the president has to his time in the service.

That Saturday exchange ended with Biden telling those on the call he needed to leave for Mass.

Crow’s office declined to comment on the report, which is the latest to reveal internal strife among Democrats in the weeks since Biden performed poorly in a June 27 debate with Trump.

On Sunday, Crow joined a growing number of Democrats who have publicly raised the alarm about Biden’s reelection prospects, though he did not explicitly call for Biden to withdraw from the race. Speaking on Crow said he had a “robust call” with Biden but pushed back on the idea it was a sign of disunity in the party.

Crow called Biden “one of the most effective national security and foreign policy presidents in generations” and said he’s been one of Biden’s “fiercest advocates.” But that message is not breaking through to voters, Crow said.

“I do believe right now, if — unless there’s a major change — that there is a high risk that we lose this election,” Crow said.

“In reading the tea leaves, it’s very troubling for many of us right now,” he said, after citing other moderate colleagues who won tough races in 2018. “So, we want to see a change. And that’s what the questions that we’re asking are about.”

Fellow Colorado U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen on Friday called on Biden to “please pass the torch” and end his reelection campaign. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, like Crow, has suggested Biden is likely to lose the election.

But U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, the state’s longest-serving member of Congress, has staunchly defended Biden.

The elections are a crucial moment for President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who are the overwhelming front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, respectively. As the day with the most delegates up for stake, strong performances by Biden and Trump would move them much closer to becoming their party’s nominee.

The contest will unfold from Alaska and California to Virginia and Vermont. And while most of the attention will be on the presidential contest, there are other important elections on Tuesday.

Some things to watch:

So far, the Republican presidential primary has been a snoozer.

The former president has dominated the race and his last major rival in the race, his onetime U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, is struggling to keep up. She lost the Feb. 27 primary in Michigan by more than 40 percentage points. She even lost her home state of South Carolina, where she was twice elected governor, by more than 20 percentage points.

As the race pivots to Super Tuesday, the vast map seems tailor-made for Trump to roll up an insurmountable lead on Haley. His team has been turning up the pressure on Haley to drop out, and another big win could be a major point in their favor.

Haley’s banked a considerable amount of campaign money and says she wants to stay in the race until the Republican National Convention in July in case delegates there have second thoughts about formally nominating Trump amidst his legal woes. But she’s seen some of her financial support waver recently — the organization Americans For Prosperity, backed by the Koch brothers, announced it’d stop spending on her behalf after South Carolina.

She may not be able to afford another sweeping loss.

Amid Trump’s commanding wins this primary season have been a notable warning sign for November: He’s performed poorly with college-educated primary voters.

In the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, APVoteCast found that college graduates picked Haley over Trump. Roughly two-thirds of voters in both states who went to graduate school after college voted for the former South Carolina governor.

In South Carolina, Trump won the suburbs but not by the same magnitude as his dominance in small towns and rural areas, essentially splitting the vote with Haley.

One of the biggest questions on Tuesday is whether Trump can start repairing that rupture. Weakness with college graduates and in the suburbs where they cluster is what doomed Trump in his 2020 loss to Biden.

As sleepy as the Republican presidential primary has been, the Democratic one has been even quieter. Biden has many political problems dragging him down in public opinion polls, but not, so far, at primary polling stations.

The one speed bump came in Michigan, where an organized attempt to vote “uncommitted” in the primary there to protest Biden’s support of Israel during the war in Gaza garnered 13% of the vote, a slightly higher share than that option got in the last primary under a Democratic president.

There are no similar organized anti-Biden efforts on the Super Tuesday calendar, just the president¶¶Òőap two longshot primary opponents who’ve yet to crack low single digits against him, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson, who revived her campaign after receiving a surprise 3% of the Michigan primary vote.

There’s far more than the presidential primaries on the ballot Tuesday. One of the most consequential contests is the California primary for the U.S. Senate seat left open by the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

The seat¶¶Òőap temporary occupant, Laphonza Butler, isn’t running for a full term. Rather than having the winners of party primaries face off in November, California throws every candidate into a single primary and has the top two vote-getters make it to the general election.

Democrats have a lock on statewide races in the overwhelmingly blue state, and for months the speculation was that two prominent U.S. House members from that party, Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, would battle it out until Election Day. But that¶¶Òőap changed since former Dodgers great Steve Garvey threw his hat in the ring.

Garvey, 75, is both a Republican and a novice at politics. Schiff has been airing ads slamming him — or, more accurately, promoting him — as most likely to carry out Trump’s wishes. The idea is to unite the state’s outnumbered conservatives behind Garvey so he and Schiff finish in the top two, denying Porter a spot in November. Schiff would then be the overwhelming favorite for the seat.

The current primary setup was passed by voters in 2010, partly to stop partisans from engaging in primary shenanigans. Among other things, the Senate primary will be a test of whether, in the end, motivated politicians can game any system.

Voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles will once more grapple with questions of criminal justice and public order.

In Los Angeles County, District Attorney George Gascon faces 11 challengers in a primary amid criticism of his progressive approach that includes not seeking cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and not prosecuting juveniles as adults. His opponents have blamed him for a rise in property crimes in some parts of the county, including a brazen smash-and-grab spree at luxury stores.

Gascon has weathered criticism before, including two failed recall efforts, one of which was in his first 100 days of taking office. The primary will determine who he faces in November and whether there are signs that Los Angeles’ liberal voters are changing their minds.

In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is pushing one ballot measure to expand police powers to use tactics like drones and surveillance cameras, and another testing single adults on welfare for drugs. The two initiatives come as the city has been wracked by homelessness and drug use, and Breed faces a cranky electorate in her own reelection in November.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year survived an impeachment led by his own party. Now he wants payback, and Trump is helping him. The primary will be a test of how Republican voters are willing to regulate their own leaders.

The impeachment stemmed from Paxton’s legal woes. He faces an April trial on felony security fraud charges, and an additional federal corruption probe over the allegations that he used his office to favor a campaign donor that was the foundation of the impeachment charges.

Paxton is targeting more than 30 Republican state lawmakers in the primary, including House Speaker Dale Phelan. Paxton is also trying to remove three Republican judges on the state’s conservative appeals court who voted to limit the attorney general’s powers.

Paxton has been a staunch supporter of Trump, including the former president¶¶Òőap attempts to overturn his own 2020 election loss, and Trump is helping Paxton in his primary campaign. The Texas purge will be a test of what Republican voters value the most in their elected officials.

Most of the country picked its governors in the 2022 off-year elections, but North Carolina is gearing up for an intense race this fall. The major-party front-runners for the seat being vacated by term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper both will need to demonstrate an ability to unite their parties in the primary.

Attorney General Josh Stein has Cooper’s endorsement. Stein’s main competitor is a former state Supreme Court associate justice, Mike Morgan, who is Black. Watch whether Stein’s able to hold onto a significant share of the primary’s Black voters, which is essential for any Democrat who wants to be competitive in November.

The Republican front-runner is Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is Black, has been a divisive figure for some for criticizing vocally the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues during sex education and for comments at a church that Christians are “called to be led by men.” His opponents, state Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham, say Robinson is too polarizing to win in November.

Robinson received Trump’s support last year, but it¶¶Òőap worth watching whether he shows the same weaknesses as the former president among college-educated, suburban voters. Biden’s reelection campaign is targeting North Carolina because it thinks those voters can help him beat Trump there.

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Re: “Hail-injured concertgoers criticize venue,” June 24 news story

All these concertgoers accusing Red Rocks managers of criminal negligence have access to the same technology to check weather forecasts, and it sits in the pocket of nearly every ticket holder — a weather app on their cell phone. Maybe they should take a minute away from their Instagram posting existence long enough to understand they are responsible for their own safety.

Tony Hillas, Arapahoe County

We have a new stage and screens at Red Rocks. We are getting luxury boxes.

Can we please get a roof over the top plaza at Red Rocks so there is a place to take cover?

Model it after the stage roof and add lightning rods. Since it’s between the rocks and way up at the top, it won’t destroy the view. It is time for safety improvements.

Tom Newsom, Loveland

Questioning Boebert’s priorities

Re: “Boebert moves to impeach Biden,” June 23 news story

Rep. Lauren Boebert seems to believe she was sent to Congress to engage in silliness and to get her name in the news. She spent the last week putting together a censure of Rep. Adam Schiff. And now she is pushing a bill to impeach President Biden.

You got to be kidding me. What, is she 10 years old? Nothing on inflation, Russia’s Ukraine invasion, China’s militarization, etc. Instead, she seems to be marching to Donald Trump’s rantings and vindictiveness.

As a Republican, I vote for people who have a desire and plan to make this country better — not those with an agenda to feed egos and self-importance, which is what Boebert and Trump are about.

Michael Scanlan, Arvada

Time for Americans to instill code of conduct on justices

Re: “Alito defends private jet travel,” June 22 news story

Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, the revelations about Supreme Court Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas accepting lavish trips from billionaires should concern us all. Does anyone really think these billionaires would associate with either of these people if not for their presence on our highest court? We should not believe for an instant that these free vacations don’t have any influence because, of course, they do.

Let me use a scenario that might make more sense for those who may be less politically inclined. Just imagine that we found out that NBA referees were receiving free trips from, let¶¶Òőap say, the owner of the Lakers. Would those of us in Nuggets Nation really believe that our hometown team would get favorable calls from those same refs when they play L.A.? When you take politics out of the equation, the answer is quite clear. Please join me in urging Congress to institute a code of conduct for the Supreme Court.

Glenn Most, Greenwood Village

Two members of the highest court in America cannot be trusted to exercise the ethical standards their positions require of them. A Supreme Court justice must be impartial and untouchable ethically, and in being so, sets the high bar of judgeship in our country. By their behaviors, Justice Alito and Justice Thomas have clearly compromised their positions on the Court.

When they curry favors and use the power of their judicial positions for personal benefit, they sully the entire legal profession. Americans should be outraged and should demand accountability from Alito and Thomas. If the other members of the Court are too timid to speak out and take action against their own, our government must enact ethical standards that these powerful positions are required to live up to.

Alvin C Vasicek, Mesa

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Driven by the demands of hard-right members, Republicans in the House are threatening impeachment against Biden and his top Cabinet officials, creating a backbeat of chatter about “high crimes and misdemeanors” that is driving legislative action, spurring committee investigations, raking in fundraising money and complicating the plans of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his leadership team.

Long viewed as an option of last resort, to be triggered only for the most severe wrongdoing, the constitutionally authorized power of impeachment is rapidly moving from the extraordinary to the humdrum, driven in large part by Republicans and their grievances about how Democrats twice impeached President Donald Trump.

Republicans remain so opposed to Trump’s impeachments, in fact, that they are pressing for votes to expunge the charges altogether — an attempt to clear his name that is without direct precedent in congressional history.

“We’re seeing a generation of Republicans who are much more willing to test the boundaries of how much you can weaponize procedures,” said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian and political scientist.

McCarthy on Sunday made Garland the latest target of a potential impeachment investigation as Republicans examine how the Department of Justice handled the prosecution of Hunter Biden for federal tax offenses. It capped a tumultuous week in which hard-right Republicans forced a vote to send articles of impeachment against Biden to a committee for investigation and also voted to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for his remarks and actions during the 2017 investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia.

Some Republicans are pushing for yet another censure action, this time against Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson for his leadership of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 insurrection.

In the past, lawmakers have reserved censure, a punishment one step below expulsion, for grave misconduct. When former Rep. Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, was censured in 2010 on a bipartisan vote for ethics violations, then-speaker Nancy Pelosi solemnly summoned him to the well of the House, where censured members must stand as the resolution is read in a moment of public shaming.

“We really tried hard to put aside the partisan considerations because we knew how sharp and potent the weapon (of censure) was,” said former Rep. Steve Israel, Democrat of New York, who was among Pelosi’s closest confidantes. “This thing used to be rare. Now, it¶¶Òőap in every cycle, in breaking news.”

When Schiff was censured last week, the proceedings quickly took on a carnival-like quality. Democrats, Pelosi included, streamed forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the well of the House. They heckled McCarthy as he read the charges — calling out “Shame!” “Disgrace!” and “Adam! Adam!” — until the speaker left the dais.

“What goes around comes around,” one Democrat could be heard shouting in the chamber. Republicans streamed from the chamber shaking their heads.

“That was wild in there,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. She had brought the censure resolution against Schiff, using a legislative tool that allowed her to bypass leadership and force a vote.

The fervor in the House for doling out punishment shows no signs of breaking — in part because lawmakers are reaping the media attention and fundraising dollars that are steadily replacing committee chairmanships as the locus of power in the House.

Luna, who is just months into her first House term after winning a Florida district formerly held by Democrats, was the subject of a Fox News interview in prime-time after her successful push to censure Schiff.

And the attention cut both ways. Schiff, who is running for a California Senate seat, seemed to relish the moment and leveraged it into a fundraising blitz.

“They go after people they think are effective; they go after people they think are standing up to them,” Schiff said in an interview on “The View,” one of several TV appearances he had in the aftermath.

Yet there’s a risk that Republicans’ appetite for using the punishment powers could easily escalate into a more serious test of whether Congress is legitimately wielding power — and nowhere does that possibility loom larger than when it comes to Biden.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican who won reelection last year by fewer than 600 votes, forced a vote last week on an impeachment resolution against Biden for “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico.

Republican leaders were able to bottle up Boebert¶¶Òőap resolution, holding a vote that sent the matter to congressional committees for consideration.

Some Republicans, however, view it as a question of when, not if, Biden is impeached. Floor debate on the resolution took on the air of a dress rehearsal, as Democrats and Republicans debated whether Biden has committed “high crimes and misdemeanors” with his handling of border and immigration policy.

Only three other presidents in U.S. history have been impeached — Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump, though none were convicted by the Senate. Should Republicans decide to make Biden the fourth, a system of checks and balances created by the framers could face a test like never before.

While the Constitution’s impeachment standard of “high crimes and misdemeanors” is deliberately open-ended, the Republicans’ impeachment argument against Biden has centered so far on disagreement with his policy decisions, namely his handling of the southern border, which they say amounts to breaking his oath of office.

Zelizer, the political historian, warned that moving forward with impeachment on those grounds would have lasting consequences.

“It weakens the function of government, it undermines trust in this democracy, and it will leave the democracy weaker than when it started,” he said.

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“I would like to see the Justice Department investigate any credible allegation of criminal activity on the part of Donald Trump,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a committee member who also leads the House Intelligence Committee. “There are certain actions, parts of these different lines of effort to overturn the election that I don’t see evidence the Justice Department is investigating.”

The committee held its first public hearing last week, with members laying out their case against Trump to show how the defeated president relentlessly pushed his false claims of a rigged election despite multiple advisers telling him otherwise and how he intensified an extraordinary scheme to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.

Additional evidence is set to be unveiled this week in hearings that will demonstrate how Trump and his advisers engaged in a “massive effort” to spread misinformation and pressured the Justice Department to embrace his false claims.

Committee members indicated Sunday their most important audience over the course of the hearings ultimately may be Attorney General Merrick Garland, who must decide whether his department can and should prosecute Trump. They left no doubt their own view as to whether the evidence is sufficient.

“Once the evidence is accumulated by the Justice Department, it needs to make a decision about whether it can prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt the president¶¶Òőap guilt or anyone else’s,” Schiff said. “But they need to be investigated if there’s credible evidence, which I think there is.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said he doesn’t intend to “browbeat” Garland but noted the committee has already laid out in legal pleadings a variety of criminal statutes they believe Trump violated.

“I think that he knows, his staff knows, the U.S. attorneys know, what¶¶Òőap at stake here,” Raskin said. “They know the importance of it, but I think they are rightfully paying close attention to precedent in history as well as the facts of this case.”

Garland has not specified how he might proceed, which would be unprecedented and may be complicated in a political election season in which Trump has openly flirted with the idea of running for president again in 2024. “We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” Garland said in his speech at Harvard University’s commencement ceremony last month.

A federal judge in California said in a March ruling in a civil case that Trump “more likely than not” committed federal crimes in seeking to obstruct the congressional count of the Electoral College ballots on Jan. 6, 2021. The judge cited two statutes: obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Trump has denied all wrongdoing.

Schiff appeared on ABC’s “This Week,” and Raskin spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

The American legislators assessed Ukraine’s needs for the next phase of the war, with Pelosi vowing that Washington would stand with the country until it defeats Russia.

Pelosi, a California Democrat who is second in line to the presidency after the vice president, was the most senior American lawmaker to visit Ukraine since Russia’s war began more than two months ago. Her previously unannounced visit came just days after Moscow bombed the Ukrainian capital while the U.N. secretary-general was there.

Pelosi and a half-dozen U.S. lawmakers met for three hours late Saturday with Zelenskyy and his top aides to get a first-hand assessment of the war effort to date. Speaking to reporters Sunday in Poland, the delegation members were unanimous in praising Ukraine’s defenses so far, in painting the battle of one as good against evil and in assuring continued long-term U.S. military, humanitarian and economic support.

“We were proud to convey to him the message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their courage,” Pelosi said.

Their visit came two days after U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress for $33 billion to bolster Ukraine’s fight against Russia, more than twice the size of the initial $13.6 billion aid measure that Congress enacted early last month and now is almost drained. With the war dragging into its third month, the measure was designed to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. weaponry and other forms of assistance weren’t going away.

“This is a time we stand up for democracy or we allow autocracy to rule the day,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.

“This is a struggle of freedom against tyranny,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California. “And in that struggle, Ukraine is on the front lines.”

Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, a veteran and a member of the House intelligence and armed services committee, said he came to Ukraine with three areas of focus: “Weapons, weapons and weapons.”

“We have to make sure the Ukrainians have what they need to win. What we have seen in the last two months is their ferocity, their intense pride, their ability to fight and their ability to win if they have the support to do so.”

“The United States of America is in this to win, and we will stand with Ukraine until victory is won,” he added.

The full congressional delegation included Meeks, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee; Jim McGovern of Massachusetts who chairs the House Rules Committee; Crow, Barbara Lee of California; and Bill Keating of Massachusetts.

“You all are welcome,” Zelenskyy told the delegation, according to a video of the encounter released by his office.

Pelosi told Zelenskyy: “We believe that we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom.”

“We are on a frontier of freedom and your fight is a fight for everyone. Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi added.

The delegation continued its trip in southeast Poland, and members were later visiting the capital, Warsaw, to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other senior officials. Poland has received more than 3 million refugees from Ukraine since Russia launched its war on Feb. 24.

“We look forward to thanking our Polish allies for their dedication and humanitarian efforts,” Pelosi said.

Speaking at a news conference in Poland, Pelosi said she and others in the delegation applauded the courage of the Ukrainian people. She added that the delegation brought Zelenskyy “a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership.”

McGovern said Russia’s war had repercussions far beyond Ukraine, saying it was exacerbating a food crisis that would be disastrous for poor people across the globe.

“Putin’s brutal war is no longer only a war against the people of Ukraine,” McGovern said. “It¶¶Òőap also a war against the world’s most vulnerable.”

He added that Ukraine is a “breadbasket of the world.”

“I don’t think that Putin cares if he starves the world,” McGovern said.

A previous version of this story was corrected to show that Pelosi is second in line to the presidency, not third.

Re: “Democrats tried to pass a woke defense bill,” Dec. 29 commentary

I nearly spit out my morning coffee when I saw yet another guest commentary by Rep. Lauren Boebert. It wasn’t that long ago that The Post ran an op/ed from Congresswoman Boebert that was filled with misinformation.

This time she’s ranting about the recent defense bill that requires our military to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

She’s outraged that soldiers are required to get a proven COVID vaccine just like they’re required to get up to 17 other vaccines before they can serve.

I’d like to hear from Reps. Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette or Jason Crow about the National Defense Authorization Act. Perhaps they can explain why the COVID vaccine is a matter of national security.

I don’t know about you, Congresswoman Boebert, but I don’t want our fighting forces sick in bed when we need them.

Kathleen O’Brien, Denver

I’m the first to advocate for diverse opinions in the editorial pages. But Lauren Boebert does not deserve any space in a mainstream conversation. Your newspaper has lost credibility by publishing her column.

Matt Bergles, Denver

My U.S. Representative wrote an opinion piece for Wednesday’s paper. She began it by seemingly bemoaning the vitriol in the current U.S. government and then followed that with almost endless vitriol (woke this, leftist that, etc.).On behalf of many of the residents of the 3rd District, I sincerely apologize for sending a major part of the problem to Washington.

Steve Caplan, Durango

Much damage and injury; little consequence

Re: “Majority of protest cases dismissed,” Dec. 26 news story

A year and a half after the protests here in Denver, you can still see what was left behind. There are still boarded-up buildings. Now we find that out of 389 protest-related prosecutions, most were dismissed. The remaining 81 cases received deferred judgments, home detentions or other gentle slaps on their wrists.

What did this protest accomplish? A statue of Christopher Columbus got knocked down, a Civil War monument was beaten up and 16th Street was left looking like a war zone. Seventy-five police officers were hurt, one broke an ankle after falling off a step, KDVR reported.

For those of us who live in the Capitol Hill area, it was days of being terrorized by dumpsters on fire, helicopters flying overhead. What did we learn from all of this? I only speak for myself, but I see that protests have lost their value unless there is a large amount of property damage, and worse of all, people who do the damage will ultimately get away with it.

Oh, yes, taxpayers will pick up the bills for the damage.

Did this protest accomplish anything?

Joanie Jones, Denver

It would be difficult to be a Denver Police officer who tries to protect citizens and their private, city and state property, only to be supported by a “non-punitive” city judicial system.

As law-abiding citizens, we respect and obey police officers for the service and protection they provide. Obviously the Denver judicial system does not share these values.

Why would anyone want to locate a business, visit or live in a community that does not support law and order and responsible behavior? This will further the isolation of the City and County of Denver by the citizens of the surrounding metropolitan areas who value police protection and a responsible judicial system.

Bill Sievers, Greenwood Village

Collective bargaining would lead to better care

Re: “Dems eye new union rights,” Dec. 27 news story

I am an ER nurse at the University of Colorado and a member of UCHealth Workers United/CWA Local 7799. I am proud to be on the front lines of this pandemic for almost two years caring for my community in Denver and Aurora. My colleagues and I have had a front-row seat to the shortcomings of individual action.

Just like infectious diseases require collective action solutions, working together for the collective good is how we improve our workplaces. Entering into collective bargaining agreements have historically been the best way to keep workers safe. But currently, Colorado law does not extend collective bargaining rights to my colleagues and me.

A poorly managed pandemic response and poor staff-retention strategies have health care workers across the country distraught and burnt out. The upshot of this crisis is a mass nurse exodus, whether to lucrative travel contracts or from the bedside altogether.

Gaining collective bargaining rights would allow us to try to fix these problems and would be a huge win for Colorado health care workers. We could gain access to a seat at the table when the decisions regarding working conditions, pay, staff ratios, benefits and retention strategies are being made. A safer workplace in the hospital is a safer environment of care.

I urge Colorado legislators to pass the collective bargaining bill to give Colorado health care workers fighting the pandemic on the frontlines a better chance to gain the workplace protections they deserve.

Macon Fessenden, Denver

Incarceration is necessary tool for civil society

Re: “2021 has left us stranded up a pole without a ladder,” Dec. 26 commentary

In response to Krista Kafer’s whimsical article, I have chosen one of her nuggets of dissatisfaction and discontent in the Denver area during 2021. I agree with everything she said about crime, especially her sentence, “Less incarceration, more crime, there’s got to be a connection there somewhere.” I would like to add that a precocious 10-year-old could have made the same comments, including Kafer’s comments about Denver’s other woes.

Obviously, the worst harm caused by all of Kafer’s stated problems is to all of the victims. However, after two years of listening to our leaders give their version of our problems, I have noted an important secondary harm inflicted on nearly all of us: the insult to our intelligence.

Virtually all decent people would agree that if an individual can’t behave well in civil society, they need to live in a cage for an appropriate amount of time. Their brains are wired differently from ours, and we can’t figure out how to rewire them, as is demonstrated by the high recidivism rate for offenders.

Hopefully, someday in the near future, we can either learn how to make them moral or at least make them appreciate the connection between their behavior and the consequences.

The “wokeness” that is being spewed at us daily from our leaders who reside in “Alice in Wonderland” is infuriating. It doesn’t make us decent folks feel safe, and it doesn’t make us happy.

Richard Chervenak, Broomfield

“The Hill We Climb”

My stocking contained a beautiful hardback copy of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb.” Inspired by both it and a recent political argument that I had almost costing a friendship, I read it again and was struck by its lyrical beauty and the sense of hope that it offers, just as it did when she read it on that sunny day in January.

As inspiring as that moment was, “inspiration” has no value whatever unless accompanied by “perspiration.” It is truly sad that we aren’t undertaking the challenge that she lays down here.

We continue to be driven by media-supported selfishness and anger. Anger is the algorithm, and we are willingly victimized. We have the ability to start anew and put our nation first, but the report card is out, and we get a collective “F.”

Let¶¶Òőap try to shut up and listen and try to understand our fellows’ viewpoints. Let¶¶Òőap expect that of our “civil servants” and expect it of ourselves. Let¶¶Òőap learn to compromise and transcend our need to act like 4-year-olds. Let¶¶Òőap do our best and get the job done.

Our Democracy only works if We the People take responsibility.

John G. Zeck, Littleton

DPS needs police support

Re: “Marijuana? GraïŹƒti? Denver schools limit calls to police,” Dec. 27 news story

The Denver School Board wants to limit contacting the police when students break the law. Principals are supposed to handle this: graffiti, marijuana, destruction of property, assaults on other students. Just how is a principal supposed to handle this? Lecture the student, over and over again? How is the student expected to understand there are consequences to behavior? Be interesting to see how it all works when they’re out in society as adults. Geez, don’t they realize this harms kids, not helps them.

The DPS guide says, “apply the discipline matrix in anti-racist and trauma-informed manner.”

Who is writing this progressive nonsense? They removed school resource officers last year and accomplished two things: 1) Keeping students from interacting with the police and understanding their function, and 2) Taking away some safety from the school (does anyone remember school shootings, maybe like in Aurora this year?)

Parents should be telling the board to do their job and provide schools with a safe environment for learning and not be promulgating their goofy progressive agenda.

Michael Scanlan, Arvada

Study the homes that survived

Re: “Marshall fire: Investigators focus on single neighborhood,” Jan. 3 news story

The picture on the front page of The Denver Post appears to show two houses with little to no damage in the midst of a devastated neighborhood where all other houses are burned to their foundations.

Before one cubic yard of concrete is poured, or one board-foot of lumber is laid in
reconstruction, those working to rebuild the destroyed neighborhoods should investigate and understand exactly why those houses
remain standing and apply those lessons learned.

Daniel Krygowski, Golden

Attend that Broncos game, fans

Re: “¶¶Òőapountry, refuse to attend ïŹnal home game of this lousy NFL team,” Jan. 3 sports commentary

It would be unfortunate to have the Bronco fans stay away from the last game, as columnist Mark Kiszla suggests. Colorado is known for its support of its sports teams. We really don’t want to change that.

We must all have hope that a lot will change with the Broncos over the next year and we need to hang in there. I remember when we won our first Super Bowl. A lot of years had gone by and a lot of games before that happened. We will be great again. We don’t need to push it. It will happen. Believe.

Life long Bronco fan,

Dea Coschignano, Wheat Ridge

Mr. Kiszla, you’re a mean guy.

Peggy Caughlan, Fort Collins

Praise for Doc PJ

Re: “Meet Doc PJ, who ïŹnds peace in a daily winter uphill climb,” Jan. 2 news story

Thank you for publishing the story about Doc PJ, who lives a simple life and does his part to make the world a better place. After reading so many stories about death and destruction, it was rejuvenating to read about Doc PJ. And thank you to Doc PJ for being part of the solution.

Margo Sobocinski, Denver

Thank you for sharing critical information for survivors

Re: “Grieving young adults ïŹnd support sitting around virtual dinner tables,” Dec. 18 news story

I am grateful for your article.

My best friend died suddenly on Oct. 3. One of her brother’s death followed on Oct. 11.

I forwarded this article to her daughter, and she subsequently sent to her cousin, his daughter. I believe the information about The Dinner Party may provide a critical lifeline for them.

I encourage all of your readers to inform themselves about this organization, and to share with their families and friends. You never know when you are going to need it.

Thanks to Aggie Fitch, The Dinner Party’s communications manager, and to The Denver Post for providing this possibly life-changing information for survivors.

Myra Louise Bender, Denver

Teach disaster survival

Re: “Nations avoid big, fast cuts on coal,” Nov. 14 news story

So following COP26, you report United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ warning about the threat to our planet if we warm beyond the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, bringing weather catastrophes to many everywhere.

Educators who plan curriculum changes need to start designing disaster survival education to be included in required K-12, trade school and college courses. “Life support” courses for adults will be needed on topics like:

‱ “How to safely live in your home without electricity, clean water, functioning toilets and central heating.”

‱ “Recovery management after catastrophic storms and flooding.”

‱ “Extended Home nursing and medical care when Hospitals and EMT services are overwhelmed.”

Building disaster resilience involves preparation and teamwork based on common knowledge and skills shared between neighbors and within communities. It¶¶Òőap time we got started!

Marshall Vary, Broomfield

Avoiding disaster

During a recent temporary job, my office sat along highway 93 in Golden; my view looked west, straight up to Lookout Mountain and those communication towers. I wondered what consequences would come from extreme destruction or damage to that equipment if ever a wildfire consumed that area.

Despite what some may believe, wildfire is not only a problem to mountain residents, although we do bear the brunt of this threat. However, the mountain areas provide service to the lower elevations, such as water runoff and access via the I-70 corridor. Disruption to any of this, even temporary, could represent a severe dent in our way of life.

For these and other reasons, Colorado should be very concerned about wildfire mitigation, prevention and forest restoration. I commend the recently-approved federal infrastructure bill and our local officials for their efforts to influence approval of the Build Back Better Act.

In the case of my own mountain community of 1,200 acres, our HOA budgets for mitigation and applies for supplemental grant money every year, but receiving it is by no means a guarantee. We have many residents who eagerly mitigate on their own or sign up to share the cost through grant programs like those made available through the Colorado state bills passed in 2021. And yet, we were not approved for any of it because there is only so much to go around. Without this, the best we can do, it seems, is to keep raking up pine needles and have our go-bags ready.

Gary Rauchenecker, Golden

Our future looks bright

Re: “ ‘Families of color playground night’ isn’t segregation,” Dec. 26 commentary

The article by Mattison Nunez is a wonderful example of the value of our young people and demonstrates a very mature understanding of today’s complex issues concerning race. Bravo Mattison! Excellent article. So well written!

Deborah Curlee, Golden

Evolution will prevail

Re: “Accusations may not line up with reality,” Dec. 28 commentary

A recent letter writer opined something to the effect that reality is what it is rather than what one wants it to be. I couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. As large parts of our population reject common-sense solutions to limiting the spread of COVID through the best means available, what sort of reality are these vaccine deniers living in? Appears to me it is a sort of reality that is fantasy. One reality is undeniable. Evolution waits for no living thing to adapt to changing circumstances that threaten one’s very existence. Evolution will prevail, and it doesn’t respect fantasy.

Donald Tarrence, Denver

Fund mental health for youth

Re: “Health leaders ask state lawmakers to use $150M,” Nov. 17 news story

The physical isolation, uncertainty, and grief of the COVID-19 pandemic have intensified the youth mental health crisis. Alarmingly, the leading cause of death for Colorado youth ages 10-24 is suicide.

At the same time, our dedicated mental health workforce and community partners are burning out and cannot meet the growing needs of the children in our state. We are consequently in a perpetual crisis, and as a result, young people are not getting the mental health care they need early enough, leading many to dangerous situations.

In partnership with families, health care providers, advocates and schools, government officials have a responsibility to children, families, and our communities by prioritizing mental health policies and funding that will support youth mental health.

Soon the state’s Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force, under the leadership of Sen. Brittany Pettersen and Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, will recommend how the state should spend $450 million in existing federal funds for mental health needs. I strongly encourage this task force, which is meeting next on Jan. 5, to allocate one-third of those funds for youth mental health. As a pediatrician who has seen this crisis unfold firsthand in the last few years, I know this funding is necessary to ensure families can receive the care they need in the right place and at the right time, preventing future tragedies.

Kaitlin Whelan, Denver

Broncos need an overhaul

I have followed the Broncos from 1960 on. The current version of the Broncos has a losing philosophy. They play “not to lose” instead of “playing to win,” and it is not the fault of the players. The coaching staff and management of the team should look around at the other NFL teams and watch how they play.

Even the worst teams take the field to win and it shows in their play calling and strategies on the field. This Bronco team — under a lack of effective leadership, starting with the head coach — always helps the other team by a lack of aggressive play, especially on offense.

There is no imagination in the game plan. Their same philosophy sets the tone for the entire game. The Broncos run the ball on first down, run the ball on second down, then pass the ball on third down. This is not a winning formula.

This is not playing to win, but nothing more than hoping not to lose. The Broncos need an overhaul, beginning with the lowest coach on the hierarchy through the team president, Joe Ellis.

Alvin Vasicek, Mesa, Ariz.

Biden’s facts, lies about pandemic

Biden facts.

Joe Biden, the candidate, in October 2020: “I’m going to shut down the virus,” and, “220,000 Americans dead. 
 Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America.”

President Joe Biden, Dec. 27, as 401,595 Americans have now died from COVID-19: “There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

Biden lies.

Don Gallo, Golden

Simpler, less expensive way to address speed-limit signs

Re: “Denver sets 20 mph default speed limit,” Dec. 21 news story

Indeed, 20 is plenty.

Kudos to 11 of the 12 City Council members on their “yes” votes to advance the common-sense law to lower our speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph. The change is long overdue in our densely populated county.

Why, however, do we need to “get rid of” 2,700 to 3,500 existing signs at the cost of $1.2 million to $1.5 million? Again, using common sense, we could keep the existing 25 mph signs in place and open up the bidding process to contractors who are able to make much smaller zero signs to affix over the number five. This has got to be a considerably less expensive and most certainly less wasteful solution.

I’m no senior city planner, and I suspect Mike King isn’t really much of one either or he would have thought of this simple, cost-cutting, anti-waste solution before I did.

If nothing else, Denver can cut a check to me for $500,000 tomorrow, give me five years, send a zero template, a truckload of black and white reflective spray paint and a pair of overalls and I will personally paint/upgrade every 25 mph speed limit sign in the county delivered on time and way under budget. I’ll consider it my “side gig.”

Have a ladder, will travel,

Loren Miller, Denver

A few days of promise, at least

The belief that flipping from one calendar year to another somehow gives us all a fresh start like shaking an Etch-a-Sketch is a lovely one, but never the reality. Most recently, Jan. 6, 2021, proved this to be truer than true, as we are still wrestling with the consequences (and will for years to come).

Artist Henry Moore said, “I think in terms of the day’s resolution, not the year’s.”

As a curmudgeon, I frown on the gaiety of New Year’s celebrations but understand the compelling human desire to start all over with no costly penalty strokes, knowing they will come, but, please, give us all a few days first.

Craig Marshall Smith, Highlands Ranch

Help for health care workers

We must love and honor our health care workers. And if that seems like an overly sentimental statement for a letter to the editor, that¶¶Òőap OK. It¶¶Òőap urgent.

These people are working day and night. Because they are human beings; their emotional highs and lows are wearing. They need relief. Do what you can to join them.

Reevaluate your habits and find ways to start improving your health today. Reevaluate your thinking if you’re choosing not to vaccinate. For some this is an extremely conscious lifestyle choice that was made long before this pandemic. For others, it¶¶Òőap a political sticking point. I urge those of you in that position to consider the health care worker who is exhausted and needs our support. Do whatever you can.

Susan Niedringhaus, Golden

Population doesn’t need boost

Re: “America would be more happy with more people,” Dec. 27 commentary

I don’t want to be the one to burst the professor’s bubble, but whenever there is an economic downturn of any degree, economists and politicians immediately start screaming for more production, more jobs, more stuff! Surely, the professor must be aware that the Earth and its environment are essentially a closed system and therefore cannot sustain exponential growth of any kind.

The human race has exceeded the carrying capacity of the Earth, hence the presence of such things as climate change, water and food shortages, ozone holes, rising seas and dying reefs. Unless Elon Musk succeeds in moving vast numbers of humans to Mars or some other planet, our global problems will only become worse as we push for endless economic and population growth. It quite simply defies mathematics and science to claim otherwise. “Sustainable growth” is an oxymoron. Do the math.

Michael Cicerchi, Denver

If it were the 1930s or just following World War II, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an opinion piece calling for a growing population. But with the climate crisis caused by humans, adding more humans means a greater climate crisis.

Even a writer who is an economist should understand that with limited water, an increased population means less water per person. A greater population means less healthy air, more congestion and has lead to increased housing costs and more homeless people. A greater population has not led to increased equality but just the opposite. The gap between rich and poor has continued to rise.

Mother Nature is telling us via the climate crisis that 8 billion people are creating more pollution than the environment can handle.

Let us honor the decision of empowered women who make the choice of smaller families and all work for the increased quality of life, which will result from a smaller population.

Don Thompson, Alamosa

The days of “go forth and multiply” are long gone for our overpopulated Earth. The opinion column by Economics Professor Tyler Cowen is seriously flawed. We have too many people using too much of our world’s resources, including fresh water. Climate change is real, happening now, and continues to produce catastrophes rather than mere disasters. We’ll be very lucky to level out methane and carbon dioxide emissions in the next decade. Growing the Earth’s population is insanely harmful.

Rearranging the existing population is another story. Yes, adding more newcomers to our economy is possible because our whole history is one of successful immigration and assimilation, different peoples at different times. This would add to the professor’s push for a growing, dynamic society.

R.K. Paull, Highlands Ranch

Darwin would approve of Fauci

Re: Dec. 3 political cartoon

A recent cartoon showed a stern-looking Charles Darwin with the caption “1859 Survival of the Fittest” juxtaposed with a smiling Dr. Anthony Fauci. In fairness, Darwin understood very well the importance of intelligence, rationality and thoughtfulness to the survival of the species. He’s often misrepresented by people who believe only the physically strongest survive, but this is a simplification. His theory of evolution encompassed intellect and social cooperation as critical aspects for species’ survival. If he were alive, he would applaud Dr. Fauci for his efforts during the pandemic because scientific progress, compassion and cooperation are how the human race will continue to evolve for the better of our species.

Casey Mulqueen, Centennial

In defense of Rep. Schiff

Re: “Adam Schiff is unfit for Congress with all his lies,” Dec. 23 letter to the editor

I’m kinda surprised that The Post ran such a false claim letter, that Rep. Adam Schiff was deliberately altering documents.

Made me look into it, and it was immediately debunked in an Newsweek fact-check article that it took me less than a minute to find. Truncating a text or other statement generally is not “altering documents,” despite the stupid claims by Donald Trump Jr. and others.

Just because it is on the internet does not make it true!

Rich Urbanowski, Lakewood

The letter tearing into Adam Schiff is not supported by evidence from reputable news agencies. If one backs away and looks at the larger picture, they will see the GOP is doing everything in its power to delay and deflect attempts to get to the truth about Jan. 6, from fighting the formation of an investigative committee, defying subpoenas, resisting release of documentation and records, and refusing to testify, including pleading the Fifth.

Part of the effort to hide the truth is to attack the process and anyone on the investigative side. Adam Schiff’s latest book clearly reveals his courage and integrity to seek truth, and attacks on him will undoubtedly get worse as the supporters try to draw attention away from the investigation of the attack on democracy.

Ronald Puening, Centennial

It¶¶Òőap in our interest

Re: “We are paying for COVID, one way or another,” Dec. 23 letter to the editor

The letter writer rightly points out someone bears the cost of “free” vaccines and test kits. As taxpayers, we all do. What he misses in his observation is the cost to taxpayers of not providing Americans by taking steps to slow the spread of COVID. It¶¶Òőap in all of our interest to spend money on preventative measures in order to avoid the much greater cost, both monetary and humanitarian, to the country.

Douglas Hoyt, Wheat Ridge

Where is MLB concern for the fans, employees, businesses?

Re: “Hurry up and wait: Divergent views from Manfred, Clark point to lengthy lockout,” Dec. 3 sports story

I am a lifelong supporter of Major League Baseball and a past stadium employee of the Colorado Rockies.

As a middle-class American, it grieves me to see the petty arguing over amounts of money most average fans will likely never see in a lifetime. The average Major League player already makes more in a single game at the league’s minimum salary than my spouse and I make for a month’s work.

Owners counter by treating small-market fans as pawns, painting us as victims; their positions make clear they have little to no concern for these fans.

During a lockout, amongst the bickering over millions of dollars, it is not the players or owners who will bear the brunt of this stoppage but the many faceless team workers and small business owners who rely on baseball’s steady operations for daily survival. It is clear in the stalemate in which baseball finds itself, there exists nearly no concern for those who will bear this cost.

I can no longer, in good conscience, support either side in this dispute or support the league or its teams with money my family works hard to earn to keep food on the table, our lights on, and a roof over our heads. I am saddened that either side would show so little concern for fans, employees, and the neighborhood businesses that depend greatly on the league’s game day operations.

Each day that goes by is further alienation of many more fans like us.

Daniel J. Kiewel, Great Bend, Kan.

Hikers losing ground

The beloved set of Colorado’s fourteeners is a large piece of what makes Colorado unique. Whether for recreational exercise or to see a sight that few have seen, everyone should be able to climb these mountains. Fourteeners should be made public for all people. There are a few fourteeners in the state that are entirely private or have parcels of private land on them. Just recently Mount Lindsey has been added to the list.

As reported by Denver7 reporter Meghan Lopez, “Mount Lindsey trail closed to public over liability concerns,” following a ruling from the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, on a case involving an injury on a different property owned by the Air Force Academy.

I am a high school senior, and I have hiked fourteeners with my dad and brother many summers. I was fortunate enough to have climbed Lindsey during the 2021 summer, just before it was shut off from the public. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals needs to re-rule on their decision and the state of Colorado needs to find a way to grant public access without infringing on property owners’ rights. Perhaps a lottery system for hikers or some kind of statewide permit can be issued or applied for so that mountains can be accessed and property owners can stay protected.

Ryan Parker, Timnath

Accusations may not line up with reality

Re: “Democracy heal thyself,” Dec. 19 commentary

An opinion writer recently told us that there is a lack of trust in our institutions, elections and Republicans are at fault. Opposing his assignment of blame are the long lessons of history. We were clearly given a constitutional republic with democratic institutions, in our founding documents, not a pure democracy. Through our inattention and self-gratification, we have generally ceded limited government to an unrestrained, unelected, centralized authority managed by three million federal employees.

Yes, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris did make campaign promises to stamp out the pandemic, unify our country and restore its standing in the world. So far trust has not been earned on these issues complicated further by increases in the cost of living and escalating crime rates. But the mid-terms are just ahead, so in short order, we’ll have a better handle whether professor Seth Masket¶¶Òőap assignment of blame was too narrow.

Certainly the offering of opinion is a good thing but more credible when supported by facts. Truth is about recognizing reality … not what some want it to be.

Forrest Monroe, Aurora

To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.

Two years ago, my husband was killed in a truck crash. The crash was no “accident” and entirely preventable. Lost in the national conversation around the driver’s sentence is any effort to understand the experience of the actual victims. I also received a life-sentence that day. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos is not a victim, but a responsible party whose decisions caused avoidable deaths and injuries that fateful day.

The unfortunate reality is that the other people and companies responsible for this crash have not been held accountable. Neither this driver nor his company should have been hired to perform any trucking work, especially given the company’s inexperience, lack of qualifications, and poor safety record.

Castellano 03 Trucking carried the DOT minimum required insurance of $750,000. That money was quickly exhausted while victims like me received nothing. The minimum insurance level was set 40 years ago and has never increased, not even for inflation! There is no effective underwriting performed by insurance carriers at this low amount. This enables unsafe and poorly administered motor carriers to thrive, putting all roadway users at risk.

According to DOT statistics, there are nearly 5,000 fatalities and 159,000 severe injuries from truck crashes annually. I urge President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to raise the commercial motor carrier minimum insurance requirement and make the trucking industry finally start paying its fair share. Increasing the minimum will improve safety and better support the needs of truck crash victims.

Gage Evans, Arvada

Editor’s note: Evans is the widow of William Bailey and a Truck Safety Coalition volunteer.

Better ways to save people from fentanyl

Re: “Stop Colorado’s deadly flow of fentanyl,” Dec. 19 commentary and “Leaders call for stiïŹ€er penalties as state breaks overdose records,” Dec. 17 news story

Attorney General Phil Weiser and former U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn recommends more law enforcement efforts (and money) to cure us of the fentanyl “crisis.” This is a misguided and boring blame, blame, blame approach to get rid of yesterday’s problem.

Weiser and Dunn, you will not catch and rid the world of fentanyl with more war on drugs. That approach has not worked out so well for us after more than a century (yes, over 100 years) of targeting cannabis, opium, heroin, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. It has resulted in nearly 500,000 people imprisoned and more on probation (mostly BIPOC) and more dead than ever before.

Yes, I’m blaming this on the war on drugs. And the fentanyl scene (what it is, who’s making it, how it gets here, how it¶¶Òőap used) has already changed since yesterday. Please, let¶¶Òőap change this narrative and approach to help, help, help — more naloxone like Narcan (an opioid overdose reversal medication) available and education about why literally everyone should have it, educating people about risks of using drugs alone (how about giving supervised consumption centers a try?), make sterile drug use equipment more available (syringes, smoking kits, snorting kits) to further reduce risks when people use drugs. This is called harm reduction. Trying to enforce our way out of this will not work, lets try something different, lets try full-on harm reduction.

A concerned grandparent and pharmacist,

Chris Stock, Denver

While it is good that elected officials and law enforcement recognize how serious the fentanyl problem has become, I am failing to see how any part of their proposed strategy is new. It appears to me that getting tough and cracking down is just more of the same thing that isn’t working, has never worked, and, in fact, can’t work.

All that increasing penalties for dealers will do is fill Colorado state prisons with low-level, mostly survival dealers, at a cost of about $42,000 per year per person, with zero impact on the street, or on clubs or campuses. The federal attorney bragging about locking someone up for 20 years did not mention the million dollar cost of that. And, his enumeration of all their busts just shows how little impact interdiction really has — the Drug Enforcement Administration hasn’t been able to stop it; a story from a day or two ago showed they can’t even keep it out of prisons; despite their best efforts to interrupt the I-25 pipeline, Colorado Springs police are not stopping it. I wonder what their Plan B is for when this effort also fails.

Michael Nerenberg, Pueblo

The U.S. Capitol needed protecting too, lest we forget

Re: “Now Polis wants to protect Colorado’s Capitol building?” Dec. 19 commentary

Dick Wadhams started his commentary by stating, “As my beloved grandmother used to say, ‘Will wonders never cease!’ ” I have been told by many people who influenced me, “Don’t complain if you don’t have a solution.” Wadhams’ commentary had no solutions but plenty of dog whistles.

He made sure to mention George Floyd as the reason for the destruction and protests that occurred downtown and around the Capitol. He made sure to mention that Gov. Jared Polis during these riots “was apparently hunkered down in his mansion in Boulder with his Colorado State Patrol security detail.” Of course, only a real man like former Republican Gov. Bill Owens wouldn’t hunker down. A few more dog whistles there? Wadhams is certain that only Republican rule can fix everything.

Wadhams ends his column by stating, “If Colorado voters want to be safe in their homes and communities, they should remember the disgraceful attack on our Capitol …”

I’m not sure which Capitol he means or whose silence he condemns, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t talking about our nation’s Capitol or Republican silence over the death and destruction on Jan. 6th.

Will wonders never cease?

David Moya, Lakewood

George Brauchler and Dick Wadhams continue to write compelling columns in The Denver Post supporting individual conservative policies that most of the state supports regarding crime, taxes, etc.

Unfortunately, they continue to ignore the bigger issue of Trumpism and the assault on truth, integrity, and democratic institutions.

As a former Republican voter, it pains me to vote against policy with which I agree. But when faced with the current reality, most Colorado voters, fortunately, value integrity and decency over policy.

Steve Friedrich, Centennial

What Krista Kafer got right and wrong last Sunday

Re: “Don Coram and a new hope for the future of Congress,” Dec. 19 commentary

Last Sunday’s commentary by Krista Kafer ends with “Both parties are guilty.” This has become a very tiresome phrase frequently used by conservatives.

Both parties are not guilty of insurrection. Both parties are not trying to change election laws to control the outcome of an election. Both parties are not trying to overturn elections. Both parties are not trying to control women’s rights.

And the list goes on.

Get over it. You’re guilty — quit trying to share your shame.

Jim McClung, Lakewood

Thank you for Krista Kafer’s column about state Sen. Don Coram and the damage partisanship is doing to our democracy. Sen. Coram and I served together in the Colorado Legislature for a decade. He became a valued colleague and one of my dearest friends there. We worked on numerous issues together. When he says the R by his name stands for “Rural” he’s not joking. I could always go to him when I wanted to know if we Democrats could get his support. His response was always straightforward — “good for my district, yes; bad for my district, no.” Coloradans would have to look far and wide to find a more admirable and harder working public servant than Don Coram.

Lois Court, Denver

Editor’s note: Court is a former state senator from District 31.

Worthless tests are wasteful

Re: “Colorado Board of Education wants to resume state tests,” Dec. 18 news story

A recent article calling for the resuming of high-stakes “accountability” testing of our school children caught my eye. Having had to administer those inaccurate, poorly developed “tests,” it wasn’t surprising to see students drawing a straight line down the “C” column of the answer sheet, then putting their heads down to sleep.

The point, though, is that every dollar spent on worthless tests is a dollar that doesn’t pay for quality teachers’ salaries, crumbling infrastructure or improved police training. “Accountability” is code from the right to attack teacher’s unions. High-stakes tests serve no purpose.

Vern Turner, Denver

Congress should end the filibuster already

Re: “Hickenlooper urges change to filibuster,” Dec. 16 news story

Sen. John Hickenlooper says, “voter disenfranchisement threatens our entire democracy.”

Well, what a coincidence — the president says the same thing, but neither seems committed to doing away with it.

Of course, they’re referring to the voting public, but there’s something that¶¶Òőap just as surely disenfranchising the votes of our legislators and that¶¶Òőap the filibuster — which negates the whole concept of legislative voting; if the legislator’s vote means nothing, then what¶¶Òőap the point of even voting?

Undoubtedly, if they lose the majority, Democrats would like to retain the filibuster. And you can bet that the Republicans, if they win the majority, will can the filibuster in the blink of an eye.

Too bad we can’t get rid of that anachronism, which was used aggressively to sustain slavery and has kept democracy in bondage.

Richard Kiefer, Englewood

Think about the burden on our health care workers

In the early 1970s I worked with people with developmental disabilities. One program served older adults, and one woman at a young age had been a nurse in 1918 and worked on the wards caring for people affected by the epidemic. It broke her. Completely. Permanently. Her brother wrote a letter asking us to treat her kindly as she had suffered greatly in the past. She was a very sweet woman who just seemed lost at times. I think about her every day now.

We are asking our health care professionals to perform monumental, heroic tasks at great risk to their physical and mental health. Some have died. Others, I’m sure, have been broken, hopefully not beyond repair. Most are holding on and carrying through during this horrible pandemic. In some cases health care professionals may have to ration care as our facilities become overwhelmed, essentially deciding who will live and who will die, a decision no one should have to make.

Please get vaccinated. When you go out, please wear a mask and stay socially distanced from each other. Who knows which of us may need medical help of some kind in the near future? I just hope if we need it, there are people, facilities and supplies available to help us.

So get vaccinated. Mask up. Blow a nurse a psychic kiss. Take care. Stay well.

Bonita Sellstrom, Arvada

With tongue in cheek, and shots in arm

As a great-grandfather now looking back, I remember being forced to take polio and smallpox vaccines, or I wouldn’t be allowed back in school. At the age of 7, I didn’t understand the power of personal freedom. If only all the second-graders in my class had stood up to government overreach (except for those kids in the iron lungs who couldn’t stand up), what a different world this would be!

Bob Box, Buena Vista

Denver patches up nicely

Our neighborhood in southeast Denver was repaved a few months ago. The city crews did a fine job of keeping us informed and doing the work. Three weeks ago either a utility crew or cable crew dug up a 6-foot square section of the intersection just north of us. Their patch of our nice new street was terrible. I stewed a while, then last week then called Denver 311. They got my message to the roads department. Within five days of my call a Denver crew was out, and did another great job.

Deep thanks to our city’s staff and management.

Mark Simmons, Denver

City of Denver should not be promoting Park Hill project

Re: “Summary shows city’s vision for neighborhood,” Dec. 17 news story

Can someone explain how the city can justify spending thousands of dollars to assist Westside Developers with the Park Hill Golf Course? Denver voters have voted to not develop the property, and you would think the city would defend the voters. If anyone is to produce a plan for the property, it should be the developer. The city should be asking the hard questions. Instead we have the head of community planning, Laura Aldrete, saying in a city press release: “We look forward to continuing to engage our communities throughout 2022 to provide more detail on these priorities and ultimately bring a well-thought-out proposal for Denver City Council and Denver voters to consider.” This is not right.

Gary Martyn, Denver

The article states “The city plans to collect fees from the property owners (Andrew R. Klein and Kenneth Ho of Westside Investment Partners) to help fund that work.” That “work” refers to their desire to triple their investment by building on the largest piece of Denver’s vanishing “open space” — think “climate change.” Klein and Ho have commissioned the city of Denver to fund their desire. The people spoke in November to keep the space undeveloped without voter approval. Democracy is tenuous as we see with this latest attempt to subvert the will of the people’s vote.

Stuart Cooper, Denver

Frontline solutions

Re: “Provider failing 10 counties,” Dec. 20 news story

I am grateful that we are finally seriously analyzing mental health care here in Summit County and throughout Colorado.

The suicide statistics in our state, particularly in Summit and other mountain towns, are horrifying. These are community members dying needlessly. And although many professionals are passionately trying, we are not supporting them in the best way possible: together.

Why is no one talking to private practitioners on the front lines? Instead, we are embroiled in debates between failing out-of-town corporations and law enforcement through our local paper. This is exactly why people stop seeking out mental health care: the bureaucratic nonsense that often accompanies it. Those of us who get up every day and provide care to our community need to be included. We all have our fingers in a leaking and cracking dam, trying to stop it from bursting. Why is no one talking to us?

Why aren’t we creating our own mental health agency? A community-run and owned organization where we hire local clinicians, pay them appropriately, handle the billing on both sides, and make it a true one-stop shop for all things mental wellness. We need to be working together to grow and serve our amazing county from within. Combining the community’s financial resources and wealth of knowledge, experience and motivation could vastly improve our mental health — and save lives in our community.

Stacy Smith, Summit County

Adam Schiff is unfit for Congress with all his lies

Previously, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff was caught lying about information he said he had regarding President Donald Trump’s alleged dealings with Russia. A lengthy, expensive, investigation proved his allegations to be false. Now, while pursuing Mark Meadows, he’s been caught red handed deliberately altering documents as part of a congressional hearing — a very serious offense. Why is he still in office? The hypocrisy is astonishing!

John Griggs, Evergreen

We are paying for COVID, one way or another

Re: “Biden pivots to home tests,” Dec. 22 news story

Today, President Joe Biden announced that he will be giving away half a billion “free” COVID-19 tests. Those jabs that millions have received, were also . . . “free.” Isn’t the money coming from somewhere?

As my wallet is becoming thinner by the week, I’m starting to believe, that what happened to that dumb mouse, who was told: “That cheese on that mouse trap is ‘free,’ ” is now happening to us taxpayers.

John P. Cardie, Westminster

Speeders won’t slow unless the limits are enforced

Re: “Denver sets 20 mph default speed limit,” Dec. 21 news story

It certainly makes one wonder what drives Denver City Council these days. It seems our local government is planning to spend over $1 million to replace street signs on local streets, lowering the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph.

When we first moved to the Congress Park neighborhood, it was a regular occurrence to see police patrol 7th Avenue. However in recent years, there we have literally seen no police in the area attempting to ticket speeders and drivers that ignore stop signs; the result being that more drivers are not stopping for stop signs at intersections and cars regularly exceeding the 25 mph posted limit.

In recent years there have been numerous accidents and car accident related deaths in Congress Park, a neighborhood once considered a safe quiet residential area. Does City Council seriously believe that lowering the speed limit will do anything to deter drivers from breaking the law? They must be dreaming!

Certainly seems like there are a myriad of more pressing needs for which the expenditure of $1 million could actually make an improvement. Why not just try reassigning police patrols to catch drivers breaking the law?

Joseph Crystal, Denver

Thank you for remembering those who served

Re: “Remember Battle of the Bulge,” Dec. 16 letter to the editor

Thank you to the letter writer for his words of remembrance for those U.S. servicemen who perished in the Battle of the Bulge. My uncle was one of the soldiers who gave his life in that horrific battle. He is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in France. His loss and those of his “brothers in arms” was felt by my family for many years.

Mark Boyko, Parker

What¶¶Òőap $40M here and there?

Re: “Denver International Airport — New chapter in long saga,” Dec. 19 news story

In DIA world, I suppose $40 million is comparable to one of those “leave a penny, take a penny” bowls you see at restaurant cash registers. After all, this is the outfit that thought it was entirely appropriate to spend $14.5 million on a lighted sign. But even at that, do we need to spend $40 million on a “Center of Excellence and Equity in Aviation” to recruit more young people into the aviation industry?

Isn’t that the job of the airline industry? And how will this money — added to the bloated Great Hall construction budget — contribute to an expenditure that a DIA spokesperson said is “…all about efficiency and creating a better experience”? Moreover, who’s to say that a year from now, that $40 million will turn into $80 million? Given DIA’s track record, I’m pretty sure you could count on it.

Dan Danbom, Denver

Nothing I have read or heard has offered a clue as to why it would be meritorious for the airport, Denver, Colorado or the nation to create such a center. However, for argument¶¶Òőap sake, let¶¶Òőap accept that significant merit is demonstrable. Am I the only one who wants to know why the center cannot successfully deliver its message for less than $40 million? Sadly, my guess is that when the cost for additional expenditures at DIA is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, who will fret over another 40.

Vic Reichman, Denver

Don’t feed the fire

Many consumers are buying bundles of firewood, but they may not realize when this wood is burned, it puts carbon dioxide right back into the atmosphere where earlier the trees had pulled this same carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere when they were growing.

All trees and plants consume carbon dioxide when growing and the carbon goes into the plant and soil and the plant emits oxygen. Planting millions more acres of trees is actually one of the solutions discussed in slowing climate warming.

And burning natural gas in a fireplace in place of wood is not a solution since natural gas is mostly methane. The incomplete combustion of natural gas results in methane products, not only from fireplaces, but from all burning of natural gas.

The big reductions in CO2 production will come from: The slow conversion to all-electric cars and trucks; power plants converting to solar, wind and other non-CO2 emitting sources; reduction of emissions from oil and gas operations, and the conversion of uses of natural gas to electricity.

Stopping the use of fireplaces burning wood and natural gas is not the “big solution,” but it is something an individual can do to help a little.

Richard Plastino, Lakewood

Lawns have their benefits

Re: “Cut the grass,” Dec. 6 letter to the editor

According to the website of grass seed company Pennington:

“Lawns aren’t usually thought of as collections of thousands of oxygen-producing plants, but that¶¶Òőap exactly what they are. Like all plants, grass plants in your lawn take in carbon dioxide from the air. Then, as part of the process of photosynthesis, those grasses help produce the oxygen you breathe.”

So, the writer of the letter disrespecting lawns is likely incorrect.

Donna Jorgenson Farrell, Broomfield

Manchin, hero or DINO?

Re: “Sen. won’t back plan,” Dec. 20 news story

Sen. Joe Manchin should be praised and lauded for being the only moderate Democrat left to stand on his principles and not follow the radical far leftists over the precipice of economic disaster with the estimated $2 trillion to $2.4 trillion Build Back Better bill. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that if the provisions were made permanent by a future Congress the cost would be $4.8 trillion.

Manchin has tried desperately to negotiate with Sen. Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden for reason to no avail. He has been vilified by the far left radical, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wing of the party. In a high inflation economy, every sensible economist, including liberal former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, warned how badly this proposed bill will “add fuel to the fire of inflation.” But the leftists, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi keep pushing for it. Their ideology trumps economic sanity and what¶¶Òőap best for the nation.

Manchin in his blocking will be a national hero and might save the Democratic Party and the nation. He has earned my respect.

Pete Bruno, Arvada

Perhaps it¶¶Òőap time to borrow from the lexicon of right-wing Republicans with respect to their detractors within the party and label Joe Manchin as a Democrat in Name Only, or DINO – double entendre intended.

Vic Viola, Golden

Turns out masks are optional at Paramount Theatre

Recently I attended a concert at Paramount Theatre. Vaccination cards were checked before entering, and masks given out at the door. Once seated, however, nearly everyone around me in every direction, was maskless, as far as the eye could see. I sought help from the staff, who reseated me up front, but the situation was the same; everyone around me was unmasked and sitting close together.

I went to the lobby and stood there till intermission. After that I was seated in the ADA portion of the theater, with a wall to my back and no one in front for quite a few feet. Not ideal, but far better than being in the main audience.

The second time I asked the staff if an announcement could be made requesting people put on their masks, but was told the owner had refused to do this for their concerts, and their hands were tied. I don’t fault the staff. They were as helpful and kind as they could be in the circumstances. I fault the owner, and the audience, who, in their 30’s 40’s and 50’s were old enough to know better.

Basically this was a super-spreader event, with hundreds of people sitting indoors, unmasked and in close contact with one another.

To future concert goers: if you are hesitant to sit indoors, with thousands of unmasked people in close proximity to you , then don’t go to a Paramount Theatre concert.

Jeffrey Hersch, Denver

Did the truck driver’s crime match the punishment?

Re: “Commute part of the 110-year sentence for Aguilera-Mederos,” Dec. 15 editorial

I am astonished at how little value you give to the trucker’s victims. Your sympathy seems to be entirely with the killer and not his victims. The trucker made conscious decisions that resulted in the loss of life of four people and preservation of his own. He can look forward to life and necessities provided plus companionship and hope. His victims are damaged or have lost everything. During time served the trucker may earn a reduction of sentence. In the meantime his actions and attitude say he deserved what he got.

Gary O. Hall, Denver

So, cop murders a guy in cold blood on the streets of Minneapolis, gets 22.5 years, can appeal for a reduced sentence and even if that appeal fails, he will serve about half of the sentence before he gets out for “good behavior.”

Today, I learn that Derek Chauvin has admitted to violating George Floyd’s civil rights. I guess strangling a handcuffed and acquiescent suspect could be considered a violation of someone’s civil rights, if civil rights are defined broadly enough.

Dumb kid, improperly trained, inexperienced and driving a truck with bad brakes experiences a tragic accident and receives 110 years.

And The Denver Post runs an editorial saying that justice is delivered unequally?

Duh.

It would appear that deliberately murdering someone is better than being in an accident that results in loss of life.

John DeBiase, Westminster

Where is any information or guilt for the company which put this driver on the road without proper skills? Why haven’t the authorities or the terribly affected survivors gone after them? At least the families could perhaps receive some monetary judgement for their pain and suffering. And for those of you who would call themselves Christians, remember from Paul:Romans 12:19 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, sayeth the Lord.”

D. Noone, Thornton

Living and dying with COVID-19

Shared headlines in The Denver Post announcing “State Surpasses 10,000 deaths” while also reporting “Arapahoe County announces departure from health agency” finally pushed my button!

Tri-County Health was the agency that showed courage, insight and leadership while our local city and county officials and school boards cowered as people died from COVID-19. Now the naysayers who object so strongly to the mask mandate have succeeded in out-shouting the majority of people who support mask mandates and vaccines.

Are the county commissioners really so tone-deaf as to believe the public is made up of these people? The Post describes Arapahoe County as “the conservative county”, but recent elections in Littleton and elsewhere suggest support for more progressive leaders. Let Douglas County shut it¶¶Òőap eyes to the pandemic, but north of the county line we still believe in science and protecting our fellow man.

Betty McCarty, Littleton

It is ironic that on the anniversary of the COVID vaccine, we are informed that over 10,000 Coloradans have died as a result of COVID. Accompanying this news is information that our Arapahoe County Commission has decided to leave a successful 75 year relationship with Tri-County Health.

From the article it appears that our commissioners caved to a few strident anti-maskers instead of basing their decisions on a scientific and a business rationale. This decision was made despite the high praise given by Commissioner Nancy Jackson of Tri-County Health Department, “They are a first-rate example of how public health services should be modeled.”

Huh? You are doing an excellent job therefor we need to “fire” you. As a long term resident of Arapahoe County and one who has served twelve years as a volunteer on the Community Corrections Board, I am not surprised. This is another example of politicians serving a few rather that acting in the interest of electorate.

Philip Arreola, Denver

I am writing as a member of the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, which represents over 2,600 physicians, residents, and medical students in every county in Colorado. As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 poses new challenges for our health care system, we need to take a common-sense approach.

I saw with dismay that the Douglas County School Board rolled back rules for children to wear masks at schools. This decision places too many people at risk, from children who are more likely to become infected by new variants, to teachers and staff in the district, and to families at home who may have compromised immune systems or lack access to care.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has tracked higher rates of COVID-19 infections at schools where children aren’t sufficiently vaccinated or attentive to wearing masks. Our clinics and hospitals are operating near capacity and we cannot afford another surge.

There is overwhelming evidence that masks dramatically reduce the spread of COVID-19. I, along with the family physicians of Colorado, urge the county health department and school district to adopt a policy requiring mask use in schools.

Corey Lyon, Aurora

Editor’s note: Lyon is the associate vice-chair for Clinical Affairs at the Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado.

Yes, let¶¶Òőap talk about those crime statistics

Re: “How crime got so bad in Colorado,” Dec. 12 commentary

George Brauchler’s column begged the question he posed at the end: causation or correlation. For somebody in the legal business, his “brief” sunk rather than swum — there was lots of correlation and next to zero causation addressed.

Consider a graphic from the World Book Encyclopedia “Yearbook 1972” that showed FBI stats of property crime rates in the U.S. in the 1960s — clearly all going the wrong direction, as we are today. So what can be learned from periods like this for today? What worked and didn’t work to address such trends? With his expertise, Brauchler owes people critical thinking, not just “Mayday Mayday” shouts.

And if/when he gets honest enough to address the real causes, he needs to fess up to the anti-government feeling/rhetoric of the Republicans since the 1980s — aptly called “enemy politics” by David Brock who was enmeshed in it until he opened his eyes — that helped reduce people’s faith in government and their willingness to abide by government rules, like stopping for red lights,
paying one’s fair share of taxes, and
sadly respecting the outcome of elections.

And yes, I’ve been a crime victim myself this past year as my car was stolen from my step mother’s driveway in broad daylight, and recovered in a “totaled” state from a rollover accident with drug paraphernalia inside three days later. Do I want the people responsible locked up for a long time? You bet! But a blather of correlations, as per Brauchler, rather than whole system approaches based on causation, will win progress, whereas Brauchler would lose his case in court with the thinking he offered in his column.

Christopher Juniper, Denver

Brauchler’s column epitomizes the points made in two seminal works: “How to Lie With Statistics” and “Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics,” and illustrates how misleading statistics can be without providing a baseline for comparison.

For example, if one person received a ticket for jaywalking in 2019, and five people received tickets in 2020, that¶¶Òőap really not a big deal. However, if all you are told is that there was a 400% increase in jaywalking between 2019 and 2020 without any other information, it looks like our city is filled with reckless walkers with a death wish.

Colorado may have an increasing crime problem, but without more data, we really don’t know the true extent — and won’t without sufficient and accurate data with which to form a comparison.

Marie Valenzuela, Westminster

Reduce traffic fatalities where they actually are happening

Re: “20 is plenty? Try 20 mph on your neighborhood streets — it¶¶Òőap unnecessarily slow in some places,” Dec. 12 commentary

Vincent Carroll’s column was excellent: “Twenty is Plenty?” He points out that this silly proposition is a solution in search of an essentially non-existent problem. Apparently unthoughtful councilors have no data to justify this large change to Denver residents.

Reducing pedestrian fatalities: great goal! But as Carroll points out, “residential streets accounted for 7% of fatal accidents.” And, “most additional pedestrian deaths occurred on urban arterials, with 84% on roads with speeds above 30 mph . . .”

So somebody says, let¶¶Òőap change things where a minimal amount of accidents occur with no data indicating that legal speeds are a problem? Without addressing where 93% of the deaths occur? That is nonsense!

Nobody said you have to be smart to get elected; you just have to get votes!

Rich Urbanowski, Lakewood

Break the glass ceiling to help teachers and nurses with low pay

Re: “Substitute teacher shortage,” Dec. 10 news story

In The Denver Post and on TV, I recently have experienced articles about nurses and teachers (K-12) being undervalued, overwhelmed, overworked and underpaid. Those vocations are the only two, in the United States where women are a majority of the workforce.

But when we get to the college and university level of teaching, men are the majority and are well-compensated. The glass ceiling is not being challenged. Saying “pick a career you enjoy and you won’t work a day in your life” does not apply to teaching and nursing.

Mark Rawlins, Westminster

Appreciate Brooks’ developing opinion of abortion

Re: “Abortion: voice of the ambivalent,” Dec. 4 commentary

I appreciated David Brooks’ column, which included the ways his thoughts on abortion have changed over the years. He shared that as a young progressive, he was surprised when a female college friend suffered postabortion anguish. Later, he witnessed sonograms that offered a window to the thumb-sucking, heart-beating, eye-moving human development that can be witnessed halfway through a pregnancy. (Note an update to that observation: U.S. News recently reported that the most premature baby currently known to survive was born in Alabama in July 2020 at 21 weeks and 1 day. Young Curtis is now a healthy, 16-month old child.)

Without suggesting that anything about abortion is an easy topic, Brooks also had the courage to share his shock upon hearing abortion referred to simply “as health care, 
 as if it couldn’t be a termination of a human life.”

As The Denver Post looks to include a more balanced look at this difficult topic, perhaps next steps could include alternatives to abortion in the form of support resources (emotional, physical, financial) for pregnant women in challenging circumstances. In the Denver area, there are many.

Mary M. Bartek, Centennial

Wild horses and burros need our protection

The treatment of wild horses and burros during this year’s roundups, while devastating, offers a telling perspective on the way that human “management” of animals always prioritizes human interests.

For years, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has taken healthy wild horses and burros from their legally protected lands in the American West at the expense of taxpayers in part to prioritize grazing space for cattle and other livestock.

These roundups are driven by herd growth rates based on BLM statistics, which have been shown to be scientifically impossible.

The Wild Horse Freedom Federation chronicled these statistics in its 2017 white paper.

Moreover, with public land grazing fees far below national rates, the BLM is losing more than $100 million per year on its wild horse and burro “roundup and warehouse policy.”

Specifically the current livestock grazing fee sits well below market value at $1.35 per AUM, yet ranchers charge taxpayers $60 per AUM to house wild horses and burros on their pastures. All this for a program that contributes only 1.9% of the nation’s beef.

Ultimately the BLM’s roundups are nothing more than a grazing program ancillary, designed to give ranchers unfettered and cheap access to America’s public lands. These programs harm not only our nation’s horses and burros but the bank accounts of Colorado taxpayers, too. What we need is more oversight of the ranching industry, not more oversight of the (supposedly) federally protected wild horses.

As a native Coloradan and citizen caring about justice, I ask that you consider further, more in-depth coverage (or even a continued series) on the wild horse scapegoating fomented by ranchers in Colorado at the expense of the American taxpayer.

Rick Karcich, Centennial

Slow population growth to combat climate change

Re: “Attack drought at its root cause and put a price on carbon,” Dec. 14 letter to the editor

A letter published Tuesday urged us to “attack drought at its root cause and put a tax on carbon.”

Looking further than climate change, the root cause of drought is the number of people and their behavior, unless you are a hunter-gatherer.

Have a large family? Even if you can support them, every person is a drain on a finite number of resources,
which includes water.

Rather than encourage our senators to support a carbon tax, it would be more ingenuous and productive to contribute to Planned Parenthood and other population control organizations and educate people on their individual impact.

C. Greenman, Lakewood

Remember Battle of the Bulge

Yearly on Dec. 7, city newspapers run memorial stories recalling the attack on Pearl Harbor — “ a date which will live in infamy,” as President Roosevelt said in his 1941 address to Congress and the nation.

These news stories tend to profile survivors — elders of the “greatest generation,” many of whom are now centenarians. And while it is important to note such a significant day in the course of World War II, we should perhaps take similar note of Dec. 16, which in 1944, marked the Nazi attack that started what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

For nearly six weeks, this battle involved over a million troops (over 600,000 Allied forces). The outcome, an Allied victory, broke the back of the German military, which had deployed more than 1,500 armored tanks, 1,000 combat aircraft and nearly a half-million troops in alpine mid-winter combat conditions.

American forces suffered almost 90,000 casualties, with more than 19,000 dead. By large numbers, this battle was the costliest in terms of American casualties during the war. A great debt is owed to those who supplied or served in America’s military in any capacity in World War II.

Peter Ehrlich, Denver

Real Christian values

This morning, I received an email from a friend who was sharing U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert¶¶Òőap latest public relations stunt. It is a Christmas card — a photo of Boebert and her four sons, each holding a gun, standing in front of a Christmas tree. I assume one is her trademark “Glock.” The words above the photo were “Merry Christmas from the Boebert¶¶Òőap — Your Representative of Good Christian Values.”

Hmmm.

Well, to set the record straight, I am not convinced that Christians have any monopoly on values, and I do not see how the glorification of violence fits in with any tradition of faith.

I would like to share a few of the Christian values that I will practice over the next few days. For starters I will go down and shovel the walkway for my elder neighbor, as I often do when it snows in the mountains. And on Saturday, I will ring the Salvation Army bell for two hours with a friend.

I do not have hopes that I will alter Boebert¶¶Òőap attitude. However, perhaps this note will inspire others to go out and practice some real Christian values.

Pamela Gibbs, Avon

Invest in electric buses

Every day, my child gets on a diesel-powered school bus to travel to and from school. As I am sure many of us can remember from childhood, riding the bus to school comes with a strong smell of exhaust and plumes of smoke. This is concerning because children are especially vulnerable to poor air quality, as their brains and respiratory systems are still developing.

As a lung cancer survivor, I think a lot about the air that my kids and I breathe. That¶¶Òőap why I’m eager to see funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law get rolled out. The funding will make it possible for school districts to begin transitioning to zero-emission electric school buses and retire their dirty diesel fleets. The technology is here — it¶¶Òőap time to make the switch.

The funding for electric school buses included in the bipartisan infrastructure law is an incredible opportunity for my children in Douglas County and all kids across Colorado to have healthier air to breathe to and from school every day. Electrification of our school bus fleet will improve the air for our kids and millions of other children nationwide. I hope that local school officials across our state will take advantage of this important opportunity.

Jamie Rippy, Castle Rock

Bah humbug, Mr. Kroenke

Dear Mr Scrooge, I mean Mr. Kroenke, Could you give a little Christmas to the Nuggets fans? How about a deal with Comcast and DirectTV? It¶¶Òőap been a few years, and all we’ve gotten is coal. I’m not sure what happened in your Christmas Past, but from my vantage it seems not so bad.

Your Christmas Present is a country living with COVID-19, the stresses of the day, some of us looking for a little “Nugget” of joy. A wish you could make come true. Doesn’t Denver deserves it?

What is your Christmas future Mr. Kroenke?

Maybe a lesson from Mr. Scrooge, “where he desperately implores the spirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, avaricious ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart.” Merry Holidays from a desperate Nuggets fan!

Susan Johnson, Denver

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