LETTERS: Wednesday

What a ridiculous waste

Today I received a letter in the mail from the U.S. Census. Essentially it tells me I will receive a census form in about a week and that it’s important for me to fill it out. What a waste!

Postage is 44 cents and I’m assuming a mere 6 cents for the paper, ink, and envelope. That equates to 50 cents to send this letter. According to U.S. statistics there are approximately 115 million households in the United States. If each received the same letter, the U.S. government spent $57.5 million sending letters telling us they would be sending us a census form in a week.

This is precisely the type of wasteful behavior that has all of us citizens skeptical of tax increases and deficit spending. When will local, state and federal officials learn that until we curb wasteful and pork spending we citizens will continue to resist tax increases?

Gerard Janos

Colorado Springs

‘Stand with me, fight with me’

Mr. Obama. Honey. Sweetie. We all want to stand with you, really, we do. You’re our president. But the flip side of that is that you stand with us.

We have to balance our personal checkbooks. Our fair city has to do that, too. Our very fair state of Colorado has to do the same thing. If we don’t have a plus balance, we can’t buy anything.

We just want to know that you know how to do that, too.

I want good health insurance as much as you do, but honey, I just don’t see where the money is coming from. The question is: do you? If so, tell us. We’re not stupid. We can handle it.

It’s just foolishness to lean against a wall that has no foundation; not when it’s obvious that it’s gonna fall over on us. And I’m not going to vote for anyone in your neighborhood who does.

Jan Durkin

Colorado Springs

Cuts deeper than we know

I am a mother of a 30-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. We are all aware of the many cuts in the parks, recreation and cultural services in our fair city.

Very few people in our community know of a program within parks and rec that provides leisure and recreational activities for the disabled. It too will be gone by the end of 2010. Our disabled citizens are losing resources in every area that makes up any quality of life and here goes one more wonderful program.

You don’t hear about this because the disabled and their families are quiet voices. We all have our various struggles that take all our energy.

When the Therapeutic Recreation Program disappears there will be a lack of early intervention classes serving 1- to 3-year-olds to stimulate brain development, no summer day camps for elementary age youth and teens, no aquatic rehab therapy classes for adults with neurological disabilities, no dance troupe and no adventure programs.

The development of a Paralympic Sport Club that targets individuals with visual impairments and physical disabilities may not find other funding and the Fort Carson Warrior Transition Battalion that serves injured service members will take a blow.

Thanks voters for not finding value in what community is all about. All of us are suffering.

Gail Labosky

Colorado Springs

Where’s the tolerance?

This letter is in appreciation of Randy’s Towing for donating a truck and operators in the rescue of a draft horse that was trapped in a muddy pit on the Miller Farm, along Old Pueblo Road.

I hope the pit is covered now, so no others fall in.

Often we read of humans mistreating our loyal, loving animals. Hardly ever to we read of kindness and generosity toward them.

So, thank you Randy and crew, and all others who were involved in helping to save this horse.

Stella Ludwikowski

Colorado Springs

Money going up in smoke

Homeless this.  Homeless that.  It seems like every day and every week we are bombarded by this subject in Colorado Springs. 

And yes, I have a great deal of sympathy for some of these people.  Why?  Because I work in a very volatile industry and I have seen my share of very, very, good people laid off.

My sympathy ends however when I see some of these people at the entrances of Wal-Marts, highways and around other shopping areas smoking cigarettes as they prey on the sympathies of motorists. They have  signs saying they are hurting for food and money, yet they can afford a pack of cigarettes.

At almost $5 a pack, this is a very expensive habit. Shouldn’t that  money be used for food, transportation to find work, or other expenses needed to help themselves or their families?

So, yes I am sympathetic to some, but others need to put their priorities in place and “kick the habit”.

Tom Andenno

Colorado Springs

Article right on target

Don Bendell’s article in the March 12 paper is one which I wish everyone, especially politicians, (fat chance) would read.

In the interest of space, I won’t rhapsodize here or quote his listing of the asinine U.S. rules of engagement or use of common sense in dealing with airport security and arming of pilots. I’ll  just say, “Amen!” and hope that anyone reading this letter will read his article.

If they had imposed  these rules on us in Marine boot camp during WWII, we’d still be waiting for the Japanese to come out of their caves to be sure they weren’t “innocent” civilians.

I, for one, will be interested in reading some of this guy’s novels.

Bill Lund

Colorado Springs

A call for resignations

Democrats are determined to pass “Obamacare” no matter what the majority of their constituents want them to do.  Part of their rationale for this scary health care reform legislation is cost savings.

Since both Colorado senators (Senators Udall and Bennet) plan to vote for this monstrosity I would like to ask them to put their jobs on the line for their yes vote.

I am asking them to submit resignation letters to The Gazette and The Denver Post to take effect if Obamacare does not reduce health care costs. 

If it does reduce costs then fine, they keep their jobs.

If health care costs go up then they both resign and someone else takes their jobs.

Of course they both will most likely be voted out of office if they do vote for this tragic bill in its current form.

Steve Sinn

Manitou Springs