Letters - Thursday

PAYING OUR WAY
Local government budgets already cut to the bone

If you have lived in El Paso County for four decades as I have, Ralf Zimmermann's piece in the June 14 Other Voices will give you an eerie sense of deja vu ("Local officials owe us responsible government"). Once upon a time, complaints of our local governments wasteful spending may have had some validity, but when our nearly bankrupt county government must reduce or eliminate services considered essential, we are well beyond the issue of government waste. The current budget problem must be tackled in a thoughtful, intelligent manner. It does not serve us well to continue to roll out the same old, hackneyed rhetoric.

Either Zimmermann does not comprehend the potential effects of the health department cutbacks, or he does not care.

No doubt Zimmerman can rely on his gut to tell him whether or not a restaurant was a good place to eat, but his "gut instinct" will not serve him well before he eats his meals. The outward appearance of an establishment, or even the appearance of the food you eat, have absolutely nothing to do with the factors related to food-borne illnesses. How will Zimmerman's gut instinct tell him if employees are washing their hands, or if his food has been stored or cooked at proper temperatures? Check the inspection reports of your favorite restaurants. You might be surprised. If you are not, that is at least partially due to the good work of the health department.

Zimmerman also believes that former meth lab properties will still be cleaned because "there are people in business to do them." Actually, the willingness of contractors to clean meth labs has nothing to do with the willingness of property owners to pay for cleanups. State law requires cleanups, but provides no mechanism for enforcement.

It is no longer a question of controlling government waste. The relevant question is: How much are we willing to pay locally for effective public health programs in our community? Is it worth more than the $3 a year we now pay? Do I really have to answer that?

James R. Goodwin, Colorado Springs

It's time to add commissioners from the other political party

County government offices open only four days per week? Inmates sleeping in tents? Three years of deficits and without taking any action to ensure adequate revenue? What is wrong with our county commissioners?

This type of incompetence can no longer be tolerated. We need executives who will be responsible and will take action before it gets to a crisis situation.

It seems that one-party dominance has produced a slate of imbeciles who are unable or unwilling to provide the leadership needed. Vote them out and replace them with some Democrats. Pam Berry, Allison Hunter and Andre Vigil are qualified new leaders who will clean up this mess, put El Paso County back on sure financial footing, and provide a bipartisan board of commissioners.

In the meantime. I suggest that every department head and every county commissioner take a pay cut before cutting more services to the public.

Cyndy Kulp, Skyway

SHARING THE TRAIL
Barr Trail runners should learn to respect rights of hikers

When it comes to the land use of Pikes Peak and the Barr Trail, everyone involved needs to realize that the mountain is there for everyone. Increasingly though, the runners training for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon have become more obnoxious. On Sunday I saw a runner running out of control down the trail about three miles up. She came upon a backpacker and pushed him out of the way. He was pushed toward a steep, unfenced side of the trail. If he had gone over, he would have fallen some 100 feet or more.

On race day the mountain should belong to the runners, but all other times they need to learn common courtesy and safety.

I wish Forest Service personnel would be in some of these locations to observe and mitigate what is going on. I am sure that the cost of their service would more than made up by the tickets they could easily write for these dangerous acts. If any runner is ticketed by the Forest Service, the runner should have to give up his place in the race and forfeit his entry fees.

I hope that in the future someone will stress that the mountain is open to everyone, not just the ones who run on it.

Marvin Seibert, Colorado Springs

UNCONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Lawmakers provide services without legal authorization

I have waited impatiently for the report from our illustrious school teacher/legislator, Michael Merrifield, concerning the progress he made in fulfilling his quest for the good life for middle-class Coloradans, as enunciated in his Other voices offering in The Gazette on Jan. 8 ("Lawmakers set agenda for 2008 session"). At last, the report is out. In the June 8 letters, we learned that he cosponsored a bill to make colonoscopies easier to come by ("Legislation encourages people to get screenings").

In the January piece he said, "I will work every day with three goals in mind: to help you and your kids have access to quality, affordable health care, to make sure our children get the education to meet their potential and to help Colorado attract the best high-paying jobs the 21st century has to offer." He didn't say how he was going to do this.

The preamble to the state constitution says, "We the people of Colorado ... in order to ... provide for the common defense; (and) promote the general welfare ... do ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Colorado." Will Merrifield explain why the drafters of the constitution used the word "provide" when addressing defense, and "promote" when addressing the general welfare? It seems that some in the Legislature want to "provide" health care and other goodies in addition to the things authorized by the constitution, without amending the document.

John C. Seelye, Manitou Springs

SHARING RESOURCES
New proposal would help spread man's, nature's bounty

I would like to present a simple concept that would help solve our water shortage and energy crisis: transport water and energy when and where they are in relative abundance to where they are in relative insufficiency, over our federal highway system via appropriate channels, duct work and electrical facilities within the rights-of-way.

Wherever possible, wind, natural gas, geothermal and solar farms would be developed and incorporated into the energy system. Lakes would be developed on public lands for the storage of water prior to transportation.

We are sending nearly a trillion dollars overseas each year to people who do not like us very much. Would it not make sense to spend the money here to develop our own provable resources? It would be a massive public and private undertaking, for potentially substantial benefit to our country.

Glenn E. Shrader, Colorado Springs