Letters - Saturday

Expansion would shift economy

Our state's economy is diverse. Four of the major sectors are agriculture, tourism, energy resources and the military. It can be tricky keeping these four sectors in balance.

U.S. Reps. Doug Lamborn and Mike Coffman think we need to expand the military-industrial complex in our state ("Lamborn asks senators to help grow Piñon," The Gazette, May 30). They are concerned that in signing HB 1317, which blocks the transfer of state lands to the Army, Gov. Bill Ritter is stifling the growth of the military's presence in Colorado.

But when the growth of one sector of the economy threatens to harm other sectors, it's time to ask if things are getting out of balance. The proposed expansion of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site doesn't just threaten generational ranchers living in the region. It also threatens to upset the balance of our state's economy.

An expanded Piñon Canyon would obviously do harm to agriculture. Ranchers raise 400,000 head of cattle in the expansion region, averaging about $700 per head at sale.

Transforming grazing lands into a huge live-fire range would wipe out ranching in southeastern Colorado.

An expanded Pinon Canyon would also harm tourism. The region targeted by the Army's plan is full of scenic canyon lands, thriving wildlife populations, prehistoric archaeological sites, the Santa Fe Trail, and North America's longest dinosaur track way.

These are all irreplaceable tourism resources which would be taken out of the equation.

And finally, an expanded Piñon Canyon would harm the development of alternative energy resources. Southeastern Colorado is highly rated for both solar and wind energy development. But already, with just the threat of a military takeover, energy developers have put such investments on hold.

Colorado needs balanced, healthy growth, not the federalization of our lands and the militarization of our economy.

Doug Holdread, Trinidad

Time to change water law

Regarding The Gazette's excellent story by Scott Rappold, "The water on your roof is spoken for," the term "bizarre" in the lead sentence is truly an understatement. Not only do we not own the water that falls on our property, we have to pay a fee, for the God-given precipitation to depart our property, whether it does or not.

How generous of the state, in bill HB 1129, to allow some residents to assert their freedom to collect and use the rain that falls on their property.

The state should not be allowed to claim the water that falls on anyone's property, and local government should not be allowed, without voter approval, to levy a fee upon it.

Any laws that prohibit Colorado citizens from collecting water to be used on their property need to be repealed, now. This issue is not just about water, it is about property rights, individual liberty, and good common environmental sense.

Regarding the dibs on downstream water rights, I have less concern for those so-called water rights when companies such as Hershey are allowed to buy up, bottle, and sell the water out of state.

Neil L. Talbott, Colorado Springs

Even Russians know better

If you finish reading this letter and understand it, you are hereby adopted into the Resistance. This is a sad and tragic day for America and the real beginning of Amerika.

The beginning of the takeover of industrial America by the government began with nary a whimper. Barely a peep of opposition to the single most unconstitutional and un-American act in nearly 75 years. It, and every other socialist experiment this government is about to try will fail and fail miserably. The Soviets already learned this lesson and we haven't? Amazingly, we have been brought to this point by Republicans and Democrats alike.

As the Russian columnist Stanislav Mishkin recently wrote, "It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American descent into Marxism is happening with breath-taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people" ("American capitalism gone without a whimper" Pravda, April 27).

"First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in Washington, D.C. that directly affects their lives."

How did the world turn upside down overnight? What are you going to do about it? Do you really believe there's no consequences to all that's happening?

Jeff Wright, Calhan

Doran's fairness above reproach

Chantell Taylor, director of Colorado Ethics Watch was "stunned" that Jan Doran would not recuse herself from the Colorado Springs Independent Commission reviewing a ethics complaint against Mayor Lionel Rivera ("Ethics panel member a Rivera ally," The Gazette, June ). She called for Doran's withdrawal citing the "appearance of bias."

As a former chair of the all Volunteer Citizen Outreach Group, on which Doran has served on for several years, I feel compelled to assure citizens we could not have a better unbiased representative on this issue. Her dedication and participation on numerous citizen volunteer organizations in our city and county are exemplary.

She is driven not by political motivation, but by doing the right thing for us citizens.

Those of us who know her and have seen her volunteer successes welcome the "appearance of fairness" she will bring to this committee.

Joe Salute, Colorado Springs