LETTERS: Saturday

Save the future

I see that the times are changing, and many aspects of life changing along too. Though it is only recently that I have begun to worry about my future. I am a senior in high school, and I have taken all of the necessary steps to have a successful life, but then I took a look around. My peers all have so much within their capability, and I see many of them are not even putting out effort. I understand what it is like to just not care because high school for me had a rocky start, but now everything has changed and I fear it will not change for enough of the people in my generation.

A fellow senior once told me that he used to dream about becoming an engineer, but decided that accounting is better because the math is easier. So, give up on your dream so that the money is made easier. He is a mathematical genius, but he wants to take the easy road. This is the root of my fear. If one does it, why not all of us?

My question to you is, what can we do to achieve a better future? If we offer enough support in putting these kids on the right path would they take it? What will happen if we don’t change our structure now? Will we lose sight of our thriving future, as a nation? See it taken by another country we believed was relying on us, instead of vise versa?

If you face the facts, something needs to be changed. Structure needs to be strengthened and unbreakable. I do not believe that it is too late. If we work together, the bright future we have always foreseen will be achieved. All you need is one, after that the rest will follow. It would be a shame to see the education of our great nation falter, so we should not allow it to happen.

Miranda Necochea

Colorado Springs

Down the doughnut hole

I fell into the ‘doughnut hole’ (difference between the initial coverage limit and the catastrophic coverage threshold) in June, and will not come out until the last week of December.

In 2007, 3.4 million Medicare recipients fell into the ‘doughnut hole’, while being required to pay their Medicare Part D premiums.

Nearly 20 percent of Medicare recipients delayed or did not fill a prescription because costs were too high, and Medicare Part D coverage gaps are a big part of the problem.

This week, senators will decide whether to close the ‘doughnut hole’ and any health reform package that does not fix the problem would simply leave millions of older Americans behind, and I am one of them.

Louise Buchheit

Calhan

Where’s the money now?

For many years we have seen the highway signs: “Your Highway Tax Dollars at Work”. That sign always gave me a good feeling that at least my highway tax money was doing a good thing that I could see.

Now we see at all road work areas a different sign.  It is now the “Stimulus ..Recovery Act” that is doing the good things. Somehow I just don’t get the same good feeling.  I can’t help wondering that if this is the stimulus “gift” in action, what are they doing with our “Highway Tax Dollars” now?

 I have concluded that all the Dukes and Lords in the current administration and the Congress are performing magic acts with smoke and mirrors that would make Houdini envious.

Do they think, we the people, are all really that stupid?

William Horn

Colorado Springs

Start at the top

To City Councilman Tom Gallagher, regarding his quote in the Dec. 9 Gazette: You do realize you went about this in exactly the wrong way? If you had the courage to layoff Paul Butcher at the beginning you could have split his duties between several other  middle managers and save us the demoralizing effect you have had on the whole city. You are getting rid of the whole department so management won’t have anything to manage.  Got that. So unless you really planned to get rid of the whole blasted department and everything connected to it, why didn’t you just start at the top and restructure?  No guts, no glory.

Della Valk

Colorado Springs

No city funding for detox

Apparently Neil Talbott, (Letters, Dec. 8) did not read or comprehend the articles in the paper about the El Paso County Detox Center. As well publicized, funding came mostly from Penrose and Memorial Hospitals.

They apparently figured the saving on cost for their emergency units justified the gifts to the sheriff, who pushed for the center.  No city money was involved that I can find.

James Corcoran

Colorado Springs

Get the story right

City Budgets are another example of the misdirection of our City officials. The discovery of money that was miscalculated by the city is another example of the city’s indifference to taxpayers. I’m tired of being told the city is so short on money and needs an increase in funds to maintain city services. The old Gloom and Doom Syndrome. And when things look the darkest, money is found to save the day. I read articles that the city has some of the best employees and they make mistakes like this! If they were in the real world they would be called on the carpet, or fired. I’m glad services were saved, but let’s just get the story right the first time.

John Rhea

Colorado Springs

Letter to Lamborn

This letter is in response to an email sent by Congressman Lamborn to his constituents on Dec. 9, titled “Update: ICE Office, Afghanistan death Death Tax”:

After years of hard work, I am so glad your GOP small government agenda was able to bring some big government pork (the new ICE office) to Colorado Springs; we were way overdue. I was starting to think all the pork was going to Comrade Murtha’s district. Glad to see that votes still win out over ethics.

My family totally agrees with your stance on Afghanistan. You are absolutely correct that it is not enough for President Obama to agree with conservatives on the need to escalate our occupation of Afghanistan. If we are to rid the world of the tyranny of terrorism, it is our duty to occupy as much as the Middle East as possible, for as long as possible. Just like the Crusades. And the Russians. And the British. Hmmm…maybe we should rethink this. Anyway…

As to the Death Tax, I agree that this is a blight on small estates (the ones worth more than $3.5 million dollars). But I’m a little confused…can you explain how taxing a personal, family estate worth in excess of three million dollars affects small businesses? It’s my understanding that this is profit that was accrued from a business (again an “estate” is not a business), so this tax would not affect businesses at all, just obscenely rich estates and/or families. Is this not correct? If that’s right, then please do all you can to kill this tax, as I plan to be obscenely rich later in life.

Spencer Stefansic

Colorado Springs