LETTERS: Wednesday

Will Malkin change her tune?

I was dismayed to read Michelle Malkin’s syndicated opinion, “There’s a history of Obama misusing schools to push agenda,” in the Sept. 4 Gazette. Rather than being an ignorant parent who blindly believes everything political activists say, I decided to watch President Barack Obama’s speech on education and judge for myself. My fifth-grade daughter had no school on Tuesday so we watched together. We then discussed what the president had to say.

We heard nothing of political agendas or attempts at child indoctrination. Rather, we heard a message of overcoming obstacles, learning from your mistakes, staying in school and studying hard to be successful.

I feel sorry for parents who let political activists decide what is best for their children rather than taking the time to find out what is best themselves.

One of the strongest opponents of Obama’s speech, Jim Greer, admitted that his harsh criticism was a mistake.

I am curious to see what Malkin has to say about his speech now. Will she be a responsible journalist and admit she made a mistake? Or will she be a conservative political activist who has lost all credibility with her readers?

Randy Eron

Colorado Springs

‘Job fair’ a hoax on unemployed

During Barack Obama’s campaign, he promised that 30 million jobs would be created, yet more people tend to lose theirs daily. Likewise, The Gazette had an ad for a job fair at the Antlers Hilton on Aug. 31, that claimed to want to “Put Coloradans to work.” Now, I ask where are these jobs?

Some of the employers were no-shows at the most recent job fair; the majority of the others were universities, colleges, or trade schools looking for students, not employees. How can these companies and The Gazette claim to put Coloradans to work when they don’t show up to hire motivated and talented individuals?

For those companies that didn’t show, how about stimulating my wallet by reimbursing me 50¢ per mile to get to and from the university, college and trade school recruiting event? Surely, you big companies with enough power to flex your muscle and refuse to show up at a measley little job fair aimed at putting Colordans back to work can afford eight bucks. But, on the other hand, you’d probably have to lay off someone to cover that cost.

Chris J. Hermes

Colorado Springs

Be specific when asking for hikes

I have lived in this fine city since Halloween day of 1991. In that time, I have seen many a tax hike proposal appear on our local ballots. One thing has been consistent over time: those proposals that are “for the good of the community,” or “to save our city,” do not pass. But, those that are targeted and specific do pass. Public safety proposals for police and firefighters passed; proposals for general fund increases that would help the city weather tough times fail.

I predict the current proposal will fail because it has the “feel good” language of saving our fair city from the evils of TABOR. However, it does not specify what the money is for. Is it going to go to another USOC boondoggle, or some economic development scheme to try to lure business to this city with bribes?

I love this city and want it to prosper. I want the parks taken care of, and city support services funded. Please put a detailed proposal of how the mill levy increase will be used, and what it will not be used for before the people, and let them decide. If it is reasonable, they will vote for it. Otherwise, expect it to fail.

William L. January

Colorado Springs

Downtown a filthy pigpen

Taking advantage of the delayed ascent at the Balloon Classic, some of us went downtown about 7 a.m. Sunday for breakfast. What a pigpen; Vomit all over the sidewalks outside the bars. The streets were cleaner. And the city wants to spend millions of dollars to get the USOC to establish offices in this environment. Nice doormats to welcome visitors to the city.

Part of having a liquor license should be to clean up the mess immediately after closing. I was under the impression that there was a downtown merchant’s association trying to get people to come downtown. This filth won’t get people downtown.

Bill Moss

Colorado Springs

Editorial comparison off base

This is in response to The Gazette’s Sept. 5 Our View advocating the sale of confiscated guns by public law enforcement agencies (“City’s plan to sell guns makes sense”). In part the editorial argued that such sales would generate income, even though in very modest amounts. It also argued that confiscated vehicles are resold, so why not guns? I presume — I hope — that such sales of guns would involve security clearances of prospective buyers. What are the costs of these procedures, in each case, weighed against profit?

Much more important is the argument vis-a-vis confiscated vehicles. The comparison of guns with cars is invalid. Yes, cars can be deadly in cases where drivers are less than totally responsible or in dangerous circumstances such as bad weather. But they are indispensable in our society for both commercial and domestic use. What aging person, like me, doesn’t anguish over the day when driving is no longer possible and dependency sets in?

Undeniably there are instances when a driver uses a vehicle deliberately for a deadly purpose. Nonetheless, the basic uses of an automobile or truck are constructive and too numerous to count. A gun has no purpose except to be deadly. Why should law enforcement enact the sale of weapons it has already confiscated as illegal? How ironic!

Barbara M. Arnest

Colorado Springs

Get rid of useless agencies

I think all Colorado taxpayers would like to see Gov. Bill Ritter target illusory and deliberately ineffectual state agencies for his budget cuts. I suggest Ritter start by eliminating the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, as they investigate less than 10 percent of the formal ethics complaints against attorneys and magistrates that they receive annually, according to HALT, Inc, a nonprofit legal reform group in Washington, D.C.

Next, I think Ritter should eliminate the equally illusory and deliberately ineffectual Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline as it has not unseated a single judge in its 42-year history.

Colorado citizens who for years have suffered from the unethical and often illegal actions of members of the legal community, including court officials, will not even notice the absence of these agencies.

Dale Thorup

Cañon City