LETTERS: What's with Mikey?; Rate hikes; and more
What makes Mikey tick?
Re: Mikey Weinstein? (“Air Force Academy concedes”) What makes this man tick? Is he Muslim or some other anti-Christian religion? Or just mean? He is probably an atheist but that, in itself, would not explain his actions. I have some atheist friends and we obviously disagree on major issues, but they are good people and none of them would snatch toys away from children.
I’m sure none of the cadets were coerced to contribute. Operation Christmas Child is an entirely voluntary program. It’s not even like tax money being used to support a religion. As I understand it, what was in dispute is simply an announcement informing cadets about an opportunity to make destitute children a little happier, followed by an email from an individual cadet encouraging others to do so. What’s wrong with that?
And what’s with Brig. Gen. Richard Clark and other officers at the academy? If they can’t stand up to the likes of Mikey Weinstein, how do we expect them to defend our country — a country founded on the principle of religious freedom?
Rev. Bob Wahl
Cañon City
Idea beyond comprehension
At a time when thousands, if not millions, are homeless and almost 50 million cannot earn enough money to feed themselves, the idea of spending around $50 million on so-called art is beyond comprehension. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s private or public funding, it is still a travesty. That amount of money could provide much needed assistance to food pantries, homeless shelters and innumerable other nonprofit charitable organizations to help Americans in real trouble.
The damage to the environment necessary to install the support structures for all this cloth will survive the project and be visible in a formerly pristine area of our beautiful state for decades, if not forever. And who will clean up after these “artists” have gone on to their next “project”? How much trash and garbage will be left by the workers who actually do the installation?
When other worthwhile projects are rejected because of the possibility of damage to some resident critter, this project continues with no other purpose that to sate the ego of this “artist.” And when it’s over how much taxpayer money will be required to clean up the mess? Just a thought.
Don Laughlin
Colorado Springs
Issues with rate increases
Re: Nov. 7 Gazette article “Rate Hike to pay for SDS, other projects”:
Per The Gazette article Colorado Springs Utilities will ratchet up their 2012 spending by 87 million dollars. This will result in an average customer increase of 12 percent in water rates, 5 percent increase in natural gas rates, and a 1 percent increase in electricity. In addition water rates will continue to increase by 12 percent each year until 2016 when the Southern Delivery System (SDS) is scheduled for completion. I’m assuming that the rate is a compounded rate annually and not based on a baseline rate, which would be a huge increase. There was no mention of an increase in tap fees for new construction to try an offset some of the SDS cost. Doesn’t it make sense that the property developers should carry more of the burden of the SDS cost than existing homeowners? After all this is for future expansion not current population.
Second issue I have is utility employee raises. Board Chair Scott Hente said they would freeze all salaries for 2012 with the exception of “key employees who may otherwise leave utilities for higher-paid positions.” I assume Jerry Forte (CEO) is one of those key employees who is getting his annual raise and bonus. Forte, in the current economic climate having employees hold you hostage with threats of pay me or I’ll leave is absolutely ludicrous. Before you hand out these raises and bonuses I would challenge you to forward a list of high-risk employees and the impact to the utility company if they leave, to the city council and our new mayor. I guarantee you for every person on the list there are at least a 25 bona fide applicants waiting to take their place. It is about time we start running the Colorado Springs utility like a competitive private business and not like the monopoly it is.
Joseph Stoneking
Colorado Springs
