Letters - Friday

PUBLIC EDUCATION
Parents have many opportunities to be involved in local schools

In its Dec. 4 Our View, The Gazette made the leap that "the problem is public education, per se" by pointing to one our nation's most ineffective school districts and applying it to all school districts ("Obama family's school choice").

Public education faces a number of complex issues. Recession, war, increasing child poverty, the increasing number of hours children spend watching TV and playing video games, and other circumstances are not excuses. They are real factors.

The editorial made parents sound helpless to "elitist policy makers' dictates." This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, there are a number of ways parents can play an active role in their child's education and future.

• Attend the meetings for your board of education and get to know its members. Be wary of those on the board who seem to push for issues around a limited scope, and encourage them to stay updated on the latest educational research.

• Join your district's District Accountability Advisory Committee. This is a great way to get a broad understanding of your district and address specific concerns directly to people who can act on them.

• Join your school's Building Accountability Advisory Committee or School Accountability Committee. This will give you a broad understanding of your school, its focus, and its achievement as well as give you a place to directly address questions to school personnel.

• Join your school's PTO or PTA. These groups serve an important role in the school through fundraising, planning of family events and a variety of other ways.

• Play an intelligent, active role in your child's classroom success. Talk to your children about their school day, support your children with their homework, help them stay on top of their assignments by helping them with a planner or utilizing online grading systems, learn about the curriculum for your child's subjects, and do your best to maintain a sense of professionalism with your child's teachers.

• Model being a continuing learner in your home. Read to your children, but also let them see you reading for your own pleasure. Demonstrate a hobby and how it helps you maintain personal balance.

The education of our nation's children is more important than ever. With rising global competition and a need for 21st century skills, we need a true team effort, not the illogical finger pointing demonstrated in the editorial.

Kris Levi, Colorado Springs

AUTO BAILOUT
Democrats have opportunity to fight against special interest

The strong criticism of both auto industry executives and their union workers, whose exotic wages and benefits put their companies at a competitive disadvantage on the world market, is long overdue ("Tough sell for automakers," The Gazette, Dec. 10).

According to data from Forbes.com, the average hourly wage and benefit expense for union workers at Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler is $73.21 or $152,276 per year.

That figure for Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, in the U.S., is $48, or $99,000 per year.

According to the American Association of University Professors, the average compensation, including benefits, for a college professor in 2006 was $92,973. That means the average UAW worker with a high school degree earns 64 percent more than the average university professor with a Ph.D., and 54 percent more than the average worker at Toyota, Honda or Nissan.

Although unions once played a vital role in the evolution of worker safety and welfare, through the studied abuse of power they have become little more than legal extortion rackets. As such, they predictably drive up consumer costs, distort market efficiencies, and add unnecessary expense to products, making it impossible for their employers to compete.

With Congress ready to once again subsidize failure, it would be a sign that the Democrats' special-interest fever had subsided if they ceased their transparently political support for unions, which is tantamount to a cynical and insulting disregard for the American consumer, as well as our economy.

Philip Mella, Woodland Park

PLAYING FAVORITES?
Auto CEOs put through wringer while financial giants get a pass

I am more than a little confused by the different, and I think significant, manner in which Congress has conducted hearings on the requests for financial assistance from the Wall Street investment banks, and the U. S. automobile manufacturers. In the latter case, CEOs from Ford, Chrysler and GM appeared before congressional committees to answer probing questions and to receive criticism and advice. I believe that such face to face discussion always leads to a better outcome.

In the case of the Wall Street investment banks, no CEO from CitiGroup, J. P. Morgan/Chase or Goldman Sachs appeared before a congressional committee to answer questions. The advocates for the $700 billion bailout package were, for the most part, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.

It now appears that this procedure has resulted in an inferior and very questionable outcome. Does anyone share my confusion over why such different methods were used to deal with these similar situations?

Charles Merritt, Colorado Springs

INSPIRATION FOR CITY
‘Milk' message of hope, vision could influence our city

Last Sunday, after preaching a message to my congregation about the Christ child who came and died for all God's people, I got in my car with a friend and drove to Denver to watch a movie about another person who died trying to bring life, freedom and hope to the world: Harvey Milk. The film, simply titled "Milk," has been receiving rave reviews, and I found it, in a word, transformative. But there is a problem. Most people do not know that the film "Milk" has been released, and many people do not even know who Harvey Milk was.

Milk was a businessman from New York who moved to San Francisco in 1972 and eventually became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office. Milk was murdered, along with the San Francisco mayor - an ending which is made clear in the first scenes of the movie.

While many here in Colorado Springs would have varying opinions on Milk's lifestyle, one thing remains true: If we do not know our history, we are destined to repeat it.

I want a better story for Colorado Springs. I want this beautiful city to be a beacon of hope, prosperity and joy for all people. If we are ever to achieve that kind of vision, where every person is appreciated and accepted, we must all see this film. We must learn the history of how one city strove for that same goal and failed, tragically and violently.

If we learn from the mistakes of others, perhaps we can light the candles of hope and guide the rest of our state, nation and world into a better future.

"Milk" is not a "gay movie." Instead, it is a movie about hope. It is about this one man who came with a vision of a better world and was willing to give his last breath in pursuit of that dream. Harvey Milk was, in that way, like Jesus.

I hope you will see this film, learn this history, and work to bring us one step closer to that vision of loving community that Christ (and so many others) brought to our world.

"Milk" is being shown at Kimball's Twin Peak Theater starting today.

The Rev. Wes Mullins, Pastor, Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church Colorado Springs

HELPING HANDS
Strangers, emergency personnel came to rescue after car crash

My husband and 8-year-old daughter were involved in a bad car accident at the intersection of Powers and Astrozon boulevards after school on Nov. 17. My husband was trapped in the driver's seat and was unable to get to our daughter in her car seat.

Within seconds, witnesses came to their aid, retrieving and consoling our little girl while waiting for the police and fire departments to free her daddy.

I want to send a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who stopped to help, and to our city's police and emergency personnel for the wonderful job they do every day.

Naomi Soraoka, Colorado Springs