Letters - Saturday
TROUBLE AHEAD
State liable for damages caused by smoking ban
When you don't defend the rights of others, you invite the demise of your own. The Colorado Constitution, in cases of property rights impairment, is unconstitutional. The cases of Mill v. State Department of Health,(1989) and Jorgenson v. City of Aurora, (1988) prohibit the government from claiming any sovereign immunity in cases where the value or use of property has been damaged by the actions of government. Since the protection of property rights is a constitutional guarantee, the government must compensate for damages.
The smoking ban imposed by government has created those damages in neighborhood mom-and-pop bars, taverns and casinos and damaged the use of those properties. The Legislature would do well with the taxpayers money to avoid being liable for damages by rescinding the smoking ban. The losses so far have been documented and exceed $30 million. This smoking ban has destroyed not only the tax revenue from bars, taverns and casinos but also caused unemployment in a depreciating economy, which increases the cost to the state for food stamps, aid to kids and welfare.
A law that does egregious harm and is also unconstitutional should be erased from the law, before the people suffering those losses file lawsuits for the damage done to their business. The Legislature would be using sound judgment if it would compensate bars, taverns and casinos for the amount of money they have lost as a consequence of their unconstitutional actions before the numbers get higher. In other words, lawmakers, cut the cost to the taxpayers now or face explaining to them why the state of Colorado has been bankrupted by violating the constitutional rights of private property owners.
Allen Campbell, Senior vice president Coalition for Equal Rights Colorado Springs
FUZZY MATH
Numbers don't add up to justify government help
I'd like to know how Kathy White determined people making less than $47,000 pay 9 percent state income tax ("Colorado's working poor need relief through tax credit," Other Voices, April 1). According to the Colorado tax code, all taxpayers pay .0463 of their federal adjusted gross income (AGI). A taxpayer making $46,000 who is supporting a non-employed spouse and one child would be entitled to the following: A federal tax credit of $10,700 standard deduction and a $10,200 ($3,400 x 3) personal deduction on their federal taxes. That would make the federal AGI $25,100. That taxpayer would owe $2,979 in federal income tax which calculates out to 11.86 percent. Using that AGI of $25,100, they would owe $1,162 to the state of Colorado (25,100 x .0463), for a combined tax of $4,141.
Most middle income people have a 28 percent federal tax rate. Using the federal tax calculation for someone with an AGI of $592,000, they would pay $179,406 in federal tax. Their state tax would be $27,409 (592,000 x .0463), for a combined tax of $206,815. As you can see, the more you make the more you pay in taxes.
I don't believe we need to further punish people for success.
John Dunnock, Colorado Springs
UNBRIDLED LIBERTY?
To build civilized society, freedom must be tempered
Freedom, while important, is meaningless without respect for other people. We do not have to agree with their ideas or even necessarily respect their ideas. We must, however, treat them as we would wish to be treated. Colorado College claims that one of its key goals is a more diverse and respectful community, and we have put substantial energy into increasing diversity ("Fliers at CC trigger free speech debate," The Gazette, April 2). However, the various events documented in this article (homophobic chants at hockey games, "fag" scratched into the door of a Residence Life Coordinator, blackface) show just how far we have to go on the respect front.
We can't respect people if we don't understand who they are, both as individuals and as members of groups. Name-calling and blackface are disrespectful because they are tied to a history of problematic treatment that includes violence and demeaning language, among other kinds of inequality. For feminists, the Monthly Bag fits this pattern. It is not surprising that many men don't see it that way, just as it is not surprising that most whites minimize the history and current impacts of racism.
Social inequality is deeply grounded in a lack of respect - for women, people of color, lesbian and gay people, and others. When we choose to curtail our freedom to disrespect others in order to build a meaningful society, we have made a mature and wise choice - and one that college should help us learn.
Amanda Udis-Kessler, Director of Institutional Research and Planning The Colorado College Colorado Springs
TIME FOR CHANGE
Clinton what nation needs to stop destructive tailspin
I'm an 86-year-old, retired military person, and every day I thank God for letting me live long enough to see a woman run for president. I'm of the belief that the female population are the most oppressed people that have ever been in this great nation, besides perhaps the North American Indian.
From the days of George Washington, every time we have had something go wrong in our government it has been done by a man. Why not give a female a chance? I believe Hillary Clinton could be what Margaret Thatcher was for England. We have to do something to wake up this great nation, as it is headed down the road to destruction - morally, spiritually and financially - at breakneck speed.
Louis L. Manley, Colorado Springs
LEARNING CURVE
Bruce takes lawmakers to school on state law
It seems as though everything Doug Bruce does gets unfairly scrutinized by the news media these days. I would rather read more pertinent news in the "legislative news" section of The Gazette, except in this case, when I am grateful to The Gazette for letting me know about yet one more time Bruce has been able to help other lawmakers become familiar with state law and imaginative ways to effectively campaign ("Bruce's fliers raise eyebrows in the House," Metro, April 2).
Heather Sykes, Colorado Springs
MYTHBUSTING
Homeschoolers have classes, just like other students
I'm 12 years old and concerned that people don't have the right idea about homeschooling. Some assume that we just hang around and do nothing all day. I have heard comments like this.
Although it is true that I can do schoolwork in my pajamas and in my room, we are required to be productive and on a schedule. We don't get to miss school when there is bad weather or parent-teacher conferences. My mom just talks to herself and calls it good.
We are required to take piano lessons and do some kind of sport for physical education. We can't even say that we have homework to get out of chores, because all of our schoolwork is homework. We don't have to worry about breaking the news of our grades to our parents, because they already know how we're doing.
I really like homeschooling because it's fun and we get to learn about stuff that other kids might not learn about until college.
I hope that clears some things up for people.
Tate Enos, Colorado Springs
