LETTERS: Thursday
Rudeness on display for Lamborn
It is most disappointing to see hecklers at a meeting where people are gathered to hear what someone has to say (“Hecklers gum up town hall meeting,” Local, Oct. 20). Just plain courtesy requires that everyone should have their say. Apparently those people have no courtesy.
The actions of the hecklers speak louder than their words. They have no argument, no logic, just a lot of yelling and screaming, very much like their Democratic representatives in Congress, much talk but no substance.
At least Rep. Doug Lamborn hired a room large enough to accommodate the expected large crowd. Not like Sen. Michael Bennet, who limited the space for his meetings to 100 seats for his hand-picked supporters so he would not have to hear his constituents tell him that Colorado does not want the irresponsible and outrageous Obamacare. I’m hopeful Bennet will be looking for new employment in 2010.
Sidney Patin
Colorado Springs
Free speech at risk from hecklers
I was very disappointed to read about how opponents of Rep. Doug Lamborn behaved at the town hall meeting. Shouting down someone you don’t agree with is no way to get anyone to side with you and is simply childish and rude.
Those who argue for health care are supposedly arguing for equality and fairness for all Americans. However, judging from the behavior exhibited Monday, this seems to only apply to the price of medical aid, not to freedom of speech.
Jessica Hewett
Colorado Springs
Plenty of savings in city budget
Methinks Carol Bowles doth protest too much (“Painful choices necessary,” Letters, Oct. 19). Nothing could be more foolish than to vote for 2C and against 300. What is needed, as we’ve seen so well before, is more financial transparency and accountability.
Recent revelations say that the average annual city employee salary is $89,000 per year, with 64 city personnel salaries exceeding $100,000.
The city manager has taken no considerations to temporarily cut pay checks until the economy resumes, thus leaving her suspect of being leashed.
And I’m told that some of these enterprises are accountable to no one. The question is raised, is there $25 million worth of pork remaining to be trimmed?
I need convincing that paid advertising by Colorado Springs Utilities is wise in a market in which it has no competition. Can it be that there is some wasted schmoozing with the mass media?
And how many of these city jobs could be reduced to a work description and then advertised for bids to a five-year contract? Are we not a community of talented and educated people looking for work who have the moxie to negotiate their own employment contracts?
I say let’s bring hope and change to our city by upgrading the management into the 21st century. Make us model to our returning troops an efficient and practical city government that is truly worth fighting for.
Curt Neeley
Colorado Springs
Don’t endanger city with cuts
When our son was 10 years old, he tripped running up the stairs and choked on a piece of hard candy. A frantic call to 911 brought firefighters to our door within just a few minutes, while we were still speaking to the dispatcher. They rendered emergency medical care and stabilized our son before he was transported to the hospital. He recovered fully.
A few years later, during a phone conversation with a single friend one evening, she suddenly shrieked, “Someone’s in my back yard next to the house!” and the phone went dead. We called 911 and police were immediately dispatched to her house, arriving within minutes and frightening the intruder away. Our friend’s phone line had been deliberately cut, but she was safe.
We shudder to think what could have happened in either of those incidents if fire or police personnel had been delayed due to staffing cutbacks. If 2C fails to pass and Fire and Police department jobs are eliminated, we all risk losing a great deal more than our tax dollars.
Judy and Laddie Blaskowski
Colorado Springs
Read the Constitution
Steven William Statham is certainly within his rights to express his opinion, but I sure wish people would read the Constitution before spouting someone else’s ill-contrived drivel (“Article missed some points,” Letters, Oct. 16). While the establishment clause receives all of the noteworthy comments on the principle of separation of church and state, the subject of the sentence seems to get lost. What part of “Congress shall pass no law” escapes people?
The word “Congress” appears exactly 60 times in the Constitution, but nowhere is it defined as a school board, city council, county government, state government or any other entity besides the United States House and Senate. Law, I hope, is just as obvious. Just because judicial activism conjured up the separation principle doesn’t mean it is constitutional; it is a judicial invention by the Supreme Court that should not have been heard. Until another Supreme Court reverses the decision it is law, but it is not a part of the Constitution.
Dean Geary
Colorado Springs
