Letters - Sunday
Local money the way to go
I have watched the newspaper telling me that, economically, we must take in our belts.
This is true if we just sit here and do nothing.
Our major problem is that there seems to be a general shortage of money while, at the same time, we have far too many of our citizens unemployed or underemployed.
But, there is an answer. The answer is for the city and county to print their own money; sometimes called Scrip. Then, by using this scrip, we could hire our own citizens who need work to perform needed projects. In this way, Colorado Springs and El Paso County can lift themselves up by their bootstraps.
This is not a new thing. Many cities did this in the Great Depression.
But the question will be asked; what would such money be worth? Would it not simply become scraps paper with no value at all?
This scrip would be backed by the full faith and credit of the city and the county and because it would be accepted at par by the governments for the payment of taxes - city and county.
A secondary market develops in the exchange of this scrip, with property owners willing to buy this scrip for Federal Reserve Notes at some discount.
And some retailers will, in order to stimulate their sales, offer to accept this scrip in exchange for their services or merchandise.
This plan has proven to work in the past and it would work for us now. If no one else will volunteer to run this program, call me. I am unemployed but am, too, willing to work, even for scrip.
Les Crane, Colorado Springs
Group is not about justice
On May 17 I attended an extraordinary event at the City Auditorium, "A Night to Honor Israel," organized by the national organization Christians United for Israel. It was surreal - in a wonderful way - to be in the middle of about 1,000 people (mostly Christians but with the leavening of a hundred or so Jews) singing Israeli songs of peace in Hebrew.
The evening was almost completely apolitical, propounding broad principles of Israel's right to exist free of terror, and the role of Israel and Jews in general in the bringing about of a better world. I want to thank not only the organizers, but also every Christian who attended. It was a very heartening show of support, appreciated by this Jew.
It also bears mentioning that there was a small group of protesters outside who claimed to represent the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. I'd heard of this organization before but knew very little about it. Now I know plenty.
Their largest banner read "Illegal Occupation: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine." There are legitimate arguments against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, although I disagree with all of them (I'm a veteran of both wars.) But to call our presence in both countries "illegal" is the height of silliness; we have agreements with the governments of both countries that determine the conditions of our continued presence.
As to ‘Occupied Palestine,' the Israelis have long ago withdrawn from every square inch of the Gaza Strip and the vast majority of the West Bank - with offers for further withdrawal to which their Palestinian neighbors responded by launching a terror war.
But far more telling about the Justice and Peace Commission - and its perverted notion of "peace and justice" was a smaller banner they displayed: "Zionism = Racism." That slogan was discredited long ago in the United Nations as being not only wrong, but anti-Semitic as well.
Rabbi Don Levy, Colorado Springs
GOP train headed to right
It is true that the GOP must get on board, but not on the train going in the direction Patrick Daugharty thinks the GOP should go ("GOP must get on board," Letters, May 15). We need to get back on the train going to the right. Although a patriot and war hero, John McCain is no more a conservative than is Colin Powell. The party must go back to its conservative roots, not try to look like the Democrats. The direction of family values, capitalism, less government and return of the respect of our country must be the goal in the next election.
The GOP must attack the uncontrolled spending and the turn in the direction of socialism.
The course the country is headed in now will make us look like Europe with its huge taxes (Britain is now at 61 percent) and all-controlling government. We fought a revolution to get away from this type of government; we do not want to have to do it again.
Jim Bowden, Colorado Springs
Trending toward local control
As a Coloradan, I am more concerned with being under the growing authority of the federal government than under the lawful government of the state of Colorado. As such, I support the Patrick Henry Caucus, an emerging affiliation of legislators from all states who corroboratively are working to strengthen states rights in each of their jurisdictions.
Readers should familiarize themselves with the recent legislative initiative in Montana concerning gun rights. Montana has passed legislation that says if guns are manufactured in that state for sale only in Montana, then the federal government has no authority over them because their sale doesn't involve interstate commerce.
This fight is as much about the 10th Amendment as the Second, and it is almost guaranteed to face a court challenge. But other states are already lining up to consider similar legislation.
My interest in all this is more focused on state legislation that seeks stronger Colorado authority over Coloradans, as opposed to federal government control over our lives and livelihoods.
Warren Smith, Monument
