Water aware
Ah, the Annual Water Quality Report, so important to know that our water is cared for. I trust our water awareness is maturing. I greatly appreciate that only naturally occurring fluoride is in Carbondale’s water, which gives me the option to use in my dental care. We are water aware.
Richard Vottero
Carbondale
Wise words for Flag Day
My grandfather, John C. Lawyer, was born June 14, 1884 in Illinois and grew up on his parents’ farm. After long walks to grade school and high school, he went to the University of Illinois to study law, and graduated valedictorian of the entire university in 1907. His valedictorian speech could have been written this week. I quote him in part.
“We live in a glorious country. We are proud that we are Americans. We love our country because it fixes no bounds to the hopes we hold. America has come to mean unlimited opportunity.
“Bearing in mind that education is our country’s bulwark, it is not strange that its enemy should be ignorance in her various forms of corruption, vice and graft. Our country is today engaged in a life and death contest with corruption. Among the most valuable assets of the corruptionist is blind partisanship. The corruptionist’s success depends on his ability to confuse the people. He appeals to their passions and prejudices.
“Those who represent an honest difference of opinion, who seek honestly and conscientiously to discover the truths that will reconcile and solve the problems of the generation they represent, are an honor to their party and a blessing to their country.
“Our national disease of corruption is due to concentration of wealth and congestion of populations, which breeds poverty and want, the handmaidens of ignorance, disease and vice. It is, therefore, highly important that we redouble our energies, and correct these tendencies in three important particulars.
“We must educate and we must see to it that the fields of opportunity are left open to all, and thirdly, that each is secure in the fruits of his efforts. If we restore and preserve equality of opportunity in material and educational pursuits, and insure to each and every one the full enjoyment of the results of his endeavors, the future of our nation is assured.”
I celebrated Grandpa’s birthday June 14, alongside the many flags of nations and states we are hanging in Carbondale to honor the origins of our townspeople. In diversity, Unity …
Illène Pevec
Carbondale
‘Pursuit of Happiness’
As we approach the celebration of the 250th anniversary of our country, I think it is important to review the intent of our founding fathers.
Our Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The values of Americans today should be consistent with this sentence in the Declaration of Independence.
The unalienable right of all men to pursue happiness requires that all children in the United States be given that opportunity. For example, it requires that even very poor children, who may have been abandoned by their parents, or possibly living with relatives in a public housing project, have an unalienable right to pursue happiness. A prerequisite for that pursuit includes adequate healthcare, nutrition and education. Since many poor children often don’t have parents who can help provide for their healthcare, nutrition and education, I believe that it is the collective responsibility of our society (our government) to provide for these unalienable rights.
Although we can individually help a few of the poor on a personal level, government programs can address the needs of millions of poor children in need. As citizens of the United States of America, we have a moral obligation to support these kinds of programs, and encourage our politicians to do the same.
Kevin Kreuz
Carbondale
Change the zoning
The Roaring Fork Valley is increasingly overwhelmed with development, construction and traffic. I find it disgusting. We arrived in the upper valley in 1970. That was a very different lifestyle. There was also very different weather. Two very destructive things are the cause of the changes. Two huge mistakes. Climate change is obvious. The second is zoning. Less obvious. Our communities are not conducting a concerted or effective effort to reduce the Valley’s greenhouse emissions. Just look at the increasing amount of traffic and the constant construction of buildings of all kinds.
Why are these buildings, many in new developments, still getting built? Answer: ZONING. Our Valley is divided up into a number of jurisdictions with separate zoning regs. Years ago, people looked at the amount of land around them and designated different spaces to have different uses. But nobody sat down to understand what was going to happen if all of these spaces were built out. What would that mean to the highway? The ONLY highway, by the way.
How many employees would be generated? Will we have enough water? What about our air supply? What happens if the ski areas grow in size, attract more visitors and need more employees? Hey, there was money to be made.
So here we sit today, with a Texas developer wanting to use the zoning on the Cattle Creek property near Glenwood to put in some 1,500 units. What did not happen years ago, was for the Valley elders to look at what has been happening and cancel existing zoning where it hasn’t been used. Putting up more buildings is guaranteed to make our current problems worse. The Valley does not NEED more people.
Adding more people forces the addition of more infrastructure. That means raising property taxes and usually sales taxes. Case in point, Glenwood just passed a new half-cent sales tax to raise money to fix streets. That’s how developers gain wealth, they don’t cover the costs that are due down the line. The communities have to fix things later.
Change the zoning.
Patrick Hunter
Carbondale
Weiser endorsement
Eight years ago, I sat, listened and got to know Phil Weiser at a dinner in Pitkin County. Although he was running for attorney general, his breadth of knowledge and interest in all Colorado issues was exceptional. From the environment, public lands, recreation, water, education, rural health care, small business and the rural community, Phil was surprisingly engaged and knowledgeable.
Phil clerked for justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Byron White, worked in the U.S. Department of Justice and White House and was dean of the CU Law School.
During his years as attorney general, he has built relationships with legislators, the staff of Colorado departments and leaders of all 64 Colorado counties. He will “hit the ground running” as our next governor.
Phil has the legal, administrative and leadership credentials to not only serve as governor, but perhaps be one of our greatest governors! He will support the next attorney general and implement all powers available to the state to stand firm against any affront to the liberty, freedoms and expressions of conscience afforded to the citizens of Colorado.
Phil will work with labor unions, agriculture interests, technology, healthcare, public safety and academic resources to coordinate solutions and improvements to Colorado’s greatest challenges.
Phil has an impressive set of endorsements, both local and statewide, who believe in his leadership. See for yourself at philforcolorado.com/endorsements and learn more about his stance on the issues at philforcolorado.com/issues
For you, your children and your grandchildren, vote for Phil Weiser, a unique talent, as our next governor of Colorado.
Roger Wilson
Former CO State Rep.
Stay in the senate, please
The enormous wisdom and tenacity that Phil Weiser has provided as Colorado’s attorney general confirms that we should elect him as governor.
As a high-school teacher and administrator for 35 years, I greatly appreciate Phil Weiser’s plans to rebuild and rethink education. He also provides invaluable support for my current work as a youth advocate, prioritizing the state’s support for kids who are struggling within so many parts of their lives.
I’ve always been a fan of both Phil Weiser and Michael Bennet, because they have done phenomenal work in their roles as attorney general and senator. There’s no question in my mind, though: Bennet should stay in the senate, and Weiser should be elected as our next governor.
Mariah Dickson
Carbondale
The box is broken!
I remember watching the previous trustee board in Carbondale pedantically approve projects using terms “market prices” and “deed restricted units” to justify letting developers build high-end projects. We cannot solve the housing problem! And as climate changes, we are forced to realize we have limited resources and cannot accommodate or guarantee water for ourselves, let alone the proposed new family units in the Valley.
Building new rental units that regular working people can’t afford provides no value to the community at large, and would only worsen the local inequities — like people who bought houses 40 years ago who now have to pay property taxes based on home values the “market” sets. And market prices are BS, because that just means that someone with more disposable income can always outbid you for an investment or second home!
If we are to retain the community we know and love we are going to have to think outside the box, find ways that serve the needs of the people, develop alternate financing — perhaps lotteries or allowing prospective owners to put up down payment for construction. Where there is a will there is a way.
We really don’t need any three-story private million dollar apartments on Main Street. This is not Aspen.
Frederic Smith
Carbondale
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