Correction: Aye, aye, aye … a correction to last week’s correction regarding the Oct. 29 Historiography column: Wallace deBeque’s wife’s first name was Betty, not Betsy. 

Go CMS Rams! 
Congratulations to the Carbondale Middle School (CMS) boys eighth grade basketball team for winning the Eagle Valley Invitational tournament. The CMS Rams went 4-0. 

Team members included: Juanito Quintero, Rocco Lazar, Tygh Barker, Jackson Morton, Wyatt Cheney, Alex Broadhurst, Jesse Galvin, Tenzin Byrne, Tatum Rice, Mac Bevington and Declan Doherty. The Rams are coached by Joe Markham. 

Rams Fan
Carbondale

Citizens of Garfield County,
THANK you for passing 6B, an extension of the library’s mill levy. We are very pleased to report that on Nov. 3, 6B garnered 13,968 votes — more than twice as many as the votes against it. In fact, more people voted for the library than voted for or against any other issue or candidate on the ballot. Maybe that’s because the library is not a partisan issue — nor should it be.

We would also like to thank:

The remarkable service-oriented staff of the Garfield County Public Library District

The board that voted unanimously to put the measure before the public

The many people who made videos in support of the campaign, wrote letters to the editor, handed out campaign information or donated to the campaign

All of you who just wanted to keep your libraries strong, and showed up to make it happen!

Committee to Maintain Our Garfield County Libraries
Jocelyn Durrance, Chair
Carole O’Brien, Campaign Agent
Kevin O’Brien, Treasurer
Ellen Dole
Jamie LaRue
Sharon Morris
Laurie Raymond
Jamie Tredeaux

Trumpublicans 
Republican officeholders used to act in accordance with some general principles: law and order; federalism, states’ rights and local control; fiscal responsibility; supporting business (not just big business); free trade and strong international commerce; maintaining peace with a strong military and a broad network of alliances; and diplomacy that included helping other nations and peoples (soft power).

Republicans were cautious about adopting new policies and ideas. That conservative approach forced more liberal advocates of new programs to design them more carefully, and eliminate potential flaws. That’s a good thing.

Past Republicans showed patriotic zeal in dealing with crooks in their party, even highly placed officeholders such as Vice President Agnew and President Nixon. That has changed.

For 10 years, most Republican officeholders have abandoned their principles, bit by bit, in subservience to Donald Trump. A few have resigned or retired. Even fewer have fought for traditional Republican values, and have been driven out of office and party. Those who remain — however they may rationalize their support for this corrupt, erratic, unreliable president — have sold their principles to keep their jobs.  On a scale from “honest public servant” to “selfish coward,” they move toward the low end.  Republicans have become Trumpublicans.

Representative Jeff Hurd seems to be a pleasant person, who supports major Colorado business interests and no doubt has helped individual constituents. He does not act like a raving MAGA fanatic. But he has failed to resist even the worst Trump actions. Ignoring them, or claiming to not really support them, is not resistance. That is the moral failure that has infected, and may destroy, the Republican Party.

Trumpublicans’ unforgivable character flaw is that they put their own careers ahead of U.S. liberty, security and prosperity.  Do not vote for them, ever. Vote against them, always.

As they say, “For evil to triumph, it is only necessary that good people do nothing.” Let us hope for a new party of principled conservatives to emerge.

J. R. Bernard
Glenwood Springs

Is Trump gone yet? 
Okay, he’s destroyed the Oval Office. He’s destroyed the East Wing. He’s destroyed the Reflecting Pool. He’s destroying the Kennedy Center. He’s destroyed the economy. He’s destroyed the military. He’s destroying the Postal Service. He’s destroyed our alliances. He’s destroyed the free press. He’s destroyed the rule of law. He’s destroyed the lives of America’s immigrant community. He’s destroyed American society. He’s destroyed all of our futures for at least a generation. He’s contaminated our food supply. He’s destroying our national parks and protected lands. He’s destroyed our health and safety regulations. He’s destroyed trust in our elections. He’s destroying the air we breathe and the water we drink. He’s destroyed a century’s worth of progress and civil rights gains. 

I don’t know, is that cause for treason?

John Hoffmann
Carbondale