Letters to the editor – June 29, 2023

Fourth of July
With each day’s news, it is easy to become discouraged as the arguments and protests swirl around the country. Despite our weariness, it is important to recognize that this freedom of opinion and the opportunity to voice it was guaranteed by the men and women of our military. On the Fourth of July, as we Americans celebrate our country’s independence and freedoms, we should remember the men and women who serve and have served in our military. They, sometimes at great cost, serve to protect us and secure the freedoms we enjoy. Our U.S. veterans will be honored at several parades around the Valley. If you served, please join in and receive the community’s gratitude and recognition. If you are on the sideline, enthusiastically show your appreciation as they pass. If you see someone you know who is a veteran, take a moment to give a shout or shake a hand.

Aspen’s Fourth of July parade invites all U.S. military veterans, active duty members and reservists to join our group: Tribute to Our Veterans. Meet on Main Street by Paepcke Park in Aspen at 10AM.  Call Sally at 970-948-8278 for details. Rides are available. We hope to see you there.

 Happy Fourth of July!

Hugh Roberts, USAF Vietnam

Grateful for RFOV
The Trust for Land Restoration, Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA), Aspen Valley Land Trust and the Town of Marble thank the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) for their Marble Extravaganza work weekend. Many of the Volunteers camped at the Marble Campground  and mobilized on two (frosty!) mornings for three different projects. 

Crews worked at the Marble Mill Site, on the Raspberry Creek Trail and in the Marble Wetlands Preserve.

RFOV crew and volunteers have completed projects to protect and improve public lands in our three rivers area for decades. Projects give participants great satisfaction while offering opportunities to meet new people and camp in great places.

Thanks to Ryan at Slow Groovin BBQ for feeding volunteers both evenings.

Support RFOV!

John Armstrong, CVEPA

Boebert’s impeachment attempt
On Wednesday [June 21] night, our congresswoman, Representative Lauren Boebert, filed a privileged motion that would force a vote on a resolution to impeach President Joe Biden. Ms. Boebert promises to bring the resolution to a floor vote on a daily basis, ad infinitum.

Last year, Ms. Boebert delivered federal remittances to Colorado Congressional District 3 (CD-3) of $4.95 billion.  The average congressional district in the state enjoyed federal remittances of $6.05 billion.  Our district was short-changed by approx $1.1 billion, which amounts to $1,452 per man, woman and child in CD-3.  That is real money that could have been used to fix our roads and bridges.

I am certainly no fan of President Biden.  His weak foreign policy, his open borders (with the attendant 107,000 annual opioid deaths), his alleged corruption with ties to Russia and China, his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and his green boondoggle to wealthy donors is wilting our public fisc and international prestige.  But, somebody needs to explain to me (I am running for the Republican nomination in CD-3 against Ms. Boebert) how impeaching Joe Biden will increase federal spending in the largest non-single-state congressional district in the nation.

Russ Andrews, Carbondale