Letters

Citizens came forward during Monday's City Council meeting to state their concerns that the city of Montrose Trash and Recyclable request for proposals needed more work in a number of areas to make it more specific as to meaning and intent. I was one of those objecting.

The Pacey Economic and Fiscal Impacts Report released in November states that "PERA payments are a critical source of reliable predictable income and provide an ‘automatic economic stabilizing effect' on state, regional and local economies, especially in economic downturns as these monies provide important stimulus in market activity."

We will be watching with interest as our community discusses and determines the fate of the recreation center proposal. In August of last year, we took our three grandchildren to Durango. At the time, we made the plans, we were unaware of Durango's recreation center. When we arrived there, we discovered our motel was close by the center, so we checked it out.

Nick Hanauer is a venture capitalist who has made a bundle of money. I recently heard him discuss the tax issue as relating to the wealthy and the job issue.

After observing all the endorsements that Mitt Romney is receiving, especially from those that have had a hand in causing the mess the country is in (such as Dole, Bush, McCain, etc.), I have concluded that if Romney wins the nomination and then the presidency, it will be “business as usual.”

How many people realize that the Republican and Democrat parties are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution? Our two-party system has created a political class complete with a subservient media interested only in maintaining their power.  They don’t represent Main Street unless Main Street is located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

What a great race! The far right’s strutting puffery, tri-cornered hats and Gadsden flags have morphed into hot-rodding warriors roaring down the wrong ramp of the “confronting reality” highway, completely oblivious to that general election Mack truck barreling down on them.   

I felt like the article Tom Oliver wrote on recycling was one of the best I’ve seen. Recycling is a good thing as long as the energy (fossil fuels) expended to recycle is less than what is used doing it. Either recycling or the manufacture of new material requires the use of energy and which ever one costs less is the winner.

It is the duty of the District Attorney to hold offenders accountable for criminal conduct and seek justice for victims of crime. It is impossible for this to happen without courageous people who are willing to report criminal conduct and are wiling to speak their truth in the face of public skepticism, uncertainty and attacks on their credibility and reputations.

I must take exception to Mr. Nelson’s opinion about the new roundabouts being “unnecessary.”

Mayor Pro-Tem Carol McDermott was reported as noting the average and predominate sales tax figure in surrounding Western Slope cities is 7.9 percent. Montrose is currently at 7.65 percent. The City Council hopes to propose a 0.2 percent or greater sales tax increase for specific projects on the April ballot.

Having signed the petition to raise taxes, proponents of the new rec center are now a roster of volunteers, demonstrating the content of their character. They established the need and now can be relied upon to deliver the work to satisfy the need, without pay, because it is needed. 

What do we have to do? A stop sign is a sign that means to stop. We go down Harvest Road to get onto U.S. 50. We DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT have a stop or yield sign to go across the frontage road onto U.S. 50.

We read the letters in the paper and agree or disagree silently, but the issue of a recreation center compels us to say what we think out loud. Too often, those in agreement on an issue don’t speak up; therefore, most letters that are printed are from the naysayers.

Every few months or so, I review our family budget for deletions, additions and corrections; with two sons in college, the budget can be a challenge. We’re like most all families; we have income, expenses, savings and debt.

Your Jan. 13 article “Gov. Hickenlooper urges passage of civil unions” prompts me to ask: At what point do the substantial majority of citizens who do not accept (or at least not approve) the degradation of civil society by the aggressive vocal minority of multiculturalist moral relativists stand up and say “ENOUGH.”

Here is a man who had won the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star who was putting himself aside and thought that the soldiers who were injured in the shooting that claimed the lives of 12 people should also receive a Purple Heart for their stamina in this situation. They weren’t fighting in a foreign country, but here at home at Fort Hood, Texas.

For those who use the roundabouts, you may not be aware that it is the law that you must signal when exiting a roundabout.

I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to comment on the current curbside recycling program or lack thereof, and it seems Mr. Oliver has provided that.

Please relocate the weekly satirical “comic” by Gary Trudeau to the op/ed pages where it belongs.