Keep smoke out of public areas
To the editor,
Imagine a town with beautiful tree-lined streets, a river running through it, and parks and trails that invite outdoor recreational activity for all ages and interests.

Now imagine toxic smoke interspersing the otherwise clear, clean air and toxic trash along the trails, especially the Animas River Trail, which our visitors like so much.

We have the second one now because of sidestream smoke from cigarettes and the cigarette butts. The Torch Club at the Boys and Girls Club picked up almost a thousand butts along the Animas River Trail in a very short time before they stopped counting.

This letter is to urge everyone to tell the Durango City Council to pass the proposed clean outdoor air ordinance. Thank you for anything you can do.
– Sincerely, Jenn Bartlett

Smart meters not so smart
To the editor,
LPEA’s deterrent Policy 215 will mount a world of 34 years of debt for customers.

That’s right, 34 years to pay off LPEA’s AMI project, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, also known as “smart meters.”  
Based on information provided by LPEA, the return for this project is expected to only be 2.9 percent –  where the cost of capital is 10 percent, which leads us to believe this is a very poor business venture. The numbers are posted on their website for LPEA members to review.

Concerned members have been attending LPEA’s public meetings since February 2012 with many questions surrounding the cost and health concerns relating to smart meters. Questions like:

-Why are customers not being notified that they have the right to opt out for FREE, per Federal Law under the EPAct 2005, section 1252 “smart metering?”

- Why has LPEA already installed more than 400 smart meters, unbeknownst to La Plata County
customers?  The point of a pilot program is to evaluate the program, which would require customer’s input.

However, only one comment was made on record during May’s public meeting: “If LPEA gave customers the right to opt in, only 3 percent of customers would choose to opt in,” according to LPEA staff.

LPEA customers should be very concerned about forcing consumers to purchase costly, unproven technology that Federal law states “Upon a customer’s request shall a smart metering device be installed”.

The cost analysis has so many “holes” in actual cost savings. If not properly analyzed, customers can be assured utility bills and base rates will rise to cover smart meter costs. Nationwide legislators are saying “Ratepayers are being forced to pay for devices that have not been shown to save consumers any money and are not being given an ability to opt out of the controversial program.”

Even Illinois and Connecticut attorneys general both have stated they do not believe smart meters provide any financial benefit to the consumers. However, those customers will absorb the cost of the new system.

Need more proof? LPEA cost savings fails to look at the longevity of the technology. The new wireless meters will only last five to seven years, while the return on investment shows it will take 34 years to pay off the whole project? Laying off meter readers, LPEA boasts this as main savings. This doesn’t make sense, because a few years ago LPEA installed AMR’s, which totally eliminated the need for meter readers.

Colorado Citizens Smart Meter Awareness wanted a nonbiased look at LPEA’s investment numbers. We hired a professional technology expert with an MBA and over 10 years in the information technology industry. This professional confirmed line item costs are extremely low and unrealistic with many unaccounted costs associated with running the whole program. In addition, nothing in LPEA’s literature or data from the pilot program proves any customer savings, all while the ROI appears extremely low.

Why won’t LPEA do the right thing and allow customers their right to choose to opt in or out? CCSMA believes LPEA is insecure with faulty investments. Instead, LPEA implemented Policy 215, developed by staff and directors forcing no rights for choice and harasses customers by considering a future ambiguous fee to opt out.

LPEA failed miserably at addressing customer concerns during May’s public comment for Policy 215. The Board of Directors continued to move agenda items around and went into an executive session for over an hour, then broke for lunch. Customers ended up waiting over four hours to hear discussions. But by the time the Policy 215 agenda came up, the public had dwindled away. The public had no liberty to review or give input on this policy, because customers had to get back to work and families.  

LPEA portrayed some of the dirtiest political moves, purposefully excluded public presence by means of stonewalling; leaving more reason to believe LPEA knows this project is not in the best interest of the customers.

If these meters are so grandiose, why won’t LPEA adopt a FREE opt-out policy? A policy that would allow customers to opt in at a later date if they decide to support smart meter technology? Policy 215 does not allow customers freedom of choice.
Lastly, why would LPEA want a smart meter project that only has a return on investment at 2.9 percent and over 34 years to pay off? LPEA’s smart meter plan may not be so “smart” after all.

– Holly Hargett, Colorado Citizens Smart Meter Awareness, ccsma.blogspot.com

Off-shore accounts on main street
Dear ed,
After reading Bob Carlson’s snarky letter comparing Mitt Romney to the despots of the world with offshore accounts, I was going to write a scathing reply and remind him that Nancy “we won’t know what’s in it until we pass it” Pelosi and John Kerry are among at least a half dozen Democrat senators and congress members with offshore accounts. I wonder if Bob is aware that there is a United Bank of Switzerland branch on main street, and I’ll swear on a stack of Bibles that I’ve seen more than a few local Democrats in the lobby.

It’s understandable that Bob would lash out at Romney because he (Bob) can’t defend the miserable record of the current administration on jobs or the economy. Had the president used his first two years in office with a majority in the house and senate to strengthen the economy, we’d all be in a better place today. Instead, he rammed a health-care plan down our throats that almost six out of 10 Americans still don’t want even after the Supreme Court gave it their stamp of approval.
Maybe Bob can redeem himself in the eyes of conservatives if he would post the website where we can read all of the congressional bills 72 hours before they’re voted on and give us the schedule as to when C-SPAN will broadcast open debates on pending bills. Seems that the president can’t even follow through on simple promises he made in ‘08.

– Dennis Pierce,Durango
P.S. A lot of Kool-Aid drinking liberals think that the auto bailout was a high-water mark for Obama. Not so. As of 7/26/12, GM stock was $18.80 a share. In order to break even, the government has to sell 500 million shares of GM stock at $53 a share. It’s rumored that the real cost of manufacturing a Chevy Volt is almost a million dollars. Last one sold in Durango was under $50,000 with tax and license.

Lachelt will work for quality of life
Dear Editor,
Few people are as qualified for the public service job of county commissioner as Gwen Lachelt ! She has served this community for 25 years with her common-sense, intelligent approach. The quality of life in Durango is what Gwen has worked hard for.

I personally worked with Gwen 20 years ago thru the San Juan Citizens Alliance when I was involved as a landowner creating a dialog with the oil and gas industry. We were powerless at the time to have any influence over when, where and how oil and gas companies could drill on our property. Gwen and the San Juan Citizens Alliance helped us to win some tough battles and protect our personal property rights.

She is running in a tight race for county commissioner against incumbent, Kellie Hotter. This is a very important grass-roots election, and I can think of no better person to win this seat. Gwen will be a very effective public servant helping us create the community we want to live in.
– Sincerely, Susan B. Wise, Durango

Thanks for Twin Buttes trail
To the editor,
Twin Buttes Trail. Simply put, it’s absolutely amazing! A sincere thank you to all who helped make it happen!
– Jason Meininger, Durango

Stop the senselessness
Dear readers,
Senseless deaths happen, like at the Dark Knight Theater, because we live in a senseless culture. We are run by senseless governments made up of billionaires addicted to money. They create the senseless and meaningless jobs for the masses, which serve their selfishness. The Senseless Ones create killer armies to fight senseless wars. They create semi-automatic weaponry which anybody can buy, apparently. Our loving Government creates weapons of mass destruction on an unprecedented scale, proving its insane obsession for senseless death. We are being controlled by a government of thugs who’s only true agenda is the compilation of complete wealth, at the peril of us all. They truly have lost all their humane senses.

Who knows who the killer really is? I don’t believe anything I hear in the media. I do think our senseless government has enough senses to know that the way to control the masses is through fear. It could have been staged. Where did he get the money for all that military weaponry? Now, going to the movies or being out in public becomes more tenuous. People become more afraid of each other and isolate. Television mind-control takes over.

We have always been a slave society based in senseless killing. The elite command the killing, and the slaves do their bidding. The elite have always been insane with materialism. Insane senselessness creates events like last month at the Dark Knight. Why does Hollywood make such monstrous movies and then expect people won’t act them out? Hollywood is guilty for perpetuating this whole crusade of light against dark. Killing senselessly is pushed into the eyes of millions, and then it happens in reality. Oh, yea, death is real and ugly. And oh, yea, those are real people dying in our senseless wars.
One weapon is too much. I know I will never see a weapon-free life, in my lifetime. I wonder how long the next generation will survive in a world armed with psychotic weapon makers? I am deeply saddened and may never recover, from this senseless way of life.

– Heather Snow, Durango