Don’t buy into Romney’s lies
To the editor,
In lies we trust. Yes, it’s true, we have never been the land of the free. We have only extended the slave society by making the slaves think they are free! Millionaires run and ruin the world, making life impossible for most. Mitt Romney is in the millionaire camp and will only continue to enforce the lie that the American dream is available to anybody who is “willing to roll up their sleeves, get dirty and work hard.”  The fact is, only the people who are born into money have any hope in hell to advance toward the American Nightmare. A very few Bill Gates have made their own millions.  
 
There is no hope left for the working poor. How can anybody making minimum wage ever hope to own a house? Let’s get real!
 
Why is it such a sin to be poor? Why do all the so-called Christians want to punish and destroy the poor?  We are the ones holding up the ship. Without us, who will clean their bathrooms, wipe their aging butts, or any of a million jobs we do, to support them!? And they, the millionaires, want to cut food stamps, which are already a pittance, cut health care benefits and repress women through lack of birth control and other health services.
 
What is wrong with them? How can anybody believe anything coming out of Mitt Romney’s mouth? Women, especially, must be out of their minds to support him.
 
Obama has had to fight against these crazy, Christian right millionaires and has been unable to get anything done. It’s a do-nothing Congress because of this insanity.
 
The big lie is that a president can create jobs. Jobs were never created by government, unless they were government jobs. The other big lie, and there are many, is that we can lower the deficit. The budget cannot be fixed.
 
Ending all wars and oil and gas development would feed a hell of a lot of people and slow environmental destruction. We all know this, but choose to trust in the lie. Mitt Romney is the biggest lie to come!
– Heather Snow, Durango

Dolores River Fest raging success
To the editor,
On behalf of Greater Dolores Action, I would like to thank the community for an incredible turnout for the 9th annual Dolores River Festival that took place Sat., June 2, in Joe Rowell Park. Thousands of adults and kids poured like a river through the main gate, despite the cancellation of the free raft rides due to low flow.
 
The festival featured a full day of live music and performances, river activities, children’s activities and more. More vendors than ever, from all over the region, shared information, offered adult and kid’s activities, contest and games, and sold food, drink, gear, clothing, art and jewelry.

The more than 120 remarkable volunteers that helped from Thursday through Sunday with set-up, activities, admissions, security and final clean-up were all hard-working, gracious and incredibly fun.

We are especially grateful for the support of our sponsors and all the individuals, organizations and businesses that played a role. We look forward to using proceeds to continue to implement river enhancement and conservation and to present the festival again. The first Saturday in June 2013 will find DRF bigger and better than ever, celebrating the Festival’s 10th anniversary! For more information, please visit www.doloresriverfestival.com.

– Heather Narwid, director, Dolores River Festival

Going gets weirder with mergoats
Dear enlightened readers,
It has come to my attention that our groundbreaking story about the vicious packs of man-eating “mergoats” in the dark waters of Navajo Lake has been published by the very local yet somewhat world renowned science journal, the Durango Telegraph. This gives this almost unbelievable story a rock solid foundation in the world of science. I have just come from a late night meeting with our Aquatic Research Team (A.R.T.) lead scientist Chuck Kuehn. We are now meeting in various private and secret locations due to the sensitive nature of our research. Since replacing the beloved Jeremy Wade of the hit series “River Monsters” (Jeremy was torn to an unrecognizable pulp by mergoats while conducting research at Navajo Lake) Chuck has shifted into high gear in pursuit of these “Freaks of the Deep.”

We here at A.R.T. are very grateful for your support of our team’s hard work in bringing these indisputable facts to the public’s attention. I found out just today of your fine publication’s 100 percent backing (both from a scientific and financial standpoint ... I’m sure) while I was enjoying a cup of coffee at the Steaming Bean. I perused your paper, tthen began reading some ridiculous drivel about “aquatic goats”... as I wadded up the paper to hurl into the trash, I realized I had written that bold, well researched piece! As I am sure your readership is at this moment skyrocketing, I am happy to inform you that our P.R. team only moments ago unanimously voted to offer your periodical “first rights” to all of our late-breaking scientific breakthroughs! Isn’t that exciting? So stand by. As the man said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!”

– Michael Wayson, Frootland, N.M.

Arc - a poem by Burt Baldwin
The batter swung
and the ball ascended golden
over the diamond in a great arc.
I watched it turning into a dark orb
as it descended from under a cloud.
John glided under it for the final out.
It would be the last ball he would catch,
for he died two days later.

A half century later the image plays
over in my mind;
the ball ascending, reaching its apex
then falling into the glove.
We were just boys playing,
kicking up the dust,
in and out of those ominous,
fast moving shadows
that indelible afternoon.

Death, the last hankering thief,
arrives unexpectedly even when expected.
A universe of cells collapses.
The intangible energies
that comprise the living dissipate.
A soul arcs toward a greater light,
and one remembers a friend
tapping his glove for the last time.

– Burt Baldwin, Ignacio

Congress nation’s biggest problem?
To the editor,
This year the candidates for president will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising: one telling us of the heroic things he has done; the other telling us of the miraculous things he will do. Almost everything President Obama takes credit for had to be passed by Congress. The promises made by Romney must be made law by Congress to be fulfilled. The president can only veto a law, he can not pass one.

Congress has the power to address the nation’s problems but may be the nation’s most serious problem. Ask your representative and senators what they are doing about issues that concern you. Don’t accept promises of future action. If they have not done anything since the last election, don’t allow them to continue to fail.

– Irving B. Welchons, Charlotte, N.C
 

 

In this week's issue...

January 25, 2024
Bagging it

State plastic bag ban is in full effect, but enforcement varies

January 26, 2024
Paper chase

The Sneer is back – and no we’re not talking about Billy Idol’s comeback tour.

January 11, 2024
High and dry

New state climate report projects continued warming, declining streamflows