A line between satire & hate
To the editor,
As someone with a weekly editorial platform, I do not usually respond publicly to criticism, as it seems unfair for me to do so. Sometimes exceptions must be made.
Criticism is not hatred, though it is often mistaken as such, both purposefully and honestly. I have never made any cartoon denouncing the Jews as a racial group, and I never will. I have criticized Israel’s presidents, just like I do ours, and I have criticized Israel as a country, just like I do ours. I will continue to do so, as such criticism is warranted. Specifically, I have mocked Israel’s political machinations and their occupation of Palestine, while always being mindful there are Israeli dissidents fighting for universal human rights and social justice.
The fear displayed in recent letters to the editor is understandable. Israel is a small country. A single nuclear strike would be devastating, and the Jewish people’s millennial struggle with appalling racism, oppression and genocide is well known. Such a history makes it easy for some to mistake the sincere criticism of a friend for the race hate of an enemy. It’s an honest error.
However, purposefully misconstruing and misrepresenting criticism is another thing entirely. It’s simply escalatory for the sake of pride, and helps no one.
In the hopes of alleviating all of these erroneous critiques, I would firstly urge education in the arts and literature, specifically the study of satire and symbolism in illustration. Secondly, I would echo Will Rottenberg and the Congregation Har Shalom Board of Director’s excellent LTE in the Herald (3/28). Mr. Rottenberg urged a clear distinction be made between the country of Israel and the Jewish diaspora. I could not agree more.
– Shan Wells, Durango
1-A protects community values
To the editor,
I am writing to encourage your vote for Ballot Measure 1A, the extension of the half-cent sales tax; as well as City Council candidates Dick White and Sweetie Marbury. Durango, like many other Western towns, was founded on traditional industries such as mining and ranching. But, like other communities, we have become more reliant on what economic developers call “amenity-based development” that builds on a community’s natural and cultural assets such as the preservation of historic architecture, our environment, the arts and, most notably for Durango, our recreational assets. It is imperative that we properly maintain these assets to promote this type of growth that reflects our community values.
Dick White and Sweetie Marbury get this. So does Sean Waddell, who decisively supports the extension of the half-cent sales tax. But I don’t think we need a change right now. The current City Council has been grappling with difficult decisions and doing a fine job of it.
The airport, sewer plant and our recreational infrastructure are all vital to Durango’s future development. And, it is important to remember that the funding mechanisms for each of these are all different – the sewer plant must pay for itself through fees, the airport improvements through county taxes, and recreation must be funded by the half-cent sales tax and the general fund, or by the general fund alone if the sales tax ends.
All three dedicated funding sources position the City to be eligible for state and federal matching funds. Please know that rejecting the sales tax extension will NOT free up money to help fund the sewer plant or the airport, but would instead end up draining money from the general fund that would otherwise be spent on other infrastructure needs.
We have a strong system of checks and balances already in place with skilled City staff, Parks and Recreation and Multi-Modal Advisory boards, citizens and City Council overseeing the allocation of funds. To date, they have invested wisely and support our community, economy and quality of life. Please join me and vote Yes on 1A and re-elect Dick White and Sweetie Marbury. For more information visit: durangogov.org/halfcent, dickwhitefordurango.org and facebook.com/sweetie.marbury.
– Ellen R. Stein, Durango
DNF election packets available
To the editor,
Upcoming DNF Board of Directors applications are due by 5 p.m., Fri., April 3. Voting begins April 25 (www.DurangoNaturalFoods.coop for details and application packet).
Five of seven seats are open. This creates a remarkable opportunity for an entirely new majority and a new direction for a better DNF future. We need five applicants; Root Routledge is one of them. You can find my vision for DNF at www.AlpineAnalytics.com/DNF/Root- TopPriorityAgendaForNewDNF-Board-April-2015.pdf. I present a campaign pledge for a new, safe and healthy co-op titled: “Top Priority Agenda for a New DNF Board of Directors.” We need four other likeminded applicants to make this opportunity a reality; please read my pledge and consider applying.
There are two widely different visions for Durango Natural Foods Co-op. One is that of the current Board, who now identify themselves in the election packet with a new moniker “DNFC,” replacing the “DNF” we’ve all used for the past 40 years.
Their “DNFC” vision holds to an old “Policy Governance” structure, where the co-op is treated as an “entity” and the Board is not engaged with its internal soundness; they simply control it like a corporate business unit, merely hiring, firing and managing the general manager. This allows them to do “entity things,” like deciding to spend thousands of dollars preparing it for sale to an organization in another state, which is what they did this past summer. That was stopped when more than 200 members signed a petition against the sale and against this board doing any further damage. We stopped the sale; unfortunately, we were unable to prevent further damage and our co-op has suffered impacts to its functionality, staff morale and turnover.
In the document (link above) submitted with my application, I lay out plans for a new “DNF” vision. This member-democracy vision redefines DNF’s management structure with a modern, more effective management approach and a complete rewrite of the DNF bylaws. This will ensure our security as a locally owned food cooperative and democratically empower the general membership and member-employees for a healthy future.
Please join me to create a modern, healthy and safe new DNF.
– Root Routledge, Durango
A Libertarian for rec tax
To the editor,
I am writing in support of Ballot Measure 1A to extend the half-cent sales tax through 2039.
As both a “recreational enthusiast” and a Libertarian, I have conflicting natural biases with respect to this measure. I am biased in favor because I constantly use the City parks, trails, recreational facilities and adult sports programs. I recognize the need to preserve and expand recreational amenities and to establish a long-range plan for future maintenance and development of these assets as envisioned by Ballot Measure 1A.
As a Libertarian, however, I have a naturally strong bias against unnecessary taxes and government spending. My principle is to support a government program or project only if three criteria are met: (1) it is related to a core traditional governmental function; (2) the governmental entity has displayed a track record of respecting taxpayers when it spends the taxpayers’ money; and (3) it will have a positive economic impact. Ballot Measure 1A meets all three of these criteria.
First, providing trails, parks, playing fields, recreational facilities and protecting river habitat are core governmental functions for cities.
Second, during my eight years on the City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, I have acquired an in-depth working knowledge on how the Parks and Recreation Department functions. I can attest that Director Cathy Metz and all of the professional staff are dedicated to incorporating public input and maximizing available funds to provide city (and county) residents the best recreational opportunities possible. This is evidenced by the prestigious National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in 2012 awarded by the National Recreation and Park Association, which recognized Durango as having the best parks and recreation program in the country for a town of its size.
Finally, having award-winning recreational opportunities is an economic benefit to all homeowners and to the community. It improves home values and is a powerful marketing tool not only for tourism but also is vital to attracting businesses to relocate to Durango.
Please vote Yes on 1-A (even Libertarians)!
– Bill Zimsky, Hesperus
The crumbling of fossil fuels
To the editor,
In the Durango Herald this week, there was an article about gas and oil drilling. I would rather see articles about inventions in place that actually take the place of fossil fuels. There are patented energy-saving devices more than a hundred years old to present ones that are prevented from entering the world-wide market because the power and control that oil companies and other related industries have.
A young student visited me recently and said he saw a film a year ago, a college assignment, about retired MIT friends coming up with an inexpensive invention that would save homeowners mega bucks on their heating bill. That idea never came to fruition, like so many others.
What will it take to convince oil companies to pump their resource for air travel only? Once every drop is used up, people are not going to be able to jump on a plane to see granny or any other place of importance. The prospects of space travel for the wealthy 1 percent, which would take an obscene amount of fuel, will not be possible either. One would think if the super-elite were not able to drink the best champagne in a Virgin Air baby sippy cup (to keep the beverage from floating around in the capsule), the management of oil would be treated differently today.
The states of Pennsylvania, Texas and more have been “fracked-up” so much from oil and gas extraction that there are fires coming out of kitchen faucets, naturally undrinkable water, and earthquakes that never used to be destroying the landscape. Colorado is next. When you see brick houses and The Strater Hotel, which are not sitting on a foundations, come tumbling down, perhaps there will be a different view of how to manage fossil fuels.
– Sally Florence, Durango