Solution comes from brain, heart

To the editor,

For those of us on Linked-In, we know we receive random articles to peruse. A day or two after the mine tragedy, I received a random article apparently birthed from this quote: “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste” by Paul M. Romer  (yes, a Colorado native). In fact, the Linked-In author used a rafting metaphor to emphasize the point he was making on his topic. Below is my own take using the Romer quote as a spring board.

We MUST NOT waste this crisis! While horrifying, devastating and life changing on so many levels, we must not waste the crisis. It’s a time for people to activate human brilliance. The deepest process of grief/grieving is important and must take place but the incident is also a call to action; a call to activate our brilliance as humans not our ugliness.

Human ugliness, nasty comments, etc., is a form of pollution not unlike that horrifying sight many of us witnessed in our lovely river. A disaster from any number of mines was/is going to happen sometime for any number of reasons; human caused, or natural disaster, or scarily an intended act of terrorism. Sadly, this situation was human caused while trying to remedy the root cause from years and years ago, which was also given to us by humans who made a living via mining.

Hmmm, when will each and every human being begin to use the true, ultimate blended power of our brain, our heart and our instincts? NOW, perhaps!? If you are a human, you know water is a precious and diminishing resource, perhaps now we have finally heard the scream.

– Barbara Gormally, Durango

Council pay raises over the top

To the editor,

The City Council did itself proud handling the recent river crisis – well done. However, the matter of the 73 percent pay raise (from $6,000 to $10,400) they want to provide to future council members and a 49 percent raise ($7,500 to $13,400) for the mayor beginning in 2017 remains. (Dean Brookie and Keith Brandt would benefit if they run again and are reelected. Sweetie Marbury and Dick White would not be eligible. Christina Rinderle cannot run again.) I support raising the council and mayor’s compensation. Compared to other towns, some additional compensation is warranted. But why 73 percent and 49 percent? The council provided four reasons. First, they haven’t had a raise since 2005. Second, the additional compensation will attract more hourly workers to run for council. Third, the council is “special,” according to the mayor. Finally, for one council member, “what’s a few thousand dollars?” (Over 10 years, it’s over $250,000 dollars which is not small change).  I wish I could have gotten a 73 percent increase when I worked in government!

Council lacks sound reasoning for their raise.  First, 12 years between raises provides a catch-up raise of about 6 percent annually, far more than the annual rate of inflation with responsibilities that haven’t changed.  Second, what real data is available to support the “specialness” of Durango’s council to other towns, like Boulder or Fort Collings  which are seemingly more complex? This needs to be backed up by competent analysis.  Believing it will not make it so. Finally, perhaps additional compensation will induce hourly people to run for council but no research was shared to support such a contention. 

This council is skillful at raising fees and spending money with little concern for long-term consequences and the inevitable economic downturn that will come. I suspect a sales tax or property tax increase will be suggested soon to pay for the airport and building master plan. Sadly, the council doesn’t focus on ways of making Durango more affordable, such as a food tax rebate or help with housing. I hope council will be equally generous to city employees who had to forgo compensation increases during the recession and cost of living increases thereafter. Hopefully, they’re all making, at a minimum, a living wage. Compassionate public leaders take care of their people first; politicians take care of their own.

My wish is the next council, elected in 2017, will be better stewards of our tax dollars by being more analytical and compassionate. I can always hope.

– Mike Todt, Durango

The new Republican dummy

To the editor,

Lately, I’ve felt a bit letdown due to the apparent lack of drama and entertainment to amuse ourselves with such as baseball, NASCAR and golf. So, like some of you, I turned to the dark side: the primary presidential election circus. And it’s not been a disappointment. Mainly because of real estate tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump. Only in America could this guy be so acceptable as a possible president of the United States. Well, at least by conservatives and Republicans. A sick joke to the rest of us.

 Trump is the perfect representative for the modern day conservative movement. Sure, he’s offensive and has little regard for the facts, but this is the Fox News Republican Party now, and Trump is the soul of it. Conservatives and FOX have been pushing this sort of agenda for years, and Trump embodies it. He says what they think and feel but unlike Trump are either too “politically correct” to say it or actually do say it.  

Some may deny what I’ve claimed here, but there’s a good reason why Trump is killing it in all the polls. Conservative people who vote Republican agree with Trump and what he’s saying is what THEY say. Insult Mexicans, no problem. Slander women, OK. Do some drum beating for war, it’s fine. He can even question John McCain’s patriotism, and no drop in the polls. In fact, he seems to have gotten a bump since the first debate. Numbers don’t lie.

 I know it’s only early in the primary election season and real hockey will start in a couple months, but right now Trump is the team to beat and the guy to watch. But for me, I say go Bernie! I wish you the same success as the Blackhawks.

– Bill Vana, Durango

Superfund long overdue

To the editor,

The good doctor, Ben Carson, made a short visit to Durango and decided the EPA is “a bunch of bureaucrats who don’t know a bunch of anything” and that under his administration he would thoroughly purge the organization. Furthermore, Superfund status for Silverton should be up to the town’s residents.

Nonsense. Spills from that area have polluted the Animas River for over a century and have now affected lives and the environment all the way to Lake Powell. In 1994, the EPA attempted to list the draining mines under Superfund, and had not Silverton resisted, our current crises could have been avoided. Superfund, which has the resources, has successfully cleaned up many areas, including the WWII chemical weapons site at Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Denver and the California Gulch outside Leadville, which had surface and groundwater contamination from mine drainage – wastes similar to those from the Gold King Mine.

Only a Superfund designation can prevent the pressure of another 3 million gallons of contaminated water from possibly again leaking or bursting into our river. Efforts up to now have been completely inadequate.

– Larry Tweedy, Durango