An airport poll to sell a monster

To the editor,

Let’s throw our support at wise airport improvements. We need energy-efficient land transportation to and from the existing airport (and Purgatory). It is an ill-conceived plan to add more parking and bring in more traffic congestion without improving the experience for visitors and locals. I worked at La Plata Airport as a customer service agent, and the terminal is a ghost-port up until a half hour before any departure. The real challenge is re-thinking the procedure. If great shuttles serviced the terminal, a lot of the perceived congestion would be remedied because passengers would arrive earlier (on time) which is required now at all airports.

Please notice the serpentine lines leading up to the TSA check point at all large airports. Bigger facilities do not cure congestion. Most travelers do not have access to a printer and arrive without a boarding pass. A place to print one before arrival perhaps at the shuttle terminal would make a huge improvement.

La Plata County property taxes have been under estimated in reports that claim that property tax on a $350,000 home (the new average) is $236 annually. That is so far off. Try three and four times that amount. Costs to build the projected monster airport will be under estimated too. Remember that airport employees are paid far less than a living wage, must pass drug and alcohol tests, and have a clean criminal background check to earn between $8 and $11 per hour. I can only imagine we would be funding a low-cost airport employee housing project for the additional staffing.
The FAA has agreed to match $40 million in improvements. Please use our match as the limit on spending. Focus on ground transportation. Remodel and clean up what we have. Air travelers comment so often on the relief they feel using this airport with its un-common and much loved “small airport feel.” We can cultivate that experience with smart improvements. Support improving La Plata Airport not creating a financial, environmental and inhospitable monster port.

– JoAnn Sloan, Ignacio

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A holistic approach to change

To the editor,

What’s up with over-the-top rioting in Baltimore and other communities lately? The police were recently inappropriate with Freddie Gray, and many others, but most of the victims had extensive rap sheets. Once a person is in trouble with the law, they are targeted no matter what. Mr. Gray was incarcerated for selling heroin and had at least 20 arrests. A few in the police department may have family or friends that overdosed, thanks to Freddie.

What’s up with the parenting in these rioting communities? Statistically, 73 percent of fathers in poor families are not available to their children. “Mother of the Year,” seen smacking her boy on national TV,  has a total of five to feed.  I believe if the welfare system refused to give any kind of assistance after two pregnancies, there would be more tubes tied, voluntarily, and less stress overall on moms and society.

For now, authorities just throw their hands up in the air, pay out huge sums of money to greedy personal injury attorneys for caught wrong-doings in the justice system, and dysfunctional homes dependent on hand outs will continue to produce litters as they have done for generations. There is a holistic approach to all of this with enlightened help. Change, real change, could happen without the violence but right now the rioters are winning.

– Sally Florence, Durango

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?Don’t buy J. Paul’s bull

To the editor,

Shame on Rep. J. Paul Brown for trying to sell his constituents a load of manure about the Affordable Care Act.
It’s one thing to be ill-informed and throw away your vote on people who hate government and work against the best interests of the citizens they are elected to represent. But to be that elected government representative and actively misconstrue the facts to keep your people fearful and ill-informed is shameful!

The ACA is working – and our health-care costs as a country are the lowest in 40 years. Over 13 million citizens have health-care coverage for the first time ever, and the cost of providing we, the people, with medical protection under the ACA is much less than projected. Does Rep. Brown want us to go back to the total disaster that was our medical protection before the ACA? What is his proposed alternative to what he sees as “government intervention” – some idea that benefits the people and not just the insurance industry?

It is so easy to criticize anything the “government” does, but WE, as American/Colorado citizens, are the government! As such, we must stop voting against our own interests that impact the 99 percent of us each and every day.

To vote for government representatives who hate/fear/distrust government is not improving our lives. As citizens, it is our responsibility to not only be informed before we vote, but we have to watch the voting record of our elected officials. Rep. Brown’s record is dismal and benefits him, his family/friends and business – then he misconstrues the truth when it suits him.

The people of Durango deserve better representation than a self-serving fabricator.

– Susan Troen, Durango

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Shedding light on accusations

To the editor,

Although I am a member of the La Plata Electric Board, I am writing this letter as an individual.
Christi Zeller had a letter printed in the Telegraph on May 7 where she makes many accusations and assumptions. Since I have limited space, I cannot respond to all of her accusations but will try to offer additional information on some of her points.

The majority of the board voted against requiring candidates to sign an affidavit that they were qualified to run because it is redundant and unnecessary. The bylaws state what the qualifications are, and all board members must meet the qualifications as determined by an independent committee.

Zeller questioned the process for creating the Community Solar Garden program and tries to show that Bassett (an LPEA Board member and candidate) had a conflict of interest. The committee to set up the solar garden policy was open to any board member, and I supported Bassett on the committee due to his knowledge of solar energy. Two other board members also joined the committee who do not work for solar companies, and another longtime board member monitored the process. The meetings were open to the public. Based on our attorney’s guidance, Bassett recused himself and did not vote on anything related to the community solar garden he is subscribed to.  Additionally, Bassett’s company only works on solar systems in California. Having Bassett and others on the board with solar experience has been a huge asset to our organization, and there is no conflict of interest. 

Zeller falsely claims that since I’ve been elected, director expenditures have gone way up. The actual total board expense for the last four years have been:  2011 - $251,750; 2012 - $242,480; 2013 - $250,568; and 2014 - $218,953.

In short, Zeller has a right to voice her opinion, but none of her accusations or assumptions are correct. The current board has made great strides in providing more options for LPEA members while working to create a more open cooperative, and I am proud of what we have accomplished.

– Michael Rendon, Durango

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Roberts joins the predators

To the editor,

I was stunned to read Sen. Robert’s comment that the “personhood” bill was not about abortion. “Personhood” is the Republicans’ “holy grail” to ban the entire spectrum of reproductive health care for women, which they “sincerely” believe is about abortifacients. Many people claim to serve God. This God created everything, including women, hardwired, like most females of species, to bring successful, healthy progeny into the world. Why do Republicans claim some divine right to play god over women’s fertility, depriving them of Constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom?

Starting with the Reagan administration, politicians, ALEC, and the Koch machine created the privatized prison industry. They created the “war on drugs” and “austerity” to throw the mentally ill into the streets. They began hammering at women’s health care to create a population of 23 percent -25 percent of our children in hunger. George W. Bush left Texas with 25 percent of its children malnourished. Rick Perry promptly dropped them down the school-to-prison pipeline. Bush then added 4.7 million children nationally to the roles of hunger. “Incarceration nation” ballooned. The Republicans are currently slashing food stamps again. Privatized prisons double dip financially as your tax dollars fund their profit for incarceration. They “rent” prisoners as cheap labor to corporations.

The Koch machine has spent multi-millions of dollars to ban women’s reproductive health care. Justices Scalia, Alito and Thomas were wined, dined, indulged and indoctrinated by ALEC and the Koch machine to go forth and force women to submit to patriarchal religious laws concerning health care. This is a mockery of our Constitution.

Back in the day, Jesus threw out the money changers and sellers. These days politicians and corporations plaster Jesus flags and American flags on their tables. It is not Jesus they serve between women’s legs. Yet too many American Christians enter the feeding frenzy of misogyny within the Republicans’ culture of rape.

Colorado rejected “personhood” three times, with good reason. We see women incarcerated elsewhere under Republican religious law. Now Sen. Roberts has joined the predators. I am so sorry.

– Stephanie Johnson, Durango

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Isn’t it ironic?

To the editor,

Wow! Regarding “More Evils of Clinton Foundation” penned by Dennis Peirce, I was truly stunned that he and I actually seem to be in agreement on something. Specifically, how bad the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be for the people. Maybe I need to re-think my position! Just kidding.
But if you think about it, it’s awesome. I’ve been accused of being a socialist, atheist and a tree-hugging liberal, and I’m OK with that. In my opinion, Dennis would probably align on the opposite side of the political spectrum (based on his writing) conservative, Republican, libertarian. We almost never agree. And that’s OK.

The point is, if this TPP trade scheme is so bad that people on the left hate it and people on the right hate it, who’s it good for? Why is this kept so secret from the public? When was the last time a trade agreement lead to more high-paying jobs and an overall boost to the middle class? And why no mention of currency manipulation?

What’s curious to me is listening to all the bellyaching from conservatives about Obama’s recess appointments, executive actions and his “King” like attitude (courtesy of Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly.) And now the Republican-controlled Congress, big business (and Obama) are trying to ram this through quietly and give the President Fast Track authority to sign trade agreements without a chance for amendments? Does anyone see the irony here?!
My first cynical thought is that somehow, once again, the 1 percent are going to make bank on this and everyone else gets screwed. Just like the bank bailout. Déjà vu baby.

Sick of the status quo? Please visit berniesanders.com and consider the alternatives.

– Bill Vana, Durango