Back to the ’80s with defense

To the editor,

I am Gerald (Jerry) H. Eller and am seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, a native Coloradoan, disabled Army veteran of Desert Storm, OEF and OIF, retired from the Army in 2004 and founder, president and CEO of The American Christian Patriots Association.

I have no political experience nor do I want to be a politician but can no longer stand by and witness the dissolution of our great state and country. To have any kind of impact to slow, stop and reverse the latter, I feel representing the people of Colorado in the U.S. Senate is my solitary option to do so.

My immediate priority is to review and investigate the Department of Defense, report back to the American people and make recommendations to the president and return the DoD back to what it was when Presidents Reagan and Bush were commanders in chief.

Other immediate goals are to implement the Federal Marijuana Utilization Act which gives the government authority over the growth, processing and distribution of marijuana. Implement the Government Reduction Act that reduces and alleviates unnecessary departments and agencies. Implement The Internet Child and Reform Act that will help protect our internet and cyber networks, help protect intellectual property, business’s and children from cyber-crime activity.

Implement the National Disaster and Terror Act, which will help prepare our communities, infrastructure, military, first responders and people for disasters and terror, and quicken response time from government entities alleviating bureaucratic neglect, delays and quagmires. 

Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a healthcare system for all federal employees, their dependents, the Veterans Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the uninsured and uninsurable with health care and those who do not qualify for the latter to have their own private healthcare system.

Other goals and ideas are at www.Eller4Senate.com.

– Gerald Eller, Pueblo West

State’s highways need funding

To the editor,

The second regular session of the 70th Colorado General Assembly of the Colorado House of Representatives was called to order by Speaker of the House Dickie Lee Hullinghorst on Jan. 13 following a prayer. After the posting of the colors, the Speaker began the first day with a speech on what she hoped would be accomplished in the next 120 days. Then Minority Leader of the House Brian DelGrosso talked about what the Republican Caucus expects to accomplish in this session.

Among other things, DelGrosso emphasized the need for affordable housing in Colorado and urged the passage of construction defect legislation that will protect homeowners from bad building contractors and protect home builders from frivolous lawsuits. This legislation is supported by all of the business organizations in the state. He stressed that at times government needs to get out of the way, so that free people can make a living and create jobs.

The Minority Leader also stressed the need for maintaining our highways and outlined proposed legislation that will put more money into highways. He said, “The Department of Transportation is struggling to maintain our existing roads, and without a large infusion of funding, their list of critical transportation projects will likely never be completed.”

I am running one of the bills that will require at least some additional funding for highways. This bill will guarantee the five years of transfers promised in Senate Bill 09-228 by adding one year of transfers for every year that the transfers are not fully appropriated. In 2009, the Legislature replaced SB97-001 with SB 228. SB 1 required general fund transfers into highways almost every year. Even though SB 228 was supposed to trigger five years of general fund transfers to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), not one dollar has gone into highways until this year. My bill will guarantee full transfers for the full five years.

Another question that I share with many others: “Are we using transportation funding in the most efficient way possible?” I am running a bill with Sen. Baumgartner and Rep. Nordberg which will require more transparency and efficiency by CDOT. A recent FASTER audit revealed that taxpayer dollars are not being used efficiently and that CDOT does not have transparent processes in place to prioritize highway projects. Our bill requires an audit of all construction and maintenance funds as well as an annual budget transparency report to the Transportation Commission, implements transparency measures for CDOT bidding processes, ensures CDOT closes contracts within a reasonable amount of time following completion, and requires CDOT to seek legislative approval to bond out for facilities. This bill will make CDOT more accountable to both the Transportation Commission and the Legislature.

I am excited to serve the people of the 59th District and to make government more efficient and accountable to Colorado taxpayers.

– Rep. J. Paul Brown, R-Ignacio

Testing our military prowess

To the editor,

As a former Navy enlisted and Navy officer, I am disappointed with the capture of our two riverine boats and crews by the Iranians in the Persian Gulf.

I understand one of the boats had a navigation problem, either mechanical or human error, and it wandered into Iranian waters. But why couldn’t the other boat tow it away from Iranian waters?

Furthermore, why wasn’t a warship accompanying the two small boats as they traversed waters in close proximity to an unfriendly country?

Why didn’t the riverine boats communicate their problems to their commanding officer, who should have been monitoring their transit from Kuwait to Bahrain? If they did communicate their situation, what were the instructions they received from higher command?

It appears to me the personnel on the riverine boats and the command hierarchy viewed the movement of the boats as a routine operation and they were caught off guard by the problems encountered, and they were not prepared to conduct contingency operations. It reminds me of the capture of the USS Pueblo off of North Korea many years ago.

This incident could embolden the Iranians and other unfriendly countries to test our military prowess.

– Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H.

?