Anger about people unwilling to vaccinate
Since the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines, I have been amazed that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment does not require these vaccines for all employees in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities.
For decades, healthcare facilities have required staff to be tested for tuberculosis as a prerequisite for recruitment. Similarly, healthcare facilities can make employment conditional on a negative drug test. For anyone who is or might become a patient, these measures are only common sense. "First of all, don't be a pity."
Parents of infants in neonatal intensive care units, patients in an organ transplant unit, families and patients in all healthcare facilities – especially those where there are health problems – should expect at least a minimum standard of staff to be required to be vaccinated against COVID.
The claim that this violates individual freedom is ridiculous. It's time CDPHE mandated COVID vaccines in health care facilities.
Betsy Ellis, Lafayette
Since around 97% of COVID patients who now enter hospitals are unvaccinated, health insurers should perhaps increase the premiums for unvaccinated people significantly.
Those vaccinated who take the pandemic seriously are staying out of the hospital, but their health insurance premiums are used by the insurance companies to spread the cost of the large bills made by the unvaccinated.
Don't make a mistake; All of our future insurance premiums will rise due to another unnecessary wave of unvaccinated people being hospitalized.
The vaccines have been shown to be safe, effective, and free, so there is no excuse for such reluctance to vaccinate. It is time to stop spending all of our time and enormous resources trying to convince the unvaccinated to get vaccinated. Perhaps a substantial increase in the insurance premium for those unwilling to vaccinate will help.
Tom Sabel, Seewald
Regarding the liability of these vocal supporters that COVID-19 is a hoax or almost harmless:
As of Thursday, 609,508 people died of COVID-19 in the United States.
97 percent of hospital admissions for people with COVID-19 are unvaccinated and 98 to 99 percent of those who have died of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
Shouldn't people dying of COVID-19 be allowed to sue prominent spokespeople in politics and elsewhere who have the public ear who have claimed the pandemic was a joke of wrongful death?
Shouldn't the survivors of those who believed COVID-19 be a serious or life-threatening disease be able to sue these spokesmen for wrongful death?
Delmar H. Knudson, Denver
Is anyone else embarrassed to be American today? There are 390 million weapons in circulation in our country today. Pathetic! The West is drying up because it doesn't know about climate change. Unacceptable! Our country is the richest and dumbest country in the world. For example, many Americans don't get vaccinated because they are simply selfish, which puts many Americans at risk at risk. Shame on you! I am seriously thinking about putting down roots and moving to a country that will participate. We are not!
Tim Dugan, Denver
Tourism important for business and understanding
Re: "Summer trips are back. The earth cannot handle it. ”Comment from July 11th
Farhad Manjoo paints a rather bleak picture of the effects of global pollution from tourism. You can feel his strong feelings when he says, "Every summer armadas from cruise ships would spit stinking streams of people and pollution into the world's beloved port cities." Really, "Stinking streams of people?" He's obviously not been to many cruise ports. Many are trading ports with a lot of container ships and not as picturesque.
Tourism is a very important source of income for many nations, including the United States. For some, like the Caribbean, their entire economy is driven by tourism. The author complains that there are simply too many people on the road and confusing the local attractions. Maybe so, but I'm pretty sure that the people in these countries welcome the money.
If Manjoo is so concerned about global pollution, maybe he should check out China, which is currently building hundreds of highly polluting coal-fired power plants. There are many other areas that should be of concern to Manjoo. Tourism should be at the bottom of this list.
Larry Dorner, Aurora
A quote from the Sunday column of this self-righteous writer: "Every summer armadas would spit stinking streams of people and pollution from cruise ships into the beloved port cities of the world." He may not notice it, but he is one of those "smelly people". He's certainly a polluter too. Does he fly, does he drive a fossil fuel vehicle? I do not know. But I bet he's doing a life activity that is polluting and "smelly". Before judging those of us who long to finally experience the world, he must take a deep look in the mirror and judge himself.
Steve Denham, Aurora
Manjoo points out that tourism accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, tourism is growing rapidly, and ships and planes lack clean energy sources to power them.
Should travel abroad be banned? My answer is no! Traveling abroad enables us to experience the beauty of nature and the diverse lifestyles and ingenuity of the people on earth. We have to see what we can lose.
Global warming is mainly caused by increased CO2 emissions into the planet's atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum in our power plants, cars, planes, homes, businesses and industries.
The solution is simple; Everyone needs to stop burning fossil fuels as soon as possible. We have the technology to generate electricity from the sun, wind and water. We also have the technology to power cars, trains, and tractors, to heat and cool our buildings, to grow food, and – with more research – to grow carbon-free fuels for planes and ships.
Our common enemy is CO2 in our atmosphere, and the most direct and fair way to fight it is for all countries to agree on a substantial tax on CO2 emissions and continue to increase the tax as needed. It gets expensive, especially for tourism, but it's just money; We need a healthy planet earth.
Dennis Jones, Seewald
Xcel does not need any further tariff increases
Subject: "Xcel Energy Calls for Another Rate Hike From PUC," July 6th News
Xcel has proposed the largest price hike in memory – $ 343 million – and when you add the effect of two percent drivers calculated by the rate, it will be several million dollars more – per year, every year in the future.
In 2020, however, Xcel-Colorado had a "net after-tax income" of $ 588 million. Xcel talks about how much money they spent, but if you're spending that money and have $ 588 million in income to spare, you probably don't need an interest rate hike.
The Public Utilities Commission just spent most of 2019 and early 2020 reviewing Xcel's previous application for a tariff increase and cutting it down significantly.
Now, less than 18 months later, Xcel is back at the PUC for more annual revenue – filing is late the day before the July 4th break.
Installment cases are expensive to review. Xcel customers usually pay this cost for Xcel … like tying their own sling! Everyone else spends tens of thousands of dollars on legal and expert opinions.
Additionally, Xcel realized that the large coal-fired power plant in Pueblo they call "Comanche 3" was a mistake and suggested that future installment payers use "securitization" to make up for that mistake. Talk about privatizing the profits and socializing the risks.
Meanwhile, communities in Colorado are finding that if they can go to market, they can often get cleaner electricity at a lower cost.
It seems like time to see if Colorado is really well served by Xcel's monopoly.
Leslie Glustrom, Boulder
Raise awareness among those who are entitled to child tax deductions
Subject: “Don't Miss the Child Discount,” July 13th editorial
Thank you for your great editorial on the child tax credit in the Tuesday edition. Unfortunately, as your editorial points out, low-income Americans must work to access this benefit. I would suggest that the Colorado MPs and our US Senators take this as an opportunity to reach out to lower-income Colorado residents in their districts, to make them aware of this benefit and to assist them in the necessary steps to receive the benefits that their children deserve.
Eric H. Cahn, Denver
Illustration of the haves and the dispossessed
On page 4 of the “Sunday Perspective” section, two photos were shown side by side, pointing to the incredible imbalance in our world: a huge luxury cruise ship with pollutants and the other of a run-down bus (probably also a high pollutant). shows poor refugees seeking protection from conflict. These clearly and visibly illustrate the immense gap between the haves and the haves in our society. All people – including those on the ship and those on the bus – share the same DNA. So what questions does the reflection of these scenes ask for the present and future of humanity? And what answers can and should we give to such inquiries?
Marty and Bill Uebelher, Denver
More than just plastic bags
Subject: "Common sense with plastic bags", letter to the editors dated July 10th
The letter writer's comment was spot on. I would like to add a couple of things, however: plastic bags aren't even a drop in the bucket compared to all the plastic used to pack / wrap the things the anti-plastic bag crowd buys online.
If the governor was a retailer and had to pack some of the bacteria-laden, leaking meat packages in personal bags that arrived at my check-in desk, he would think twice about signing the plastic bag fee.
Susan Quinn, Golden
A letter writer says it is not sensible to bill poor grocery buyers for plastic bags to move their goods. He blames left politics for this. But shouldn't the manufacture of the bags be banned? That goes to the root of the problem, plastics in the environment. No fees required as plastic bags would no longer be created. This solution appears to have been ignored by the right as plastics manufacturers make millions of dollars.
The environment is in crisis and demands extreme measures against plastics. Until degradable, environmentally friendly plastics are made, laws should be passed in Congress banning manufacturers of non-recyclable plastics except for medical, transportation, residential, and military uses.
Susanne Altenhofen, Fort Collins
Fairness of the children
Re: “The Race and History Wars”, June 29th comment and “The Excesses of Anti-Racial Education”, July 8th commentary
Ross Douthat wrote two columns in the Denver Post explaining critical racial theory, just listing different views on white supremacy, without mentioning white privilege. Nevertheless, there are clear and factual examples of white privileges that all people in this country who describe themselves as white have experienced, be it historically or in the present, culturally or systemically.
These understandably and honestly described examples can be recognized by children of all ages in our schools. If they are uncomfortable with these examples, my experience with children's fairness makes me believe that many of them will feel the pain of those who have lived with other examples. Perhaps they will even discuss the reasons and suggest solutions to this discrepancy. Could that be called critical thinking?
Nita Bradford, Seewald
There are opportunities for people who seek them
Re: “City has 'internal bleeding',” July 5 news
In the article, Gerardo Lopez, executive director of a violence prevention organization, says the root causes of violence in Denver have been around for years: lack of opportunities in vulnerable communities, lack of professional training, lack of opportunities for people who have been incarcerated in the past, and children kicked out of school and lost their chance of success.
There seems to be a "Help Wanted" sign on every other block. Workforce centers offer retraining programs. There are opportunities everywhere for people looking for them. Getting kicked from school isn't easy; this requires behaviors that go well beyond suspension. With all due respect, Lopez seems to see people as victims who owe society. I admit it's hard to deal with people who have crime on their files. But their bottom line is what it is, and they need to be more positive and proactive in their job search to be successful. I have placed hundreds of people with disabilities over the years in jobs and they all have had mental and physical problems to overcome. We are not here to give in to our circumstances, but to overcome them.
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen said 11 of the 18 homicides identified in 2021 were under the supervision of the criminal justice system when they allegedly killed someone – five were on probation, four on probation and two were pre-trial free for bonds.
What supervision were these people under? The easiest way to protect the public would be to take a closer look at a system that allows these people to be on the street in the first place.
Steven Gehrke, Aurora
Editor's note: Gehrke is president of a company specializing in people with disabilities that offers job and career coaching.
The can has already been kicked
Re: Political cartoon of July 3rd
Dick Wright, PoliticalCartoons.com
I would like to point out to cartoonist Dick Wright that Dick Cheney and Ronald Reagan introduced the "deficits don't matter" method to run government. In the face of a booming economy, it was Bush 43 and Trump who both missed the chance to pay off their debts and instead decided to cut taxes on the ultra-rich. The lie that Mr. Wright maintains by saying that the Dems "kick the can out into the street" is the problem.
Brian LeFevre, Brighton
Tobacco company advertising honors former smokers
Subject: Full-page advertisement on July 5th
As a former smoker, I was amazed to see the huge and undoubtedly expensive advertisement for the Philip Morris company in many newspapers across the country, including this one.
The full-page article by the tobacco company's CEO, Jacek Olczak, advocated a “smoke-free future” and urged the replacement of cigarettes and, implicitly, other unmentioned tobacco products. Although the company has made a number of similar public statements over the past few years, the power and commitment shown in this has been truly breathtaking, which has also been a symptom of over-indulgence in its products for years.
While the company has expanded to include a variety of consumables and other less harmful items, the chastisement of its branded cigarettes and reputation for replacing it with “better alternatives” for adults who wish to continue smoking is noteworthy.
It's like Coca-Cola urging thirsty consumers to cut out soft drinks, car manufacturers recommending public transport, the banking community warning wage earners not to save money, or the fossil fuel industry pushing for increased use of wind and solar energy.
If cigarette smoking is as harmful as the ad suggests, including its "unintended use – especially by teenagers," Philip Morris and his industry allies could help consumers keep their mouths shut where the tobacco giant's money is , and to discontinue the manufacture, distribution and profits of the product.
Marshall H. Tanick, Denver
Too few places in care programs
Re: "Will burnout fuel an exodus?" News of July 3rd
I understand the article is about COVID burnout, but I wanted to take this opportunity to pay more attention to the nursing staff shortage.
Although COVID burnout gives us a new reason for this, there has long been a lack of care. The demand far exceeds the supply.
What I don't hear is that the number of nursing staff available is limited by the number of places in nursing programs. There are many people out there who want to get into nursing but cannot get into programs.
Hospitals and other employers crying out for nurses need to invest in nursing programs at colleges and universities. Fund professors, build buildings, etc. Also, the state could raise taxes to fund state colleges and universities, but taxpayers would never do that – something for the common good.
Jill Lewis, Westminster
Vaccine lessons should apply today
Enough vitriol and anger about why we should – or not want to – get the COVID vaccine.
No lecture here, but have you ever wondered why we don't hear more about measles, mumps, smallpox, diphtheria, polio, etc?
Do you think there is a vaccination lesson here?
Robert Hamre, Littleton
MLB made a business decision
Denver has a great robust sports scene that features numerous sports venues. It's great not only for the residents, but also as a source of income for the businesses and as a tax revenue for the region.
What most people – including many politicians – forget is that these teams are private companies. They will keep the area entertained as long as they can make a profit. If Wray, Eads, or Ordway (but no disrespect) can offer better financial incentives, teams will be moving there in no time. They are corporations – not publicly paid Roman games.
That point was lost in Atlanta when Major League Baseball moved the All-Star game to Denver in a political response to Georgia's actions in response to Donald Trump's defeat in the recent presidential election. The owners have decided whether it is appropriate or not. Atlanta needs to recognize this and deal with the consequences. Maybe one day Georgia will come to her senses and realize that Joe Biden won the election and the All-Star Game can be played there.
Ralph Johnson, Seewald
Keep the police strong
Gosh, all of a sudden, getting the police out of debt doesn't sound like such a good idea unless you feel comfortable with the idea of four people with 16 long guns, body armor, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition in a hotel room overlooking downtown well.
We humans are a violent species and have been for thousands of years. Not much changes, and I'm damned happy for these men and women in blue who make it possible for most of us to live civilized lives.
Richard Plastino, Seewald
Protect the role of the HOAs
Subject: "HOAs Can No Longer Restrict Signs", July 3rd News
Governor Jared Polis really missed the mark with the passage of House Bill 1310 this year. Many of us move into HOA communities because we want to live in a controlled environment without many of the problems that non-HOA communities face. We pay high membership fees to maintain a certain community standard, and a multitude of cheesy flags will only degrade the neighborhood no matter what message they carry.
But worse, this measure will serve to instill anger, division and resentment among neighbors, especially when political issues are on display.
The legislature has absolutely no right to interfere in a contractual relationship between an HOA and its residents. HB 1310 appeases a small percentage of those who move into an HOA-controlled community and then disobey the rules – the very rules that are primarily there to keep them in check.
What's next? What other HOA rules will the government choose to restrict or repeal? This bill is an outrageous transgression by our government and a major disappointment. I can only hope that the majority of HOA homeowners will recognize the potential problems with this bill and ensure that it is preferred to voters to overturn it.
Annette Finley, Broom field
Griswold should obey Colorado electoral law
Subject: "Political advertising, rallies accompany the competition", news of July 13th
According to The Denver Post, Jena Griswold claimed that "the worst Jim Crow voter suppression in recent American history" is taking place.
Griswold is the Colorado Secretary of State, not Georgia or any other state. She allegedly represents all of Colorado, not all of which believe the Georgia changes will be viewed as "voter repression." As an independent voter, I consider her public comments about the conduct of elections in another state to be inappropriate. I'm sure she would think the same if another civil servant commented on our trials. Withdrawing their comments and making a public apology to their constituents is clearly appropriate.
Calvin Switzerland, Castle rock
Grateful for Col. Elections
I love how Colorado is protecting our vote and how it is happening here in Colorado. I ask that nothing changes here that happens in other countries.
Carla Gould, Castle rock
Golf courses are not "green"
Subject: "Get off the grass", letter to the editors dated July 9th
Some excellent points were made regarding excessive water use on our lawns and public areas. I would like to include golf courses in this discussion. I live across the street from one (owned by Denver) and the sprinklers run every day regardless of the weather. If sprinkler heads break or stick to a zone and water runs down the street, I need to alert them.
So that we don't forget, agriculture is the largest and most important water consumer. Fortunately, there are amazing alternatives to conventional agriculture, where closed loop water is recycled and crops are grown in controlled environments. For many reasons, it is time to take these methods seriously and start growing less thirsty crops. If we really have to bite the bullet, we'll stop nibbling on a BB.
Patricia Scott, Denver
Boebert's anti-vaccine campaign
Colorado Republican Congressman Lauren Boebert writes: “Biden sent his Needle Nazis to Mesa County. The people in my district are more than smart enough to make their own decisions about the experimental vaccine and don't need to be coerced by federal agents. Did I wake up in communist China? "
Make up your mind, Boebert. Are the people trying to save your constituents' lives Nazis or Communists?
JM Jesse, Glenwood Springs
Rep. Boebert has attacked the use of COVID-19 vaccines, as has other Republican lawmakers. The Boebert District in western Colorado has seen most of the recent cases of COVID-19. Does she deserve her voters well?
Richard Everstine, Grünwald village
Donor Dash brings together great loss and the gift of life
May 24, 2003 was a normal day until an officer arrived and told me that there had been an accident with my 24-year-old daughter Jill. As I listened to the doctor explain her injuries, I was just waiting to hear when I could take her home. When he said that her injuries were not survivable, I understood that bringing her home would never be an option. Jill and I had previously discussed organ donation and I knew she wanted to donate her organs.
In honor of Jill, I go to Donor Dash every year with my team, Jill Connett’s Fighting Snappers. We have run the race for 16 years and will run again on Sunday. It's an opportunity to honor those like Jill who gave life, but also to inspire others to say yes, sign up as a donor, and meet others who have been touched by donation and transplant.
When my team was running the track in 2008, I saw a woman with a picture of Jill on her shirt. Her name was Carole and she was Jill's liver recipient. After Carole crossed the finish line, we hugged and cried. Carole and I are now good friends and we are committed to organ donation together.
People wonder why I'm sharing my story and continuing Jill's team. Not a lot of blue t-shirts will ever bring my daughter back, but I see it this way: No parent should have to bury their child. If sharing my story inspires a person to say yes to become a donor, then it's worth it.
Melody Connett, Englewood
We expect too much from our cops
Subject: “Police remain strong”, letter to the editors dated July 14th
When I read the letter arguing against the police defunding, citing the recent arrest of the four heavily armed people at a downtown Denver hotel, I agreed that it is a great consolation to have a police force, who is professionally trained for such criminal situations.
There was also an article about the Aurora police responding to a dangerous situation in which a man was going through a mental crisis. The police had been called to this man's home 24 times since June 24th.
We expect far too much from our police officers. No one can be expected to be an expert on crime, mental health, addiction, and homelessness. It makes sense to me that we would all be safer if an appropriately trained person could be available to intervene and provide assistance in non-criminal situations before they become dangerous.
I appreciate our cops who risk their lives to protect us. They will of course use their training when called to help, but it is not appropriate or effective in every situation.
"Debilitating the Police" is a bad name for the idea that the police should focus their time and training solely on crime, while funds should also be available to empower experts in non-criminal situations. It would protect both citizens and the police.
Lee Ann Clements, Aurora
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