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Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

Who is this columnist Tina Dupuy who thinks she knows something about Republicans and their candidates? Her opinion piece of Aug. 22 was so full of generalities and her obvious dislike of Republicans. She started out making fun of Tim Pawlenty’s name, goes on to think Republicans’ children should be in the military, to making a case for something that happened when Romney was 16, mixing it up somehow with the abortion issue and ending up calling Republicans worshiping the “gilded class.”

On the opposite page was a good, thoughtful piece about the late Sen. Mark Hatfield that was informative, sensitive and factual, also written by someone who is probably not a Republican. I think I have too much time on my hands to end up reading such drivel. I’m retired and think I need a job to keep me sane.

Marlis Laursoo



Glenwood Springs

What purpose does publishing Jack Blankenship’s constant barrage of letters serve? In particular, I wonder about his letter of Aug. 23 about the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.



Is the Post Independent so desperate for fabricated controversy that it is willing to print the unending, negative ramblings of the village malcontent? We deserve some higher journalistic standards in our valley.

Christine Singleton

Silt

Only a few days remain for turning in signed petitions to run for the Roaring Fork Re-1 School Board. It is a large commitment, but a very important and gratifying job. What is more important than our children?

In 1994, I was new to the community, had two young children and was not in agreement with the philosophy of the two candidates running for the school board seat in my director district. I kept waiting for someone else to step forward, preferably someone with school-age children, but no one appeared.

At the very last moment, I picked up a petition and went from door to door obtaining the requisite number of signatures. I won the election and was honored to have been able to serve on behalf of the students in the Roaring Fork Valley.

This spring, the paper was flooded with letters of concern about the direction the current school board is taking us.

I was encouraged to see people paying attention to the many critical decisions being made that directly affect their children. I am now disappointed to see so few volunteering to run for these very important seats.

This letter is not intended to judge the current board members, but fresh ideas create the opportunity for a more thoughtful decision-making process.

Please consider going to the Re-1 District Office in Glenwood Springs – now – and picking up your petition. An evening of talking with your neighbors and getting their signature is your first step to making a difference for the amazing students attending our great public schools.

Tresi Houpt

Glenwood Springs

Editor’s note: The deadline for candidates to turn in signed petitions for the Roaring Fork school board election is 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26.

Having taken some vacation time listening to music last week, it was interesting to catch up with the letters section. Some things never change and some are surprising.

The contributions from Cynthia Thomas and Jane Spaulding are like dejà vu. Since 2000, election rumblings bring out the pension and Social Security issues of Congress. A modicum of research would debunk these stories, but without knee-jerk reactions to wild emails some people would get no exercise.

These are facts from Snopes and other sources:

It is not true that congressmen do not pay into the Social Security fund. Since 1984, they have been required to pay into Social Security just as most everyone else does.

It is not true that congressmen “continue to draw the same pay, until they die.” The size of their pensions is determined by a number of factors, (length of service, when they joined Congress, their age at retirement, their salary, and pension options they chose when they enrolled in the retirement system) and by law cannot exceed 80 percent of their salary at the time of their retirement.

Members of Congress in the Federal Employees Retirement System plan must pay 6.2 percent of their salaries (up to the Social Security wage base of $106,800) into Social Security, and 1.3 percent of their full salary into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.

Ken Fry has an interesting view about James Kellogg and Ross Talbott. As I live further west than they do, perhaps the “crazy” just hovers around New Castle, as they both reside there. I’m sure Bob Anderson and the Battlement Mesa writers may argue that point concerning yours truly. Long live Planet Rifle.

Finally, it seems Bruno Kirchenwitz and I do share common ground: legalizing marijuana. Who knew? As we supply an air filtration product to marijuana dispensaries, I have some personal knowledge. Here’s something to think about. There are 145,000 medical marijuana patients registered in Colorado. I know five of them, and 20 times as many non-card carriers that use, or have used, marijuana.

Craig S. Chisesi

Rifle


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