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Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

Signs supporting Obama in my front yard were vandalized Sunday. My home was defaced. I write to share why I vigorously support Obama’s uplifting candidacy.

In banging the patriotism drum, we have forgotten that we cannot both celebrate freedom while simultaneously losing sight of its meaning. Freedom of thought and speech set our country apart globally. The Patriot Act triggered a gradual erosion of foundational freedoms and embraced national fear that was taken too far by vandals, instead of opening reasonable dialogue about issues. Vandalism is not dialogue.



I will vote for Barack Obama because he embodies balanced views, open conversations, careful, rational decision making and free speech. He values alliances, wise negotiations, and win-win solutions. He does not incite the lowest common denominator in thought or action nor repeat untruths. He does not casually suggest banning books, dictating choices or inciting racism ” or have a ticket partner who does not speak forcefully and immediately against these erosive and divisive positions.

I want a leader who supports equalizing opportunity in education and health. For additional debt, at least our taxes will have purchased opportunities for all instead of tax dollars lining pockets of glutted executives and supporting a lies-based war that delivers dead bodies to broken families.



I want a leader who knows that unimaginable debt must be repaid by our great-grandchildren, unless called due early by foreign nations who hold the future of our country in their pockets. One who knows we can neither drill ourselves out of the energy crisis or print ourselves out of the financial crisis.

I want a leader who points us to the light, reminds us of hope, reminds us that in lifting one, we elevate all, reminding us that fear cannot triumph over hope-filled vision.

To you who came last night in the dark spreading fear ” who would not have come in the light of day ” move from your dark corner! Be reminded by Obama ” we are so much better than these last eight years. Move not to your lowest, but rise to your highest common denominator. Embrace an uplifting change.

Cheryl Cain

Glenwood Springs

As Yogi Berra might have said, “It’s 1984 all over again.” Anyone who saw Joe Biden’s interview with Barbara West last week, who isn’t in need of a cranio-rectalectomy, would be paraphrasing the old sage. This is the most blatant example of Barry’s campaign’s Doublethink* to date. I’m quoting the significant parts of the interview. The complete interview can be found on Youtube.

West: “Sen. Obama, now famously, told ‘Joe the Plumber’ that he wanted to spread his wealth around.” (Barry’s exact quote: “When you spread the wealth around, it’s a good thing.”) “Isn’t Sen. Obama’s comment a potentially crushing political blunder?”

Biden: “Absolutely not. The only person who’s spread the wealth around is George Bush and John McCain’s tax policy. They have devastated the middle class …”

West: “You may recognize this famous quote, ‘From each according to his abilities. To each according to his needs.’ That’s from Karl Marx. How is Sen. Obama not being a Marxist if he intends to spread the wealth around?”

Biden: “Are you joking. Is this a joke … ?”

West: “No.”

Biden: “Or is that a real question? He’s not spreading the wealth around. He’s talking about giving the middle class an opportunity to get back the tax breaks they used to have.”

Since that interview, the Obama campaign canceled a planned interview with Biden’s wife, Jill, and said, “This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with the campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election.” If the Obama camp can’t take real questions from a female journalist, how do you think they’ll do with bad guys like Putin and Ahmadinejad?

*”Doublethink: The keyword here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this.” ” 1984 by George Orwell.

Neal Pollack

Carbondale

Many elected offices in Colorado have consecutive term-limits of six to 12 years, but Garfield County has eliminated term limits. Commissioner John Martin has already served 12 straight years.

With the concentration of power represented by our three-person board, John has often been part of a power bloc determining questionable policies and direction of our county. Many have felt these decisions have been lacking, deficient and made in a vacuum without regard for citizens and other counties that make up our regional economy. Should we reward our long-term chair of the board another four years? No, 16 years in a row would be too many.

Indicative of the dissatisfaction and lack of cooperation this power bloc has represented is the willingness of many local elected officials to publicly endorse the candidacies of Stephen Bershenyi and Steve Carter. For public servants to take the risk of endorsing challengers to the status quo of entrenched county leadership, shows there is real need and desire for change and improvement.

With a change in leadership, we can pursue missed opportunities such as expanded monitoring of air and water qualities for the protection of public health and landscapes.

New leaders can also help with the review of county operations, personnel and structure under the direct control of our commissioners to seek improvements where necessary. We could achieve greater cooperation and economic synergies among political entities.

I am voting for Stephen Bershenyi and Steve Carter for county commissioner and joining many others who are supporting them. They offer new ideas, creative energies and strong commitments to the immediate and future needs of our county. Although I strongly believe our local offices should be nonpartisan, we cannot afford more years of a Republican-dominated power bloc.

Four years ago, many voters were ready for such a change, as indicated by the close results with my challenge to still-incumbent commissioner, John Martin. Out of 19,499 total votes cast in that race, only 229 votes separated us.

Yes, your vote can make a difference and will bring needed, timely change to county leadership.

Greg Jeung

Glenwood Springs

Mike Samson understands our election is about a unified Garfield County. That is why his first specific proposal was the Garfield County Citizens Forum. This new communications plan is one of the reasons the Post Independent endorsed Samson.

Radicals in both parties are trying to polarize Garfield County, making it about environmentalists versus the business community.

Garfield County is a richly diverse place where each community from Parachute to Carbondale has its own unique heritage, culture and interests. These towns have respected each other’s differences for more than 100 years.

We need someone who understands that leadership is about independent-minded people bringing these interests together for consensus and the good of the whole county. Mike Samson has walked door to door from Carbondale to Parachute, listening to the varied concerns of the people of Garfield County and his passion for bringing them together has earned him my vote.

Sally M. Brands

Rifle

This statuary amendment will increase the severance tax to 5 percent, without allowing a credit for local taxes paid by the extracting corporation, which the industry pays to the state.

Contrary to misleading TV ads by the industry, it will not ” I repeat, will not ” raise the price of natural gas to the consumer.

The price of gas paid by the consumer is determined by the Colorado Public Utility Commission. The price for gas the industry extracts is determined by the Commodity Exchange in New York City. The laws of supply and demand, factored by speculators, are used to determine the price. The price extracts receive in Garfield County is a negative effect, for lack of adequate size of pipelines.

We need a master plan, and a system to verify how much gas is being extracted and is the proper amount being paid to the state and royalty owners.

Let’s stop having the fox guard, and doing inventory of, the chicken coop.

Sam Robinson

Parachute

There is only one logical choice for Colorado Senate District 8. Al White spent his first six years in the legislature working to secure funding to market Colorado’s tourism industry nationally and internationally. In 2006, his efforts paid off with a law that allocates more than $20 million annually for tourism promotion. Included in that law is a clause that allows the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee (JBC) to determine the amount of funding, if any, in years state revenues are down.

It appears the 2009-10 state budget will reflect a downturn in revenue. That makes Al White’s return to the Joint Budget Committee imperative for the tourism industry in Eagle County and throughout Northwest Colorado. Without his strong voice on the JBC to champion the cause of tourism funding, it is quite possible we will once again be left with zero dollars to market our state to tourists.

I have served with Al White on the Colorado Tourism Office board of directors for six years. He is known around the state Capitol as a tireless tourism supporter. The Denver newspapers have reported bookings are down for the upcoming ski season.

Al is 99 percent certain he will be reappointed to the JBC if elected to the Senate.

Now is not the time to risk losing his voice for tourism on the JBC.

Vote for Al White for Colorado State Senate.

Peter M. Meersman, treasurer, HOSTPAC, the political action committee of the Colorado Restaurant Association

Denver

Silt politics again in the news? Obviously, what happens in Silt doesn’t stay in Silt.

Richard Scranton

Glenwood Springs


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