Defend GarCo libraries from political takeover

In Garfield County we love our libraries. However, just like other beloved institutions in our country, libraries are under attack, and our Garfield County libraries are no exception. For the past two years or so, a small, vocal minority in our county has been viciously attacking our libraries and those who work there. As former library board trustee Susan Use said in a previous letter to this paper, “The real intent of this group is to control the library board… It is about defunding our library system.” And it is about wanting to implement partisan and anti-constitutional policies, as outlined in Project 2025, that counter everything our democracy and this library system stands for.

Speak out. Attend the next library board meeting on April 3 at 2 p.m. in the Glenwood Springs Branch Library. If you want to speak, you are allowed three minutes to comment at the beginning of the meeting. If you are unable to attend in person, you can attend via Zoom. The way to do that can be found on the library website. Welcome the new member of the Library Board of Trustees, Tony Hershey. Let him know how important our library system is to us in Garfield County. Show the Garfield County commissioners, who are in cahoots with the small vocal minority, that we will not stand for this attempted takeover of our library system.

Carole O’Brien, New Castle

Power of the People rally returns April 5

After the success of The Good Fight rally on March 8, we knew we couldn’t stop. With April 5 on the calendar, we have the perfect moment to rally again. The Trump family, his administration, and figures like Elon Musk are working to dismantle this country. They lack morals, empathy, and integrity — and we refuse to let them drag this nation down.

Join us for The Power of the People rally at Sayre Park in Glenwood Springs on April 5 at 3:30 p.m. We must stand together because when we unite, we have more power than these so-called “leaders” ever will. We are fighting for a country we love, while they exploit politics to shield Trump from accountability.

This isn’t just a rally for Democrats — it’s for anyone outraged by Trump’s blatant abuse of power. In just two months, Trump has issued 97 executive orders. By contrast, Biden issued 162 in four years, and Obama issued 276 in eight years, averaging about 35 per year. Despite controlling the House, Senate, and presidency, Trump and the GOP rely on executive orders instead of governing.

There are countless reasons to rally: slashing funding for vital agencies, cutting school lunches for vulnerable kids, gutting NOAA’s budget, undermining child cancer research, rounding up legal green card holders, dismantling FEMA after disasters, and trampling on our Constitution. The list goes on, but the message is clear — this administration is a threat to our country.

Perrin Williams, Snowmass Village

Auto manufacturing isn’t coming back

The Impact of a 25% Tariff is small potatoes compared to manufacturing a car wholly within the USA. In the USA after union negotiations auto workers are averaging $27 per hour while their Mexican counterparts average the following. An entry-level manufacturing worker earns around $4.90 per hour, while skilled workers can earn $7-$8 per hour. A 25% tariff on imports from Mexico could cost the average American citizen between $4,000-$10,000 per vehicle extra depending on model. If the same model of vehicle was manufactured in the USA with a manufacturing labor rate 600% higher, 90% of Americans would not be able to afford to purchase an automobile. Keep in mind, this average labor rate increase does not even include things such as health insurance or the employer paid portion of social security payments. Automobiles are manufactured outside the USA for two reasons. The first reason is that it is more cost efficient for the manufacturer and adds to the bottom line allowing profitability and the other it allow you, the customer, to have the ability to afford the purchase at a much lower rate than an American-made car. All this does not even touch on the supply chain issues for the parts required to build a car. To sum it all up, there is not a chance in hell that auto manufacturing will return to the country. If you believe it will, I’ll sell you a new home on Mars.

Douglas Brown, New Castle

More electoral losses on the horizon

Barb Coddington’s “outrage” ( PI letter, 3/31) echoes the same fake theatrical drama as the Dems’ Hollywood production of Jan. 6. Like most Democrats, Barb offers no solutions, only condemnation of Trump and denigration of the majority of US citizens who elected him. 

This misguided political bias that makes Barb so unhappy, gives me great pleasure. I’m happy because Barb and Dems in general have not learned any lessons from their November beat down. Ergo, more electoral losses are on the horizon for liberals.

Keep fueling that outrage Barb.

Bruno Kirchenwitz, Rifle