Fred’s on point

A rare occasion when Fred Malo Jr. writes a letter (March 7 Post Independent) that zeros in on undisputed subjects. In the case of “Capitalism’s assault on journalism,” he lays bare the predatory ways hedge-funds are getting rich at the cost of our collective soul.

Social media now precludes thoughtful commentary, not to mention journalism.

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Fred Stewart

Grand Junction

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Not NIMBYs

It feels like an insult, having your objections to a land-use decision derided as a NIMBY position.

The original “not-in-my-backyard” acronym was usually invoked to shame homeowners for being too concerned about protecting their monetary investment from decline due to encroaching “undesirables.”

As home ownership became more a method for growing personal wealth than simply a commitment to where you live and put down roots, money became the yardstick for it all.

The neighbors banding together to oppose the 480 Donegan annexation and proposed development have been accused of NIMBY priorities. Not so. Living in a checkerboard of city and county jurisdictions, on small and neglected roads, with few amenities like parks and essential shopping, we resist that project because it poses a dire threat to our physical well-being by foisting on our under-resourced neighborhood a dense housing development that would increase our population by 700-1,000 people (and their vehicles) when we already lack adequate escape routes and infrastructure for our safety in the face of increasing wildfire danger.

But it also places more value on economic growth — both that of the developers and managers of the housing to be built, and the economic value of the newcomers who would live there, than on the value of the current community and its members, who have invested the work and care of their lifetimes to make it lovable, worth defending.

For that, the city and county owe us an obligation to secure our safety before permitting population expansions that increase our danger.

There is always tension between valuing the present, which is the achievement of the past, and the needs of the unknown future. It’s a reckoning every generation makes. Where we have gone wrong, I think, is in reducing this to purely economic terms.

That’s why we’re standing up to a city government that has been seduced by promises of growth into denying the survival and community interests of its citizens. That’s why we must vote “yes” on ballot measure B and repeal the annexation of 480 Donegan.

Laurie Raymond

Glenwood Springs

Not Dem leaders

Ms. Debbie Bruel’s op-ed, “Electing the leaders we need” (Feb. 18 Post Independent) concludes that we should vote for leaders that serve us all. I couldn’t agree more.

Debbie says a leader needs to be forward-thinking. Dems set a fine example by the amazing Afghanistan abandonment that left allies shuddering and enemies snickering. However, the Taliban appreciated the billions worth of state-of the-art weaponry we left them. Immensely!

Another great forward-thinking plan from Deb’s Dems was “defund police.” Dem voters elected pro-criminal DAs and eviscerated bail laws in the name of racial “equity.” Of course, Dems deny any correlation between the U.S. crime explosion and their forward-thinking policies.

Ms. Bruell also thinks leaders should stand up for what is right while voters keep an eye on where pols get their money from. Surely, only right wing conspiracy theorists would suggest Big Daddy Joe, our Dem Prez, could be compromised by this.

Leaders focus on what unites people, says Deb. And what says unity more clearly than our Dem Prez’s national approval rating of 38%?

Our leaders must also be innovative. Look no further than our southern border for unique innovation by Dems. Not only have we allowed over two million foreigners from over 150 countries into our country, we’ve set historic highs in fentanyl importation, human smuggling and Mexican cartel profits.

But don’t worry! In fiscal year 2021 only slightly over 100,000 of America’s sons and daughters died from drug overdoses. And fentanyl was only responsible for about 67,000 deaths. By comparison that’s only a few thousand more than we sacrificed in Nam. So see, nothing to worry about. The liberal media sure isn’t.

We definitely need leaders that serve us all. I just don’t believe Deb and Dems are any good at it. Moreover, we need a media that reports facts rather than agenda-based opinions. A media that tells both sides of the story and lets everyone form their own opinion of the facts.

Bruno Kirchenwitz

Rifle